Hello again dear readers. I post this now, because I'm sick today. I will be hopping straight back to bed. But his chapter kept rolling around my skull, so I had to get it out, otherwise there would be no sleep for me. Don't you just love a creative brain? Lol!

Hope you enjoy. Be advised. Aro is dark in this story. Not my usual fluffy style. Be careful!

As the young ones entered the throne room, Aro got to his feet. He couldn't help but stand up, he had to go to her. He smiled broadly as he went to them, his gaze lingering intently on the young woman. Finally he could take her in fully.

Her heart was beating frantically against her rib cage, her large brown eyes fell upon him almost immediately. Once she had seen him, her gaze never left him. She was looking right back at him apprehensively, and he thought he saw recognition light in her eyes as she frowned slightly.

Aro halted just in front of her, keeping his eyes on her, even as he grabbed Edward's hand out of the blue. She was looking at him steadily, and Aro dearly wanted to see if he could read her. Edward's thoughts flooded his system.

You will never get to know her, Aro.

Aro flashed him a swift searching look, before he turned back to the young woman beside them. He gave her a reassuring smile, his gaze lingering on every detail of her lovely face.

Come now Edward. You think you know her, and yet you let her go.

Edward scowled.

Am I not correct? Aro thought, making the young man's scowl fill with pain. Aro ignored him.

"My dear Isabella," he said in a low voice. He felt Edward and Alice tense almost immediately. "How are you feeling?" He asked, ignoring them both.

She seemed lost for words. Her lips parted as if she was about to say something, but the words never left her as she looked up at Aro.

"She's fine, as you can clearly see, Aro," Edward spat threateningly.

The boy knew exactly what Aro had been thinking, and he clearly wanted to avoid things from developing in any way.

Aro turned to him, still holding his hand.

"Allow the lady to speak for herself, Edward. I can see how you have hurt her this past year. I must know how she feels about that." He turned back to her.

"You can tell me, Isabella. This is a safe place."

Edward scoffed dismissively.

"For you," Aro added slowly, glancing briefly at the young vampire to silence him.

Still she said nothing. Aro felt impatience rise within him. He was not used to someone not answering him when he demanded answers. But he must not scare her.

Smiling pleasantly, he quickly regrouped, looking at Edward, who scowled right back at him, a tiny satisfied smile lingering on his lips, obviously quite pleased with the fact that she had not spoken to him yet.

Aro delved through Edward's mind, finding every unpleasant memory, and he felt Edward tense as his gut filled with guilt. Aro searched his face, as he absorbed the last year of the young man's life, watching as he left the young woman behind to fend for herself. A twinge of pain flashed across Edward's features as he re-experienced it too.

Oh, Edward, what have you done? You should never have left her. You will lose her now, for good.

Edward's brows contracted sharply as he read the thought.

No, she loves me too much!

Aro smiled softly.

Are you quite certain of that?

Then he let him go. He stepped back, walking away from them for a moment. Then he turned back towards the young woman.

"I find it most fascinating that Edward cannot read your mind, and I cannot help but wonder if you are immune to my gift as well." Aro bathed her in all his charm then.

He heard her breath as it left her rather explosively. He elegantly offered her his hand, leaving his palm exposed to her.

"Would you do me the honour?"

She looked at him, then at his hand. He could see a part of her that wanted to leave, but she was also curious. Aro tilted his head sideways, keeping his eyes on her, waiting in tense silence. What would her decision be?

She hesitated a moment longer, then gulping softly, she stepped forward and placed her small hand in his.

Aro pulled her closer, sighing contentedly as her smell washed over him, stronger than ever before. He gave her a delighted smile, before he searched for that peculiar connection that allowed him to delve through the thoughts that every person ever had.

First there was blackness. He saw nothing. He looked up, searching her eyes. She kept silent, but her gaze seemed to burn him. He could not tell if that was a good thing or not. He adjusted his grip a little, feeling the soft skin on her hands, his fingers lingering on her pulse. He was loath to let her go just yet.

Suddenly something flashed through him, and they both felt it, tensing simultaneously. He saw a vision of himself in her mind. He almost gasped as realisation shot through him.

She had been dreaming of him. She had seen his face before in a painting on Carlisle's wall. He saw how she had been finding comfort in her dreams of him, even though they also frightened her because she could not understand them. The pain of Edward and his family had been excruciating, but as time had passed, her mind had conjured up images of him.

He almost smiled. He was a much different person in her dreams than he was in real life. She saw him as a good person, a soft person. A whole person. She would soon enough realize that he was none of those things.

