CPOV

I barely ate the food on my plate.

I didn't even know what Ray served me; I was too distraught by the moment to be hungry. The intensity of the argument and the information I now had were floating in my head, but they were numbed out by my post-crying fatigue. I felt them floating, waiting to be noticed, but I didn't acknowledge them. I didn't want to. I didn't want to think about anything. I was being stretched so thin by it all, that I, for once, chose to turn my emotions off. I just sat slouched on the bar stool, leaning across the granite counter top. Alec had never come out of my room, but I heard things being broken against the wall a few minutes after my crying began. Felix had appeared out of nowhere and found me.

He looked between me and the door with guarded eyes, before hoisting me up. I felt like a rag doll being dragged around everywhere by a seven year old girl.

"Go," he ordered, gently pushing me in the direction of the stairs. "You're at risk being here. Ray has your breakfast waiting."

He stared and watched me until I finally went down the stairs. Before I did, I chose to look back and look at his face. Nothing. Blank.

"Felix will kill me if you don't eat all of that," Ray said carefully. When I didn't answer, he asked about me again.

"What happened to you, what did they do?" he pressed, but was concerned. "Are you okay? Did that son of a bitch make you cry?"

I just shrugged in light of the pressing questions; I didn't do well under pressure. I didn't even want to think about if he really did make me cry or not. His questions just made me shut down even further.

"It's not him," I said, my voice empty. I took my time in answering. "It's this. All of it. Being here."

"You don't deserve to be in this shit anyhow," he emphasized with the southern drawl that he had, coming around the counter to pat me on the back. It made me feel a little better. Only a little. "Not an innocent girl like you. It's unfair, is what it is."

I didn't say anything; I didn't know what to say. I just let him pat me on the back while I sat in my daze.

"And I can't believe I'm saying it, but I would kick their asses if I could," he continued. "I really would."

"It wouldn't be worth it," I said. He was starting to sound like David, and I didn't want to go there. To get the attention away from me, I straightened up and rubbed my eyes. "I'm fine now."

He probably didn't believe me, but he went back around the corner to his spot behind the counter and got me a glass of water.

"Nobody's fine if they're stuck here, sis," he said sympathetically.

I could tell he thought of me as a little sister; I saw him everyday, three times a day for all my meals, and we'd talked about a lot of things; music, video games, movies. We did speak of the vampires, but not much since they could hear everything. We had more in common than David and I did.

"I would get you out of here if I could." He placed the glass in front of me, and I sipped it.

You have no idea, Ray. You have no idea.

"I know you would," I said quietly, setting the glass down. "I would do the same for you. You have a family, too."

Ray showed me a picture of his girlfriend last week, and I could see why he kept this from her. She was beautiful, an inch taller than me, with long, straight wheat-colored hair and crystal blue eyes that were already elongated and cat-like on their own. She chose to wear mascara in every photo, but she didn't need anything else. Light, almost unnoticeable freckles dusted her nose, which held a stud, and on her inner cheeks. Her teeth were straight, more rounded, and white. Her long, oval face was clear, sporting the lightest of tans. She was beautiful on her own, and I knew that if I was with a girl like that, I would do anything for her safety, too.

I remembered wishing that I could meet her. My heart ached for both of them so much that I promised to take them with me when I was free of this place. And if I ever saw Robert or Cassie again, I'd ask them if they could give Ray and Sophie a flight to anywhere they wished to go. I couldn't help but wonder where Robert was, even for a minute. I wondered how he was doing with finding other talented musicians. He was probably living life as normal, not even hearing about us once he left for the States.

"How are you so sweet?" he asked as if it was ridiculous. "You don't ever think of yourself." Non-accusatory. I just shrugged.

"You deserve it," I said. "You didn't choose to be here, neither did I. You've been here longer."

"I might not ever get out of here," he said somberly. "But I'd be happy knowing that you did if that was possible. But for real, did he say something to you? Did he do something to you?" David's stance wasn't even scary, but Ray's was. He was like the scary dad you never wanted your boyfriend to meet. I sucked in a breath and let it out.

"He threw stuff, but I wasn't in the room," I answered, choosing to leave out what really happened. It wasn't a total lie; he did throw things, and I wasn't in the room.

"Enough talk," came Felix's cutting voice from the stairs. I was too frazzled to be scared by it. "Has she finished her breakfast?"

"I'm not hungry, Felix," I said dully, turning back toward the plate. I finally saw what it was; two fresh waffles, drizzled with maple syrup, and a side of scrambled eggs.

"You will eat it," he said with finality. "And then we need to have a discussion. I will be back here in ten minutes to retrieve you." I didn't hear him leave, but I knew he was gone.

"He doesn't scare you?" Ray asked incredulously, noticing my extreme nonchalance. I picked up my utensils, cut into the waffle, and looked up at him.

"He's the nice one," was all I said before I forced the first bite down.

After telling Felix for the third time that I wasn't hungry-he wasn't too happy when he saw my plate- I followed him downstairs to the hall where the music and training room were. Oh, right. I had forgotten about that. But he didn't tell me to change clothes. What was going on?

He stopped at the door to the music room, looked at me, and sported a blinding smile before swinging the door open. I peeked inside, afraid of what I might see. And when I saw what was there, I felt a mixture of lightness and dread.

"You promised we'd sing karaoke together," he reminded me. "What better time than now? I moved the machine in here, so nobody hears your voice."

Crap.

Felix saw whatever face I was making and his face faltered.

"And you're upset," he said. "I know how into music you are. I don't deny that any musician turns to music for an outlet. Come on, it'll be fun!"

He was right about that; a good song could totally turn my mood around.

Ah, come on, when was the last time you sang freely with actual music?

Maybe singing with Felix wouldn't be so bad.

"Okay," I reluctantly agreed, sighing.

Felix danced into the room, while I trudged behind and took in the strange set up in the middle of the room.

"There she is," he said with admiration. "She" was a seven foot tall curved podium with a nineteen inch flat screen on it. Flanking it were two very large speakers. They weren't the wide ones, shockingly; they were thinner in width, like a tall plank of wood. Two microphones sat in their holders beneath the screen. Felix tossed a microphone my way while he turned the screen on.

"So, what do you want to do first? You have to sing Taylor Swift at least once; she's my favorite!"

"What about my gift, though?" I asked. "It's going to affect you, too. How are you going to sing with me?"

"Have you ever tested that theory before?" He questioned in a businesslike manner. I thought about it, and as I did, I only remembered David. When I saw him for the first time since he'd been changed, he didn't seem affected by my gift. He didn't any of the times we sang together since he'd been changed, as a matter of fact. Could David have a gift too, then? A gift like mine? If he did, he hadn't shown any proof of it, and I hadn't even thought about it until now.

"Not intentionally," I said, and went on to explain. "David doesn't seem to be. Nothing happened to him."

Felix paused for a moment, then came back to the present before coming to stand next to me.

"Then I shouldn't be at any risk," he answered. "As long as we're singing together."

Felix sang with me on every verse, except for the parts I let him go solo on, so that he wouldn't be affected by my gift, and it worked pretty well. He wasn't too bad, either. His deep voice did well in harmonizing with the song. Why did Demetri always complain about it?

He high-fived me when we were done.

"Amazing," he exclaimed. "We killed it!"

"Yeah," I said with relief, glad that he wasn't subjected to my gift. Suddenly, I became wistful, and thought of David. While it felt good to unwind, I couldn't help but wonder where he was right now, or what was happening to him. I internally shuddered and winced. I hated the thought of it.

I couldn't help but think that David should be the one standing beside me, belting out our favorite songs. Instead, he was under the dangerous, evil wing of Aro, his head being filled with God knows what.

"What is it?" Felix asked. "Are you not having fun? Look, I know I'm not as good as you, but-"

I shook my head.

"No," I said, my eyes glued to the floor. I remembered how just a couple of short hours ago, I was sitting there with David, and he was out of my grasp again. It frustrated me; I couldn't do anything, and I wanted to do everything. Then I took note of Felix himself, and an unsure but hopeful feeling came over me as an idea formed.

"Felix," I started fiercely, turning my head sharply in his direction. His eyes moved over my face with a bit of surprise. "You made me promise I wouldn't tell anybody about my training."

"Yes," he said slowly. This seemed to make him tense a little bit, which made me pay even more attention. "I did. Are you all right, little woman?"

"Yeah," I said quickly and dismissively, getting to my point. "I've kept my promise. And now I want something in return."

His mood was completely changed now, seeming to catch on. He watched me guardedly.

"What are you asking for?" he asked seriously. "I can't do anything if it goes against Aro. And if you plan on doing so, I'll have no choice but to turn you over."

