CPOV

I was not prepared for what stared back at me in the mirror.

Heidi wouldn't let me see anything until I was fully dressed, and I understood why she made me wait.

I looked so elegant, that I forgot that I was staring at myself.

Nothing prepared me for the work she had done: shimmering, gold, smokey eyes, glossy, dark nude lips, sculpted cheekbones, and wide eyes. Heidi even added some extra glitter around my eyes, and made my eyebrows into an impossibly perfect arch.

If I thought I looked good the first time, I had no idea what I was talking about.

I looked like I walked straight out of a Sherri Hill ad. I looked immaculate, unrecognizable, even.

But, I looked...amazing.

Nothing was overdone in the slightest, yet everything about my face looked so enhanced and defined. I would never know Heidi's secrets. My hair, though curled, was untamed on the side where my bangs were, and my left was tightly braided against my scalp, giving me almost a...

"Why is my hair so..."

"I said that I wanted you to look authentic, the most like your true self," Heidi explained, smiling gently. "And, you are a rock star. So, I gave you a hairstyle to reflect your rock star nature. Own it."

Staring at myself from head to toe, shimmering gold dress and all, I had absolutely no reason to fear Camilla tonight. As uncomfortable as I felt with the heels and my period cramps, it was going to be worth it.

I hoped.

I smiled a little, appreciating the gesture. She was right; at least I could have a true piece of myself on tonight.

"Thanks," I said softly.

Heidi gave me some more Midol, before sending me out the door.

"There is no way that anyone will outshine you tonight, my dear girl," she declared, grinning proudly at her creation. "Alec is waiting. And, Cheyenne?"

I looked back at her, pausing.

"Good luck. Not that you will need it," she said, rolling her eyes.

I gave her a small smile, and she followed me to the door, which she opened for me, revealing Alec himself.

Looking drop dead gorgeous in his own tuxedo.

I was used to him wearing all black at this point, but seeing him in something so dapper did something different to me. Of course, it stole my breath, but I couldn't stop my eyes from roaming all over him. The way the jacket and suit fit him, and the way he was standing with his hands in his pockets screamed super model. His bow tie was black, but the gold, silk handkerchief in his front jacket pocket didn't escape me.

"I added the gold handkerchief," Heidi piped in from behind me. "I wanted you two to match. And, Alec, I gave her a second dose. You're welcome."

Alec glanced behind me briefly, while reaching for my hand. I clasped mine into his, and was in his arms before I could blink.

"Thank you, Heidi," he replied, his voice low and raspy with something I'd heard before. "I must commend you on your work."

"I knew you'd love it," she replied smugly. "I have to prepare myself now. I'll be down there soon."

She shut her door, leaving us alone.

Not that I even noticed; I was too busy staring at Alec like he was a huge platter of double chocolate fudge cake. He was staring at me just the same, his eyes bright and gleaming. His eyes began their descent over me, stopping to appreciate certain parts for just a bit longer.

"Yes, Heidi certainly knew what she was doing, didn't she?" he lilted, his voice a lustful, knowing, sexy, silky caress. "You look absolutely sinful."

Aaaaand, hello again, lady bits. This is the only time I'll be allowing you to do this, because I can't seem to stop myself right now.

I nodded dumbly, unable to tear my eyes away from him. I could hear my heart thumping and whooshing in my ears underneath his stare. He looked at me again, smirking in such a knowing way, that I almost fainted.

"So do you," I heard myself say, my voice clear and surprisingly not wobbly. He crushed me against his chest, lowering his head toward my neck, which was particularly sensitive right now. He dragged his nose along my skin, like he always did, and the electricity began to simmer and crackle in my nerves. My hormones wanted me to demolish this man and make him mine, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to stop myself from doing that.

On another note, the way we were positioned right now reminded me of the nightmare I had this morning, and I was happy in seeing that it was me that Alec was crazy for, instead of her, like I feared.

Cheyenne - 3, Camilla - 0.

"There is no way I am letting you out of my sight tonight," he growled, pressing his lips possessively against my neck. My eyes shut on their own accord, and I had to stop the part of myself that wanted to just stay like this the entire night, and shut us out from the world. "You smell incredibly divine."

