There was a very significant but minor change in the last chapter. You may not even have noticed it, but if you did, you'll know what was changed after reading this chapter.


The flight back to Italy felt longer. While Renata and Chelsea entertained themselves in the main cabin, I sat in the back room, the sliding door closed, and rested my eyes. Ever since seeing Yevgeni's face in the newborn's memories, my mind felt as if it were in pieces. How dare he put me in this position? We would have a long discussion when he was found, and I knew he would be. No one could hide from Demetri's tracking ability.

What would I say to him when he was dragged to Volterra, which I knew was to come. The boy had loved his freedom from the moment I allowed it. Very few knew of our actual relations, only Caius, his wife Athenodora, Marcus, Chelsea, and of course, my wife. How would I tell Sulpicia what he had done? First, I would retrieve the facts, and then I would carry out judgment. Despite how Marcus or Caius decided, this fate was left in my hands, and they both would know that.

I hoped Jane would be lenient with him if he did cause trouble. She and Caius might have been related with their need to hurt. At least I could trust Alec to incapacitate him before Yevgeni did the same to one of them. Once they found him, Alec would be able to easily sneak up on him until Demetri could grab him. However, if, by chance, Yevgeni did catch wind of their presence, Alec would be the first he sedated. His ability could be troublesome, with a snap of his fingers causing one to go still, though their consciousness remained. Fortunately, it could only affect one person at a time.

This was the same ability which had caused the spat between Yevgeni and Caius some centuries ago. An argument had broken out when Yevgeni had mentioned wanting to learn more about the Children of the Moon, though we had hunted them to near extinction long before, and Caius lost his temper, which has never been unusual. It escalated to the point where I had to enter the scene to calm both of them, all the while, Yevgeni pleading his case with Caius vexing in the background. Suddenly, Yevgeni snapped his fingers, and Caius stood stiff, unable to move, speak, or do anything.

I convinced Yevgeni to release him, in which Caius then struck Yevgeni, and Renata was the only one who could pull the two apart by causing them to forget why they were there in the first place. However, when they had remembered, I sent Caius to Athenodora, and I took Yevgeni to the side, speaking to him plainly. His only response was that he wanted permission to depart, which, much to Sulpicia's displeasure, I consented.

Thinking of it all now was bound to make my head split sooner rather than later. I had time, and I had my darling pet to see when I returned. The guard, with Yevgeni in tow, wouldn't arrive at Volterra until tomorrow evening at the earliest. I would visit the human, make sure to feed, and then I would visit my wife and inform her of the news of which I hoped had not yet been spoken outside of the call I had made.

A knock on the door came, and I stood to slide it aside. Chelsea stood there, a serious expression on her face, and I sighed. "Dearest Chelsea, I am merely resting."

"I have known you for nearly three millennia, Aro. I see when you do not wish to speak the truth." Chelsea shut the door behind her as she slid into the room, I went back to where I had been seated, and she joined me. "You are struggling with this."

"We will have a conversation. I will see in Yevgeni's mind precisely what happened. Perhaps a few decades in a cell will do him some good."

"And if he is at fault, how do you plan to tell Sulpicia?"

I frowned. "Maybe I won't. It may be better off if she is kept oblivious, the more I think of it."

"She deserves to know, if it is true, more than anyone," Chelsea reminded me, causing me to feel almost reprimanded by her tone. I couldn't stop the snarl that I elicited, and Chelsea put her hands up in surrender. "My apologies, but you know I'm right."

I glared as she stood and left the room. Right or not, it was not her decision to choose how I would handle my wife. I checked my watch. Only another two hours in the sky until I would be back home. Time could not go by fast enough.

Almost immediately upon landing, I jumped out of the jet and began to run towards the worn away church. I knew Renata would not be happy with me and would be worried when she finally caught up, but there was somewhere else that I desperately needed to be. Being one of the original three came with great privileges and power. I arrived back at the building within minutes, well before Chelsea and Renata would appear, and I took advantage of the escape. I thirsted dangerously, a side effect of the stress my physical body no longer allowed me to feel. Instead, it forced me to feed.

She would be with Caius, whom I almost had reluctance to see, but as it were, I had no choice. I made my way to his rooms, where I knocked on the door. I could hear his voice on the other side as if he were reading out loud, an act that came as a surprise to me. Caius preferred silent reading whenever he picked up a book. The noise irritated him.

"Brother, come in," Caius remarked from the other side, and I entered to see Ariana curled up next to him, one of the books I had assigned her to read in Caius's hands, and she, studying it before glancing up at me. That was when I realized that she had not been examining the book but instead had been half-asleep as she wiped her eyes. "I thought you would send for her. I can't imagine why you would want to visit me considering the circumstances."

I watched as Ariana turned her gaze to the floor, surely taking notice that my eyes had darkened considerably. I could feel it happening as the displeasure grew. "Don't test me, Caius. You would do well to hope there is a mistake."

"Of course."

I turned my attention back to the girl, and that's when I saw it, multiple fresh cuts along her left arm. "I see you decided to play while I was away."

"On the contrary, Aro, she did most of them on her own. See for yourself." Caius held out his hand, sitting the book he held aside, and as much as I did not want to take hold, curiosity got the best of me. He grinned as I viewed the most recent events. "She rather enjoyed it."

"Your influence knows no bounds, brother." I released his hand and brought my wrist up to my mouth, biting deeply. As thirsty as I was, her wounds needed healing first. When I fed, at least my blood would already be in her system. "Drink," I said to her as I put my wrist in front of her face.