I swallowed then, but I was fueled even more by that. Who cared? I didn't care if Aro would be upset. Because he wasn't going to find out. If Felix didn't want anyone to know about my training, I was sure no one would know about this. Felix was the one I trusted the most to do this. An eye for an eye, right? This was for David, and the only surefire way to make him any safer was to ask this of Felix. But, I couldn't tell him what I knew. That would only get me busted.

"I want you to promise me something, too," I said lowly, unfazed. "If you can."

His face softened only slightly; I knew this had to be his Volturi stance if he wasn't letting his guard down.

"Go on," he answered, his voice becoming lower. I took a deep breath, hoping I could trust Felix.

"I'm worried about David. I'm not even allowed to see him, and I don't know what's happening to him right now, but I know it's not good. And I don't want Aro to hurt him. No matter what. He's my friend, and he's what's important to me. Do you get that?" I asked him strongly.

"It's quite obvious, yes," he hedged, studying my face. "Where is this going?"

"I understand Aro is your master, and you can't go against him," I continued. "It's obviously deviant of me to say that with you standing right here. But I trust you, Felix, and it makes me uneasy to not know if he's okay or not. I promised you something that you didn't want anyone, anyone to know about. I'm asking you for the same thing. I want you to keep David safe, whatever that means. I want you to promise me that you'll make sure he's okay."

His face was unchanging as he stood there like a statue. His lack of answer was unnerving, and I began to fear that I asked the wrong person.

"I'm-I'm sorry," I said quickly, backpedaling. "You don't have to do this, Felix. I was wrong, I'm just worried, and-"

Then his big hand was on my shoulder, emitting a shudder from me.

"I promise," he said solemnly.

"What?" I stammered. "But I-"

His finger was on my lips again, his face turning hard now. I waited.

"I asked you to keep something from everyone, including my master," he voiced evenly. "You are right. It is only fair that you get something in return. You've kept your promise, and I've risked you already by putting this on your shoulders. And so, you have my word. I will protect David at your request and do all I can. Jane will not know about this. It will be between you and me."

A feeling of dread washed through me, then.

"But what about you?" I asked in a small voice. "Aren't I risking you, too?"

He smiled then, like I told the world's funniest joke.

"Oh, little woman," he said, patting my head. "You with your angel wings, always worrying about everyone else. I've been with the Volturi only a handful of centuries behind Alec and Jane. No need to worry about me. I'm bigger than all of them combined." He stage whispered the last part, and winked. I cracked a smile, but wiped it away just as quick.

"I don't want you to go against Aro, though," I said quietly. "Isn't that...going against your family? Orders? And you're going against your family over me?"

"I'm not going against my family," he said strongly. "I'm helping part of my family. It would be much the same as a brother helping his sister without the help of the father. As long as she is under the brother's care, why would the father need to worry? You are family, little woman."

I knew what he meant, and it made more sense when he said it like that. It made me feel a little bit better now, but I didn't consider Aro my family. He was hurting and torturing David into being something he wasn't, and that wasn't family to me. But, I knew Felix was doing this for me also because he now considered me family himself. And that was enough to leave me with a little bit of peace. I nodded.

"Just, don't hurt yourself," I added, even though it was impossible for Felix to get hurt. He was the strongest. He just smiled in understanding, although I think he wanted to roll his eyes. "And...thanks for...what you said in there. You didn't have to stick up for me."

"No. I needed to," he told me firmly. "Alec would have found another way to turn it around on you if I didn't. He is very cunning that way, especially with you. It was my fault, anyway; we both know that. I didn't think about how your injuries would affect Alec and raise suspicion. I will do my best to avoid you getting hurt next time. It almost got us both in deep trouble. Now, go find Alec. I've kept you long enough."

I was about to follow his order, but I looked back at the karaoke machine, then him, pushing my lips together. I saw his teeth glisten out of the corner of my eye.

"One more song?" I asked. One more would do me good, get the edge off.

"Absolutely," he agreed with his blinding teeth.

Five minutes later, I was making my up the stairs two at a time, buzzed and less edgy from the last song. When I reached my hallway, a tiny bundle of nervousness built up in me. My last encounter with Alec was still there in the air. I didn't know where he was, but would it be best to even find him right now? I'm sure he doesn't want to be around me, but I wasn't about to run back to Felix. I wished that I would have asked him to come with me now.

Ah, but what if Alec is busy right now? Maybe he is. If he needed to see me, he would have met me up here, right? I decided to head straight into the movie room; it wasn't hard for Alec to find me anywhere in here. I hesitantly opened the door, not knowing if anyone was in there, and luckily it was empty. I closed the door quietly behind me, and went over to the huge selection of DVDs against the wall. I picked a random one toward the top, and popped it in without looking at what it was. I went over and sank into the leather couch as the movie began.

But once I saw Alex Pettyfer doing push-ups in his boxers, I pressed my lips together at what movie it was.

Great.

What are the odds that I picked Beastly out of any other movie that I could have picked? I chose to watch it anyway, because it was on my list of favorites. I could use more normal, human activity right now. I didn't count the day I watched Forrest Gump with Felix and Demetri, because I hadn't watched much of the movie at all that day.

Immediately, Kyle reminded me of Alec. Kyle was conceited, proud, arrogant, and rich. Lindy was shy, smart, selfless and clever. I wasn't exactly like her, but I was in the sense of being held for ransom. I took another look at Kyle and noticed that he reminded me of someone.

It took me a few seconds to find Danny's face in my mind and notice quite a resemblance. Danny had been strikingly handsome just like Kyle, but not as arrogant, and his hair was shinier and coiffed, where Kyle's was shaggy and styled down. In fact, when I thought about it, I wondered what it would have been like if Danny had been chosen instead of Ned. Would he have been that bad? Sure, he acted a little bit like Demetri, but he claimed to be serious about his work. Ah, Ned. I kind of missed him, and wondered where he was and what happened to him. What happened to everyone...

It was fifteen minutes into the movie, and I was completely engrossed.

Kyle was just about to turn into the beast, and I forgot all about what was going on around me. The troubling thoughts and fears were temporarily gone from my mind.

Which was why I was practically scared to death by Alec.

"Where have you been?" Alec asked, his nonchalant voice right in my ear. I jumped in my spot, my heart kick-started from his scare. My hand flew to my chest as he lithely jumped over the couch to stand in front of me.

"Jesus," I gasped when I jumped. A satisfied smile grew across his stupid, pretty face. Why was he so beautiful?

"No, but you may call me Alec," he replied smugly, the laugh lingering behind it. "I find myself to come very close, though."

"It's not funny," I mumbled, moving my hand from my chest to pause the movie. "And I've been in here."

"What, sulking away in your human emotions?" he asked mundanely, looking at the TV. I just shrugged.

"It's just a movie," I said indifferently. "I wanted to watch one. I didn't pick it on purpose."

"You should have come to me first," he bit, even though he sounded as dull and bored as Jane. "I have to know where you are at all times, harmed or not. You are my responsibility. So, let me make myself very clear."

He swooped down close to my face, sending a chilling breath of his scent in my nose. The sweet, tart berry was so tangible that I almost tasted it in that moment. A brief flavor touched my tongue, and it was much like his scent; cool, sweet, tart. I couldn't help the flush in my cheeks from his closeness, or the skip in my heart from his scent. I was staring directly at an angel, a very unhappy angel, and it was always ironic how a flood of warmth came through me, despite the fact that he was always like that.

My fingertips, my arms, my toes, my feet and the pit of my stomach all grew warm, and it seemed that my body deemed his mood irrelevant and only cared about having him near me. I tried to reprimand myself for reacting this way, but I was so concentrated on the way his hair swept across his dark brows, and the way his lashes framed his crimson eyes, and the way his full lips moved, that I couldn't do it. I couldn't do anything, except feel warm and keep my hand planted on the couch so that I wouldn't trace his features, specifically his lips.

A sneaky thought crept into my mind: I wondered what it would be like if mine were to accidentally touch his...

Stop it, I snapped myself out of it, hoping I wasn't given away already. But who was I kidding? I was always given away, because of my heart. He used to comment on the way I reacted, but he hadn't done that lately.

"The next time you choose not to inform me of where you are," he spoke with a dangerous edge. "Just remember that I will not be dragging your body out of a ditch. So, I suggest you make it easier for yourself, and follow my orders. Got it?"

His voice became saccharine at end, throwing a grin into the mix. It was so believable, that I almost thought he was being nice for those...one point five seconds.

"Okay," I said, my voice a whisper from being so breathless.

The other thing was, I didn't feel scared at that moment. Not really, anyway. I heard the coldness of his words, but they didn't register, and I didn't care. It was the stupid warmth throughout my body that made me want to promise him. I'd already pushed him to his breaking point, and I couldn't afford to again.

"I'll go to you first next time," I added.