"If you keep doing that, I'm going to faint," I told him breathlessly, his own scent surrounding me. While it calmed me, his close proximity was counteracting that by making my heart pound. I heard him chuckle lowly, before standing up straight.

"My apologies, tesora," he purred, grinning mischievously while his finger trailed from my ear, down my cheek, my neck, and finally across my collarbone. "I am finding it very difficult to keep my hands off of you."

His hand traveled back up, and I closed my eyes, stopping him when it landed on my cheek. I put my hand on top of his, trying to focus on what was coming up: my performance.

"Alec, I need to focus," I told him, and sighed. "As much as I like it when you do that, it's not helping me."

His hand immediately left my cheek, and my eyes fluttered open. He was standing a little further away from me now, his face serious and blank.

"You are right," he spoke professionally. "I will be on my best behavior until your performance."

Then, his tone changed into the one I came to know; the one saved just for me.

"But, I cannot promise that I will be on my best behavior after that," he smirked. "There are many immortals in there, and while there is a very low chance that they will hurt you, I am not going to take any chances. I would prefer it if you stayed by my side for the entire night, so I can keep my eyes on you."

My cheeks flushed at his protectiveness, and I nodded as he came close again to plant an icy kiss on my forehead.

Of all the things he did to me that drove my heart wild, I couldn't believe this was the one thing that calmed me more than anything. I felt myself exhale, and I was once again crushed into his arms. My own arms wrapped themselves around his torso, and I began to relax.

"It will be all right, cara mia," he soothed, his voice blanketing me. "You will only be up there for a few minutes, and then you will be with me for the rest of the evening."

"What about you?" I mumbled, my head having found a home against his silent chest. "It's going to affect you."

"Do not worry about me," he commanded, but it held no bite. "I have to take you down there now. Aro is about to make the announcement for your arrival. I can hear him."

"Okay," I sighed heavily, separating myself from him.

I could do this. It was just a few minutes. It would be over before I knew it.

Alec, ever the gentleman, carried me down the many flights of stairs to the huge doors of the throne room.

I was grateful for it, and kissed his smooth, hard cheek with my glossy lips. I felt a swell of pride within me after seeing the shiny, wet mark on his cheek.

Cheyenne - 4, Camilla - 0.

"As much as I appreciate the gesture, I would prefer not to walk in there with a mark on my cheek."

"Are you embarrassed by me?" I asked softly, while I rubbed it off. My stomach started to twist uncomfortably with fear, though I had no idea why I was still having fear at this point. Alec made himself clear, but the fact was that we had never been open about our relationship to anyone yet.

Alec stopped in his tracks, giving me a hard stare.

I immediately regretted asking him, and opened my mouth to speak, but he spoke first.

"No," he said with conviction. "It would be highly unprofessional of me to be so unkempt. If this event was not happening tonight, I would be proving your doubts wrong. I have to present myself as your guard first. Whatever I choose to do with you after your performance, is my business. I never want you to doubt my feelings for you, just because of my status. If you have forgotten, I am completely at your will." He smirked at the end, and I cracked a shy smile.

"Sorry," I said sheepishly, my fears once again proving to be silly. I threw in some sarcasm. "I'll pretend that you're the big, bad vampire boy, and I'm just your assignment."

Alec began walking again, a strange expression crossing his face.

"Ironically, that is what you were to me at first," he replied sardonically. "And now, I am taking my job more seriously than anyone realizes."

"I'm glad he made you do it," I admitted. "We wouldn't be like this right now if he didn't."

"I considered asking him to replace me," Alec said in a hard voice. "I was going to ask him to give you Felix or Demetri as your guard. But now, I must agree with you. I would have realized my protective instincts for you, regardless of whether I was replaced or not."

I love you, I wanted to say. The words were right there on my tongue, just on the cusp of being let loose from my lips.

But, it's too early for that! I chided myself. It's only been a few days. These feelings are new to you. You have no idea if you love him or not, yet.

Oh, but I do, a tiny voice echoed from the boom of my most dominant thoughts.

