Alright, allow me to present another update for you, my lovely readers. I hope it makes sense, I was rather tired when I wrote this, having already finished another chapter on another story today. I have been writing all day long, and let me tell you, I am literally cross eyed by now! Lol! Got more than 10.000 words down spread out on two stories! Can't believe it!

I want to say thank yoouu for your kind words and encouragements! They keep me alive! All mistakes are my own, feel free to ignore them. Lol! Please read on!

Oh, and before you go; Smut in this chapter. Do not read if that is not to your taste.

Aro sat in the back of the car, the shadows wreathed around him like a cloak of blackness. Bella was in the seat opposite him, staring blankly out at the road passing by. The journey had been long even if the distance had not been. They had been gone for a fair few days, and were now returning home.

Caius had summoned Aro because another coven had requested urgent help to handle a delicate matter involving a member of the Italian royal family. They needed someone who had the word in his power, And Aro was no doubt the most smooth tongued of the three vampire kings.

A scandal had barely been avoided.

A rogue vampire had managed to sneak in as a servant, and had nearly managed to bite the prince of Italy. Luckily both the Volturi and this other coven, a small compliant family of vampires named Moretti, had many years ago placed agents strategically in higher places in Italy s government, granted, it had been for other purposes, but the agents managed to capture the miscreant before anything disastrous could happen. A couple of servants had been killed, but the prince, however, was safe. For now.

Aro had no idea how he had managed to do the work that needed to be done, because his head had been filled with one thing and one thing only for the duration of the trip. His mate.

Even though they had been in close proximity for a lot of the journey, Aro had been away from her for many hours at a time, and that caused him pain. She was uncomfortable too, though she said nothing. In the deep shadows of the limousine, he gritted his teeth as a new wave of piercing icy stings shot through him. He closed his eyes, willing the pain to go down. They were together now, hopefully the pain would ease up eventually.

He flashed back on the way he had to explain to Bella that they had to leave.

They had gone to each their own when Aro had been summoned, and when he realised he would be leaving, he had found her in the library. He would never forget her smile once she saw him enter. Her face lit up like the sun on a cloudless day.

He had to plan quite carefully for this journey. He could not leave her behind, because she would definitely get sick if he did. He was forced to bring her along, but she was also about to start bleeding. Bringing her into a new coven of vampires while bleeding was highly risky to say the least. It was a little known fact, but those humans that vampires called singers were often women on their period.

Then the flash of scared apprehension once she found out what he must do. He had smelled her tears, though she never spilled a single one. She clenched her jaw and simply accepted what must come next. She would still become ill, and she knew it. So would he. They would just have to endure it, their bodies getting the brunt of the punishment.

Marcus had prepared him for as much. Aro had quietly extracted the newest state of their bond from his brother. A single touch to the man's hand and he saw how things were laid out.

Their bond had grown stronger, no doubt, but it was still split in two along the seam. The strands were twisting and touching a few places, so it almost looked like the double helix of the DNA. But they still needed to fuse completely. Until then, they would both become unwell when separated for a longer period of time. Of course, her illness, if prolonged, would result in her death, his would not die, but most like either away slowly. The fusion was more than physical however. Her trust, while stronger now than ever before, was still brittle. The pale Nacre-like hues on some of the strands hinted at her falling in love with him, but the strands needed to turn blood red for the love to be unbreakable. Consummating the mating bond by making love would ease up on their struggles, but as Marcus quietly pointed out, there was a long way to go. A few strands of black were still tangling their way from her end through the helix towards Aro. They were indicative of the hurt she still felt at his actions. Marcus had seen their bond when it had been covered in those black strands, almost smothering their mating possibilities like weeds would a rose. Aro was thankful that he hadn't seen it at the time. He would have believed it to be beyond repair. Even so, many things could break what he had worked so hard to build between them. He would still have to tread lightly around his young human mate.

He sighed inwardly as he thought back on them being interrupted. Caius had gotten to feel the wrath of Aro in no uncertain terms. Not that the blond king was fazed.

"Do you realise what you have done?" Aro had hissed in a dangerously controlled voice, his eyes dancing with rage.

