Phew! So this chapter was quite a challenge! Finally I had an epiphany and have been writing feverishly all day, to get this to you before midnight (Danish time). I hope it is to your satisfaction, though I suspect you might feel a little outrage. I apologize in advance.

And thank you for the reviews! I'm like a vampire, only my blood is your reviews. I hunger to know your thoughts!

Alright, on to the chapter!

Disclaimer; I am not the owner of Twilight. No infringement intended.

Warning; Rated mature for strong sexual content.

If you continue straight ahead, Aro will be dealing out some pleasure. Enjoy!

Aro's POV

My hands were holding her shoulders, as I gazed into her crimson eyes. She stood smiling gently at me, not saying a word.

I was still processing what had just happened. For the briefest moment I had felt a connection that had hitherto been impossible. It did not penetrate deep, and I barely registered it.

A few things did rush through my mind: her first impression of me. Her desperation and a few select words as she had found her first ever climax with me in the library. Her sorrow at not ever seeing her parents again. Victoria. Edward's predicament. She feared I would hurt him.

The silence stretched on between us, as I put a hand to her cheek, testing. Nothing. She had closed off again. Had it been an accident? Somehow, I did not think so. She closed her eyes at my touch, humming slightly.

"So," I said, trying to sound casual.

"You think my lips are delicious, do you?" I asked her, almost chuckling, my fingers now stroking her jaw. Her eyes opened. She could no longer blush, but her mouth did twist into a small embarrassed smile.

"Wherever did you get that idea?" She asked, sounding innocent.

I stared into her eyes, trying to read her. She had suddenly become quite an enigma to me.

It would seem she had already learned to manipulate her shield a little. Interesting. I would have to see what I could get her to show me in the near future. For now, I let her have her secrets. I kissed her on the mouth, not holding back, as my mind perused what she had allowed me to see so far. I felt like she had given me a gift, and I wanted more. Much more.

"You do not have to worry about Edward, I will not harm him. If it is in my power, I will try to help him. Do you trust me on this?" I asked, softly placing lingering kisses on her cheeks.

She nodded, not saying anything.

"Thank you," I said, wrapping my arms around her, and pulling her against me, continuing to kiss her throat and jaw.

My dead body stirred to life, as my mind flooded with her experience of her first ever orgasm. It had been an intense moment for me at the time, but seeing it from her angle, was another matter entirely. She had not known what to think of it at the time, not being very experienced. She had grappled with the fact that she was so attracted to me, helpless to control her body's desire, just coming along for the ride as it pulled her ever deeper into the darkness.

My breath became fast and shallow, and before I knew it, I had her beneath me on the floor, kissing her heatedly, papers flying everywhere as my hasty actions turned over a pile of neatly stacked papers. I was growling deeply, as I lifted her blouse and bra up over her breasts, kissing her skin wetly, barely sensing the papers raining down around and on to us. She moaned fiercely as I pressed my manhood into her throbbing centre, desperate for the pressure. Her skirt had ridden up and had bunched at her hips, giving me easy access. I moved down her body, soon my face was level with her sex, and I wasted no time, as I removed her knickers, dragging them down her legs. They landed somewhere behind my desk.

I immediately began kissing her inner thighs, licking them, leaving some venom on her skin. She writhed against me, arching her back off the floor, clearly wanting more. My tongue flicked out and nudged her little nub gently, before suckling, again leaving even more venom on her. She cried out hoarsely, lifting her hips off the floor. My hands slid under her buttocks, grabbing her, as my lips, mouth and teeth sensuously made love to her. She was frantic within minutes, her head rolling from side to side, her long hair splayed out beneath her on the plush carpet.

"Aro!" Her cry was music to my ears. "Ah!"

Her hands were gripping at the very expensive carpet, only finding sheets of paper, as she struggled to find purchase. They curled in her fists with a harsh crunch.

Suddenly the combination of my venom and my ministrations seemed to become too much, and she tried to pull away from me, not able to handle the sensations. I held her in place. She would not get away. Her legs pushed at the floor, trying to lift her hips out of my grasp, but to no avail.