"I'm happy that you didn't do it," I said instead, my voice full of what I wanted to say instead. "I don't think I would have felt as secure . I trust them enough to keep me safe if you're not here, but there's no..."

"You feel completely safe with me, as compared to them," he finished for me, flashing me his famous smirk.

"Yeah," I confirmed quietly. "Even in a sea of vampires."

"Believe me, cara, none of them would dare to even look at you with me by your side," he said matter of factly. "They know who I am."

"I trust you," I told him strongly, and he tightened his grip on me in response.

"Good," he replied, his voice dropping two octaves.

I pretended that my nether regions weren't screaming because of it, and asked a more important question that dawned on me.

"Why are you walking?" I whispered, confused, as he descended down the last flight of stairs.

"My speed makes you lightheaded, does it not?" he responded coolly, and I nodded. "That is why. And, given your previous information, it would be amplified. I am assuming you would like to be as steady as possible."

I nodded, my heart softening at how much he was paying attention to detail. I was also shocked, once again. He was trying to make this as easy as possible for me, and I was moved by it, a swell of emotions taking over me.

No, no, don't cry! Stupid hormones.

I blinked back the tears, knowing Heidi would kill me if I messed up her work.

"Well, yeah," I mumbled. "I wish you could hear me without all of this crap."

"As I recall, you participated in karaoke with Felix."

I realized he was right; Felix must have told him from being tickled pink about it. I understood what he was saying.

"Yeah," I realized. "I did. You're right. The only way it seemed to work was when he was singing along with me, and if he sang first, specifically."

"You will have to sing for me someday, when it is not for demonstrative purposes," he requested, smiling. "Tonight, I need to be able to focus on protecting you from any unwanted advances."

"You actually want me to sing for you?" I asked incredulously, as I watched his face. He met my eyes, his smile still in place. I felt my face and ears grow warm underneath his stare.

"I am allowed to be selfish at some point," he boasted. "You are more expressive through your talent than you are with words. I can tell there are many things you are too afraid to say out loud that you would feel much more confident expressing through music."

My jaw dropped.

"How did you know that?" I choked, and he laughed, tossing his head back.

"You are not the only observant one, cara," he reminded me. "You may have thrown me off, but you are much too easy to read. You are an open book."

I let myself sit in the shock for a few moments, before reluctantly agreeing with him.

"Yeah, that is true," I muttered, poking his tuxedo-clad shoulder. "Well, you're...! You're a softie!"

"Only for you," he responded smoothly, not even denying it like I expected him to.

I couldn't win with this man. I huffed.

"Do not worry," he said smugly. "You have the rest of eternity to learn every single thing about me."

He finally lowered me to the ground, and I realized we were standing at the big doors. I stood up straight, my heart pounding now. I looked at the doors like they were leading to my ultimate doom.

They practically are. There's God knows how many vampires in there, including Camilla.

Alec turned me toward him, his icy cold hands wrapping around the tops of my arms.

"Just follow my lead, cara," he ordered quietly. "We are going to walk in there, and I am going to lead you right to the stage. Do not look at any one of them, do you understand me? No matter what."

He kissed my forehead once again, and I exhaled again, feeling the calm wash over me. I nodded, though I wanted to question it. But, I was going to do it for the sake of my sanity. Alec was smart, and I wasn't going to doubt him now.

"Okay," I promised, and felt him turn me toward the door. He held his arm out for me, and I took it, my hand wrapping around his bicep.

He reached out, his pale hand pushing the door open with a simple flick of his wrist, and I did what he said.

I looked forward, spotting Aro, Caius and Marcus at the front. I kept my eyes on them, unable to focus on what Aro was saying into the microphone. Alec led me forward, and I saw many pale faces in my peripheral. Like the Red Sea parting for Moses, they all seemed to back away to let us walk through. I heard small gasps, and sounds of perfect wonder coming from a few people, and completely inaudible murmurs.

"This is our newest addition to our coven," I heard Aro announce in his feathery voice, his disgusting grin proud and egotistical. "Ladies and gentlemen, our dear lady, Cheyenne, will be proposing her marvelous gift to us all this evening."

