Trying

A/N: Another Aro POV - not much in the flashback realm this time, but I hope you enjoy the insight into Aro's head. Thank you all for your kind reviews! It's always a pleasure to read your thoughts and reactions to the story. I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's a bit long, but I needed to develop some things. Enjoy!

APOV

I am livid.

Last night, one of our lower guard members was destroyed by the Romanian scum. They bottled up his ashes, leaving only the finger he wore his Volturi ring on untouched. Felix found it on the steps to our entrance in the plaza. Thankfully it remained out unseen by our neighbors here in the city. The scent of those bastards, Stefan and Vladimir, was all over the place. Unfortunately, their trails disappeared just outside of Volterra, making it impossible for us to track them.

Anton was a newer member of the guard, but a promising addition to the coven. He had the gift of transportation. Anton could transport himself to another location with a single thought. His gift was limited in range but would have been useful in battle.

Unfortunately, Vladimir and Stefan took him down before Anton was given the chance to prove himself.

They must have snuck up on him. But how? Anton was agile and his senses were almost infallible. Almost.

I sent Anton out with a few other guard members to try to track down the Romanians. My only theory is that he was getting close to finding them and the ancient lunatics got rid of him before Anton could report back. It was this news that pulled me away from my mate's side this morning.

"Demitri." I watch the brown-haired tracker push away from his perch against the wall and walk to the center of the room. He stops and bows before greeting us.

"How may I be of service, Masters?"

"Have you had any breakthroughs with tracking down the Romanian coven? Any hint of a location?"

Demetri shakes his head. "No such luck, sir." I hold my hand out to him and Demitri takes it. I see his struggles with finding the coven firsthand. He wants to please us, but he senses nothing. I let go of his hand.

"I see. Thank you." I turn to Caius. "I'm afraid our dear friends Stefan and Vladimir have acquired quite the gifted specimen. How else could they evade Demitri's gift?"

"I agree, brother." Caius's brows furrow. "It's the only thing that makes sense. Anton should have been able to escape from nearly every situation. And Demetri has never met a person he can't track."

"A shield," a voice speaks from the guard. Eleazor. One of the most cherished members of my guard. With one look he can determine what powers another holds as well as the strengths and weaknesses of their gift. This helps determine prospective guard members but is even more useful in giving us the extra edge over our enemies. Eleazor reduces the element of surprise.

"Eleazor, my friend." I greet him with a grin. After so many years on the guard, Eleazor is more of an advisor than a fighter. And at this point, I truly do consider him a friend.

"Greetings, Masters Aro, Caius, and Marcus." Eleazor nods to me. "To answer your questions, it's likely that Stefan and Vladimir found an individual who can shield them in some way." Eleazor scratches his jaw. "I've only met a few before. None were able to block trackers, though. Most were physical shields."

"Maybe a shield," I say with a nod, though another idea creeps to the forefront of my mind. "Though… I do wonder. Have you ever met someone with the ability to evade the senses?" I ask, curious.

Eleazor shakes his head. "Unfortunately, no. Alec's gift would be the closest I've seen to such a phenomenon."

I nod. "Thank you, Eleazor." I dismiss him and direct my attention back to Demitri.

"Do you know where Anton may have been before he was destroyed?"

Demitri sighs. "Only the general area. Anton has been untraceable since yesterday. That is until his ashes were delivered this morning."

"Go with a group of six out to the area and see if you can find anything. Take Alec and Felix with you. You have your pick of the rest - barring Jane, of course. She is occupied with another job at this time." Jane and I make eye contact and she nods - albeit subtly. I know that this does not disappoint her; I've read her mind after all. She and Isabella have made a connection of some kind. I could not have picked a better guard for Isabella. Jane will make sure she is safe and protected at any cost.

"Thank you. We should head out before we risk the chance of losing any potential evidence." Demitri bows and turns to leave.

He is almost to the door when I stop him. "Oh! And one more thing, Demitri." The vampire spins to face me. "Don't let your guard down; we do not know what they are capable of at this time and we cannot let them gain the upper hand."

Demitri nods and bows once more before heading out. I take this as an opportunity to dismiss the remainder of the guard so I can speak with Caius and Marcus on the matter.

