Jane forced Feline to stand in front of the mirror, to gawk at the short, tight red dress she wore, with almost see through tights beneath, and long black heels. The dress was gorgeous, going to Feline mid-thigh. The dress had many silver and red sequins around the top, making it glimmer and look almost like fire and ice. She had been forced into what looked like a choker of the same design, but knew it was actually a collar.

The blood had been wetted and wiped off, or what Jane could carelessly get off at least, and the same went for dirt. Her hair had been cleaned of blood and combed at least. "What a crappy present", Feline thought, "if I'm his present, actually make me pretty. Let me clean myself at least."

"Very nice. You clean up well. Have you ever modeled?" Jane smirked, reaching into her pocket. Feline rolled her eyes. Feline knew that now, now that she was free of the handcuffs, she should start throwing and breaking stuff, desperate to leave. And she was…. She just knew she couldn't win against a vampire. In fact, she knew she didn't stand a chance.

Jane wrapped her arms around Feline, wrapping a necklace around her throat. Feline stared at it as she latched it. It was a dark black, or maybe very dark gray, silver pendulum that looked like a V. Inside the V, ruby's flashes, along with sketches of two trees and two eagles, looking almost like a prep school patch. It felt ice cold against Feline's neck, but Feline knew it was not wise to ask for it to be removed. Surprisingly, it looked very nice with the high fashion collar.

"This is the Volturi's symbol, more or less. You're the first human to ever join our clan. Well, I mean, you're not human, but you have blood. That's the point here," Jane scoffed, with a sigh, taking a step away. She grabbed the handcuffs off the table beside the mirror, quickly snapping it to Feline's wrist. Feline winced as it hit and carved farther into the already raw flesh, and whined under her breath.

Jane smirked a little, grabbing Feline by the collar, and nearly dragging her back to the heater register. She snapped the open handcuffs back to it, and gave a wild grin. "You're learning to behave very well. No too shabby for a savage."

"A savage?" Feline growled through her teeth, and Jane nodded confidentially. "I'm just as smart as you are. I guarantee it."

"Because I bet you've spent seven hundred years on this Earth too." Jane rolled her eyes, as she grabbed a fur shawl off the bed, beginning to throw it over her arms. "Look kid, you're smart. But no regular genius."

"But I'm smart enough to know that kidnapping is wrong. They must've left that out for you."

Jane ignored her, as she began to tie the front, silk strings of the shawl. "Oh yeah? If you're so smart, have fun getting out of those handcuffs." Jane smirked as she walked towards the door. "I'll be back with your new owner in two hours or do." And before she gave Feline the time to argue, she was gone.

"Happy Birthday, Alec," Heidi smiled sheepishly, as she handed over a small present. Alec looked at the present almost nervously, looking up at Heidi, and over to Jane, who was watching with a smile.

"It's not just my birthday…" Alec reminded the group what seemed like the hundredth time today. Heidi laughed a little, and then smiled, shaking her head.

"You're not good at this game, Alec. Jane told you she didn't want to celebrate. I know this is the first birthday you've celebrated in two hundred years or so, but get it together, son," she smirked. "Now open it."

Alec sighed, looking down to the bright yellow and blue striped box. He didn't need any more reminders of how he was seven hundred and sixty eight years old. In fact, he thought it was stupid to even celebrate it. Why celebrate old, abnormal age? It was almost sick. But he slipped his finger under the lid, and opened it.

A gold pocket watch lay there, with the design of a lion lying in a pile of weeds on the outside. Alec recognized this design; he'd had the same one maybe three hundred years ago, except it had been destroyed by Heidi when she borrowed it, and then dropped it.

"It doesn't make up for me breaking the real thing," Heidi smiled, and Alec couldn't help but grin a little at the thought of how angry he'd gotten over her breaking it. "But hopefully it means something to you."

"It does," Alec smiled, as Heidi wrapped him in a hug. Alec awkwardly hugged her back.

"I hope you get better, Alec. You're not yourself anymore." Heidi's voice sounded almost timid, and was whispered, not that there was any people Alec would be embarrassed to have heard that anyways. But he knew she was just telling him what he already knew. People were beginning to catch on to his hiding away, laying in bed, reading, drinking.

"Sorry," Alec whispered as Heidi kissed his head, and pulled away.