I found myself shifting my eyes to Marcus, not even bothering to look at Caius, because I knew he would only be shooting daggers at me. Marcus stood with his hands crossed in front of him, looking bored as ever, but he was looking right at me.

And, for the first time, the corners of his mouth lifted, just slightly.

I had no time to wonder what it was for, as I was now being led up the small steps to the stage. I felt Alec's arm leave my grasp, and I knew that I was on my own for the next five minutes. I kept my head forward, away from my vampire audience, as I made my way to the giant, sleek, black piano waiting for me.

I suddenly wondered if David was watching with as much disdain as Caius.

"Do not be alarmed, friends," Aro announced slowly, his hands raised in a grand gesture. "This will not be harmful to you. Please, do enjoy the entertainment. Cheyenne?"

I sat stiffly at the piano now, my back straight as a rod as a I stared incessantly at the microphone. I felt so bitter and used, but I kept my focus, and used the music to tune my audience out. I waited until Aro was off of the stage, and I saw the lights dim around me.

I took a deep breath. Here goes nothing.

I played the intro, and just like every single one of my rehearsals, executed it perfectly.

Turn down the lights

Turn down the bed
Turn down these voices inside my head

Lay down with me
Tell me no lies

Just hold me close
Don't patronize me

Don't patronize me

'Cause I can't make you love me if you don't
You can't make you heart feel something it won't
Here in the dark, in these final hours
I will lay down my heart
And I'll feel the power
But you won't
No, you won't
'Cause I can't make you love me if you don't

It wasn't until after I got through the first chorus that I realized I could make this work to my advantage. While I couldn't relate to the song, I realized that it reflected my fears about Camilla, and a secret fear of rejection from Alec that made itself known in my nightmare. Feeling fueled by this, I found myself expelling these silly fears into the song, and my voice reigned stronger this time. I imagined the rejection that would never come, knowing exactly how it would feel if it were to happen; if he were to choose me over Camilla.

I'll close my eyes
Then I won't see
The love you don't feel when you're holding me
Morning will come, and I'll do what's right
Just give me 'til then to give up this fight
And I will give up this fight

'Cause I can't make you love me if you don't
You can't make your heart feel something it won't
Here in the dark, in these final hours
I will lay down my heart
And I'll feel the power
But you won't
No, you won't

'Cause I can't make you love me if you don't

I played the long outro, and heard only silence from all around me when I finished. I knew my gift had worked on them, and I felt my muscles tensing up from the motionless figures I could see out of the corner of my eye. I saw Aro flash onto the stage a few more moments later, and I exhaled, knowing it was safe now.

"Excellent!" he cheered, beginning a round of applause. I heard the soft applause from my audience, and left my seat robotically. I saw him gesture to me, and the applause grew. It was nothing like the applause I was used to; there were no screams or cheers. There was no vibrant energy in the air; it was fake, practiced, and stale.

Aro coaxed me toward the front of the stage, much to my dismay, and I walked up beside him, leaving a heavy amount of space between us.

I felt like Katniss Everdeen in the Hunger Games; being applauded for being a glorified weapon.

That's all I really was to Aro; a weapon.

I felt him take his creepy, unwelcomed hand in mine and lift my arm in the air to show me off.

I stared down at my audience for the first time, sweeping my eyes across every immortal face.

Lots of crimson irises stared back at me, along with many breathless, impossibly beautiful faces.

I finally found David, as he clapped genuinely for me. He winked at me in support, giving me a small smile. He looked handsome in his own tuxedo, and I was surprised to see Jane standing next to him, donning a black dress. Of course, she was glaring at me.

I had no doubt it was written all over my face; the shame, guilt and bitterness I felt towards Aro for what he was doing.

"Isn't she wonderful?" Aro breathed. "Take a bow, my dear!"

I did as he said, and plastered a small smile on my face before he released me. I tried not to make it look like I was practically running away from him as I descended the stairs, where Alec was, thankfully, waiting for me. He held out his own hand, which I grasped so quickly in mine. I instantly felt safe, and didn't bother to hide my face from him, either. He kept his face blank and professional, as he relayed to me earlier, and I wasn't able to tell if he felt the same way or not.