But how was he able to see this when Edward could not?

Aro searched her eyes silently. Still she said nothing. He glanced down at their linked hands again.

"Oh dear," he said in a soft voice, before he reluctantly let her go.

His gaze flashed across Edward, who looked utterly confused, as if he sensed something had passed between them, but not seen what it was, then Alice who had tensed visibly.

Aro turned to his brothers. They regarded him silently.

"Jane," Aro finally said softly.

"Please escort Miss Swan to my study." He smiled at the thought of getting to know the young woman more. Isabella gasped softly.

"No!" Edward shouted angrily, immediately on the attack. He went for Jane, who merely looked at him. Then he collapsed with no further discussion, pain flashing through his system.

"No!" Bella screamed.

Aro turned sharply towards her, feeling his instinct almost taking over. No one defied him. Then he saw her pain, and he halted.

"Please! I'll go, I'll come quietly, just let him go!"

Aro considered her. It wasn't as if she had had any choice in the matter. He had decided to keep her long ago.

"Jane," he repeated just as softly.

Jane released Edward from her painful glare.

"I will be there shortly, after dealing with these two," he told her.

But Edward was not done yet. He rose to his feet, attacking Aro without a second thought. Aro made no move at the young man, merely observing as Felix was suddenly there, immediately grabbing and forcing him back. Aro watched with vague interest as they fought fiercely. Of course Edward was no match for the huge Volturi guard and soon he found himself kneeling at Aro's feet. Aro made no move, but Felix knew what to do, getting ready to execute the miscreant.

A scream rent the air, distracting them all momentarily. Aro halted Felix, looking at the young woman who was sobbing hysterically as she watched her boyfriend in the deathly clutches of the guard.

"No, no please! Not him! Kill me, kill me instead!"

Something welled up inside Aro. It was a feeling he had never felt before. Awe. He slowly stepped towards the human, sensing her panic.

"You would sacrifice yourself for someone like us? A vampire? A soulless monster?" He asked, intrigued.

She glared at him defiantly, and he almost smirked. Oh, she was going to be so much fun.

"You don't know a thing about his soul."

Aro regarded her silently for a long time.

She seemed to deflate a little.

"Please, I'll do anything," she whispered.

Aro stepped closer to her. She was almost his. So close he could practically taste her.

"Will you consider joining us?" He asked her quietly, offering her his hand.

He knew the answer. She had said the word in her dreams many times.

"Yes."

Aro exhaled sharply. He wanted to make her his then and there, barely controlling the impulse to take her in his arms and sink his teeth into that lovely throat of hers. But a vision of her near death almost a year ago flashed through him. She had met another vampire, Laurent, who had almost killed her, and for a while her dreams had turned into nightmares. Her fear pierced Aro, and he managed to stop himself in time. He decided to let them go then and there. He did not want her to feel forced. Besides, if her dreams were anything to go by, she would return to him before long. She had been brought to her knees before because of someone like him. She would do it again, he felt certain.

He leaned in slowly, touching her cheek and jaw, ghosting her warm skin, feeling his fingers tingle at the touch. She looked confused, repulsed but there was something else in her eyes as well. Something that drew him in, something that made her human body react to him in a way he dearly wanted to explore.

"You feel it too, my dear, do you not?" He murmured softly down at her.

She closed her eyes briefly at his touch, before she looked fiercely up at him again. He almost kissed her as they got lost in each other's eyes. He resisted the urge, barely grasping where it had come from.

He let her go even though the pain of seeing her walking out was almost unbearable. As they departed, she glanced over her shoulder, her eyes finding him. He knew he had made the right decision then. So did Edward. He grabbed her around the shoulders, doing his best to get her away from Aro as fast as possible.

No matter how far away you take her, young Edward, she will be mine eventually.

Aro could see the vampire had heard this thought, his shoulders tensing noticeably.

"Aro, you cannot let her go," Marcus said behind him, his voice shocked.

His brothers had been waiting for this day almost as much as Aro himself had, being the only ones who knew of his visions from the mad nomad.

Aro watched as the doors closed after their guests. She was gone. For now.

"Do not worry, brother. She will come back to me."

"How can you be certain?" Caius asked, puzzled.

"The reason is simple, dear brother," Aro began, turning towards them with a wide smile.

"I may not be able to read her thoughts." He stepped up and sat down on his throne again, smirking casually at the place he had last seen her.

"However, I can read her dreams, and they are fascinating to say the least."

Whaaat do we think? I can't wait to hear your thoughts on this!

-Pancakes