"I regret that I interrupted you, brother, however…"

Aro had seethed with fury, flying at his brother and pushing him hard against the wall. Caius had been shocked for only a moment. They never fought, not physically at least. As Aro's hands clamped down around Caius' throat, his mind flooded with the situation that needed to be dealt with. They stared defiantly at each other for a long time, until Aro finally released him, understanding the situation in its entirety.

He was still angry, as he sat in the car, waiting for the journey to come to an end. He had been experiencing all of three emotions these last few days, swinging from one to the other like a pendulum; Anger, pain and desire.

His mind kept flashing back to how he had made her come apart, her soft thighs squeezing his ears. The feel of her wet folds parting for him, her tight opening welcoming him, on the cusp of entering her. He could still taste her sweet essence on his tongue. He longed to hear her cries of passion.

Not that he had neglected her completely while they were away. Once things had settled slightly, they had been able to spend time together alone in their hotel room, mostly in the evenings. He had not wasted many words between them, but simply slid her beneath him on the bed, encasing her head between his forearms and kissed her senseless for long periods of time. They never progressed further beyond that, as she was fairly skittish as it were. He knew she was no fool. She definitely felt his trapped erection as it pressed insistently into her stomach, but neither of them made any mention of it. He had stayed with her during the night, holding her close as she slept fitfully.

He couldn't blame her for not being able to sleep much. On their arrival at the Moretti coven, she had caught the attention of at least two male vampires and a female. It was only Aro's status that kept them at bay, but even so, they had been rather intense around her, and she had practically tried to hide behind Aro to get out of the way of their combined attention. Aro had glowered at them, not needing any words to convey that she was his. They dared not defy him of course, but even so, they left Bella feeling rather uncomfortable.

The Moretti coven made no mention of the young human clinging to Aro's arm, though their crimson gaze lingered on her for long periods of time. They all heard her heart as it skipped and tapped against her ribs. She had been quite the distraction, and so, she had been forced more or less to return to the hotel room as soon as she could. Aro was thankful that he had brought Felix and the twins to guard her. She would be safe with them.

He would return in the late afternoons or evenings and then they both felt a slight relief in their discomfort as they spent time together, until he had to leave the next day again. He had to admire how she handled everything, her strong will defiantly enduring his absence in quiet dignity. Even the coven leader, Enzo, had remarked at how well she had kept her cool, even as she was practically looked at as a lunch of every vampire in the room.

Aro usually didn't bring so many guards along for a job, but this time he was not willing to take any chances. That had been a wise choice, because the day after their arrival, Bella had started bleeding. The timing was terrible. She had been in a room full of obviously hungry vampires, and when introductions were in place, she had been sent back to their hotel room. Luckily she did not have to be close to any of the strangers all the time, but Aro knew they could smell her on him. They were restless and distracted whenever he was around them. It slowed down the process considerably, and Aro was so on edge that he checked in with his guards frequently to make quite sure that she was quite safe. He was gone for most of the day, and even though she was under tight guard, she was uncomfortable and achy, unable to do much to distract herself from her predicament. It did nothing good for her that he was away from her for so long too. Once he finally returned to her, she was taciturn and withdrawn. It had taken him quite some time to ease her pain. He had drawn her a warm bath, and made her soak in it for a long time. Then he repeated the full body massage from the other day, trying to remove the tension from her muscles. She had been silent all through most of it, only when she had been beneath the covers on the bed, nestled against him, had she been in the mood for talking a little. Aro had held her close, running his fingers along her scalp, making her almost purr, her words becoming increasingly slurred as she soon drifted off to sleep.

It was a relief when the situation had finally resolved, and they were able to leave. The culprit had been dealt with, and Aro had searched his mind to try and find out if there were any other future attacks from other accomplices. He had acted alone, and for no real reason, except he liked to shake things up a bit. Aro had swiftly dispensed with him then and there.

Now Aro focused on Bella's reflection in the car window. She was staring rather tiredly outside, allowing the scenery to pass her by, clearly not taking any of it in.

Aro leaned forward and took her hand gently in his.

"Are you alright my dear?"

She nodded, smiling tiredly at him.

"Yes."

"You look tired."

"Yes, well a certain dark king has been snogging me stupid for the last few nights in a row. It's enough to make any simple human exhausted."