He didn't say anything as he stared blankly. Then, he was gone. He, shockingly, was sitting on the opposite side of the couch from me. He didn't speak, and neither did I. I silently pressed play on the remote again, and tried to focus on the movie, but that had become difficult him four feet away.

And twenty five minutes later, it was still difficult because I had questions bubbling up in my mind and they were about to burst from my mouth. Plus, my body was buzzing with some strange warmth and magnetizing pull towards Alec that I couldn't explain. This hadn't happened before. It felt addicting, like a humming current that tickled every nerve in my body. I attempted to focus on the scene before me, where Kyle makes a deal with Lindy's dad to be in his custody.

"What do you need?" Lindy's father asked, his voice trembling. "Come on, what do you want?!"

Kyle hesitated, but he was determined.

"I want her," he finally said. "I want to protect her!"

"I can protect her!" Lindy's father protested, making an exit for the stairs, but Kyle stopped him, his breathing heavy.

"Please," he implored lightly. "Did you hear him? If she stays with me, she'll-she'll be safe!"

Lindy's father was growing impatient and desperate by the second.

"I don't know who you are!" he said exasperatedly, his eyes wild with shock, sadness and desperation.

"But if she leaves," Kyle continued, looking around quickly. "If she leaves, uh...cops will get these."

He whipped out his cell phone, quickly snapping pictures of Lindy's father, and the body of the man he had just killed.

"N-n-no, no, i-i-it's just too twisted!" his voice cracked, attempting to push past Kyle, but once again, was stopped.

"So is killing a man," Kyle warned him. He looked over Kyle's figure quickly, tears glistening in his eyes.

"What's she gonna think of you?" he asked condescendingly.

I continued to watch as Lindy blatantly showed her hate for being there, and I couldn't help but understand every single thing she was feeling. She was forced to give up her life, friends, school...and for what? For something she couldn't control.

I couldn't take it anymore, and pressed pause. It wasn't just the film; it was the electricity in my body that wouldn't leave.

"What is it?" Alec asked, bored as ever but with a wary edge. "You're on your way to breaking that."

I looked down; I hadn't realized I was squeezing the remote to death, and opened my hand, mindlessly letting it slip out of my hand, while I scooted on my hands and knees to his side. I stopped about three feet away, sitting on my feet. He watched me carefully, as if I was an amusing wild animal. The warm, buzzing electricity, while yelling at me to move even closer, seemed satisfied to be at least this close.

He didn't say anything, and neither did I for a moment. How long did we stare at each other? It felt like years, but it was probably only for thirty seconds before he said something.

"Breathe, human," he reminded me coolly, and I swear I saw him swallow. At his words, I exhaled.

Whoops.

He smirked, but it disappeared when my breath hit his face. I didn't know why, but seeing him react to my breathing, or rather, my scent, gave me just the bravery I needed.

"I want to talk," I finally said, confused by this weird excitement. Me, wanting to talk to Alec? God, what was wrong with me right now? This was a total one-eighty from what I had been feeling earlier.

"Talk," Alec repeated, like it was a foreign word. I nodded, trying to hide my eagerness. I was sick. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it until otherwise investigated.

"And what is it that you would like to discuss with me?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Again, I wasn't sure if I was supposed to notice, but he'd considerably moved closer to the arm of the chair, because of how close I was. I didn't care; the buzzing going through my body was doing all the work, apparently.

"I want to talk about..."

Us. Us? Why I wanted to say that, I had no idea. His face was the same, and wow, it was so cute.

Sick. I'm sick. I should be in a mental hospital for this.

"What do I have to do?" I blurted. His brow raised even further, either amused or just as confused as I was. Then, his eyes turned guarded and he slowly, slowly, as if he was afraid to do the action, lifted his hand to my throat. His fingers brushed across my skin, and despite them being unnaturally cold, left a trail of undeniably delicious warmth across my skin. I think I shivered.

"Breathe," he said again, almost as if he were commanding himself. His face stayed the same, stony and blank, but his eyes told me all I needed to know. He dropped his hand, plastering a smirk in place while I inhaled this time and made sure that I was doing it this time.

"What do you mean exactly?" He asked disinterestedly.

"I mean with the mission," I finally answered after allowing myself to breathe for a minute. "What do I need to do?"

"You only need to distract him and lure him to you," he answered, but I could hear an edge in his voice.

Yeah Alec, I don't like the idea either, okay?

"Is that all?" he added.

"But...how?" I asked dumbly, distracted by the sound of his voice, his face, the color of his eyes...why did I want to hear and see it all so suddenly?

Yeah, everybody in this castle was beyond beautiful. I could easily ogle Demetri or Felix, but I didn't want to. Nothing was there. Something was here, between the two of us. And quite frankly, it was both enticing me and scaring me.

"Are you making up things to say so I will keep speaking to you?" and there was amused Alec again. Meanwhile, I was thrown off by his question. I was not!

Well...was I? No! I honestly had questions.

Don't be distracted, come on...ah, where's my bravery? What did he say? What was I saying? How could he think that?

"No," I said forcefully, collecting myself mentally, bracing myself for what I was about to say. "I mean it, really. I mean, you've seen me. I have no...skills." The last word came out like a question. At this point, I expected him to agree and throw insults out.

Instead, he laughed. He laughed! The boy was laughing. Which, of course, only made it worse for me, because it was the most incredible sound I ever heard. Pair that with his stupid perfect white teeth that glistened in the light, and you had me in a puddle. I think I could have collapsed at the sound, and I luckily didn't. I knew I was already blushing furiously, averting my eyes down.

"You don't need acquired skills to do what you've been asked," he answered, his voice sounding even more musical now.

"Okay, then what?" I asked a bit impatiently, daring to look back at him. There he was, studying me again, but only for a split second before answering. He was serious again, mildly. He looked like I just missed the obvious answer. I was pretty much clueless, so I waited.

Carefully and slowly again like before, he watched me as his eyes matched his movements. He raised his hand again, cautiously. Immediately, my pulse picked up again, and the warm current in my body buzzed in reaction. I locked eyes with his as fingers brushed across my cheek, causing a bigger flush in them.

"What is this?" he asked like a teacher, sounding so strained that it came out as a whisper.

"Um..." I mumbled, too distracted. The only clue was his eyes where his hand was and I got it. "A blush?"

He nodded, his eyes trailing to my neck. His hand followed suit, moving warily, like he knew he shouldn't be doing it. I saw major conflict in his face as his hand hovered right below my collarbone; where my pulse was hammering away. His eyes shifted up to mine just as his palm rested on my chest.

Now, I really couldn't think. The feel of his hand, his skin on mine, only increased whatever this feeling was. It was fire. It was electricity. It was something like a raw live wire and a magnet going off and anchoring me to him, to his touch, to his very being. I barely felt the temperature of his skin, because of the incredible warmth spreading from his touch, and it felt...

Right. Good. The opposite of what my situation was. The opposite of what he showed himself to be. I didn't want his hand to move, and I wasn't afraid, despite the look on his face. It was conflict. It was contorted. It was shock. It was confusion. It was...want?

"And what is this?" he asked again, carefully. This time, I knew the answer.

"My heartbeat."

Then he was leaning close to my face, and my body seemed to move closer to him on its own as well. Only a little, however.

"And that's all you need."

Then his hand was gone, along with his close proximity. The warmth almost sizzled out immediately by the loss of his hand and left the cold feeling behind. I couldn't help but put my hand over the spot and shiver at how it made me feel.

Warm. Good. Safe. Right.

When I looked up to meet eyes with him again, he wasn't there. I looked all around the room.