He led me through the crowd, where the lights came back up, and I felt every pair of eyes on me.

This was going to be a long night.

I had many of them at a time compliment me on my gift, and they seemed so taken with what I could do. I was polite as possible, feeling sicker by the moment as I felt the weight of their prying, ruby eyes. Eventually, Alec silently ordered them away with his mist, and they scattered.

"I believe it is time for a dance," he suggested, smirking at me as he took my hand in his. Instrumental string music played overhead from the large speakers, and I faltered as he pulled me right up against him.

"But, I..." I stammered. "I don't know to dance."

I saw every vampire pair up with their appointed partner, gliding effortlessly and gracefully across the floor with an appeal I would never have.

"Just follow my lead," he coaxed, moving us slowly around in a circle, and I realized it was just like prom.

Nothing fancy; just simple movements. I could do that.

Eventually, I relaxed, moving easily with him. With his right arm anchored tightly around my waist, and his right hand in my left, I let the warm, buzzing electricity tune everyone out around us. There were no vampires, no ball, no fancy attire, and no watching eyes.

I just saw Alec.

"You gave an exceptional performance," he commented, and I rolled my eyes.

"How would you know? You saw what it did to everyone," I muttered, as I averted my eyes away from him and to my surroundings now. I didn't stop to listen to his response.

We moved slowly, allowing me to see every vampire around me a little bit at a time. I was taken aback by the utter beauty of every single one of them, and the amount of red eyes. I wondered how they all kept themselves from feeding on me, besides the fact that Alec was my personal bodyguard. Upon my next glance, my eyes fell on a group of vampires, closely knit, who all seemed to be watching me very closely.

They were, perhaps, the most attractive group of vampires in this entire castle.

There were eight of them, each one pale and beautiful. If I was correct, they each were in pairs. First, there was a young blonde man, easily more attractive than any lifeguard from a teen girl's wildest dreams, standing next to a woman about five inches shorter than him. Her caramel and honey colored hair complemented her bronze toned dress, and she seemed to be staring at me with a mix of compassion and concern. Her entire demeanor screamed mom. The couple next to them, a taller blonde, shaggy haired man and an incredibly short, pixie-like girl with black hair stared at me intensely. The man's eyes were wide with something wild and focused, while the girl's stony expression seemed to be the opposite: unfocused, like she was staring into space. The extremely tall, huge guy standing behind her caught my eye next. He seemed to be only an inch or two shorter than Felix, but his arms were just as big through his tuxedo. His dark hair matched the pixie girl's, and I wondered if they were siblings.

The statuesque woman standing next to him, however, completely stole my breath.

Blonde, elegant, and confident, she watched me with bitterness and anger. Her face told me that she would rather be anywhere than here, though her dress was far more glamorous than mine. It was bright red, brighter than Alec's eyes, and covered in sequins. It showed off every bit of her perfect figure, and her face...

Well, let's just say she easily gave Heidi a run for her money.

I stared at her for almost too long, before noticing the very last couple.

The two had a dynamic that was different than the rest of them. Though they were standing close to the group, they were standing closer together than the others, with their hands tightly clasped. The girl, who couldn't have been more than eighteen, was about Jane's height, with long, dark chocolate brown hair that fell in delicate, but messy curls all the way down her back. The lanky boy next to her, about the same build and height as David, watched me with a thoughtful expression. His hair was the strangest shade of reddish brown, much like mine, but with a more vibrant color. It complemented the color of his eyes, and he was easily more handsome than Demetri with a strong jaw, and sultry eyes.

Which was the biggest distinction of this entire group.

They weren't the screaming, murderous crimson that I had grown used to.

Each pair of eyes burned a vibrant gold, richer and darker than the color of my dress.

They were more beautiful than any pair of red eyes I had seen these last few weeks, and that's when it dawned on me.

These had to be the Cullens, the family Felix told me about all those weeks ago. They were the only ones I knew about that fed on animals.

"Cara?" Alec addressed me, forcing me to tear my eyes away from the beyond gorgeous family.

Looking at his eyes now, I imagined what they would look like if they matched the Cullens'...