The birthday party had been generally small, since there weren't very many members of the Volturi visiting at the same time. Many people came by to celebrate, including the Masters, a few bringing presents, and wishing Alec the best for the next year… Or the next hundred to his next celebrated birthday. Either way. Alcohol had been passed around, and some people dance. But Alec didn't really enjoy it. He liked the fact many people came to see him, but couldn't really like the party itself. And now it was just himself, Felix, Heidi, and Jane, and he was beyond ready to turn in.

"Time for your present from me," Jane smiled, leaning over and grabbing his hand, yanking him to his feet. Alec raised his eyebrows at her, almost confused. "It's upstairs. In my room. I'll race you there?"

"Are you drunk?" Alec asked, almost with a laugh. His sister used her humorous, fun, charming side so little, it almost seemed suspicious for her to suggest anything reckless.

"I don't think so. Are you ready?" Jane asked, with a broad smile. Alec sighed a little, with a small smile. He knew it would be wrong to displease his sister when it was truly her birthday too. "One…, Two…, Three!"

It was almost a flash up the staircase, down the hall, up four more staircases, and down the hall again. But not surprisingly, Alec beat his sister. Not by much, and he figured she was just as fast as he, except her was only taller. She arrived with in five seconds behind him, nearly running into him as she slid to a stop at the door.

"Are you ready?" Jane asked, her hand on the doorknob, smile still on her face. Alec wasn't too surprised that she didn't acknowledge that he had won, or maybe she hadn't cared at all. But he nodded, smiling back to her.

She slowly opened the door, stepping inside, and Alec walked in behind her, closing the door. His first thought was that the room smelled of dense blood, and then he quickly realized why. They weren't the only two were in the room. There was a small girl, very young looking, sitting against the heater register, head hung, blonde hair messily falling across her face and dress, making it nearly impossible to see either one. The position looked nearly unbearable to sleep in.

"What is this supposed to be, Jane?" Alec asked, almost scared to know. Why had Jane trapped up a random girl in her room? She wasn't a slave here at the castle, because Alec had never seen her before, unless she was very, very new.

Jane glanced at him, worried by his tone, before stomping her foot loudly, so that it riveted off the walls. Feline jumped awake, hitting her head on the register, but hardly realizing. She stared at Jane, and what had to be her brother. They looked very alike in the face. Feline wasn't sure what she had been expecting, but she had imagined her owner being a monster with no eyes, no face, just a desire for blood and torture. But why would he look any different than the other vampires?

He was very tall, especially standing next to his sister, and Feline figured he had to be about six 'four, at least. He was wearing a dark suit, with a red shirt underneath that, and a black tie. His hair was pitch black, and even through the dim lighting from the several candles in the room, she could see his eyes were also red. His skin looked paler than the rest, and he almost looked sick, Feline realized… And very tired. He looked very, very worn out.

"Stand up," Jane barked at Feline, but Feline didn't even try. She'd lost that power hours ago. She'd lost the rest of her energy fighting against the register and loosing. Jane looked worried now too, Feline realized. "Uh, Alec, this is Feline. Your birthday present…"

Alec looked at Jane, and then to Feline again. Alec stared over the girl. She was wearing a crimson dress, heels, tights, and a Volturi necklace; which meant Aro had approved her. She was part of the coven now. Which only made things worse, Alec thought. The girl's right hand was cuffed to the register, the area where the cuff latched around her hand black, blue, bleeding, and getting worse. There were gashes and slashes in her forehead and cheeks, her eyes dark with bruises. She was a mess, that was for sure, but it was obviously not by choice. Her eyes were almost begging from some sort of relief, but were… Hopeless. As she didn't expect a thing except to be locked there, for death and worse. Near exhaustion, and fighting death or fainting. Something of the sort that made her heart beat irregular.

Alec swallowed, almost disbelieved by what he saw. "You have two minutes to explain yourself, Jane… Two minutes is all," he said, trying to force the growl down in his throat, even though it still stuck through some. Jane almost gasped at his tone, but found it wise not to make Alec an unhappier. She thought this would be good….

Jane swallowed hard, slowly taking a step towards Feline, almost… Afraid, of Alec, and the look of anger on his face. Like she'd never seen the calm boy before. She knew he had an unneeded soft side for humans, but didn't know that he'd make such of a mountain out of a mole hill.