I was alone.

~~~~~S~~~~~

I couldn't see anything. Everything around me was black, dark, devoid of light.

All I could hear was the sneering, mocking voice of Alec in my ear.

"You are a pathetic excuse for a human."

"You are not attractive, you see."

"You don't know the first thing about me!"

"I control you!"

"Does my presence appeal to you, human?"

"You are just as low and worthless as your friend."

"You love your brother, don't you, human?"

"Stop," I cried, covering my ears. I felt my eyes shut, despite the darkness. His constant threats and insults rushed through my ears, repeating on a never ending loop, deafening me.

"No, no, no, no, no, no," I chanted, and then screamed again. "STOP!"

"I'm coming," a voice, though a whisper among the buzz of Alec's voice, caught me. "I'm coming!"

"Cheyenne!"

I knew that voice. I whipped my head around, the black fading into gray, becoming lighter and lighter the more the voice spoke.

"Cheyenne, I'm coming! Hang on!"

It was my brother. He was here! What-

"Hang on!" he yelled again. "I'm coming!"

"Travis!"

I snapped my eyes open, shooting halfway upright. I blinked, feeling a familiar wetness in them. When did I fall asleep?

"You were screaming," came Alec's voice softly beside me.

I whipped my head around, my heart pounding from the dream. He stood a few feet away from the couch, and I fell back with a thump, closing my eyes. That was the first dream I had of my brother directly since I've been here. I didn't count the dream where he was thrown in a pile along with Alec and everyone else, because that was too horrible to think back on. My crying and yelling had broke beyond my dream state, and I didn't find myself being that embarrassed; I was too confused and a little distraught by the dream itself. Why was he yelling like that? More importantly, why was he yelling that he was coming?

It didn't matter, I decided. It was just a dream; a subconscious desire. It couldn't have been more than that. I didn't know where my brother was, and I never would until I escaped. There was no way that he would ever know my location, much less be able to rescue me.

"What time is it?" I asked sleepily, rubbing my hand on my forehead. It was warm and sweaty, along with the rest of me. In fact, I had a thin sheen of sweat that I could feel on my back through my shirt. Great.

"After two in the afternoon," he replied tonelessly. I calculated my time; I had slept for at least three hours, and I hadn't meant to. After Alec was gone, I decided to finish the movie, but I never remembered falling asleep. I knew staying up with David would catch up to me; now I was positive I wouldn't be sleeping until late tonight. Or at all.

Suddenly, I was scooped up by cold arms, and my arm instinctively looped around the person's neck. Alec was carrying me.

Thanks, heart. Thanks.

The past few hours came back to me then, remembering how he'd touched me, and that warm, electric, good feeling wired its way through my body again, buzzing with satisfaction.

"Where are we going?" I asked tentatively, staring at his jaw. The same expression on his face. Blank. The trip was short, as he only walked to my door and dropped me in my room. Once again, my body hated the lack of contact.

"Get dressed," was all he said, before shutting the door with a click. Confusedly, I did what he said. He didn't sound mad. I couldn't tell how he sounded. But, I knew he was taking me somewhere if he was telling me to change.

When I opened the closet doors, I was surprised to find it stocked with completely different items. My closet was constantly changing, but today it was toned down, to say the least.

All of the dresses were pushed to the back racks, and instead of the lacy, satin, silk, and other kinds of elegant articles that were usually there, there were sweaters and tees of all kinds. Casual ones.

Cashmere, wool, cotton, green, black, grey, brown, ivory, and even blue. I spun around, and looked at the pants. The skirts were nowhere to be seen. The leggings were still in their places, but more jeans were added. Black, stone washed, denim, and even a few white pairs were there. I wasn't sure why Heidi kept changing my closet so much, but I was thankful for it in this moment. I happily swiveled back around to yank the olive green sweater off its hanger first. I grabbed a pair of the Nike leggings that Felix had stocked for me, and changed my clothes. The sweater, even though it looked itchy, was actually comfortable, fitting my body perfectly. It actually almost resembled a hoodie with its strings attached to the neck.

My hair was too short to keep in a bun on its own, so I shoved some bobby pins in the back to hold the escaping hair, and met Alec at the door. I shut the door behind me, and noticed him glancing at...

Well, all of me.

It felt like an eternity passed as he looked over my face like before. His lips twitched. Whether I was supposed to see it or not, he pretended as if it didn't happen, and motioned with his head for me to follow him.

That was when I noticed what he was wearing, and shocked myself by gawking. He had a sweater on, too, although not thick like mine. His was something you'd see right out of Hollister or Ralph Lauren. It was simple, just a dark blue cotton sweater, which complimented his skin perfectly. It was so thin, that I could see the carved nature of his back muscles through it. He wasn't huge like Felix or even Demetri. He was leaner than them, almost lanky like David, if not built a little more. The dark wash jeans he had on only helped emphasize that.

I followed him quickly, before he caught me staring, trying to pretend like I wasn't just checking him out. What was wrong with me? I never checked guys out. Never.

...confines of the castle, I tried to convince myself. Confines of the castle. Everyone's enchanted by vampires, not just you.

The doting smile I spotted out of the corner of my eye told me everything I needed to know. Crap.

Not even one minute into the car ride, I jumped right into conversation.

"So where are we going, exactly?" I asked slowly, enjoying the good view of nature once more. Trees, rocks, grass, clouds, the sky...fresh air. Movement. I noted the partly cloudy weather, and wondered why he chose now to come out. He'd been out during a sunny day before, the first time I was allowed out, but kept in the shade. Were we even allowed to leave like this without asking Aro? Wait. He was in the highest position; of course he was allowed, being the most dangerous and all.

Dangerous, right, the little voice piped up. Not around you.

I rolled my eyes inwardly.

"Nowhere in particular," he answered casually, and before I could wonder aloud any more, he surprised me by asking me something for once. "So, when did you learn self defense?"

I froze.

Shhhhhhhhhiiii...take mushrooms.

That was unexpected. The memory flashed in my head instantly. It was my mistake for exposing it, but also, I couldn't help that it was a automatic reaction. Felix was teaching me all of these moves. What was I supposed to do, not use them? I needed them now, anyway. For my escape. I also needed to come up with an answer.

"Oh, judo," I answered, attempting to sound as casual as him. "I took classes."

"That's a lie," he accused. This is why he was taking me somewhere? He wanted to interrogate me on this? How fair. How very fair.

"I'm not lying," I said casually again. "You can't just assume I'm lying because Aro's gift doesn't work on me, Alec."

"Oh? You seemed so prepared that day on your tour bus," he accused again.

I barely shuddered at the thought of that night. It was nothing now, compared to what I've experienced for the last nearly two weeks.

"You attacked me, what was I supposed to do?" I retorted, turning my head to him. "You were about to eat me or kill me."

"That's no valid excuse," he said, unfazed. "I have been watching you for all the time you have been here. I know enough to notice the differences. You react differently."

I put that as a note for later; so he does have interest in me?

"I was pinned to the wall, incase you don't remember," I defended myself, shocking myself at how good I was doing in doing so. "How am I supposed to match your strength? No human can take on a vampire."

I crossed my arms, my heart thumping, although feeling rather slow. I was surprised myself that I was being so savage again, but it was the truth! A human can't go against a vampire's strength!

Even though I was lying to cover my butt. Again.

He didn't say anything; he pursed his lips. I saw his hands tighten on the steering wheel for a moment before loosening them. He was getting angry. Again.

Or so I thought, until he blew out a breath and flashed his strange, purple contact-covered eyes, and stupid amused smile at me. They didn't fit him; I liked the red better. Did they know that the purple didn't fit in? I wondered then why they chose blue contacts instead of others...

"You are seriously a frustrating girl," he commented, his eyes on the road again. "You are certainly smarter than I took you for."

"Nice to know you think I'm not smart," I mumbled sarcastically, looking out my own window. Yeah, I probably wasn't as smart as Camilla, but I knew my facts. I knew I was an observer. I was smart in my own way, to an extent. But, it was my turn now; this time, I went on before he could continue. "It was a reflex reaction. I learned it in the class."

"So you have used it before," he inquired. What was this, an interview?

"Why is this so important to you?" I pressed, looking out the windshield now. I would use my peripheral vision instead of looking right at him. "Where are we going?"

"I never said it was important," he answered casually. "But it is important for me to know information for your safety." He rolled his eyes at me like it was obvious.

"Or," he continued, giving me a cunning smile. "Maybe I'm curious."

My first thought was as to why he would be curious about me. My second thought was, darn you, heart, for beating like that! My third thought went to my cheeks for heating up. He was confusing me.

"Why?" was all I could ask. And darn him, he liked my reactions, because his smile grew into a stupid victorious grin. "It seems like you've been anything but curious."

"You are very frustrating, and annoying," he started, keeping his grin. "But you have more...potential than what I gave you credit for."

So, he didn't hate me? Was he telling me he liked me?

Wait, what? Alec? The most dangerous, lethal, womanizing vampire liking me? What was this? Was this really happening?

No, wait, don't think too deeply into this.

Oh, but I can't help it!

The magical, weird electrical buzzing through my body told me I couldn't deny this with logic any longer. It was a sign. It was something. But, Alec wouldn't tell me what it was.