Once the doors shut, I turn to face the two. Caius, Marcus, and I have ruled the vampire world together for thousands of years. As brothers, we established law and order for the benefit of the vampire kind. No longer is there a need to worry about vampire hunters and angry humans alike; we established a barrier of secrecy between our two worlds that we must protect.

The Romanian coven is a threat to the structure we've created. Their leaders care little for secrecy, and it shows. While they held control over parts of Europe millennia ago, the Romanians gained a terrible reputation among the human folk in their territory. Their needless slaughters and lack of discretion sent the people into chaos, and I do not want to think about the damage they could wreak now.

"Let us hope they find something that leads us to Stefan and Vladimir," I say, sitting down on my throne. "Oh, how I long for the day we display their heads on pikes for all the world to see."

"A little much, don't you think, brother?" Caius snickers.

"Not in the slightest," Marcus adds, emotionless as ever. "I'd like to do more to them than just skewer their skulls, Aro."

I look at him with empathy. We both lost so much when they took Didyme from us. But for Marcus, there is nothing of meaning left now that she is gone.

I think of what I would do if Isabella departed from this world. My reaction would be no different than Marcus'; living without her would be a hopeless, soul shredding existence.

"I will let you do whatever you wish to them, Marcus."

The man nods and turns his gaze away to stare off into the distance.

"We've found them without the aid of Demitri's gift before. I certainly think we can do so again," Caius states, his fingertips pressed together so his hands form a triangle.

"I guess we need to see if they can find anything before we decide on the direction we take."

"Yes, we need more information." Caius looks at his hands for a few seconds before turning his gaze back to me. He looks almost excited about something. "How is Miss Isabella? I have not had the pleasure of her company in quite some time."

My demeanor changes at the mention of her name. Muscles tense, preparing to pounce on him if he says something upsetting to my beast. It's a dangerous game he is playing, asking to spend time alone with my unclaimed mate.

"Relax, Aro," Caius laughs. "I just miss my sweet sister."

I obey, forcing myself to lean back against the chair.

"Forgive me. She elicits the most intense reactions from me - even when she is not near."

Caius grins and shrugs. "Yes, I'm afraid that will never go away."

I shudder at the thought. These feelings will consume me.

"Your bond is no longer deteriorating," Marcus drawls, staring at something I cannot see.

"Is it repairing?" I press.

"No. The damage is done. It will take great measures to repair the tears you've made."

Caius sits up in alert. "What damage?"

I rub my thumb against my temple. Gods, I don't wish to tell Caius; especially knowing how much he cares for my little mate. "I… mistreated her. Isabella is quite distrusting of me at the moment."

Marcus scoffs. "Distrusting? Really, Aro?" The brown hair king turns to Caius. "He humiliated her in front of the entire guard. Their bond is holding on by mere threads as a result."

"Ah, yes, the throne room incident. I haven't forgotten about that." Caius narrows his eyes at me. "What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't."

Caius rolls his eyes. "Gods, Aro. Everyone can smell that she's your mate. You rejected her in front of the entire guard. There are consequences for actions like that."

"I am taking measures to ensure that the guard is well aware of her position," I grumble. Though now that Isabella wants to negotiate the terms of our deal, I do not know how well these "measures" will work out. If I made this deal with anyone other than Isabella, I would not even consider renegotiation. But we are balancing on a tightrope right now and I cannot afford to fall.

"They already know." Caius laughs and waves his hand as if to brush off the idea. "All you need to do is make the announcement. No one will touch her."

"I need to get back to her," I announce as I stand from my throne. Not wishing to speak on the matter anymore, I give each brother a nod. "We were discussing something of importance when this meeting was called."

Caius smirks. "Well if you wish to make her happy, give her whatever she wants."

I snort. "Is that how you won over dear Dora?"

Caius puffs his chest in triumph. "Of course. I would capture the moon if she asked it of me. And she knows it."

"Quite the lucky lady, that one." I smile sadly. All I can think about is Isabella. My desire to have her, to claim her wholly as mine, is overwhelming. And my gods, the difficulty of remaining in control of my beast is growing each day.