"Sorry," I stammered, feeling their prying eyes on me and wondering why they were staring.

Just then, David appeared out of nowhere, effectively blocking my view of the Cullens. He gave me a friendly smile, and then looked between us.

"Do you mind if I interrupt?" he asked nicely. "You wanna dance, dudette?"

Alec stared at David for a long minute, his face hard and stony. He gave David a rigid once over, and then looked at me.

"Will you be all right for one dance?"

I nodded instantly, feeling the loss of tingling sparks when his arm left my waist. He passed my hand over to David's delicately, not taking his eyes off of him.

"I will be nearby," he notified us. "I am going to dance with my sister."

David nodded firmly, slowly taking my hand out of Alec's and replacing it with his own, matching his stare. He didn't look at me until we started dancing. He flashed me his famous grin, sighing.

"Hey, dudette," he greeted in typical David fashion. "You look fantastic."

"Thanks," I said, happy to see him again. "I'm just glad the worst part is over. I hated being up there."

"I know. I could tell," he said, frowning. "But, you killed it. It was awesome."

I just nodded, taking note of his appearance.

His straight hair was neatly combed and styled to the side, obviously with gel in place. He was wearing a normal, black tuxedo, which he looked nice in. He cleaned up really well.

"You look nice, too," I told him. "It's a good look apart from your partying rock star look."

"Okay, look," he started, and we both laughed. "That's my style! I mean, look at you, Disney princess!"

He stepped away, twirling me for effect, before bringing us back together.

"Hey!" I argued. "I didn't choose this dress! It actually looks nice on me, for once."

"It does," he agreed softly, his grin still in place, and then it faded. "I need you ask you something, though. Are you with him?"

I knew what he meant, and I tried not to freeze, so I played dumb.

"With him?" I repeated, furrowing my brows.

"You know what I'm talking about," he said, staring deeply at me, his face unchanging. "I saw the way he was looking at you, and how he was looking at me. And, I don't care if he can hear me right now."

"He's doing his job," I told him forcefully. "He's just making sure I'm okay. If you didn't notice, we're in a room full of vampires, including you. He doesn't trust any one of them to be around me. You'd be the same way if it was your job to protect me."

"It kind of is, dudette!" he whispered. "He's just doing what Aro told him to do. I actually care about you! And it looked a lot like he-"

He stopped suddenly, averting his attention to my left, because someone else decided to show up and interrupt us.

I copied him, confusedly gazing at our perpetrator.

A young woman, looking much closer to David's age than mine, stared at me in a very unfriendly way.

Her flawless face, beyond that of any supermodel, was marred with a disgusted frown as she looked at me like I was gum on the bottom of her shoe. She was dressed provocatively, the cool, silver color of her extremely low cut dress complimenting her skin nicely, only adding to her beauty. It clung to her body, showing off her breasts and her figure, moving around her like a shimmering, satin waterfall. I noticed the huge slit in her dress, much like mine, though much higher cut, and I could see her perfect, white, creamy leg peeking through it, all the way down to her matching silver high heels. Her perfect, golden wavy hair fell in ringlets at the end, hanging all the way to her elbows. As my eyes moved back up to her face, I wondered why she looked so familiar now.

And it dawned on me as my pulse began to accelerate.

Camilla.

This was Camilla.

And, though she was nothing compared to Heidi or the other statuesque blonde vampire that belonged to the Cullen family, she still belonged among them. She was perfectly, utterly, and inhumanly gorgeous.

It was the only way to describe her. She held the perfect, hourglass body shape, incomprehensible beauty, and a confident stance that was pouring off of her in waves. I could practically feel her anger towards me, just like Felix and Demetri predicted. I couldn't stop myself from gaping at her, even as she looked me up and down, a look of complete superiority written all over her face. Looking at her body, and remembering that she had been all over Alec made me feel sick again. I thought I would be able to be calm, cool and collected about seeing her after the endless amount of reassuring Alec gave me, but seeing her in person just knocked everything out of the ballpark.

She was just as beautiful as my nightmare depicted her to be.