"So much for killing me," I barely mumbled.

"Why didn't you do it, anyway? Y'know, kill me. That night." I continued before he could speak again.

"Did you want me to?" he asked casually. I looked at him like he was crazy. His face was serious; not angry serious, but like he really meant it. He glanced at me, then the road again. "That's what I thought."

"That doesn't answer my question," I replied incredulously. He just shrugged. Confusion and frustration flared in me, and I became brave again.

"Well fine, then you get to answer one of mine," I shot out quickly. "Why are you so confusing?"

"Confusing?" he asked innocently.

Oh, bull. I looked at him with a straight face.

"Tell me how I am confusing."

Oh come on! Was this guy serious? That just made me even more frustrated.

"You're joking!" I exclaimed. "You drop me in my room, tell me to get dressed, don't tell me where we're going, don't tell me why we're going wherever we're going, and you ask me questions out of the blue like, 'Where did you learn self-defense', accuse me of lying when it's the truth, and then you're like, 'Oh, maybe I'm curious'." I ranted heatedly, poorly imitating his voice at the end.

"That's not confusing at all," I finished sarcastically, my cheeks ablaze. I didn't realize he parked the car until now. The car was off, key in ignition, while his hands were patiently in his lap.

"If you must know, I was going to take you here to get you an iPod," he explained calmly. "And as I explained before, I need to know everything for your safety. No matter what."

I opened my mouth to remind him of what he said to me earlier about finding my body in a ditch, but he held up his hand and continued, his eyes flashing.

"And it is on you, not me, if you decide not to tell me on your whereabouts. That is why I stress the importance of knowing where you are, especially right now with our situation. I do my job effectively and thoroughly. Do you know what would happen to you if he got to you?" He spoke sternly.

I slumped in my seat. I was at a loss for words; I couldn't believe I got so mad just now. He was right. There was a vampire lurking around, and for all we knew, he could be watching us now. If I didn't tell Alec where I was, one slip up could cause me to die. And I didn't need that. Not with David stuck in the castle alone. I truly understood now, but I didn't need him to say what would happen to me; it was obvious. I fought the urge to reach out and touch him, and opted for looking him in the eyes.

"I understand," I said softly. "You're right. I'm sorry."

I looked down to unbuckle my seat belt and got ready to get out of the car, until I noticed he hadn't moved. I looked at him again, wondering if I wasn't supposed to get out yet.

No, that wasn't it at all; he was just studying me again, his head tilted to the side slightly.

"What?" I pressed. The way he was staring was making me nervous. Actually, anyone staring at me made me nervous. I hated being the center of attention.

"Now," he mused, mumbling so low that I almost couldn't hear it. If the car hadn't been off, it would've been lost. "You are way smarter than I thought before."

I darted my eyes to the right and then back to him.

"Thanks...?" I slowly mustered in confusion, while he studied me intensely for a moment more, his eyes narrowing like he was focusing on a particular point. I still mentally commented on how I preferred the red in his eyes to the strange purple, and then wondered what I did to make him think I was as smart as he thought I was. What did I do?

"Hold on a minute," I said forcefully, sitting up straight to squint at him. "Why are you buying me an iPod?"

He pursed his lips before answering.

"Consider it a peace offering of sorts. I vowed to Aro that I would not be quick to accuse you of lies. And, yes, as I just did, I am still trying my best. Like I said before, you are one frustrating human. It has been much more difficult to figure you out than I anticipated. I think it is the least I can do for destroying your useless device."

Too wracked with mental whiplash to even respond, I got out of the car. He followed suit, telling me to follow him. Sure, he answered my questions about why we were here, and basically hinted that he had an interest in me, but I was also wondering why he didn't bring up the Camilla thing.

Also, this iPod thing was pretty fishy. What in the world possessed him to want to buy something for me after he destroyed my cell phone? It was still a fresh wound, him crushing something so dear to me. I was surprised that Aro didn't bring that up, either. That was the question I wanted to ask the most now.

Did he even tell Aro about it?

But, I couldn't press it any further right now. I decided to try and be happy that I got some of the answers I wanted, and enjoy the fact that I was out and about, where people were. And, that he wasn't exactly angry right now. That was always good.

When I set eyes on where he was leading me, I was amazed. This place wasn't the same as town square; this place was different. It was bigger, spacier, more extravagant. There were more shops, more colors, more updated revenues. People filled the cobblestone streets, bustling to and fro, looking at clothes, picking up fruits, letting their children chase each other in the wide open space, kissing each other's cheeks. Conjoined shops were lit up with colors, advertising their purposes.

It was alive. Human.

Other people were around me, breathing, enjoying their lives like normal human beings. I felt relieved and uplifted, taking in the fresh air and breathing it fully.

"Come this way," Alec said, weaving me through a crowd of people. I stayed close behind, whipping my head left and right to try and see all the stores that we passed. I tried to ignore the tossing of my stomach at our closeness. My hand itched to hold onto his, and I shoved it behind my back and pressed it hard into my back so I wouldn't do that. I wondered again if he felt it, too. Was he going as crazy as I was?

I peeked up at him; if he was, he wasn't showing any signs. Plus, I couldn't see him anyway; his back was to me. I decided to look away from that image to prevent myself from bumping into anyone; I was surprised I hadn't. Or, maybe Alec had just prevented me from doing so. I took a look around as we passed all kinds of shops and eateries again, and remembered that I was going to tell Alec that I didn't really want an iPod.

Truly, I didn't; there was no need for one. Anytime I listened to music, I ended up singing. Did he know that was a possibility? Plus, I was sure I would never use it; not with all the things I did lately to keep me busy. All of that, including the fact that I didn't want him to spend money on me. And I was just about to tell him, when a particular store caught my eye.

A music store.

"Alec," I voiced in wonder, not bothering to hide my interest. I stopped right in my tracks, ignoring the grumbles from people behind me. My eyes were locked on that store, knowing there were things in there that I would love. He stopped immediately, whipping around fast. His eyes followed my gaze to the trinket-lit store.

"Are you sure you want to go in there?" he asked as if there were better things to see. I didn't even take my eyes off the place.

"Yes," I said immediately, an automatic smile forming on my lips. "It won't take long. I want to see what's inside."

"Why don't you wait until we've gone to the Apple store first?" he asked blandly. Of course he wasn't planning on making any more than one stop. Instead of telling him that I didn't want the iPod, I blurted out a more elaborate reason.

"Don't I deserve to at least look around before I go back to being confined from civilization?" I asked innocently, turning my head to him. It was true. I craved a buzzing crowd at this moment, despite being an introvert. I needed some sort of sanity. He rolled his eyes, which I wish I didn't think was so adorable. But, it was. It was adorable. He looked at me with a disapproving look.

"Fine," he agreed. "I will allow you that. Come on."

Heading towards the music shop, we were just feet away from the entrance when a ring tone came from Alec's jeans pocket and he stopped to answer it.

"Felix?" He was all business now. He listened on the other end for a few seconds before his face hardened, and without looking at me, grabbed my wrist and pulled me to the front of the store where the huge painted window stood. The entrance was right next to it.

"One moment," he said evenly, taking the phone away from his ear and looking at me. He studied my face, his own devoid of any emotion at all. "I have to speak with Felix. You will go into that store and nowhere else, do you hear me?"

I nodded emphatically, itching to go inside. I was practically bouncing, but he didn't seem to care. His voice was completely serious.

"Go in. I will be there in a minute."

I couldn't help but grin at him and head straight into that paradise, not even bothering to wonder what the phone call was about.

APOV

"Felix?" I answered shortly. He only called if it was urgent. We were all keeping a close watch for the predator's scent, which I searched for when we left. It proved difficult with her beside me.

"Alec," Felix answered back just the same. "I have news on the unidentified predator. Are you alone right now?"

I instantly was on high alert, taking a silent whiff in of the air. I could not smell him; the air was perfumed in delicious human scents, one in which caused a dry, scorching desire in my throat with each intake.

Damn it, Felix.

My senses were growing and fabricating towards her, her being, her warmth; to protect her and be with her was what they wanted. Each of my promises were made equally out of my duty, and this new urge, and I had become too close. I unknowingly let my resolve slip.

That never happened. Not in the history of my existence.

The mention of Camilla arose something in my mind that was unsettling. I knew the moment it had come out of her mouth that Felix had been speaking to her. He shared with her a personal piece of my life, and I would have gladly brushed it off had it been anyone else. Two weeks prior, I would not have cared less about Camilla arriving, only to have our way with each other before separating for decades more. It was what we were accustomed to.

Against my will, it all changed when I heard Cheyenne speak her name. The fact that care and emotion had brushed into my mind, perplexed me. And discomforted me. I did not do emotions. I was void of such things, knowing they only led to vulnerability and weakness.

Not the issue, I thought. Focus.