"Well, Feline was born and shipped to a place in California called some fancy name, but most people call them Schools. And I mean, they're worldwide. But they test experiments on humans there, and she's one. And she, she's one too, look," Jane said, reaching out and lifting the bright red ears from were they had lain against her head, under her hair. Alec stopped momentarily; staring at what Jane had showed him. Jane reached and pulled out her tail too, to which Feline flinched.

"She's a Vulpes hybrid. A red fox. And uh, she's been tested on there her whole life, until a couple months ago, when she was scheduled to be killed. And then she escaped, which is really difficult for anyone or thing to do according to the scientist I purchased her from. But anyways, I went to California to find someone to buy and they recommended her, even though she wasn't there. I purchased her, and then tracked her. She was living with these other mutants with wings and we… kidnapped her, and brought her here… But for you! For your birthday!"

"Who is 'we'?" Alec demanded, a growl ripping through his voice. Jane knew she was in for it. It was obvious. She had never feared Alec like she did in this moment. His lips were pulled back across his teeth, his body nearly shaking with rage. Raged with her. Not a good position to be in.

"I dragged Heidi, Felix, and Demetri with me. Don't blame them, I made them!" Jane said quickly. "Alec, she was going to be killed anyways!"

"If she was FOUND!" Alec screamed at her, so loud, that Feline even jumped. Jane took another step back, and Alec matched it. "I'm getting this good feeling that she was fine, until you kidnapped her! How could you hurt her! For me! A species this rare should be treated like a God. Not like dirt, like you have treated her! Why would you think I longed for a girl!"

"All you do is lock yourself in that damned room, and drink, and lie, and love women and then kill them, but I know, Alec. You only kill if you don't know their names!" Jane yelled back at him, and Alec nearly cringed. "You aren't my brother! You used to be so marveled by life, and now you hate it!"

"So you bought me a girl!" Alec screamed, as an assumption more than a question, and Jane nodded wildly. Alec groaned out loud, looking to the girl lying against the register, eyes closed now. "It doesn't matter! She's nearly dead! You haven't thought of her at all! You've given me a dead girl for my birthday! Thanks Jane, go to hell!"

He turned and marched off to the girl, where he quickly investigated her bondage, and ripped the chains apart as if it were tape instead of heavy iron. He kneeled to his knees, scooping up her near lifeless body, fighting the strong stench of blood. Now that his fingers were against her flesh, he could feel that her heartbeat was a lot stronger than first imagined.

Feline felt the coldness of his hands against her body, and immediately did what she had been created to do. Her eyes flew open, and she desperately pushed against his chest. Alec gasped a little, stopping to stare at her determined face, horrifyingly surprised. "No, no, I won't hurt you!" Alec beckoned, but Feline kept throwing punches and tried to wiggle her legs; all lost efforts with her little strength. "You're going to use what's left of your energy and kill yourself!" Alec said almost defensively, even though it didn't slow her.

Alec decided that once he got her into his room, he could put her down, and that might be enough to make her stop. He started towards his room at a gait of human pace, pushing doors aside. Feline had subsided on the punching and fighting, and now just laid and watched where they were going.

Alec was thankful for once that his room was next to Jane's as he barged in, shutting and locking the door behind them. Alec rushed to the bed, where he laid Feline down carefully, careful not to hurt her neck or anywhere else that looked damaged. He struggled to find the matches from his bedside table as he lit the torches above the bed so she could see him, and not just vice versa. In the light, her wounds looked even worse. She'd been bleeding for a while.

"You're alright, girl," Alec said, trying to stay calm and keep her calm, as he ran a hand across her forehead. He immediately felt the sticky, warm, familiar feeling of blood cover his hand. She flinched, and Alec watched all her features tighten with pain, as her face turned a whiter shade of pale.

"Leave me alone! Let me to die!" Feline growled wildly, her eyes flying wide open, her lips pulling back to reveal four very dangerous looking canines.

"No one's dying, okay? I'm going to call a doctor, someone who can treat you better than I can," Alec said promisingly, already reaching for the cellphone beside his bed. "You're badly hurt, but I think you can heal."

It took a few seconds for Feline to process what he had said… Then the words doctor registered in her mind. She knew that she was no longer in America, she could tell by his European accent. There were all kinds of doctors that worked under Schools here. Feline quickly reached out and grabbed his wrist, which held the phone, and he looked to her like she was even more insane than what the moment seemed.