"Aro!"

Her moans and cries intensified, and suddenly she was pushing against me, wanting more. I denied her this as well, not yielding to her wishes, keeping her in place, making her whimper which switched to a deep groan when I prodded a finger into her moist cavity, gently stroking her, feeling her walls flutter and clench. I added another digit, and her back arched dramatically, nearly lifting her head off the floor, as she exploded powerfully against my mouth, a jagged whimpering cry escaping her as she shuddered violently on the floor.

It took her a while to regain her senses, and I crawled up her body, pressing her into the floor, nudging her legs aside so I rested between them. Finally, she opened her eyes, blinking at me in quiet amazement.

I chuckled deeply.

"Where did that come from?" She asked, still slightly out of breath.

"I have no idea," I said, kissing her jaw, biting her throat a little. She laughed softly.

"That was mind-blowing," she sighed.

"Share it with me?" I asked softly.

"I don't know if I can," she said, brows creased.

"You could try," I said, smirking slightly.

Sighing deeply, she closed her eyes, concentrating hard. A small gasp escaped her lips, and I pressed my mouth to hers. The feelings tore through me, as I felt her need, building, my venom making her wild with need, then making it almost painful, then she needed more. Me holding her in place was an infinite frustration to her, but it fuelled her fires exponentially more, and the orgasm hit her head on, before she even realised, she was there. I saw it all.

It flooded my brain and my body reacted as I saw it. I was pushing into her snug heat, not even realising what I was doing, before I felt her envelope me, driving into her for dear life, grabbing one of her knees, sharply rocking my hips into hers. She gave a cry with each thrust, her fingers on my back, pulling me against her, needing more. Our frenzied love-making, sent us scurrying across the carpet, soon ending beneath my desk, her hands gripping one of the legs, to steady us, her hips nearly curving off the floor with the power of my thrusts, and she suddenly came hard, her insides throbbing around me.

"Will you show me again?" I asked her huskily, my lips at her throat, biting down, before licking the skin hotly, not stopping the frantic movements of my hips.

She obliged and showed me something different, this time our shower session. I growled fiercely, as I felt my release careering towards me, and I straddled her thighs, placing my hands beneath her shoulders, holding her in place as my pelvis crashed into hers at high speed. My mouth closed around a nipple, and my teeth bit in. She gave a deep groan as she again crumbled beneath me, letting her shield fall down, as I joined her in her mind, experiencing her peak at the same time as my own. Giving a few last strong thrusts, grunting, I quietened against her, my brow resting on hers, our lips an inch away from each other.

I kissed her ardently.

"That was…" She said, panting against my mouth.

"I know," I answered, matching her voice. Nothing could have prepared me for that.

We lay for a while, just enjoying the moment, when I heard footsteps approaching down the hall. She stiffened against me, hearing it too.

"We have company," I said, yanking her with me out from under the desk, hastily straightening our clothes. I was busy piling the crumbled papers onto my desk, and she was eyeing at the floor as if missing something, when the door opened.

Looking up, I saw Marcus striding in the direction of me, nodding courteously at Isabella as he went. She nodded too, and silently departed the room, leaving me alone with him. He frowned somewhat, looking after her.

"Why was she in such a hurry to leave?" he asked, looking towards me.

I had a few suspicions.

"I have no clue," I said.

He started to sit down in one of the chairs in front of my desk, glancing at the other one beside him, then freezing just before he was entirely seated. He cleared his throat delicately, making me look up from my papers.

"What is it?" I asked, frowning.

He caught my eye, and jerked his head slightly towards it, face expressionless. My gaze following his, I suddenly chuckled. Smoothly walking around him, I picked up the small piece of garment I had been in such a hurry to remove, and surreptitiously jammed it into my pocket.

"Whoops," I said, walking back around the desk, not entirely able to keep the smugness from my voice.

"Indeed." He peered at me, almost smiling.