The scent had not been familiar to me when we set out to hunt for it. However, I knew how old the scent was, and I calculated that. It was no more than a week old. I was always checking the air for the scent as I watched the human sleep, and I begrudgingly could not shake the fact that this immortal, like her, had awakened this sense by being on the search for her.

Keep telling yourself that, it sang. I growled, so low as the human wouldn't hear.

A warm current intensified my senses, my body, my mind, as if she were a part of me now. One wave connected us both, and I knew that from the soft, warm, comfortable fragility of her skin I felt against mine hours ago. I could even taste it on my tongue; her potent, earthy, cooling sweet scent.

God, I had never tasted anything so pure. The gods must be punishing me. Her scent punished and tempted me every single moment I was in her presence. I enjoyed it, and I despised it. I longed to bring her wrist to my nose and take in one long inhale before tasting what pulsed underneath, but I knew better. That taste of forbidden fruit dangled above me, begging me to taste, to savor, to test its strength for my body. I believed for one eighth of a second that her blood could turn any immortal human with one drop. It was that pure.

But only for an eighth of a second. I was sealed this fate much too long ago.

I glanced at her carefully, allowing myself only that. She was fragile, helpless, soft...beautiful. I in no way could leave her alone. I argued with myself that it was my duty, rather than an incompetent desire that I had. Nothing could be risked; every step had to be taken carefully, meticulously, which I already knew I could do flawlessly. I could do it with one of my own senses cut off, if that were even possible for me.

"This is urgent, Alec, I need to speak with you now," Felix added sharply, even though only a few seconds had passed.

"One moment," I replied quickly, looking at her fully this time, shutting myself off again. It proved almost difficult with my senses on high alert, and my unfortunate need to protect her. "I have to speak with Felix. You will go in that store, and nowhere else. Do you hear me?"

Her immediate response and rushing, pulsing blood gave me the easy benefit of the doubt, but I would watch her still just as closely. And menacingly, I could not help but think it was adorable to see her this way; elated, her enchanting green eyes with the perfect accent of gold alight upon seeing something she loved, and her cheeks washed pink.

"Go in. I will be there in a minute," I ordered so she would leave already. She wasted no time in following my request.

As soon as she passed the entrance, I placed the cell phone back to my ear, watching her move throughout the store. I moved closer, my eyes dodging all the invisible minuscule scratches in the glass.

"What did you find?" I asked impatiently.

"Demetri found his scent out by the trees, ten miles away. He disappeared before we could catch him. He's fast."

"Who?" I pressed.

"We're unsure, Alec. The scent vanished before we were allowed to scope it out. But, it's a good opportunity. Aro has requested that we go immediately with his operation to find him."

I closed my eyes tightly, turning fifteen degrees away from the window. No way in hell.

"When?" I snapped under my breath, too low for human ears. "I want this done quick."

"Tonight, as early as possible. As soon as it becomes dark," he answered without missing a beat. "But, since you're out right now, that changes it. Do you smell anything?"

"No," I answered quickly. "But if I do..."

"Call me immediately. We'll discuss with Aro. We're surrounding the area now. If you do, we'll have to track him further and see where he goes. If he stays close, we'll have to go tonight. He won't touch her, Alec." He assured at the end.

"I know," I replied darkly, lifting my eyes open, a flash of red coloring my vision. "And I know you will not bother to make any more bets about her and Camilla, either."

He cursed.

CPOV

I loved this store as soon as I set foot in it. It was wide and long, and there was music everywhere. Shelves upon shelves of CD's lined the store like a library, and there was even an old jukebox by the checkout, which was currently playing the provided music. Records were mounted on the wall, most with Italian names that I had never heard of. There were some American names on there that I spotted, though. The tile floor was white, and the walls were painted different colors. The wall behind the cashier was a deep red; the one next to it on the right was dark green; the back wall was splattered in different colors with a light blue base, and the fourth one had splatters on it as well, but with a darker base. Browns, blacks, and yellows. Signatures were also littered across this wall in white; famous ones. Michael Jackson, Celine Dion, Domenico Modugno, Fiorella Mannoia, Prince, and too many others to name.

I looked around the store, and picked a place to dive in. Maybe I could find something for both me and David, since I had no chance to listen to the radio these days. I set off in a search for the hard rock music, scanning the small, short spines of the CD cases. I held a few bands in mind, closely watching for any familiar names to pop out. I had made my way through one aisle and moved onto the next aimlessly, when I heard something going on near the end of the long aisle. It sounded like laughing, but not the friendly kind. Words in Italian were spoken tauntingly. Naturally, I looked in the direction of them to investigate.

A young girl, looking no older than fourteen or fifteen with light brown, slightly wavy hair, a light pink T-shirt and a pretty face, was being taunted by four more girls. The one in front stuck out to me; she seemed to be doing all of the teasing, while the girls behind her laughed.

They looked slightly different. And by slightly different, I meant like rebels. The leader, I assumed she was, had long, sleek, straight black hair, parted right down the middle of her head, heavy eye makeup, signature Italian brown eyes, a slender face, and perfect cupid's bow lips. She was just about the same height as the girl. She couldn't have been any taller than five feet and four inches, but she did have boots on. It only gave her an inch of height.

I didn't understand what she was bothering the girl about, but the leader was pointing at the CD the girl held in her hands, her eyebrow perched. The girl's face was sad, and she was shuffling back uncomfortably. I saw her eyes avert down to the floor as the girls laughed, and the leader knocked it out of her hands.

The girl then raised her voice, and I realized she was American. She was telling the leader to stop and leave her alone. The leader only mocked her, pinching the girl's cheeks between her manicured fingers.

What the freak? I thought. What is she doing?

This wasn't right; it was actually one of the most bothersome things to me. I wanted to stop her, and help the girl, and I would. It was plain crazy to me how kids did this to each other. I'd been through it myself, and I had nothing but compassion for the girl. Not that the leader was a kid. She was obviously older than the girl, but looked younger than me; maybe seventeen. Before I knew it, I was walking over there, a small bundle of nerves building up inside me. I'd never done this before.

Wow, and I thought Felix's training and my sarcastic spats with Alec would have given me some confidence. Nope.

"Hey," I interrupted. "Knock it off."

I moved in front of the girl, who rubbed her cheek and glanced between the leader and me.

"Ohhhh, and who the fuck are you?" she snapped in her Italian accent, jerking her head up at me. She crossed her arms and leaned her weight on her right leg. She tilted her head back slightly to speak to the others. "Look, girls. It's an American."

She smiled tartly, and her friends snickered while she looked me up and down.

"Just leave her alone, would you?" I asked forcefully. "She didn't do anything."

The leader took a slow step forward, staring hard into my eyes. She looked at me like I was gum on the bottom of her shoe. She'd probably been in more fights than the kids from my school combined. She probably wouldn't have even been afraid of Felix.

Well, neither was I, but that was different.

"Ohhhhh, yeah?" she challenged, raising her black arched eyebrow. "I think you better watch your mouth, bitch."

Okay, that one stung. I had a huge aversion to that word.

Just don't start a fight with her. Be civil. Come on, you're the older one here!

"I'm just asking you to leave her alone," I repeated with a shrug. I glanced at the girl, asking her if she was okay. She just nodded sheepishly, fear evident in her eyes for the leader. Said leader gripped my shoulder tightly, shoving it to get my attention.

"Hey bitch, I'm not done talking to-"

I whipped my head around, my hand automatically shooting out. I grabbed her wrist, and bent it toward her face; a simple defense move. I didn't even have time to react; my body had responded in muscle memory.

She shoved me away with furious eyes, and for a smaller girl, she had force. I stepped at an angle back away from her so I wouldn't hit the girl I was defending. I eyed her; she was startled at the altercation. The girls behind her moved to possibly come for me, but stayed back. I kept my stance, slightly bending my knees but otherwise looking casual. Felix told me not to be obvious, otherwise my opponent would see it as a threat, which would really cause a fight.

"Stop it! Leave her alone!" The young girl exclaimed weakly to the leader, taking a step forward.

"Shut up," the leader snapped back at her, barely taking her eyes off of me, an angry scoff coming out of her mouth. Oh, she was ticked. She moved in to attack me, then.

"Go!" I ordered the girl, glancing at her. "Get out of here."

She looked at me hesitantly as I blocked the leader's swinging arm, and then I couldn't focus on her anymore. My body, along with my mind, was in defense mode. Newly defense mode, since this was my first real fight.

"I'm not fighting you," I tried to tell her, as I fought the reflex to punch and swerved away from another one of hers.

"Scared of me, puttana? Ha, that's what I thought!" she said smugly. Her lips puckered as she gave me a once over, and shoved me. I hardly moved, standing my ground, but I stepped back as she kept moving forward with an amused smile. The girls followed suit, giggling at the little game.

"Come on, fight me," she taunted sourly, her smile gone. "Since you wanna be all tough now. Let's see what you got, American girl." Another push. More laughs and added taunts from her gang. I shook my head.

