Aro

The trip to Russia was two-fold. The newborn army had been dealt with prior when I sent the guard north to deal with it; however, we had never found the leader, and they had started a new army outside Moscow. It was beginning to get out of hand, and it was time for me to step in. Although Caius, such was my angry brother, had been eager at first to deal out the punishment, there were also other matters which needed attending. Caius despised the business transaction of things, and therefore, I took on the role, Marcus too indisposed to do so.

Demetri went off with Alec and Jane to deal with the new batch, while Chelsea and Renata stayed with me. I was expecting a call sooner rather than later on the destruction of the newborns, and hopefully, this time, their maker would be found. I had instructed my guard to bring one of them to me directly. What concerned me was the fact they had left last night, and the sun had now been on the rise for three hours.

The early meeting Chelsea and I currently attended only seemed to bore me. Had I been as human as those in front of me, I would have yawned. Alas, I sat with my fist along my jaw, acting as though I were interested in what these despicable men were saying. The contacts I wore when I did attend such events, always irritated my eyes. Often, I would switch to dark glasses using the excuse that my eyes were too sensitive for such light. Chelsea had bound the humans to me with her gift; therefore, they never questioned my authority or strange behavior.

A phone rang. Realizing it was mine, I excused myself from the board room. "Aro."

"Master," Demetri started. "We have taken care of the army. It was smaller than the last but strategic in their planning. There were eight destroyed, the last we will bring to you."

A smile made its way on my face. Maybe now we could get an answer. "Wonderful. Take it discreetly to the safe room, and mind the sun. The meeting will be concluding soon."

Ending the call, I slid the phone back into my jacket pocket and re-entered the room. It seemed Chelsea had kept the board members thoroughly entertained, but it was time for a decision. I nodded to Chelsea, who took the hint, and she stood, the humans following. "Thank you all again for attending this meeting on such short notice. We will adjourn for now. Please think over the proposal, and we look forward to a favorable reply."

As the board members left the room, I gave an unnecessary sigh. The charade was off-putting, but I had only myself to blame for such actions. I had created the laws for our kind. These meetings were Chelsea's work. Though the company belonged to the Volturi, a business endeavor to maintain some control over the world's financial systems and inconspicuously live in plain sight, I rarely made an appearance. This morning was a rare circumstance, and I remembered why. If I could drain them all dry, I would.

Chelsea showed them all out to the elevator, which would take them directly to the parking garage below. When they had dispersed, Renata showed herself at my side. "Master, you look parched."

"I will be fine." I kissed her on the top of her head, and she grinned back up at me. "Have the others arrived?"

"They were on their way when Demetri called. It's why I came," Renata answered, her voice soft and light, a precious angel she was.

"Thank you, my love. We shall meet them."

In the safe room, a room covered in thick concrete walls with a reinforced steel door, Demetri stood to the side, while a figure in the center of the room, sitting on the ground, was consumed by a grey mist. "Alec."

Alec instantly lifted the mist as he heeded my unspoken order, and the figure came into view. The male appeared to be in his early twenties, and his wide, scarlet eyes informed me that he was terrified. Wisely, he made no intent to move, and I walked forward, holding my hand out towards him.

The newborn shuffled back, and Demetri was instantly behind him, holding him in place. "Please! Don't kill me! I don't know what happened to me!"

When his body bucked in pain, I turned to Jane, silently telling her to release the newborn from her gaze. She did so. She was much like Caius, quick to act, but I wouldn't scold her. I wasn't sure if I could. She and her brother, Alec, were my two precious jewels, and it was challenging to see wrong in anything they did.

I turned my attention back to the newborn, rightfully shaking, and although he knew no better for his conduct, he did know to be afraid. I held out my hand, and he only stared, baffled by my behavior. "May I? It doesn't hurt, but it will allow me to see the truth of your being." Placing a comforting expression on my face almost always did the trick, never the wiser to the truth of the particular action.

The newborn put his hand in mine, and I saw it all, my answer coming almost immediately. He had not been lying when he said he did not know what happened to him. He only had a glimpse of his maker before his world turned dark, memories of the agony he endured very strong. I freed his hand. Now, what in the world was Yevgeni up to?

I flicked my hand, and Demetri immediately dispatched of the newborn. I had not heard from Yevgeni in centuries. He was an old friend of Caius's, if one could believe my brother to have ever had a friend, and he had once been a sort of apprentice of mine. "Demetri," I said, speaking to my faithful tracker, "are you able to pick up Yevgeni's trail?"

"Master?"

"He was this one's creator. Should he be the one creating these newborns, he must be dealt with quickly."

Demetri nodded. "I can locate him."

"Good. Jane and Alec will go with you. He will be tried in Volterra when you have retrieved him. If he tries to fight, warn him that I wish to speak with him personally."

The three were gone in an instant, leaving me with the dead newborn, which Chelsea would see to its disposal. I reached into my pocket and grabbed the phone, dialing Caius. He would want to know of the new development, especially since it was Yevgeni involved.

He answered, grumpily as if I should have expected something else. "I'm busy, brother. Whatever could you be calling for?"