"Are you going to keep staring at me like a fish out of water?" she asked, her voice icy, but it shimmered like a bell. It wasn't mature like Heidi's, but it wasn't childlike by any means.

"Who are you?" David asked urgently, immediately moving in front of me. "What do you want?"

Camilla looked him up and down thoughtfully, but then looked at me again, her face a beautiful pout.

"I saw you with Alec," she snarled at me slowly, narrowing her eyes as she sauntered closer. "My Alec. I see you are new, so I will warn you just this once, little girl. He is mine, and you'd do well to keep your distance from him."

She raked her eyes over me again, like I was a disappointing fashion statement.

"It is much too unlikely that you would hold his attention, anyway," she tutted disgustingly. "Pathetic little human like you. What could you offer him, besides a meal?"

In a way, she reminded me of Julienne, and I felt like I was in that music store all over again. Except this time, I couldn't win in a physical fight with my opponent. I heard David hiss at her loudly, and loom closer to her in warning.

Her words were like jabs on a punching bag at first, feeding on every single one of my insecurities that I thought I released into my performance earlier. I felt my hand ball into a tight fist.

So much for that.

"Don't you dare talk to her like that," David warned her, using a dangerous tone I had never heard before. "Leave. Now."

"If he's yours, shouldn't he get a choice in the matter?" I asked, raising my eyebrow at her. "At least I could offer him something he enjoys."

Oh, God, where did that come from?

Camilla raised a manicured eyebrow at me, and easily pushed David out of her way with her small, dainty hand. She sauntered towards me, her dress flowing with her. Fear began to spread throughout my body, and I found myself unable to step away from her. David moved in a blur, reaching for her again, and she neatly dodged him, despite the fact that she wasn't even facing him. My eyes moved with her, while she held a smug expression on her face.

"He already made his choice. When he met me. I have been his only one for a long, long time, my dear. I know every single inch of him. I carry Alec with me. And, if you so much as think about trying to get your hands on him, I have no problem in making a meal out of you myself."

My heart pounded, as her words kept fueling me to bring more spitfire without my permission. Though her words made me dangerously close to puking, I began to realize that Felix, Demetri and Alec were right; she really was out of her mind. I really thought the female vampire standing in front of me was something to be afraid of.

Why was I ever afraid in the first place? Why did I ever fear that she was more suited for him than I was? Why was I ever afraid that I wasn't enough for Alec?

"If that's true, why have I been in his bedroom and you haven't?" I asked, as I tilted my head at her slightly, studying her face. "If you really were his, he would have had some consideration not to let another woman in there, wouldn't he? Weird. If he even wanted you around here, you would know whether you've been the only one or not. How long have you been away? A hundred years? That's quite a bit of time for him to find someone new."

Her ruby eyes grew wide, blazing with something wildly possessive, and she was right in my face. I could smell her; her scent was light, but it wasn't a smell that appealed to my nose. It was way too strong and overbearing, something much too harsh and sweet.

"Alec has saved himself for me, and only me, little human. You only wish you could be half as important to him as I am. You speak lies, and you are only embarrassing yourself by expressing your jealousy. Alec would never let a creature like you get close to him. You are too weak, and you mean nothing to him. Not even your little gift could serenade him enough. Alec knows very well with whom he belongs. After all, he came to me first."

I couldn't help it; I laughed. Her words should have hurt me, but they didn't. She really was psycho, and the fact that I got to witness it told me exactly how much Alec didn't like her. The more she talked, the more I could clearly understand why he really didn't like her. She wasn't right for him at all, and I began to feel the fear dissolve within me. She was just a crazy, lust-crazed vampire who didn't know when to stop. She was showing me firsthand what drove Alec away from her, without knowing it.

"Wow. Alec was right. You are annoying and obsessive," I said coolly. "I don't think he...enjoys crazy, Camilla."

"Do you know this whack job?" David asked me incredulously, as he yanked Camilla away from me, holding her in an iron grip. "Is there something you're not telling me?"

I smiled at Camilla, and then shook my head at David.

"She's not my whack job," I said. "She can say whatever she wants. It doesn't mean anything to me."

Anymore.