"No," I said forcefully. My body was tensed up to fight, but I wasn't about to cause a scene. There wasn't any reason to fight; she just wanted to start one. Where was Alec? Maybe I could leave. I could just walk away, right? I took in my surroundings, noting how far away I was from where the girl used to be. I didn't see her anymore, so I assumed she did what I said and left. Good.

The leader threw a punch at me again. Swerve. This time, my fist shot out on its own accord like lightning and I realized that my fist had connected with her cheek. My hands were reflexively held up in defense.

And, I was totally screwed now.

That's when the real fighting began. I backed up as she lolled her head back towards me, holding her cheek. Her glare turned murderous, and she completely unraveled herself, her fists flying towards my face all at once. She threw out multiple punches, her fists swinging left, right, up, straight, which I effectively blocked and-sort of accidentally-returned with another quick-snapping punch and an elbow to her face. Her swings were sloppy, and I gathered that she only knew how to street-fight.

My back hit something hard that immediately gave way, and I registered that it was a door.

A back door. A way out.

I quickly spun out of it, backing up out of store, the gang charging after me. I didn't look at my surroundings, but I knew it was empty, secluded. No people were around, and the space was wide. Gray to my right, gray to my left, pavement beneath my feet, the sun behind them. We were either in an alley, or just a beat down part of more shops.

"You're gonna pay for that, you bitch! You're so dead!" she screeched, her fist burning with the rage to hit me again. She lunged at me, her friends following suit. I didn't even realize how well my body had memorized these techniques until now. This action was foreign and new to me, and I didn't know what to think. The only thing I wanted to do was apologize, but it was too late for that now. I continued to defend myself.

She screeched at me in Italian, and my body timed my actions on its own as I quickly swiveled in a one eighty, and my foot nailed her in the jaw. Her crew advanced on me, leaving me bombarded. I sprung into action, becoming more aware of what my body was doing, and who was going to attack first.

A dirty blonde girl, who was the tallest of them all, made it to me first, swinging her long arm at me. I ducked, and I couldn't help the amount of force I put into my following punch and kick. Her head snapped back, and the next girl rammed into me with her body, effectively knocking me away from the tall girl. I stumbled back, bracing myself with my feet, then swiveled around...

Flawlessly performing the low sweep kick.

She quickly went down, while another girl jumped onto my back, her arms locking around my neck.

Instantly, I leaned forward and threw her over my shoulder. I quickly rose, my body turning around on its own, sensing the danger before I did. The dirty blonde swung at me; I blocked her, my fist snapping into her nose again, before ramming my knee into her abdomen, and then swiveling once more to roundhouse kick. The audible sound of my blow told me that I either knocked her jaw out of place or cracked it. She fell, and I took that chance to get far away from her.

I turned, and was met with the leader and the two remaining girls, one who was holding her arm and glaring at me. None of them moved; the leader stood there staring at me, moving her tongue around the inside of her teeth. Her eyes narrowed, and she reached down inside her boot, never breaking eye contact. I watched her carefully, my knees bending in caution. A silver object glinted in her hand as she straightened back up. With a flick of her wrist, a blade snapped straight up with a click.

A switchblade.

My heart picked up at the sight of it. I learned how to dodge weapons, but never had Felix actually thrown them at me. He was afraid of me getting a cut and raising suspicions. Well, and possibly hurting me.

Stay calm. Watch her. Don't freak out, I reminded myself of his instructions, attempting to keep my cool under the more dire circumstances. Knives were something I was afraid of being hurt by the most, next to a gun.

At least it wasn't a gun.

"So, miss American girl is a ninja," she spat. "I was going to let you run away...but now? Now, I think your little bitch ass deserves this. You wanna mess with my girls and me? Leanna?"

I was grabbed from behind by my torso by the dirty blonde, who immediately hoisted me up and tightened her grip as I tried to escape. She was squeezing too tight, preventing me from twisting my body the way I wanted. Then my ankles were grabbed by someone else; I knew she was one of the weaker ones, but she squeezed my ankles and I realized she was stronger than I thought.

The girls laughed as I struggled against them, trying to break free. The leader slowly approached me, the last girl behind her, smiling satisfactorily. She played with her knife, slowly twirling it in her hand. I continued to struggle as my body fought between fight or flight. It wanted to react in its newly trained way, but I was more freaked out by how close the knife was to me now.

"What do you think, girls? Slow? I think I should cut her eyes out first, and save the throat for last."

I heard sadistic murmurs of agreement, before the leader scrunched her lips up and pressed the flat side of the blade to my cheek. She ground out something in Italian, which sounded nothing but hateful and threatening, while I attempted to focus. I took a deep breath, looking her in the eyes. Felix reminded me to always look them in the eyes; holding their eyes allowed for better focus, and offered a chance of vulnerability in the opponent.

All at once, everything happened, and I allowed my body to work on its own accord. It responded in a way it hadn't before, not even in training. The cool metal left my cheek. The leader viciously raised it above her head, but that was all I remembered before I moved impossibly fast.

I kicked hard, busting the weaker girl's chin, setting my feet free. It allowed me to swing my body around immediately in an arc and kick the knife out of the leader's hand with a grunt. I heard a clack, and the sliding of the knife against the pavement. A cry sounded from the leader as her head was thrown to the side, motivating me.

Weight, use the weight! a voice echoed in my mind.

My body didn't pause as my feet were planted on the ground, and automatically I pushed backwards against the blonde girl's weight, tucking my body into a ball as I used her for support. I flipped backwards out of her arms as she lost her balance, falling onto her back just as my body came back around and my feet hit the pavement. She heavily grimaced and cried out herself as she landed with a hard thud.

I was flooded with adrenaline at what my body just performed, and exhilarated all at once. My head spun from the flip, but I got away from the dirty blonde and looked immediately around me as the leader charged at me once more, sans knife.

"Cheyenne!" came a sharp, clear, musical, and alarmed voice; a voice I immediately recognized, but I had never heard it like that before.

I whipped my head automatically toward the voice, the sound sending an unexplained relief through my body.

Alec, who was standing about seven feet away, looked beyond furious and alarmed at the same time. That was what earned me a body slam from the leader and sent me tumbling to the ground. My head reflexively shot forward, tucking my chin in to prevent whiplash, and I rolled over fluidly on top of her, not missing a beat. My legs created a vice against her sides. She was gritting her teeth, breathing heavily, and glaring at me just as murderously as before, throwing in some more ground out Italian that I didn't understand.

"You...bitch!" she screeched at me, pushing against my weight and swinging her left arm at me. I just dodged my head out of its direction. "I'm going to...kill you!"

And I wasn't sure what it was that ignited me-a real fighting spark-Alec, or the fact that she just attacked me, but I was fueled. She twisted and struggled underneath me, and suddenly her right arm was drawn back, her fist was closed, and it was shooting right for me as she cried out in rage.

I grabbed the arm, seeing that she wasn't going to even hit me in the first place; in her curled fist had been another blade, but much smaller. I defensively locked her wrist, the move forcing her hand to open and let the blade drop to the ground. I held back from punching her, and pinned her arm above her head instead.

"I said I didn't want to fight," I panted, my body buzzing and shaking with adrenaline.

And, filled with shock and remorse at the fact that I did fight her, apologized.

"I'm sorry," I said sincerely.

I moved off of her, jumping to my feet swiftly, and decided it wouldn't be smart to try to help her up. Instead, I moved quickly to Alec, who met me in the middle with an anchored arm around my waist. At this point, the cold temperature felt good.

"What the hell were you thinking?" he hissed at me furiously. No, wait. More than furiously. It was more like rage. But I was too dazed to care. "Do you know how worried I was?"

I didn't answer as he took me through some sort of short cut; we didn't go back through the store. We went past it, and continued through the alley, until it became the cobbled streets and shops again. He quickly led me alongside the sidewalk, keeping me tight against his side, like he was trying to hide me. During the whole walk, I was thinking about three things.

One was the girl who I left in a tattered mess, and I felt bad about it. The second was Alec's arm around my waist. His touch ignited my body. I realized he hadn't done this since he pretended to be my boyfriend a few days ago. At this point, I couldn't even feel the ache in my muscles. The warm current humming through my body seemed to erase that.

The third was my performance back there.

How? When? How? How? Why? How? How did I do it? How did I do something I didn't even learn?

I felt remorseful, but so strong at the same time. That was the first fight I'd ever been in, and I could have killed those girls if I wanted; I had the ability to now. I didn't even care that she probably hated me; I was concerned for the leader the most. The way she reacted to me grabbing her wrist ran through my mind. There was something different about it; her anger wasn't normal. It unsettled me.

I forgot about it when Alec practically threw me into the car. I didn't even notice that we had come to it already. As he slid in the driver's seat, I took my chance to peek. I couldn't read his face; it was too blank. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose like he was trying to calm himself.