"You are no mere simple human, tesoro. I hope you will tell me if I am being too forward with you?" He said, allowing a single finger to trace along her wrist.

She released a breath of air, and glanced at his path across her skin.

"What is it?" He asked, halting his movements.

She looked up at him and licked her lips, hesitating.

"Come now my dear. You can tell me." He leaned forward, almost closing the distance between them.

She bit her lip hesitantly.

"It's just…" she paused, thinking. She was silent for so long he almost felt certain she would never tell him.

"Isabella," he began, almost feeling his old impatience with her resurface dangerously.

"These last few days, this entire situation has made me realise something." He waited as she gathered her thoughts.

"You make me lose my head, Aro. I don't know how, but every time you touch me, or kiss me, I… get lost in this completely different world. You suddenly become everything and all else could burn to the ground, I couldn't care less. It makes me feel exhausted and elated at the same time. I want to jump your bones all the damn time, but that feeling scares the shit out of me. I like being in control of myself, and this is definitely not easy for me. At the same time the rush I feel when you touch me, or kiss me, or anything really, it makes me feel… It is all very… mixed…" She chuckled softly. "Which is probably why I am exhausted."

Aro sat silently, quite flummoxed at her honesty, not quite certain what to say. He took hold of her chin and pulled her towards him, kissing her in a way that could leave her no question what he felt about her.

"While your words stroke my ego in far too many ways for me to explain, I can easily admit that you leave me just as bewildered and confused. I have spent the last few days dreaming of you, yes even when we were close together. You never leave my mind. When we are not together, I find myself exploring your body in my mind, even if I cannot explore your mind as freely as I would like. Your body is like an open book to me, but you are an enigma. I have known of you for so long, yet you never cease to amaze me."

He fell silent for a long moment, while they stared at each other. He wasn't sure if he had conveyed what he actually felt accurately enough, but she seemed to understand him. She slid off her seat and clambered into his lap, straddling his thighs, so they were quite close now. He automatically wrapped his arms around her waist, securing her in place. They stared into each other's eyes for a long silent moment. Then she glanced down at his chest, where his Volturi necklace was resting atop his tie, glinting in the shadows. She took it gingerly between her fingers and examined it carefully. He watched her face intently, enjoying her closeness, her smell. She looked back up at him, still holding the heavy pendant. Then she hesitantly leaned forward and kissed him at the corner of his mouth. Her touch set him aflame and he breathed deeply, allowing her to fill his senses completely.

Letting go of his necklace, she placed her hands on his shoulders, her lips travelling to his jawline. He felt her lips part, and her tongue darted out, sliding across the skin just below his jawbone, before she sealed her mouth hotly on his skin. He barely restrained the growl that was threatening to escape him. She was playing with fire, his little human mate.

She withdrew to an upright position again and with slightly hooded eyes looked at him. He stared straight back at her, his burning desire smouldering in his black eyes.

"What was that?" He finally asked softly.

She gulped slightly, swallowing thickly.

"I wanted to see if I could make you lose your head too."

Aro considered her for a minute, then he glanced sideways, pushing a button on the panel by the window. The limousine they were in was of the most expensive kind. It had been specially made, and Aro had just activated the soundproofing feature, their chauffeur now unable to hear anything happening in the cabin behind him.

Aro then looked back at his mate. She was breathing rather fast now, apparently having seen what he had done and understood his intentions.

"That is a dangerous game you play, my love," he said placidly, keeping his eyes fixed on her as he placed his hands on her throat. He could feel her pulse escalate rapidly.

"Well, I only get one life." She licked her lips tentatively, capturing his attention completely.

He couldn't help himself. He pulled her face close to his, their lips almost crashing together.

"Not with me," he whispered hotly against her mouth. "With me, you get to live forever."

Then he kissed her deeply, his tongue plunging into her mouth, duelling hers in a fierce battle of passion. He held her by the throat, keeping her in place, as he plundered her sweet mouth, demanding all she had to offer him. The kiss soon grew much less restrained, both of them seemingly throwing their souls into it. Her hips began to rock gently as he lit her body on fire, and she grazed his clothed erection, making him jump slightly at the contact. He moved his hands to wrap his arms around her, holding her close as he ground up into her, their lips never parting. A strained moan escaped her, her body jerking slightly as he hit her core, abrading the dull ache that had quite suddenly exploded into existence between her legs. The sound sent him spiralling out of control, and he grabbed her skirt, easily pulling it up, granting himself access to her soft skin beneath. He grabbed her ass passionately, massaging the fleshy globes, and she whimpered softly into his mouth.