"So," I said, trying to divert his attention from the small lump in my pocket. "What can I do for you, dear brother?"

Bella's POV

I walked quickly in the direction of my room, as I considered what had happened to my panties. He had been in such a hurry, that I hadn't seen where they went. Hoping he had pocketed them, I shook my head slightly with a smile, dropping the issue.

Hastily finding a fresh pair, I put them on, and walked down to the library. I met Carlisle, and he seemed a little depressed. No doubt the situation with Edward, was getting to him. We hadn't been able to think of anything that could help him yet, and he was still in the dungeons.

Carlisle smiled valiantly at me, talking pleasantly as always.

"Bella, nice to see you. Is everything well?" I nodded, smiling.

"Very well, thank you," I said. "What are you doing?" I asked him, interested, as he was bent over some papers on a table. He sighed deeply.

"I've been studying the nature of vampires for more than a few years, and I remember a few cases with similar characteristics.

It seems that a small proportion of vampires keep their human capabilities for compassion, and they never let go. Our family is an illustration of such cases, but we have found a way around it, that makes it easier on us. Or so I believed. I never realised what Edward must be going through." He sounded guilt-ridden, clearly desperate to save his son. My face expressed nothing but sympathy. He seemed to collect himself a little before resuming.

"How do we change the fact that he can read thoughts, and does he really want to? At the same time, I believe he will struggle forever if his power doesn't become less of a burden." He shook his head, leaning his hands on the table, bending forward over his papers.

"Carlisle," I said gently, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"It's not your fault, what happened to him. We will figure this out. Aro is also hunting for answers."

He nodded sadly. I don't think he was convinced.

"I just hope we find it before it's too late."

He straightened up, placing a hand on my shoulder, squeezing a little, and smiling sadly before walking off in search for more reading material.

Aro's POV

Marcus shrugged.

"Caius wanted you to know that the guests, Sulpicia invited, are arriving tomorrow."

"Right," I said. The Denali's. To be perfectly honest, I was indeed very curious as to what Eleazar would find in Isabella. I, of course had just had a minor preview of what she could do. And that might only just be the beginning. If my suspicions were correct, she would be one of the most powerfully gifted in the world. A little training would do wonders. I was certainly looking forward to testing her abilities. I could feel Marcus' eyes on me.

"I have had an idea, regarding our young troublesome vampire in the dungeon."

"Really?" I said, eyebrows raised. "What about?"

"I am not ready to share it with you just yet. I will have to do some research on the subject. I wanted to let you know, because I will have to travel away to find what I need. But if I am right, we might be able to help young Edward."

I pursed my lips, frowning slightly.

"Right," I said again. I felt curious as to what he had in mind. Of course, I could just touch him and find out, but I knew he had his motives to not share it with me just yet. Additionally, it might distract me from finding out more about Isabella's gift. And I needed to go find her. Deciding to allow him his secrets, I nodded curtly.

"I will have Jane and Felix join you then. You shouldn't be travelling on your own." He shook his head gently.

"I would prefer to do it alone. This is a delicate matter, and it might cause difficulty if I bring any guards along."

Now he had me really curious. What in the world was he planning? I contemplated it for a moment.

"Alright," I said slowly. "You may go alone then, but please be cautious."

"Thank you, Aro, for your concern, but I will be fine. It will only be a few days."

He left me alone, looking after him, wondering what he could possibly have gotten himself into.

Bella's POV

I was perusing a shelve of books containing anything about mental gifts, when I felt a small draft behind me, and an arm came around my waist, and I was enveloped by Aro's delicious scent. I instinctively leaned against his chest, sighing contentedly, fingers still resting on the books in front of me.

"Hello, my dear," he said softly, breathing deeply.

"Aro," I said, and turned around in his arms. He kissed me gently, not caring that we were surrounded by others.

"So, you left in a hurry," He said, smirking.

"Yes, I wanted to find more information on how I could experiment with my ability. There should be a fair few books in this massive collection about it."