"I told you...to stay in that store," he started quietly, but it sounded way too calm. "Do you not know how to follow simple directions?"

"Yes," I said simply, and I immediately wondered why I myself sounded so calm. The quivering in my muscles returned, and I fastened my hands between my knees to stop it. "But-"

"And then I find you at the back of the store fighting," he said with venom in his voice, his eyes snapping open. They were no longer purple. "I cannot take my eyes off of you for one minute without you getting into trouble. Are you aware of the risk you are not only putting yourself in, but me as well?"

And as if on cue, a deep buried question that I had long forgotten was answered. The sun peeked through the clouds and shone directly through the windshield, shedding light on Alec's face. What I saw made me audibly gasp.

Right as the sun hit his skin, there were no flames, melting skin, or even spontaneous combustion. Instead, millions of tiny shimmering facets danced across his skin, reflecting every color of the rainbow; like diamonds. They reflected onto the dashboard, dancing across it on their own like a disco ball would. It only made him even more beautiful to look at, and I didn't even notice that my hand reached out to touch his skin, until it was pinned back down in its place, and he pulled the visor down.

"Put your seatbelt on," he growled, moving in a blur as he slammed on the gas pedal before I could even reach for it. I scrambled, clicking my seatbelt on as I was pressed against the seat from the speed he was going. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him talking on the phone, but I heard nothing coming out of his mouth; his lips were barely moving. I was really in trouble this time, but I could only be distracted by what I just witnessed.

I always understood that vampires had to stay out of the sun, because that was just classic standard; but I hadn't known why for these vampires. Now, I understood crucially why; it was even more distracting than seeing the ones on TV burn and crisp up. Actually, it was better. And it made my heart race, because Alec looked so achingly beautiful that I wanted to be even closer to him now, to touch his skin and see if the facets were tangible. I could've watched that image in my mind forever, and that realization spooked me. What spooked me even more was that I was dying to see it happen again.

"Are you listening to me?" Alec asked, his voice tearing me away from my thoughts. I turned my head; he was watching me with a hard, expressionless face. His words brought me back into focus, and the sudden realization of my actions weighed down on me. My head swam, and I felt a sudden wave of...

"Pull over," I gasped, clutching my stomach. I fumbled with my seat belt, and my hand yanked the door handle as he complied, his brows furrowing together. I shoved the door open just in time to spill the contents of my stomach all over the side of the road.

My body trembled, my head span, and my stomach heaved itself even after it was empty. I panted heavily, tears streaming down my cheeks, as I waited until it was over. I couldn't handle what had just happened, and I hoped that I never went through something like this again. I was much too weak for this, for all of this fighting.

I let myself breathe, feeling the nausea finally pass. I wiped my mouth on the sleeve of my sweater, slowly leaning back into the car. I leaned my head against the seat, closing my eyes, trying to breathe normally.

"Are you all right?" Alec asked evenly.

Was I all right?

Of course I wasn't all right; I was far from it. Actually, I wasn't even sure what I was feeling at the moment. I just wanted my head to stop swimming. All I could muster was a shake of my head.

"I will drive slower, but I do not have time for this," he said, reaching across me to shut my door.

I tried not to focus on the revving of the engine, or the speed he was going, while my head finally began to slow down.

"Get out of the car," he growled a moment later. I opened my eyes.

We were here already? Oh, hot dog.

I apparently wasn't moving fast for Alec. He was at my door in a flash, opening it, and coaxing me out. I moved stiffly, feeling the tremble in my body again when my feet began to move.

Huh, I almost forgot about that.

He supported my weight, keeping his arm tight around my waist again as we made our way through the dimly lit hallway in the castle.

"Are you hurt?" He asked shortly.

If I am, your touch is fixing that, I thought, and immediately chided the voice in my head. Shut up, this is serious!

"No," I responded, then breathed in. "I'm in trouble, aren't I?"

"Just stay quiet," he ordered quietly as we finally reached the huge doors to the throne room. How fast had we been moving? That question dissipated as the doors flew open with a simple push of Alec's hand, and Aro's waiting figure stood in front of his throned seat.

Shiiit...take mushrooms.

As we got closer, his face didn't look so happy and inviting as I anticipated. It was serious, but strangely open, and his eyes lit up in the creepy way that they did. I darted my eyes around the room. No Felix. No Demetri. Chelsea was there. No Jane. Marcus and Caius were in their usual spots.

"Ah, Alec, Cheyenne," Aro breathed. his hand automatically reaching out. Alec's hands left my body, and I bit back the strange sound that wanted to come out of my mouth for that. He was in front of Aro in a flash, his hand enclosed in his. Aro's eyes glazed over for a moment, and then refocused as they moved to me.

"Oh, I see."

"It was a simple accident," Alec spoke smoothly. "I can take care of it, Master."

"Of course," Aro's high, feathery voice echoed slowly while his eyes never left me. "But, I would like to know the full story. My dear?"

I took a deep breath as Alec moved to my side again, standing at a further distance this time. I didn't want to tell him what just happened; I couldn't even process it myself. Half of it was a blur now.

"I was looking at CDs," I began, my voice trembling. "But there was this girl...bullying another girl. I tried to stop it. And...it didn't fare out so well."

"I see," he said, looking over my body for any evidence of that. "I see you were not injured in this...unpleasant exchange."

I just shook my head, realizing that I would have to come up with another lie for that. God, I wish I didn't have to keep doing this. I made the mistake of shifting my eyes over to Marcus; he had that interested look in his eyes like last time. I didn't even want to deal with Caius.

"And you were alone, dear?" he asked, the same tone leaking through from this morning when he'd asked the same question. I knew what he was thinking now.

"Yes. Alec was outside."

"Ah, yes," he sang. "Alec seems to be quiet absent in these accidents of yours."

"She is ruining our foundation," Caius cut in. "She could lead others to us, Aro! If any more humans see his existence-"

Aro's hand came up, halting him. I wish he would stop staring at me like that.

"Caius, I am more than capable of handling this," Alec spoke. "She is my responsibility."

Caius rose from his throned seat lividly, and stared at me with his blazing, piercing eyes before hissing loudly at me. I barely shuffled back, my body too drained to react in any other way. He then sank back down, his eyes in slits.

"She has been excused far too much," he continued. "Her actions are exposing the secret of our existence! Each time she is let out, she returns with trouble! How can we allow this peasant to become one of us when she is clearly unfit?!"

That made me snap, just like earlier, and I didn't know why. The sudden spark flared up, and I couldn't help the volume of my voice. I forgot about the tremble in my body as I spoke.

"You think I do it on purpose?" I snapped, my own voice echoing off the walls. "Who are you? You think you can just talk to me like that every time? That's some bug up your ass."

I was stunned by my dripping sarcasm at the end, and the sudden use of profanity. What was going on with me?

"You dare not speak to me in that way!" he all but roared back, his eyes bugging out of their sockets. He shot up out of his seat, moving toward me.

Alec was suddenly in front of me, his hand pushing my body back. Aro told Caius once again to stop, and this time, he listened.

"No more words, Caius. Please," Aro said. "We have other things to discuss."

I waited warily, coming up with a handful of things that he could talk about. I felt safe with Alec guarding me, but I wouldn't be safe from Aro's words. Alec moved enough to the side so Aro could see me, but didn't move further from me.

"Now, listen closely, my dear. It seems there has been a sudden change in plans," he spoke, like I was a small child. "Our target has swept across out path again. He is very close to us now, as we speak. This is a perfect opportunity for you to lure him in. Are you able to do this, my dear? Perhaps...this evening?" He drew the last word, a hopeful grin stretching across his papery-skinned face.

Tonight? He's going to let me out after I just got in a fight and blamed by Caius? He wouldn't do that, would he? Is this guy being serious?

Well, it is serious...this is a vampire trying to get to me. I just forgot how serious the Volturi take their work; but, I've never seen how they do their work before, and I was about to. Did I have to accept, though?

"What?" I asked, dumbfounded. I couldn't get over how crazy this all was; I also wouldn't give up the fact that he wouldn't possibly just let me out again. He raised his eyebrows at me.

"I am not asking you for another time, child. We act as soon as we have the opportunity. I have not asked much of you from this, have I?"

I thought about it; not really, no. He didn't say I had to do anything dire; just lure the vampire in. But for all I knew, Felix, Demetri and Alec had different ideas of that. Then again, maybe Aro told them what he wanted me to do. I shook my head, defeated.

"No," I answered, choosing to add my thoughts. "But I would like to be told what I need to do."

This was the first time he wasn't giving me a choice; I was being forced to do this no matter what. Aro's face was serious for the first time, and at that moment, I had actually preferred his creepy happy face. And speak of the devil, there it was.

"But of course," he breathed, obviously happy with my agreement. "Alec will give you my instructions. Alec." He shifted his eyes to Alec, in which they must have shared some secret exchange. Nobody spoke a word as Alec started to turn me to the door. I almost missed the long glance he gave Caius.

"She better not fail," I faintly heard Caius growl as we passed through the doors.