He swiftly reversed their position, so she was now beneath him, her limbs splayed out awkwardly as she had not been prepared for his movement. He kissed her again, allowing his hands to slide down her body, delving beneath her clothes where possible, caressing her warm flesh, leaving her skin pebbled with goosebumps in his wake. He lifted her blouse up, revealing her bra, and feeling too impatient, he pushed the cups down beneath her breasts, the restraining fabric barely out of the way before he captured an already hardened nipple between his lips, making her body jump viscerally as he pulled it deeply into his mouth. Her fingers became tangled in his hair as she tried to pull him even closer, and he found he quite enjoyed the feeling, normally he detested when someone touched his hair, but he could spend the rest of his eternity with her fingers delving into his scalp. He shifted his attention to her other breast, making her shudder gently beneath him.

Then he returned to her mouth, kissing her fiercely, pulling her closer, spreading her legs so that he could grind into her warm core again. Her skirt had ridden up now bunching at her hips, and he could easily smell her arousal already. She was no longer bleeding, her period only lasting for 4 days. The cabin air however, was heavy with her scent, her musk, and he was filled with hot liquid desire and longed to fuck her. He had to check himself. He straightened up so that he could look at her. He took her hands and placed them on his chest. Biting her lip slightly, she began to feel him through the fabric. Not content with that, she began to open his shirt. Aro slowly removed his suit jacket while she did so, and then his shirt once she was done with the buttons. Her hands slid across his chest, fingers tangling in his chest hair, and he closed his eyes, enjoying the sensations. She grazed his nipples and with a tight grunt his hips flexed sharply, hitting her core with his still clothed erection. He could feel himself throb with need. She did it again, hungrily taking in his reaction, and he could no longer wait. His eyes opened sharply, and they stared at each other for a long silent moment. He then grabbed her hands and placed them on his crotch, making her feel him. Her fingers slid across his length, feeling his hardness, grabbing it.

"Unfasten me, Isabella," he instructed softly.

He saw how she shivered at his words, but she didn't hesitate for a minute. Her fingers got the belt buckle open, and then the placket of his trousers.

"Take me in your hand."

She delved inside and her fingers found exactly what he needed her to find. Aro adjusted his trousers by pushing them down, freeing his manhood completely from its silky confines. Bella sat up a little, her fingers exploring him intently. He grabbed her hand and gently showed her how she should stroke him, keeping their eyes locked all the while. As she began to copy his rhythm, Aro let go, and then allowed his hand to travel up her thigh, brushing the seat of her knickers gently. She jumped slightly.

"A bit eager, are we?" He crooned, swallowing thickly.

She released a sharp breath as he slid his fingers gently down her already swollen folds on the outside of the thin fabric. Then he did it again, and she moaned softly. She was still jerking him off, and Aro felt it only fair that he should do the same for her. He snatched the panties and pulled them aside, gaining access to her already moist labia. He wasted no time, but simply penetrated her, pushing a single digit inside her wet tight opening, needing to feel her envelope him in some way or another. She gave a hoarse cry, her body jackknifing hard beneath him, her head thrown back. He could feel her walls flutter and tremble around his finger, wishing it was his cock instead. He moved slowly at first, allowing her to get used to his intrusion. She was so wet he barely met any resistance as he slid in and out of her, prodding her sensitive flesh, rubbing her walls sensuously.

She moaned again, her eyes sliding shut, but her hand kept stroking him, although with slightly more irregular moves.

She was losing it fast, and he began to bump the heel of his palm against her already distended clit, making her hips lift sharply up to meet him, her noises becoming increasingly incoherent at every thrust of his hand. He felt his own orgasm approach fast, and he gently added a second finger into her snug heat, prodding the upper wall of her vagina, finding that sweet spot that would make her see the stars. She wasn't prepared, and she practically curled in upon herself, a feral groan escaping as she quite suddenly exploded forcefully, her body convulsing in sharp waves, her inner walls clenching and unclenching in rapid succession. He ground his hand into her, making her jump and shudder again, all movements of her hand on him had seized as she stiffened, her muscles trembling violently. He kept her gaze locked as he easily tipped her into another release, holding her down gently as she bucked and shuddered again, incoherent with pleasure.