He had that open-mouthed smirk all over his face again, and I knew he didn't believe me for one minute. He placed a wad of material in my hand and closed it tightly. I stiffened, knowing exactly what it was.

"You forgot this in my study. Marcus found them." Great. Aro laughed softly as I cringed at the notion.

Bella's POV

The next day, I was in the library reading again, when Sulpicia came to find me. She placed herself on the table besides me, looking extremely satisfied with herself. I peered at her wearily.

"What?" I finally said, not liking the look she gave me.

"I have had an idea." She said a little too brightly. "Aro tells me you will not be feeding in the normal way, and you don't feel like hunting animals?"

"I haven't decided yet," I said perplexed.

"Right, well, you mentioned something about a donor, so I thought to myself, why do we not acquire a clinic for blood donation? We will have a fresh supply of human blood without the slaughter." She was smiling widely, showing me her white teeth.

I looked at her, doubtful.

"But, isn't that... Kind of morally wrong? People think their blood is saving lives. Wouldn't it be wrong to lie to them?"

She smirked at me. "More wrong than killing people for food?" I paused. She had a point.

"And their blood will be saving lives. If they make a contribution, they are helping us not feeding on tourists, which kills them. Prossimamente; saving lives."

I contemplated this. It was a thought, I supposed. I wondered if Aro would ever be willing to dine under such an arrangement. I was dubious. You can't teach an old dog new tricks, wasn't that the saying?

"Have you shared this with Aro?" I asked delicately.

"No, not yet." Her smile faltered slightly, before she plastered it on twice as thickly. "It will of course take some planning, and it will be some time before we in fact have enough blood collected, to feed you continuously. But he should not mind if his mate is happy. It will be great!" Her hand slapped the side of my thigh, before she strolled off, leaving me with a contemplative smile on my lips.

Aro's POV

Caius let me know that our guests had arrived, and they were just settling in. They wanted to hunt before they joined us in the throne room. I went to find Isabella, as she would be the guest of honour at this meeting. I knew where she was, she rarely left the library now, most likely trying to read every book we possessed. She sat in a plush chair, flipping through a book, not seeming to find what she was looking for, if her frown was anything to go by. She looked up as I approached, and a smile stretched across her face.

"What are you reading?" I asked her, sitting down in the adjacent chair.

"Oh, nothing special. It's a book on some coven in the Amazonian forest. Apparently, we know almost nothing about them, as they are quite isolated. Why even bother to write the book in the first place. What a waste." She huffed a little as she placed it on the table beside her with slight disapproval.

"Did you talk to Sulpicia?" She asked me curiously.

"No," I said frowning slightly. "Should I?" She laughed softly, shaking her head.

"I don't know. She seems to be getting some interesting ideas."

"Is that so?" I asked, pursing my lips. She always was imaginative, even as a human. Isabella nodded, shaking with giggles.

"What is so funny?" I asked her, not seeing the joke.

"I suspect you will find out soon enough." She said, grinning mischievously at me. I sighed. Everyone suddenly wanted to have their little secrets.

I got up and pulled her with me.

"Come, mia cara, we need to go to the throne room, our guests will be arriving shortly."

Aro's POV

I sat in my chair, Caius at my left, Isabella on my right. She had taken Marcus' seat, now that he was away. Jane led our guests inside, and I stood up, welcoming them enthusiastically.

Carlisle who had stood by Isabella's right side, followed me down from the dais, to greet them. The Denali's seemed to suddenly be more at ease, as they realized that he was here too. They spotted Alice and Esme by the wall, looking puzzled. Had they been nervous?

"Tanya, greetings. I am so glad that you could join us. I hope you find your accommodations satisfying?"

"Thank you, Aro, yes, we find them almost too comfortable." She said beaming at me. She did not shake my hand. Old habit almost made me grab for it anyway. It was much quicker than having to ask all these tiresome questions.

I glanced at Carlisle, and he nodded encouragingly. Right.

"I am sure you are wondering why I asked you to join us here in Italy." I said, pleasantly.