Everything was a blur after that.

Camilla growled loudly and sprang for me, breaking free from David's arms.

The last thing I felt was my body being swiveled around by a different pair of strong, cold arms as they wrapped around my torso protectively. I was no longer facing them.

"Camilla," came Alec's empty voice from above me, and my body flooded with relief as I felt the familiar comfort of his touch. His tone held the world's most fearful threat, but I hardly paid attention to it. "Leave. Now. Before I execute you and build your pyre myself."

"Alec!" Camilla shrieked, her voice rising three octaves. "Oh, I am elated you are here! This is a misunderstanding, my love! This human is out of control! Did you hear the way she spoke to me? Get your hands off me, you bastard!"

"I ought to snap your neck for the way you spoke to her. Crazy bitch," David hissed at her, and I concluded that he was the one she cursed at.

"Are you hurt?" Alec whispered urgently in my ear, and I shook my head, noticing the Cullens standing a handful of feet away from me, watching warily.

"Stay here," he ordered me, and his arms were gone. I turned around immediately, watching him as he walked gracefully over to Camilla, who was, in fact, in David's grip.

I felt a breeze behind me, and whipped my head around. Felix and Demetri flanked me, their postures straight as boards, their faces empty and serious.

"Are you all right, little woman?" Felix asked shortly.

"Yes," I said, grateful for their presences. "Thanks."

"Just stay here with us," Demetri ordered.

I turned my attention back to Alec, whose voice was so icy and dangerous as he spoke to her, that it sent chills down my spine. His words were like sharp daggers toward her, hard and unforgiving.

"The only one who is misunderstanding anything is you. I do not want anything to do with you anymore, Camilla. I do not desire to have you in any way, and I never once did. You are the one who is unimportant. You have always been repulsive to me, and I have every right to end your existence for even placing yourself close to her and speaking to her. She is my responsibility. She is my human. I very much heard the way she spoke to you, and it was nothing short of what should have been said to you for the last century. You are pathetic, and your existence is wasteful. You are nothing, and if you attempt to come close to our quarters again, I will personally have Demetri hunt you down and bring you to me himself. Because I will kill you if you ever think about coming after her."

"It would be a pleasure," I heard Demetri mutter smugly from beside me.

My heart fluttered, warmth spreading through every one of my nerves. I could feel it in my fingertips, my toes, my stomach, and my face. It was like I could feel the love...

The love?

I had no time to think about that, as Alec's next words shot me into the next universe, and I was frozen.

"She is my mate."

HAHAHHA, CLIFFHANGER! I know, I'm terrible. You probably hate me. But, don't worry! The ball isn't over yet! So, what did you think about Camilla? Pretty whack, huh? She's psychoooooo. I'll be honest, I had to rewrite their interaction like four times because it wasn't going the way I wanted. I know you've all been waiting for this chapter for a loooooong time. The ball will be split into two parts, given there's so much that I am wanting to happen. We're only just getting started! Stay tuned, there's more to come! Why do you think the Cullens were watching Cheyenne? And what do you think Alice saw?

The pictures for Camilla and her dress (though not together. Selena Gomez is the model for the dress), are on my Tumblr page! My username is shychristmasfood, so go check out the pics! I don't have a pic of Rosalie's dress, because I didn't feel the need to have one. I'm sure we can all imagine Rosalie wearing something over the top, since she loves attention so much lol. And, though I didn't mention it, because I didn't want my description of the Cullens to be a novel in itself, the rest of the Cullens are dressed fancy for the ball, too. I just didn't wanna spend time trying to figure out what the girls, specifically, were wearing. Maybe I'll mention it in the next chapter. Also, a reviewer had a question about the ball:

"Do you have a playlist for what songs will be played during the ball?"

I don't, because Aro is old fashioned as heck and just has string music playing, but I do have a playlist for the story itself! The link is in my profile! But, if you're wondering what song was performed by Cheyenne, it was I Can't Make You Love Me by Bonnie Raitt.

Thanks for being patient with the ball chapter, and I hope you enjoyed the first part of it. Part two will be here shortly. Review, please! I read every single one of them and I appreciate them ❤️