When she finally slumped, completely boneless, Aro withdrew his hand from between her legs and placed his cock at her entrance, not intending to penetrate her, tempting though it was. He could so easily take her, make her his this instant. Instead, he slid his length through her folds, feeling her essence spread across his shaft. The tip of his cock prodded her now extremely sensitive clit over and over as he rubbed one out on her damp flesh, needing to climax this instant. He was almost unable to resist simply pushing inside her, she was already gearing up for another orgasm as he abraded her flesh with his cock. Her moans spurred him on, and he increased his pace, feeling his release approaching again. The cabin was filled with the sound of wet flesh sliding against each other and she grabbed onto his forearms, her body stiffening again. She gyrated her hips instinctively, and the sensation sent him over, a deep groan escaping him as he finally came apart, stroking his length hard and fast across her wet folds, his essence spurting forth and landing on her skin and skirt. She held onto him, begging him to keep going, and a second later she fell apart too, a hoarse cry spilling from her lips as she jerked and shuddered beneath him. Aro fell forward, landing awkwardly on top of her, his inky hair falling across her face. They were both panting hard, her forehead dotted slightly with perspiration. After a moment he sought out her lips, kissing her gently as they collected themselves.

"I so very nearly took you, amore," he said in a low voice, his lips ghosting her jaw softly.

"I know," she said, still rather breathless. "I almost asked you to do it."

He growled deep in his throat at her words, almost feeling himself grow stiff again.

"You utter such delectable words my dear, have you no care how they affect me?" He growled, before kissing her deeply again, ready for another round.

Then the car suddenly halted, and the chauffeur gave a single knock on the dark pane of glass between him and them. He knew not to disturb them just now, a small lamp having been lit on his panel the moment Aro pushed the button.

Aro halted, deflating somewhat again. Later. He would make her his later.

They assembled themselves as best they could, righting their highly ruffled clothing and hair, before finally stepping out into the slightly cool evening. Aro took her hand gallantly, leading her inside the old castle. As he approached the throne room, a familiar scent filled his nostrils, and he knew even before he pushed open the doors. He kept going, knowing there was no avoiding what was to come.

As they walked inside, Bella looked around and then gasped, her hand in Aro's almost jerking free of his grasp. She stopped dead in her tracks, and Aro mirrored her, looking at the exact same spot as her.

The visitor had turned to greet them, and he was not smiling. He frowned when he saw their linked hands, a slightly disapproving look flashing across his face.

"Aro," he greeted in his usual soft voice.

"Carlisle," Bella gasped softly, her eyes wide as she took in the presence of the blond patriarch of the Cullen's.

Aro looked at the thrones behind Carlisle, and saw his brothers sit silently. Their eyes met one after the other, a silent communication passing between them, and then Aro turned his attention to their new guest.

"Carlisle, what a pleasant surprise," he said, affecting the delighted tone in his voice. Carlisle ignored him, merely looking at the young woman beside Aro, taking in her appearance as only a doctor could.

"Can I have a word with you, privately, Bella?"

"If you have something to say, old friend, you can say it to the both of us," Aro smoothly cut in, tearing Carlisle's worried gaze away from her and towards himself.

He seemed to deliberate a moment, then he conceded and looked at her again.

"Bella, how are you feeling?" His young mate seemed so stunned at the sudden appearance of Carlisle, she was frozen momentarily.

Carlisle's worried frown deepened, and he flashed a look at Aro, who almost smirked. He gave her hand a brief squeeze, pulling her from her shock. She gulped slightly, but then blinked a few times.

"I'm alright," she managed.

Aro felt a brief flash of irritation at her words. It wasn't exactly a ringing endorsement of her stay here so far. Carlisle glanced at him again.

"I think it's time for Bella to return home, Aro. This has been going on for long enough. She doesn't belong here."

Aro only kept his features smooth with many centuries of practice behind him. He felt anger rise quite rapidly, but he stomped it down, hastily collecting himself.