"We thought you must have your reasons, Aro," Tanya said graciously. "Has something happened?"

"You could say that," A voice rang out from the double doors. Sulpicia came striding in, smiling pleasantly. I felt relieved. Sulpicia was far better at these social get-togethers than me. It was awkward every time because I knew all their secrets.

"We have welcomed a new vampire to our family," she continued, stepping onto the dais, taking Isabella's hand, and pulling her down in front of our guests.

"Isabella," she finished.

I felt, rather than heard Eleazar's gasp, as he looked her over once.

Everyone turned to him, waiting in anticipation. I yearned to take his hand and get answers instantly, but I controlled myself, though I stepped forward, gazing intently at him.

"What do you see, my friend?" I asked intently.

He looked at me, too stunned to speak, simply raising his hand to take mine. I breathed deeply, as I coasted through his thoughts, making quick work of honing in on the pertinent ones. He had quickly picked up on her mental shield, as it was in place around her now, shimmering somewhat beneath her skin, like an electrical current.

Oh, my Isabella was a shield alright. If trained well, her potential would be substantial. But there was more to it than that. She had something else, Eleazar had difficulty substantiating it, as it was less discernible. He had not seen something like this before. I watched, enthralled as he came to grasp what it might be, that he saw within her.

It was change.

Aro's POV

I looked into his eyes, as I felt the realization struck him.

You waited for permission, before taking my hand, he thought, and his gaze was wonderous.

You have changed, Aro of the Volturi. She has changed you.

I let go of his hand, not needing to hear more. I swallowed slightly. I spun around to look at Isabella, spellbound, as sudden understanding fell into place. So, this explained a lot. I walked around her, looking her up and down, speculating. She followed me with her eyes.

"Interesting," I said before softly touching her cheek with my fingers.

Bella's POV

I had no idea what was going on, and no-one spoke, everyone waiting for Aro or Eleazar to explain. Something had passed between the two, and for the first time, Aro seemed unsettled.

His touch on my cheek, was soft, reverent even.

"What is going on?" Carlisle finally asked a little impatient, as he no longer could stand the silence. Aro answered him instantly.

"Isabella is indeed a shield. A strong one at that. She will be able to block almost all psychic attacks, including protecting others. We will have to see how much she can do when we train her."

This didn't exactly come as a surprise to me. Aro glanced at Eleazar. I looked at him too. He seemed to be waiting to see if Aro would continue, watching him intently. Something was definitely up.

Aro cleared his throat slightly. "There is more. Isabella seems to be harbouring an unknown, untested gift. It is too soon to elaborate on it, as even I have not seen anything like it before. I will need to think on it before I can say anything further."

Huh. An unknown power. Interesting for sure. I nearly looked down on my body, almost expecting to see something different.

Everyone seemed to be dissatisfied with that tidbit, as they clearly wanted to know what had happened. Tanya was looking at Eleazar, but he was silent as the grave. Well, I would just have to wiggle it out of Aro when we were alone next time.

Sulpicia made quick work of changing the subject, trying to distract everyone. Luckily for her, that wasn't a hard task. Vampires were easily distracted. Aro grabbed my hand, and glancing at Carlisle, he dragged me out of the throne room, Carlisle taking the hint, and following us.

Aro didn't stop until we were outside in the garden under crop of large birch trees. They swayed lightly in the breeze, whispering. He let me go and began pacing in front of us, clearly thinking hard.

"Aro, what is going on, what did you see?" Carlisle finally asked, a little tense.

Aro paused in front of me, taking my hand in his, taking hold of my chin, as he looked me deep in the eyes.

"You have a gift Isabella. Another gift in addition to your shield." He spoke quietly, slowly. Finding the words.

"You are change." He said solemnly.

Carlisle stiffened noticeable. I didn't have a clue as to what that meant. I am change? In What Way? At What Time?

Carlisle was looking at me, stunned. I began feeling a little uncomfortable with all this gaping going around.

"What does it mean?" I said perplexed. Aro took a deep breath before answering.