"Have you spoken to or heard news of Yevgeni recently?"

"I cannot say that I have, not in four centuries, at least." There was a pause. "What is your purpose of asking, Aro?"

"It would seem that he has been stirring up quite a disturbance. He may very well be the culprit we were seeking. A newborn, which we now destroyed, was created by him."

Caius growled on the other end. "Troublesome gnat. I will kill him myself."

I hummed. "Yevgeni is smart. He knows the predicament this puts him in. What I don't understand is why he would test my authority on such a matter. He knew we would come."

"It matters not. If the law claims him, I'll take delight in ripping off his head."

Apparently, the spat between the two was not left unforgotten, and Caius was thirsty for revenge. When was he not? His insatiable need to hurt was what brought my interest upon him when I asked him to join the coven, but the constantness of it could be loathsome. At least he never veered course. He was dependable to a fault. Still, where Yevgeni was involved, I could not stand to deal with Caius's antagonism and changed the subject.

"What of the girl, brother? How is she faring?"

I could almost hear Caius smirking through the phone as impossible as that might have been. "She is quite delectable."

"Should I be concerned for her wellbeing?"

Caius chuckled, causing me to frown. "Not at all. I am confident to say that we have made progress."

"Has she fed?"

"Not to my knowledge. Felix mentioned that she threw her food across the kitchen. She states it was in response to loud tapping."

If we needed to do anything, it was getting food inside of the girl. My plans depended on such. I had done my research in the past few weeks after contacting Carlisle about Ariana's behavior and restlessness, so I understood what must have happened; however, it was imperative that she continued to eat. Her young body was still healing itself after months of abuse, abuse caused by events, and also abuse she had created herself.

I had seen her past before the occurrence that brought her to me. Even then, she barely took it upon herself to eat a proper meal. The hatred she felt for her body was redoubtable, and I indeed wondered if I could rectify it. In time, with the proper care, perhaps.

"Make sure that she attends her meals and engages in the appropriate behavior from now on."

"Aro, what if this scheme of yours falls through? What if the girl is thoroughly broken?" Caius questioned. "What will you do with her? I've quite enjoyed her company. I even had a little surprise for her yesterday. You can thank me when you return."

I raised my brow at the surprise, though he couldn't see my curiosity. I did trust Caius, but his surprises often confounded me. There were things I would never understand about him. "Then, brother, if it falls through, you can have the girl if she appeases you so. Until then, we stick to the plan. She is strong-willed. I have a good feeling with this one."

"She's waking now. I'll see to it that she eats."

Caius ended the call, and I sighed. It had only been a full day, now going on two, and I missed my pet's divine scent. What was it about that girl that had me so enraptured? I kept her for a purpose, and I hoped to fulfill it. She was captivating, her mind always in motion, going through cycles of hate, shame, confusion, and yes, even contentment.

She was falling so quickly, but she fought it with every ounce of her being. She was fighting the care I gave her and the safety she felt in my arms. Eventually, she would give up. It's too bad we were playing two different games. I would kill her one day, but not in the way she thought. Soon, I would be back in Volterra, and I could resume where I left off.

I exited the safe room to see Renata waiting where I had left her by the door. "Master, is everything all right?"

"Yes, my love. Help Chelsea dispose of the body when she returns. We will leave tonight. I have finished here."

Renata flitted into the room, and I continued on down the hall. When I turned the corner, Chelsea stood there leaning against the doorframe to the office, and I inwardly sighed. "How much did you hear?"

"All of it, and though I am curious about this plan you have with the human, I'm more disturbed by Yevgeni," Chelsea answered.

"It will be handled."

Chelsea stepped away from the doorframe and made her way over to me, placing one of her hands on my upper arm. "Surely he has his reasons. We both know he wouldn't evoke your wrath wantonly."

"If he is the maker of these newborns, he is at fault with the law. Yevgeni knows the consequences for this. He knows the dangers it poses for our kind. I cannot let him get away with such a crime."

"But could you destroy him? Aro, I know the last the two of you saw each other, the disagreement between him and Caius got out of hand. He went his own way, but he's always mattered to you."

"Chelsea, you must understand that if he is at fault, because I am his creator, I must be the one to hand his sentence. He is my responsibility." I stepped away from Chelsea's grasp and began to navigate towards one of the bedrooms in the back. "Get the flight plan set for tonight, and don't disturb me unless it's necessary. I have work to do."

I heard Chelsea's heels click behind me, telling me she had parted, and I entered the room to my right. I found myself soon resting on the bed with my eyes closed, my mind full of thousands of years of thoughts and memories both of my own and others. It was times like these that I wished I could sleep. I let out an unnecessary breath. Yevgeni, my dear Eugenios, what have you done?


A/N: And more is revealed. Please leave a review. I know this chapter went further with the AU part of the story, so I'm curious as to what your thoughts are on it. I also needed a break from the intensity of the past couple of chapters, so Aro makes another POV appearance. I'm going to try to update this fic on Mondays and Thursdays. I think being on a regular schedule with the whole quarantine life will be beneficial for everyone. Y'all get to look forward to when the new chapters will be posted, and I know when they're due. Thanks for reading!