You people are amazing. Seriously, thanks for the great feedback and encouraging words even though I feel bad that my progress on this is so slow! Although I knew the general direction that I wanted to take this, I didn't have the specifics laid out. Nevertheless, your interest in this story really helped to inspire me to find the time to work on this chapter and lay the groundwork to hopefully get future chapters out a hell of a lot quicker.

So, thanks for reading and hope that you continue to enjoy!

Here is a disclaimer that unfortunately states that I do not own anything that I am writing about and am merely hoping to play in another author's sandbox for a short time and what follows is for entertainment purposes only.

Deep within the bowels of Volterra, Aro's dark red eyes scanned the throne room of the Volturi. Nearly every member of the guard was present and they were standing in absolute silence along the stone walls, save for those select few out gathering intelligence on some of the covens he was interested in.

The guard's focus, as well as Aro's, centered on the still and downturned faces of Demetri and Felix. Two of the most competent members of the Volturi's guard had returned from their assigned mission empty-handed, and he was not altogether pleased with that fact.

However, and because it was this otherwise so dependable duo that had failed, Aro was more patient in welcoming them back to Volterra than others in the guard might have been in the same situation. After all, it must have been an exquisitely talented vampire that could have eluded capture from individuals with the types of reputations that Felix and Demetri had. Which was just the very sort of talent that Aro prized so desperately and was thus always on the lookout for.

Aro's crimson eyes continued to gaze down upon the patient and respectful forms of his Enforcer and Tracker as he stood from his center chair on the raised dais. His chair was the center feature of their, no, his throne room.

He walked with his usually regal flair to stand before them and made a small incline of his head to acknowledge their appropriately subservient stance. For each had their hands resting completely still at their sides and when combined with their silence it gave the impression that they were two well-made and extremely life-like statues that were his to command into life and action. Just the way Aro preferred the members of his guard to be.

Despite his profound annoyance at their failure, Aro was actually quite interested in hearing more about this other vampire who remained free. For he was always looking for the opportunity to extend an invitation to those who would further his plans and make them a part of the Volturi; even if he sometimes had to wait centuries before finding a vampire worthy enough to add to his talented collection.

And this felt like one of those rare times when he was about to find someone truly special. The mere notion that he could add another Jane or Alec was enough to make the venom lightly coat the insides of his mouth as his hunger for power sometimes caused the same response just like he were hungry for a blood meal.

But he still had an example to set and order to maintain; therefore, Aro focused on the task at hand and swallowed the venom pooling in his mouth. After all, he was a very intelligent leader and knew that appearances had to be kept up for his rule to be absolute.

"What do you mean the newborn is still out there?" he asked.

Aro's voice was soft and measured but all of the other vampires present in the Volturi's throne room knew that Demetri and Felix were in a very precarious situation. It was an unspoken rule that one always did what Aro commanded since failure was not really something that he liked to deal with.

But not every member of the guard was that worried for the health and wellbeing of either Demetri or Felix. Jane, for example, watched from the right of the ornate chairs from which Caius and Marcus still sat.

There was an amused interest in her otherwise cold and bored features; she very much hoped that Aro would let her play a little if he opted for the pair to be punished.

It was rare for a member of the guard to be disciplined but Jane lived for those moments. Nothing made her happier than the opportunity to remind her fellow coven members just how superior she was to them.

Her abilities and personality demanded it – even if there was an almost nonexistent chance of any person or vampire forgetting what Jane could do after having seen or experienced her gift first-hand.

Causing excruciating pain in another immortal was one of the few times in her unending existence that she could escape the indifference in knowing that she would never die. It gave her something to measure the passing of years with and also helped to make up for the ridicule and torment that she had suffered by those malicious villagers so early on in her previous, human life.

Something which she had not yet come to terms with, and was thus always present in the back of her mind as she continued to look out upon the respectful but uneasy faces of her fellow guard members as they tried to explain their lack of success to Aro.

"He got away," Demetri answered in a matter-of-fact sort of way.

It was a simple explanation but he was unsure as to the best place to start. After all, he had never encountered someone so singularly unique before – and that wasn't even taking into account Felix's history with the newborn.

"This newborn was, is, more different than anything I have ever seen or experienced, Aro. He has gifts… many, many gifts."

Demetri's voice echoed beautifully off the walls as the leader of all vampires considered this.