"Well, we cannot be certain, as it is unknown. Eleazar noted a change in me, that he had never observed before. Vampires do not usually change their behaviours, in particular, when they are as old as I am.

He realized that I did not touch him before I had his consent. I usually just do it. Old habits and such. I do not like to waste time, when collecting every facet of the truth is so much easier in a single touch." Aro stroked my cheek.

"Apparently, he feels that you have changed that aspect in me." He finished, speaking only to me now. I was stunned. I changed Aro? But how? I hadn't even thought of it, being so busy with… Everything else.

"But how is that possible?" Carlisle asked sounding astonished. Aro stepped back from me, pacing again.

"It is a difficult concept to explain. Isabella's gift is like… The erosion changing our earth. It is subliminal, it is not something she can do intentionally. Like our earth, it comes from the inside. It works slowly, and the beneficiary will not notice it themselves. Only others will be able to notice it. She can change the world with this. She has undoubtedly changed mine."

"What, I can control others?" I asked almost too scared of the answer. Aro shook his head slowly.

"No, it is not that simple I am afraid. It is almost like evolution. If the change is beneficial, it will happen, if not, then status quo remains. Eleazar is also convinced that you need to have feelings for the recipient to be able to change them. Powerful positive feelings. Like you have for me, which explains why I have changed the most. I am not certain that is all there is to it. Regrettably it is not something we can quickly test."

"That is intriguing," Carlisle said almost bouncing on his feet. He then frowned. "I do however feel like this is something we shouldn't share with others. Not yet at least. We don't understand it, and neither do they. It might make them uncomfortable if they think Bella is somehow exerting some power over them."

"Agreed," Aro said, nodding, deep in thought. "We will have to think on how to approach this. I would not want you to be treated like a pariah for something that you cannot help."

I was so confused. So, I could change others, but change them, how? What could I change in them? Aro stepped up to me again, breathing deeply, wrapping his arms around me.

I touched his cheek, lowering my shield slightly to let him know of my current confusion.

"It will not be a profound change, my love. Not in that sense at least. I do not think that you can change the physical aspects, or any powers, for instance. It is more like changing perceptions. Slowly tilting the angle, so that the vision becomes clearer. It is difficult to explain." He said against my lips, as he kissed me reverently.

Carlisle cleared his throat.

"Uh, you'll have to excuse me, I need to visit the library. I will have to do some research." He was gone in an instant. Aro chuckled deeply.

"Americans are such prudes," he said darkly. I tried to thump him in the chest, but he caught my wrist easily. His eyes darkened considerably.

"I would not do that if I were you." He growled.

"I'm an American," I huffed.

"I know," he said, still holding my wrist, smirking ominously down at me. "Your point being?"

"Ugh! Italians!" I exclaimed exasperation filling my voice.

He raised an eyebrow.

"Was that sentence finished?" He asked me, sounding complacent. I tried to thump him with my other hand. No joy. He caught that too, and held them behind my back, while backing me up against an old bent birch tree, pushing his whole body into mine, making me lean backwards into the bending trunk. The tree creaked ominously.

"Tell me," he said sardonically, "Do you not learn from your mistakes, my dear?" His tone grew dark, as he looked into my eyes, his gaze black.

I felt a jolt fizzle through me, as he pushed his hips against my centre.

"Evidently not," I commented, trying to wriggle out from under him. He didn't budge. How was he so strong? I was a new-born for crying out loud!

His chuckle was deep, rumbling his chest against me. Wait, did he hear my thoughts? No, no, my shield was in place alright. He must have caught my expression and put two and two together. I scowled. I had to do something about my mercurial face.

Smirking, he began turning me around, almost lazily, until I was faced against the tree, him still pinning my arms in place at the small of my back. He pulled up my skirt, as he nudged my legs apart. How easy he got access to what he wanted. I heard him growl as his hand caressed my rear end, tugging lightly at my panties.

"I should punish you." He said in a husky voice, his fingers skimming the back of my thigh. A shiver ran through me.