Isabella has taken over my every sense. She's already weaved herself back into the fabric of my soul. Because now that she's near, the torn-away edges are whole once more. She is everything.

The insistent tugging on my chest is everything I imagined it would be and more. After all, I've known what it feels like to be in a mated pair my entire life, but without a mate for my own. I'd seen the bond first hand on so many accounts, from the side of the bondholders. But this is so different from anything I've seen before.

I know it's partly because I cannot read her mind. I have no way of understanding her feelings in all of this unless she tells me. The beast is trembling.

But she has, I remind myself. She doesn't appreciate our demands. She feels trapped here. We have been unkind to her on numerous occasions.

But she is ours, the beast cries. She is ours to claim.

She is human, I remind him. She is hurt easily by our choices. And she is unaware of the situation and the instincts involved with our kind. She needs time.

The beast backs away with a grumble. I sigh in relief.

Slowly, I trek through the halls. I need more time to think before I disturb her. After all, there is so much we need to discuss tonight. What can I tell her that won't scare her off?

It's when this thought crosses my mind that I smell her. Not her scent, no. But her blood. Freshly spilled.

The beast roars, trembling at the thought of our mate in danger. He is wild; no force on earth can stop him from getting to her. Not even me. So I surrender control to him, just as eager to find Isabella and make sure she is safe as he is.

I speed to my chambers, following her scent. Fresh, the trail was left just minutes ago. When I reach the door, I slam through it. The hinges break off from the wood, splintering the frame in the process.

Isabella is sitting on the edge of the bed, her knee scraped and bloodied. Jane is kneeling in front of her, beginning the process of cleaning her wound.

"What happened?" The question rumbles from my chest, almost incoherent. But Jane understands regardless.

"She slipped and scraped her knee," Jane replies, trying to hide her smirk. It doesn't work; I can still see the mischief in her eyes. "I have everything taken care of, Master."

Isabella is watching me from her perch on the bed. Her large, curious brown eyes meet mine, and the beast calms. She is fine. Nevertheless, I wonder if I startled her with my entrance. Did she notice my panic?

"You may leave, Jane. I will take care of her."

Isabella does not protest. Instead, she smiles softly at Jane and pats the girl on the hand. "I will be okay, Jane. Thank you for your help so far."

Jane returns Isabella's gesture and patting her leg as she stands. With a knowing glance in my direction, she leaves the two of us alone.

I am at Isabella's side before the door closes behind Jane and I kneel at her feet. Gingerly, I wrap my hands around the back of her calf, inspecting for damage. My actions elicit a gasp from the girl, and I turn my eyes to her face. She is blushing, and oh what a stunning sight it is.

"Did that hurt?" I ask, aware that my voice sounds huskier than before.

"No. Your fingers are cold," she whispers, her breath fanning across my face like a warm summer breeze. "It startled me."

With a hum, I return my focus to her leg, prodding the skin around the wound. Just a scrape, though she'll likely have bruises tomorrow.

"I thought I told you to be careful, tesoro." I wring out the wet cloth Jane prepared, and begin the process of cleaning the wound.

"I'm not known for my grace, Aro."

"Certainly not. I'm beginning to think I must follow you around the palace just to protect you from harming yourself." I say the words as though I jest, but in all honesty, I am struggling not to turn into her shadow. I wish to follow her everywhere she goes. The pull is too strong.

She says nothing, but I can feel her eyes on me. I make quick work of cleaning up the site and carefully wrap the injured area with a bandage. Her blood does not tempt me in the same way that others do. That's not to say that I am disinterested in it, for her lifeblood tastes… delicious. But, there is no thirst when I smell her like this. Just an urge to protect. Once the wound is wrapped, I can't help but drop my lips to the bandage, pecking her knee.

"Aro," she whispers. I look up at her, amazed to see her chocolate eyes glistening with gold. "Thank you."

"How does it feel?" I prompt, rooted to my seat on the ground. My fingers are still wrapped around her warm leg.

"I'll survive," she mumbles, staring at the place where our skin meets. Does she feel the pulsing energy when we touch? Because I can feel nothing else but that.