She paused, stealing a look at Caius, who sat there, seemingly amused. "Go on. Do as you're told. Drink."

Ariana slowly opened her mouth, and I put my wrist up to it, holding it there while watching her arm heal. When I was satisfied, I readjusted my jacket sleeve, not even waiting for my bite to disappear. I knew it would, and I was in too great a hurry to care much about it. "Caius, perhaps you would not mind a show, just to remind you of who she belongs to."

"I know who she belongs to, Aro, and you may keep her. I merely wish to explore other avenues while she still breathes, but please, do show me what you had in mind."

I could hear the beating of her heart pick up speed, confused and unaware of our cryptic discussion. It was slightly sweet, really, and the look of the devil must have appeared as she shrunk back onto the sofa where she sat. "Be still."

The moment I grabbed her upper arm and pulled her into me as I leaned down to her level, I knew she wanted to fight, and I pulled her tight so she wouldn't move until I was through. I bit into her neck, hard, and the sound she made, a dampened scream, was a beautiful chorus. Vampires were no angels. We relished in the suffering.

"You seem to have a lust for her blood, Caius. Why don't you join me?"

"Have you changed your mind to kill her now? You know the consequences of us both."

I managed a dark chuckle. "Very true. You are right."

My bite had already started to heal, and I let it. I had enough to sate me for now. Only two days, yet I missed that taste. Ariana's chest was convulsing, and I knew without even watching her, that she was crying. I stood back and wiped her tears with my thumb.

"Come, my pet," I said, heading to the door. She carefully stood. I suddenly remembered how she often got dizzy after feedings, but she managed on her own, walking toward me. "Thank Caius for looking out for you while I was away."

She turned back to him, her voice quiet and timid, and said, "Thank you."

Caius smirked. "I greatly anticipate meeting with you again. Maybe next time, we can experiment with another instrument."

I was not a child and would not roll my eyes at my brother's comment, though it would have been warranted. She had savored the pain and the anger, until the guilt and the shame set in. Indeed a remarkable creature. The fact that she was still so calm after all that had been done was a testament to truth. I had chosen well this time around. The outcome was more favorable every day, though there was still one problem, one which I would concern myself with at a later occasion.

I left the room with her, and she followed me silently back up to my quarters. Once we entered, I had her sit, and I joined her. "You liked your time with Caius. I must say that I'm impressed. Most come back in shock, too stunned and terrified to be of any use to me anymore. You genuinely are a specimen of remarkability."

"What do you want from me?"

Her question took me aback, and I paused. "We have discussed this at length, little one."

"No, we haven't."

I hummed. "I told you already that what I desire from you is your blood and for you to play the game."

"There's something else. Caius implied you were lying to me, and so did Marcus."

It should have been expected. Marcus did not know of the plan because I knew he would be against it, but he did know me very well. Caius knew, but then again, Caius knew most things. For not having any sort of unique talent, he had a gift of his own for getting answers. "And what if I am lying to you? Would that make a difference?" I reached up and touched her cheek. "Humor me a while longer, and one day, you might find out."

Gently placing a kiss on her forehead, I took her hand and helped her stand. It was still rather early in the morning. Ariana could use a few more hours of sleep, and it was time to talk to my wife about Yevgeni. Without truthfully meaning to, I picked the girl up and carried her to the bedroom. She tensed in my arms, expected but still disappointing, and I placed her on the bed, pulling the sheets down then covering her up once she settled.

"Sleep a little longer. When you wake, we'll discuss what I assigned you while I was away." Which had reminded me, I left the books in Caius's rooms. He would bring them to me later, no doubt.

Closing the door to the bedroom, I gathered the courage to face Sulpicia. About all things, she was obedient, but when it came to Yevgeni, her still heart was difficult to sway. I left my quarters quietly and headed to the tower, all the while ready to remind her that I was her husband, and she would adhere to me. I prayed to a god I wasn't sure existed, that it wouldn't be necessary.

I entered through the first door, which led to the tower rooms before stopping at my wife's door. I had no need to knock, so I went straight in. She sat at an easel painting the bottom half of a pale canvas, and when I closed the door behind me, she looked up, the smile I loved on her face.

"I hope you had an agreeable trip," Sulpicia spoke to me, her voice a lilting song. She made her way to me, kissing me fully on the lips, which I graciously returned. "Shall we?" she asked as she reached up to remove my suit jacket.

I allowed her to do so, but then I grabbed her wrists. "Not right now. I have burdensome news which I must share with you. Please know that while I must act on this quickly, I will take whatever time is necessary to understand what occurred before I render judgment."

"Aro, what do you speak of? Tell me."

"We believe that we have discovered the one behind the creation of the newborns in Russia, and it is someone we both know and care about. I was surprised when I realized who it was, and I must admit I was quite perturbed on the situation and how I would say it to you."

"Then, just say it."

I gazed into my wife's eyes as I took her hand. She knew what I could do, but that never put a barrier between us. However, I needed to know what her thoughts were when I said it out loud. I swallowed the venom rising in my throat and said it. "It's Yevgeni."

Her eyes went wide, and thoughts rushed through her mind so quickly I could barely keep up as she gasped. "You mean, Eugenios? You're sure?"

I nodded. "Yes, my love, it was your son."


A/N: I hope you all liked this one. I was really nervous about it because I know I'm going more into the AU aspects of the story, but I wanted to do something a little different from the norm for particular reasons, which will be left undisclosed for now. Plus, the way I can move the plot with this "revelation" just sounds too good in my head. I had the thought, and I had to roll with it. Let me know what you think!