"Well, I think it is up to her to decide if she wants to stay or not, don't you?" Aro said smoothly, glancing at her, sensing her heart stutter slightly at his words. Did she really have a choice in the end?

He almost frowned, suddenly not so certain that she would choose him. She was after all still under their spoken contract to stay with him for at least 4 weeks more, and perhaps she really did want to return home. He took heart from the fact that she had not slipped her hand from his yet.

Bella glanced at him, biting her lip tentatively.

"I can't go home Carlisle," she said softly. "Things are too complicated for me to leave just yet."

Aro felt his chest inflate somewhat.

Too right, my dear. It could kill you, Aro thought with slight worry.

Carlisle kept his features calm.

"Complicated, how?" He asked, stepping forward. "Edward told me that you left him and Alice standing in the airport after a heated row. Why would you return here? As far as I understood, you were nearly killed by Aro."

Now Aro was actually scowling.

"She was never in any danger, Carlisle, you know that."

Carlisle ignored him again, and Aro distinctly felt ruffled at that. Bella had stiffened slightly at his words.

Not good.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. If he was not careful, he might ruin more than his friendship with the blond vampire. Bella finally released Aro's hand and stepped towards Carlisle.

"I can't explain it Carlisle. It just feels like I have unfinished business here." She glanced at Aro, who immediately schooled his features into a softer expression. "We have some things we need to figure out, and if I go home now, I know I would regret it."

Carlisle turned his golden eyes to Aro.

"Edward said something about you having seen the future. What was that about?"

Aro regarded his old friend silently, pondering if he should tell him. He decided to tell some of the story at least.

"My guards caught a nomad many years ago. He was destructive and was getting the attention of the humans, as you know that is clearly against the law. When I looked into his mind, I saw that he was able to see the future. More specifically my future." Aro folded his hands beneath his chin thoughtfully. He glanced at Marcus over Carlisle's shoulder. His brother nodded silently, confirming that he should continue. "As it turns out, Isabella is a part of my future. Her face has been in my mind long before she was even born. I believe her to be my mate."

Carlisle's face filled with an expression of pure shock. He turned sharply and looked at Marcus, who nodded again, confirming everything.

"That's impossible! Humans can't connect that well with vampires!"

"That may be so, old friend, and yet here we are." Aro said softly.

"But…" Carlisle looked intently at Bella. "Do you want to be with him?" He asked bewildered disbelief in his voice.

"I beg your pardon?" Aro said slightly insulted at the insinuation.

Carlisle ignored him again.

"What about Edward, Bella? I thought you two were in love?"

Bella regarded him silently.

"We were in love, Carlisle," she began gently. Aro felt that possessive jealousy again, and he almost wanted to take her hand again. "However, Edward left me, you left me. He broke my heart, and never even apologized for it. When I met Aro, I felt at home somehow. The pull he exerted on me was exceptional. He drew me in with only a few words, and I knew I couldn't leave. Once we were at the airport, I couldn't stand the thought of going back without him. Just the thought made me nauseous. Edward wouldn't allow me to go, but in the end he had to, as other people started to look at us, clearly concerned with my safety. He was very angry, you see, but as was his usual style, he never explained anything to me. He just expected me to comply somehow. I had had enough, Carlisle." She finished speaking, leaving a ringing silence behind.

Despite his jealousy, Aro felt a surge of pride at her words. So she had felt their connection. He felt rather pleased with himself for making her gravitate towards him with almost no effort. He even allowed himself a brief smile.

Carlisle glanced at Aro, sensing his triumphant feelings.

"How could you allow this to happen, Aro? She doesn't belong here. She's not your pet. As I explained in my letters to you, her father is worried. We can't keep him off her trail much longer."

Aro felt his innards freeze over, and he glared at Carlisle, curling his lip in his displeasure. He had hoped Carlisle would be sensible enough to not mention their recent correspondence. How disappointing.

Low blow old mate.

As he expected, Bella spun around to look at him, a mix of horror, accusation, hurt, and not to mention, anger on her face.

"Letters?! What letters?"

Uh oh, Aro just can't seem to do things right, or what? Well, some things he does alright, lol. *Wink*

-Pancakes