"What have I done wrong?" I asked, trying to sound defiant, rather than eager.

"You tried to punch me, tesoro," he said, his hand coming up and gripping my hip. "One does not simply punch a king, and go unpunished," he said, rolling his hips into me at the word unpunished, nearly making me moan.

"I didn't even come near you, you blocked me," I managed, trying to concentrate on his words and not his fingers roaming my body.

"That." He said in a stern voice, "Is not the point." With that he his hand burrowed beneath my blouse and pinched a nipple, making me gasp. My hips rolled against the tree trunk, me having no control of my body. The delicious pressure made me do it again twice, a groan escaping me.

"You will not do that again, my dear," he said in a low growl. My hips paused instantly. I could tell he was serious.

"Do what?" I asked innocently.

"You will not seek pleasure from this tree," he said his voice dark.

"Oh, would you rather find another tree, then?" I asked keeping my voice innocent.

He pushed his hips against me hard, making me cry out, as I was practically straddling the tree now, his mouth at my ear.

"Your pleasure will only come from me, and only when I say so." He growled deeply.

I shuddered at his words, almost fearing what he was going to do to me. Or rather, what he wouldn't be doing to me.

Aro's POV – 12 days later

I sat at my desk, going through some papers, Caius had asked me to verify a new investment for him. He had some new business plans, that would expand our income significantly. He wanted to make sure that it would be discrete though. I did not care much; I would rather be with my Isabella. A knock at the door, made me look up, as I was turning a page.

Marcus came striding in, looking tranquil.

"Aaah, brother. Welcome back!" I said warmly standing up. "How was your travelling? Did you see the world?" I asked, a sardonic note in my voice. He sat down, almost automatically glancing at the other chair beside him before a relieved grimace flashed across his face. Clearly, he had not forgotten the last time he had sat down in that chair. Neither had I. I said nothing, though a small smirk did flash across my mouth. He sat, thinking, before he started to speak to me.

"How was the visit with the Denali's? Did you find out anything new about your mate? I only ask because I see your bond has grown stronger since the last time. Something has happened between you."

I stood still for a moment, pondering, my fingers resting on my desk.

"Well, I suppose you could say that something did happen. I will not be telling you anything just yet. We are still figuring things out as we speak. I am sorry my brother." I said, almost wincing. I did not like to keep secrets from him.

He said nothing however, accepting my words with no trouble.

"Do you remember that Spanish coven, the Aragonese?" Marcus asked, resting an index finger on his chin.

I slowly sat myself down behind my desk, thinking.

"We first came across them in 1704. The archduke Charles, do you remember him? Silly individual. He had mentioned a vampire to us, one who had roamed their lands for many centuries, not staying in one place for very long, never seeking contact with other vampires. A drifter. Almost no-one knew of him. His name was..."

"Mateo," I said, suddenly remembering. We had never come across him because he knew of the Volturi. He avoided us like the plague. It was said he had a certain gift. I straightened up sharply. I suddenly knew what Marcus was getting at.

His gift may very well be one of the most powerful ever. Which was surely why he had avoided us. If we could find him, and get him to help Edward…

"Do you think he is still in existence?" I asked him hastily.

Marcus pulled out a piece of paper, containing a list of a coven of vampires, living in Spain 60 years ago. He had circled a name, Mateo.

"He certainly did 60 years ago," He said, handing me the list. I took it, looking down at it.

"We need to find him," I said. "Quickly."

Marcus nodded solemnly.

"That will be difficult, he seems to be an expert in evading us." He said slowly.

"Not to mention, it will be exceedingly dangerous. I suspect only one will be able to control him. Or even approach him."

Our eyes met, and he nodded solemnly again.

"Isabella," I murmured, my heart plummeting. Slowly he nodded again.

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Thanks for reading to the end. Please let me know what you think - Don't be shy! I really enjoy your reviews, favorites and followings!

Also, the mistakes are my own, I have no beta.

Did anyone google the name Mateo? *wink*

-Pancakes