A quick update, and now I am a little late for work Enjoy!

Aro saw her complexion change faster than a traffic light. She grew pale and then her skin acquired a delicate shade of green. She gave a violent shiver. He watched her as she stumbled to the edge of the clearing and leaned on a tree and emptied the contents of her stomach.

He went to her, intending to help her, but she hastily turned around, holding a hand up to stop him.

"Don't touch me!" She said fiercely.

"Isabella, my dear-"

"I am NOT your dear!" She spat, wiping her mouth. Aro stopped, feeling his chest grow icy cold at her words.

"Will you allow me to explain?" He asked her gently.

She hugged herself, not looking at him, her mind clearly in another place.

"You had me begging," she said murmured.

"I begged you to-"

"I know," he said in a low voice.

"Do you understand now, why I did not give in, despite the pull our bond exerted on the both of us?"

She glared at him then.

"Didn't give in? You were still inside me, Aro! I let you do all these things to me, and now, you tell me, you are married?!"

She shook her head violently.

"That's not exactly showing restraint. You should have told me from the beginning!" she hissed.

He said nothing. He knew she had a right to be angry. He did not know how to get her to understand. Bella turned away from him.

"I think I would like to go home now," she said in a weak voice.

"I will take you back," he said.

"But please, allow me to explain first, Isabella,"

"No, you're not ever touching me again! I will walk back myself. I don't want to see you again," she said angrily. He could tell her throat was constricted with emotion, the words wrenching painfully through. She walked passed him, aiming for the place they had entered the clearing.

"Don't be silly, it will take you hours to get back," he said, following her.

"I don't care!" She hissed.

Aro stopped following her. He felt desperation rise within him as he watched her near the shadows. He could not lose her. The words of his brother flashed through his mind.

Grasp the thorn.

"She was taken from me," he finally said loudly.

Bella froze. He waited. She stood for a long moment, her back turned towards him, so he couldn't see her face.

He felt the pain at his words. The loss welled up in him, even after all this time.

Then Bella turned around to look at him. He saw hesitation in her eyes, and he stepped a little closer.

"My wife was taken from me," he said again, the words coming a little easier this time.

Bella stared at him, then finally she spoke.

"Is she still alive?"

"I do not know," he said softly.

She bit her lip, thinking. Aro stepped closer again.

"I am not good at opening up to anyone, Isabella. I have issues with trust. Ironically I have to trust you, and you are the only one I cannot read. My brother, Marcus, has told me in his own way, that I should not fear you,"

"Wait, you fear me?" She asked, shocked.

Aro nodded slowly.

"You are the single most scary person I have ever met," he said. It was almost painful to say these things to her. Admitting to being scared was not something he had ever done.

She gaped at him.

"Why?" She finally asked.

He stepped a little closer again.

"Because, I have to open myself to your scrutiny, and I will never know exactly what you think of me," he said, his voice sounded defeated. He loathed feeling like this.

"Why does my opinion of you matter? I am only a human," she said.

"Mia Cara," he murmured softly, now standing right in front of her.

"You are so much more than that."

They stood for a long time, just looking at each other, her head tilted back slightly, as he was so close now.

"Will you allow me to explain myself?" He asked again.

She hesitated, but then nodded. Relief flooded him, however short lived. At least she would listen. He felt a thrill run through him as he realised, he was about to tell her things of himself, that he had never told anyone, not even Marcus knew, though he knew that Marcus suspected it.

"You are of course right. I should have told you about my wife sooner," he began.

"The reason I did not tell you, is because I was afraid of losing you. I have done things that I can never undo. You see, I tried to keep my wife safe, we were indeed mates, and to keep her safe, I had her locked up, heavily guarded. I tried to keep her content, despite her limitations in her daily life. At one point, she grew resentful of me, despite the best efforts of one of my guards, Corin. She can make others feel contentment at will. I do not know why it did not work so well on Sulpicia in the end. However, Sulpicia asked me to let her be more free, to not have her locked away like a common criminal. I feared for her safety, but in the end, I gave in. She was allowed to get out. It was on one of her excursions that she was taken," Aro, stepped back, and began to pace the clearing as he spoke. Bella stepped closer, hanging on to his every word.

"I looked everywhere for her. I do not know where she is. My tracker Demetri, cannot even find her, which could indicate that she is dead. To ease my sorrow at her loss, I had Chelsea, another of my guards, break our mating bond. That was many years ago now. Sulpicia is no longer my mate. She is however still my wife, if she is still alive. The situation is complicated, as you can imagine," He said.

"You broke the bond?" Bella asked.

"How is that possible?"

Aro, glanced at her.

"It is a gift of Chelsea's. She can manipulate the bonds of others. It is very useful,"

"I bet," Bella said.

Aro nodded, thinking, still circling the clearing.

"Aro," Bella finally said, making him stop.

"I am sorry," he said, stepping over to her again.

"If you can break a mating bond, then what is stopping you from breaking our bond? Surely, I am not what you really want?" She said, her voice steady.

Aro considered her for a long moment.

"I am afraid it is too late for that, my dear. Our bond is not one that breaks. We are soul mates now. Not only mates. However, that is not my main point." He stepped even closer now, raising his hand to almost caress her cheek. He heard her heartbeat stutter, and he resisted touching her, remembering her words about not wanting him to do so. He wanted to respect her wishes, even though it hurt him to do so.

"I do want you," he whispered, his lips almost touching hers.

"You are everything I have ever wanted."

I adore your thoughts BTW! So fierce!

-Pancakes