"I'll do anything for you… Don't call a doctor, okay?" Feline beckoned, her own words ringing through her head. She could see his dark face through the dim lighting, and she knew the look he gave was confusion. "Anything."

Alec tried to think quickly, and didn't really care why she didn't want a doctor called, but more about how fast he could get one here anyways. "What if it's someone I know? Can he come check you out?" Alec knew inviting Carlisle to Italy would involve himself having to swallow his pride and beg for forgiveness, but this girl was dying because of him… He had to do something.

Alec watched the girl cringe, and then gasp for breath, as if she could no longer find it. He quickly pressed his fingers to her neck, feeling her quick, but steady, pulse. "I don't care," the girl said quietly.

"But it'll take him a while to get here. At least an hour. Can you wait that long?" Alec asked her in a firm tone, and she nodded barely. "You have to hold on. Talk to me, sweetheart," Alec said, already dialing the numbers he already knew.

Feline swallowed hard, staring up at the high ceiling. She wasn't sure where she was, but it felt like a bed, and that felt good. It felt like Iggy's, even though she knew she wasn't lucky enough for it to be his. She wasn't sure why this boy cared for her, when the other pale beautiful creatures had thrown her around and ignored her every word. Was this the boy she was a present for, she wondered. Or had the exchanged been interrupted…

"Talk to me," Alec said, more forcefully this time, as he brought up the phone to his ear. Feline tried to look at him, but was fighting the blotches in her sight carefully.

"Take me home…"

"Home? Where is home? Tell me-," Alec began, but not before he heard the other side of the line pick up. "Ciao?"

"Alec?" Carlisle's voice asked back. Alec was partly relieved, but knew that getting him to answer the phone was not the hard part. "Are you okay? You're voice sounds a bit shaky."

Alec swallowed, and nearly laughed, rubbing the girl's arm, desperate to keep her awake. "No, no, I'm horrible. I need a huge favor immediately."

"What are you needing, Alec?" Carlisle asked. Alec nearly hung up the phone right then. Alec had spent his last few months ignoring Carlisle as best as possible, ignoring everything he had to say. And now that Alec needed him, Carlisle was ready. Carlisle's betterness almost made Alec sick.

"Jane bought me a mutant. Just listen, because I don't need questions asked. But she kidnapped the girl and nearly killed her, and now I have her, and she's very sick. Almost dead. And I can't call a doctor that I don't know because she won't let me. I don't know why, not asking, so please, Carlisle. I know we've had our fights, and you can hate me, that's fine. Please just come as fast as you can for this human girl. I don't want her to die…" Alec knew his pleas and begging were pathetic, but he needed help and he needed it quickly.

Alec heard noise from the other end and at first was afraid Carlisle had hung up on him. "I'm leaving now. I'll be there in about an hour and a half. How old is this girl?"

Alec looked at her, but it was impossible to tell with all the wear and tear on her body. "How old are you, girl?" Alec asked, pushing hair from her eyes.

"Fourteen," Feline said in a half whisper tone, staring at the boy who looked more like a ghost in the pale light than the handsome boy she'd seen before.

"She's saying fourteen," Alec replied, reviewing the girl skeptically. Fourteen was about right, even though her face and body looked more matured than that.

"Alright. Mutant? What does that mean?"

"She was tested on as a child. Now she has fox ears and a tail." Alec looked at the girl's ears again; to double check he hadn't imagined such a weird thing. "That's all I know."

"Hm," Carlisle appraised. "I'm on my way, Alec. You'll have to keep her conscious till I get there. It shouldn't be long taking the Volturi's airways, but no promises. I'll be there soon."

"Thank you," Alec said. "And I'm sorry about the fight we had a few months back. Not just because I need your help. I really am sorry. I've held a grudge about it way too long."

Carlisle laughed a little, "I don't even remember it, Alec." And the line went dead.

Alec was almost thankful, even though he knew it was a lie, as he looked at the girl in front of him. "Help's on the way. Hold on, alright? Can I get you anything? Will anything help at all?"

"I'm cold," Feline said quietly, to which Alec pulled the blanket out from under her so smoothly, and covered her up that she had hardly noticed what had happened. She felt her world getting heavier, as she fought to keep her eyes open.

"Feline?" Alec asked, as he began to watch her fade. "Feline! No!" he said, grabbing her shoulders and shaking them, with no response. "Stay awake! Sweetheart, please!"

But she was beyond asleep.