Normally Aro hated to hear any excuse; however, in this case there was a strange glint in his eye. Something about this really was different than all the other times a member of his guard had offered a pitiful defense of his or her own shortcomings. It served to build his interest even more in acquiring this newborn for further observation.

"Is that so?"

Aro pressed the conversation forward with his smooth and perfect voice.

Soon, one of his trademark and deadly smiles spread across his face.

"Tell me more then."

It was a simple command as well as a test since everyone present knew that Aro could just see the events for himself if he felt inclined to get this over with quicker using his tactile telepathic gift. It was far easier and far more efficient but over the years, however, Aro had preferred to make sure that what he was told matched what he saw in their memories and thoughts. It was his way of both training and ensuring that every member of the Volturi knew that they must always be truthful to him and the practice had further strengthened his complete and utter control over the vampire world.

Something that both Felix and Demetri were well aware of since they had seen the repercussions first-hand over the years. Countless covens had been lost because one of its members had tried to pull a fast one on Aro, never thinking that the man could see and know everything with a single touch.

And those that weren't killed outright tended to end up in unfortunate situations, one way or another.

"The first thing that we noticed upon hunting this newborn," Demetri spoke up again, "was that I couldn't track him."

Upon hearing that the other members of the guard became noticeably more intrigued with the proceedings. They had never heard about anyone being able to escape from the tracking abilities of Demetri. True, some vampires did have the ability to cloak their minds for a short while; but Demetri's gift had always been stronger and he had always found a way past whatever pitiful defenses had been offered.

"Ah," Aro cooed while his smile widened.

"Is that why you were gone for five days?"

Both Demetri and Felix nodded before Felix took over the narration of events.

"We were instead able to follow the trail of the recently-drained bodies, noting that less and less time had passed since their deaths. For three days we did this until we ended up in Bari. It was there, in the middle of the town square, that we laid eyes on this newborn and he was so..."

However, Felix's voice trailed off at this point. His mind was suddenly just as overcome as it had been upon first catching sight of his beautiful, and now-immortal singer after thinking that he would have to spend an eternity regretting not making him his companion.

Next to him, Demetri hazard a guess at what Felix's abrupt pause was given where they were in the story and so he quickly resumed the recap of events to cover for his friend.

"The second thing that we noticed was that this newborn was remarkably well-behaved and in complete control over his actions. I have never seen someone so young have the ability to control the thirst like he was able to. Aro, he was choosing whom his victim would be with patience, in the middle of a crowded square!"

Again, all of the other vampires present in the room became just a little bit more interested in what they were hearing. No matter how absurd it was to find out that anyone had bested Demetri's gift of tracking, it was simply unheard of for a newborn to not be a slave to the unquenchable thirst that consumed all thought and reason for the first few years – if not decades - of a vampire's life.

"Go on," Aro instructed.

His eyes now had flecks of black mixed in with the red. Normally his eyes turned to black when he was about to feed, but like the venom that had begun to coat his mouth earlier, a hunger for the newborn was developing inside of him and he was very much interested in hearing what had happened next.

Which was the very thing that Felix was struggling with since he didn't know how Aro would react to finding out that he had been the one who had made this newborn in question.

However, this was something that Demetri knew needed to come from Felix, and so the acclaimed tracker turned his head to his friend and gestured for him to continue.

After a shared look with his oldest friend, silently thanking him for his support, Felix faced Aro and finished his side of the story.

"When I saw this newborn in the square… I almost didn't believe what I was seeing… for as soon as I saw him I knew that I had been the one that had given him eternal life."

Knowing that what he had said would come as a shock to everyone – which it had – Felix quickly carried on; for as much as he wanted to tell himself that Aro would soon covet this newborn and try to collect him, he wasn't one-hundred percent certain that it would come without a price. Aro had a reputation for being unpredictable at times and Felix just couldn't bare the thought of anything bad happening to this newborn. Because ever since he had seen his immortal singer in the square, he knew that this was the mate he had been waiting centuries for. In fact, he knew that from this point on his life would be incomplete unless he had that perfect specimen by his side.