"I would be devastated if you did not." Isabella blushes even more and turns her head away from mine. We sit in silence for a moment, and I find myself staring longingly at her - hyper-fixated on the point where her ear meets her jaw and neck. So utterly smooth, a porcelain beauty. And gods, I want to run my lips across her skin. I want to feel her heartbeat against my tongue.

"Can we finish our discussion from this morning?" She doesn't look at me when she asks the question. Her eyes still focused on something off in the distance.

"Of course…" I start, releasing her leg with one gentle squeeze.

"I've thought over your request… and I've decided to remove the stipulation from our terms." The decision is new, spurred on by my conversation with Caius just before. But I know it is the right choice. "That being said, the other rules still stand."

Isabella sucks in a breath. "I want your word, you will not command it of me either."

Clever girl. "I will not expect you to sit at my feet unless I directly ask it of you. And know that if I do, there is a reason."

"No," she spits.

"Isa-" I find myself beginning to plead with her before she cuts me off again. Why am I allowing this insolence?

How easy would it be to change her right now? Only when she wakes up as a vampire, will she feel this pull. Gods, I will claim her then. Over and over again. I will worship the very ground she walks on.

But I will not let the world see her as my weakness. I must show that she is protected, that nothing will harm her. Anyone who tries will meet their end in flames.

"NO." Her tone is stern as her head sharply turns back in my direction.

The beast, barely back in his cage, rattles at the display our mate is putting on. He does not appreciate her disrespect. My cock twitches, as the beast yells about putting Isabella in her place. Claim her. Yours… Claim herrrr. "Please, Isabella, I am trying to explain here." I grit, trying to reign in my reactions to her.

"Try harder, then." There is a fire in her gaze I do not wish to mess with. Afraid that she will burn me in my delay, I continue.

"I cannot show favoritism in my court. If you are asked to do something by me in that room, there will be public consequences for any disobedience."

Isabella growls; she bloody snarls at me. The sound goes straight to my cock. "That's not an explanation; that's a threat. You're going to need to do better than that" She pulls her legs away from me, tucking them up underneath her.

"We made a deal yesterday. And so far, I see no commitment to it on your end."

"What do you call this time spent with you, Aro? Do my actions truly not show that I committed to your deal? Because I certainly did not wish to be chained to you, yet here I am!"

I bow my head in both shame and anger. Shame that I could displease her, shame that she is right and I accused her of an untruth, and anger that my foolish actions caused this. Rejection courses through me as I think about the truth; my mate wants nothing to do with me. Seconds roll into minutes before I feel her warm hand on my head. "You won't ask this of me, Aro. I want your word."

"I need to show them that you're protected. Don't you understand?" I cry - desperate to make her see. I need to show them that you're mine. You've been mine since the dawn of time.

"No," she shakes her head, looking almost defeated. "I'm not sure if I ever will."

She is tender in the way she handles me now and I wonder if she senses my inner turmoil like a mate would. Because even though she is not touching me, I can feel her small hands caressing my soul. She calms me.

"Will you agree to these terms for now?" I ask, my fingers twitching to touch her. My mind pleads to know her. Never in my life have I so desperately yearned to see the thoughts of another. Not as I do hers. What I would give for a glimpse into her mind; one second would help me solve these problems between us. But it does not do well to dwell on nonsensical dreams. "I do not wish to punish you in asking for this. I swear, I won't demand your presence at my feet unless the circumstances are dire."

She nods and I can see the tension release from her shoulders. How much stress have I put this little mate of mine under? How much more is yet to come? I cannot bear the thought of her in duress; but simultaneously, I cannot integrate her into this world without causing her pain in some way. Oh, how I wish I could.

"I am not an unfair man, Isabella," I whisper the words, trying to convince myself that they are true even as they slip out. But they aren't. Not entirely.

She snorts, stealing the air from my lungs. Before I can frown, I am struck by her beautiful smile. My jaw slackens.

"No, but maybe slightly mad." I laugh. She smiles slyly.

"You are wrong, cara mia. 'Slightly' would be an insult to the madness."

A/N: And there it is! I hope you guys enjoyed it! This is the last chapter I want to touch on the sitting at his feet thing for a long while. The story is going to start picking up here soon, so please like and follow if you haven't already. Again, thank you for all the kind reviews lately. I can't wait to see what you guys think.