"He was my singer, Aro. The greatest singer that I have ever known. His human blood just called to me and from the moment I tasted his scent I knew that nothing would ever compare to it again. I savored each and every last drop of the boy's blood, and though I have never wanted anything more I knew the laws against creating another immortal without your consent. But I don't know how he was changed… and I was stunned upon seeing him in the flesh. I couldn't move, I couldn't think… I thought that my eyes were lying to me… But now that he does exist I desire him greatly, my Lord, and think he could be my mate."

It was the truth and hard for him to admit something so personal to everyone present. However, he knew that Aro would soon take it from his mind and it would have been far worse had he not been upfront.

"I take full responsibility for this," Felix said with his head moving downwards to bow towards the front of the throne room.

"Fascinating," Aro cooed again.

His ruby eyes had grown just a little bit blacker upon hearing that Felix had inadvertently created another vampire. This was indeed the most unusual set of facts that he had heard in quite some time and with every new piece of information he grew more convinced that this newborn was something that he just had to have.

In fact, the fingers on Aro's right hand were twitching from where he held them in front of his chest, clasped within his left hand. He was sorely tempted to simply learn the rest using his own very unique gift; but centuries of practice had given him the patience to resist.

He would find out the rest soon enough.

"And then what happened?" he therefore asked with an obviously interested expression.

"I saw that the newborn was just as fixated on Felix as Felix was on the newborn and so I took the opportunity of their mutual distraction with each other to get closer and capture the newborn," Demetri answered.

"However, the newborn was able to come to his senses and as I approached he snapped out of it and turned to escape. I chased him from the city and into the forest and I was just about to catch him when he jumped across a gorge and …"

Demetri paused for a brief minute; he still had trouble believing what had happened and what he had seen with his own eyes.

But he knew that he had to finish.

"And he turned into a bird and flew away."

Aro's eyes instantly became jet black; for no matter how ridiculous Demetri's statement had been, he knew that it had to be the complete and utter truth. In the three thousand years that he had been alive he had never heard about a vampire with that type of ability and Aro knew that his instincts had been right all along.

He just had to add this newborn to his guard. Therefore, unable to wait another moment to see this creature for himself, Aro quickly reached out and placed his hand against the side of Demetri's face. Instantly, he was now able to see all that had happened for himself.

This black-haired boy was everything that Aro desired to add to his coven. And since he was currently viewing the events for himself within Demetri's mind he could see and feel the lack of mental connection firsthand that was the underlying basis of Demetri's ability to track. In fact, no one that Aro had ever seen from this vantage point felt so unique – not even the vampires that had exhibited some form of resistance to Demetri's power could even compare to the mental gifts of this newborn.

If that were the only gift that this newborn possessed it still would have been enough for Aro to covet him. But it wasn't, for this intriguing young man could also do something that until now Aro didn't think was possible for a vampire.

Seeing this newborn change into a raven was truly quite extraordinary. As it stood, Aro could hardly contain his desire as he flitted through all of the relevant memories and thoughts that Demetri had of this mesmerizing youth.

He wanted this boy so desperately - to think of how he could use these talents to spy on his enemies - and for a few seconds his thoughts focused solely on the best way to bring this newborn into the fold.

Those concerns, however, were over the moment he caught sight of the way Felix and the newborn stared at one another.

He knew instantly that they would become mates, and he knew just how to use that to his advantage after having played that angle many times before.

Therefore, with a smile that only a devil could possess, he exited Demetri's mind and looked down upon the pair.

"Fascinating," he exclaimed.

"Such talent!" he then sighed while moving closer to Felix.

"And you sired him, Felix? Oh, I am quite interested to see what he was like in his human life."

Without another word his left hand was pressed to Felix's temple and everything that Felix had ever seen or thought was open to him. Aro spent a few seconds staring into the emerald green eyes that had entranced Felix in Bari's town square. He had wanted to be one-hundred percent sure that Felix was the key to bringing this newborn to Volterra before proceeding, and after seeing the want in this new vampire's features he knew that he had nothing to worry about.

From there, Aro quickly sought out the memory of Felix 's first encounter with this exquisite being and began to study it carefully.

Felix was running through the woods towards his target. While other vampires preferred to hunt in cities and select their victims based on their beauty or arrogance, every once in a while he liked to hunt like he had in the eleventh century.

To that end he had selected an athletic male and had dropped him off in the middle of nowhere in the dead of night with the instructions that if he wanted to live he had to run as fast as he possibly could. Then, after waiting an hour he began his pursuit.

Even though there was nothing this mortal could do to survive, it gave Felix the smallest sensation of working up an appetite. Of course, it was also a way for him to pass the time and remain entertained after existing for a thousand years.

However, he had just caught sight of the unfortunate runner that he had abducted from his home when the most delicious of scents filled his nostrils.

It was simply indescribable and his mind soon could think of nothing else. The smell was so overwhelmingly seductive that for the first time in Felix's life he lost balance and tripped over a root.

His face slammed in to the base of the tree, creating a dent so large that the tree soon toppled over. The crash sent chills through the body of the exhausted runner only a few hundred yards away, and it was enough to send another rush of adrenaline throughout his body as he continued to run for his life.

If Aro had not experienced the call of this singer for himself than he wouldn't have understood how anything could have unbalanced his most prized Enforcer. But he had and so he completely understood Felix's reaction and then waited within the memory as Felix's vampire senses told him exactly where this delectable mortal was.

The scent was so intoxicating that Felix's vision became tinged with this odd, purplish hue and some of the details of the landscape were left blank or fuzzy as Felix made his way toward this human.

Such was the thrall of this singer that Aro soon began to worry if other parts of this memory would be left out. But he needn't have worried because everything came into crystal clear focus once Felix caught sight of the black-haired beauty sitting in front of his fire.

Just as Aro thought that he couldn't have desired adding this boy to his guard any more, he caught sight of several items that were most unusual and nearly caused him to gasp.

The broom resting at his side would have been weird and out of place if he had not also seen a thin wooden stick being rolled around between this young human's fingers. Aro couldn't believe it! Everything about this newborn just kept getting more interesting. Though, now that this boy was also revealed to have been magical – something that Felix had likely given little thought about considering the effects that singers had – Aro wouldn't stop until he was brought to Volterra.

This was just what he needed to get a better insight into the population that he secretly feared.

Aro let the rest of the memory play out as he contemplated this surprising and hugely beneficial turn of events.

Felix was not entirely in control of his body as he raced up and grabbed the boy from behind. His strong and cold hands held the boy firmly in place as his mouth claimed the crook of the human's neck. As each drop of blood slid down his throat to cool the burning, his mind returned to him little by little.

It was like his subconscious wanted him to remember the best thing that he had ever consumed. Blood had always been a drug to him – like it was to all vampires – but this was the most potent substance that he had ever drunk. Each drop radiated electricity throughout his body and the more he drank the more alive he had felt.

With the ability to think again he was able to process what his other senses were telling him.

Not only was the young man in his arms sinful for a mortal, but his body was also the perfect shape and height that he preferred in his male conquests. For a brief moment he actually began to wish that he could have enjoyed other activities with the mortal before drinking the exquisite blood.

But just as soon as he thought that the slowing of the boy's heart gave him pause. No matter that removing his fangs from the young man's neck was one of the hardest things that he had ever done given the power and call of the blood, Felix just had to look into the eyes of this young adult.

However, that made him feel a longing inside of his chest for this boy was everything that he had ever wanted in a mate. He was beautiful and attractive, but his mind knew the laws that Aro had instilled with the guard.

One last look into those green eyes that silently accepted the death that he offered – emerald eyes that would forever be ingrained in his mind – and Felix shook his head of the thought of a mate and resumed drawing out the last bit of blood left pumping slowly through the boy's body.

When the last ounce of blood that he could extract settled into his stomach, he reluctantly lifted his lips from the boy's still neck for the last time and looked into the closed eyes of the boy.

It was both the greatest and worst situation that he had ever been in and after several moments of holding the rapidly cooling body he dug a hole and buried what he thought was his only chance of companionship.

Aro exited Felix's mind and his smile was now truly predatory. He would have this newborn and he would use Felix to make sure that he got him.

"Find him, Felix, and bring your mate home," he commanded.

Felix slowly lifted his head up and peered at Aro's face. He was too overcome with emotion at Aro's generous words to be anything but thankful for this opportunity.

"Of course, my Lord." He intoned with sincere appreciation.

"I will go at once," he said before bowing slowly.

Felix then turning to head out into the night to find someone that he desperately hoped would feel the same way about him.

Would love to know what you guys and gals are thinking. I write this for myself but I have found that reviews are really helpful when I have to deliberate between several possible story lines.

Thanks for reading!