Bella's Point of View.

Aro stood before me, "Drink, Bella. The longer it takes you to taste it, the longer you'll be here with us. You need blood to survive, don't you realize that?"

"Its human blood. I'd prefer not to try it, ever." I said, though it smelled so delectable that my mouth was watering. Aro reached for my hand, but I quickly pulled it away. I didn't want him touching me. As I did so, his happiness turned to anger.

"Every vampire has to taste human blood some time in their life. You shouldn't be without it." He paused as I shook my head. "Isabella, if you don't drink it I swear to you, you won't leave Italy."

I stared at him for a long moment, before reaching for the goblet. I couldn't lie; my stomach had been growling the entire night. Sighing, I raised it to my lips, and drank from it. On my tongue, the blood taste like heaven. I wanted more. Before I knew it, I had downed the entire goblet.

Aro nodded, pleased. "You still want to be one of those vegetarian vampires?" he said, rolling his eyes. He didn't wait for me to answer him, he stood leading me out of the dining area. "I suppose that's enough for now. I'll let you go back to your room for a few hours or so."

As we finally reached my room, Aro turned to look at me. "Carlisle will sent in later to help you learn to hunt animals. Understand?"

"Carlisle is here?!" I said, my annoyance turning to happiness quickly. Aro nodded and sighed at me.

"I really don't understand your kind, preferring that rubbish. Either way..." He shrugged, opening my bedroom door and sending me inside, before leaving.

I sat in the dim light of the room, on the black couch that had been provided for me. It was comfortable, considering I didn't need to sleep on it. I bit my lip, and faced what I'd been trying to ignore the past few hours. Edward had left me, yet again. How could he have given up so quickly?

I glanced again at myself in the mirror on the wall. How could I have changed so much on the outside, and so very little on the inside? Shouldn't the transformation have made me stronger emotionally, too?

All I knew was that it hadn't. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw them. Charlie, Jacob, Renee, people I'd never again get the chance to see. This hurt me, but not nearly as much as when my mind drifted to thoughts of Edward- which was more often than the others. His face and smile tugged on my heart.

For some reason, when he told me it wouldn't be long till we saw one another again, I could feel that he was unsure. I could feel that he was not being truthful. I was sure of this, though how I knew, I wasn't so sure.

I stood from the couch, pacing around the room. Had the Volturi honestly left me in here with my thoughts to drive me mad? I couldn't dare let my thoughts drift once more to the ones I'd never again see, the ones that were my family, or the one that I had fallen madly in love with.

As if my silent prayer had been answered, the doorknob turned, and the door began to open. Without thinking, I ran to the door and flung myself in the arms of the man in front of me. "Carlisle! Tell me Edward is okay!" I said, hugging him, before feeling my entire body stiffen. I wasn't in the arms of Carlisle, as I'd thought.

"Oh, Bella, I wasn't expecting you to greet me like this." Herrod spoke. I tried to get out of his arms, but he had them locked around my waist.

"Let go of me!" I said, pulling away from him as he stepped both of us into the room, shutting the door behind him.

"Oh, don't be so sour. You're such a beautiful woman, won't you humor me a bit?" He said, running his hand over my jawbone. Quickly, I slapped it away, reaching behind my back to try to unlock his arm and pull it from me.

"Let me go!" I screamed, before his hand covered my mouth, gently.

"Sh, Bella, you wouldn't want to alarm everyone. Would you? That would only get you into trouble." He said, speaking rather calmly, and never letting his grip loosen. Herrod made his way to the couch, still holding me. "Now, I'm taking my hand off your mouth. Lets talk calmly."

I pulled away from him as soon as we were sitting. "You shouldn't be in my room." I said, speaking harshly, but not yelling. As much as I hated to admit it, he was right. If we alarmed anyone, I was sure it would be me who got the blame, rather than him.

"I can be wherever I like. Should I prove that to you?"

"I'm asking you to leave." I said, standing and moving away from him again.

Quicker than I could blink, there Herrod was, cornering me against the wall. "I don't think I'm ready to leave yet. Are you going to quit being so childish already?"

"What is it that you exactly want?" I said, staring up at him. A smirk appeared on his lips as I spoke. His eyes stared into mine for a moment, before making their way down my jawbone, and then down my entire body, lingering far too long.

"I think you know what I want."

"No! Get away from me!" Maybe he thought I was stupid, but I certainly understood his innuendo. He grabbed my wrists tightly, as I was pushing him away.

"Oh, so you'll be with that lover boy, but not with me?" He looked at the door. "Quiet down, you're going to get yourself killed if you get caught making a move on me like this."

"I'm not doing anything!" I yelled again, using my feet to try to push his body away from mine. I was frightened both by his words, and by him. "Don't speak of Edward like that, either! He's an amazing man, and more genuine than you ever will be!"

This angered Herrod, and he moved closer to me, squeezing my wrists tightly. "I think we'll see about that." He reached his lips down to touch my collar bone.

"Don't do that! Get off me!"

I heard the door open, and a familiar voice. "Bella!" Carlisle screamed, quickly making his way by my side and helping me to push Herrod off of me. "You stay away from her. Let it be known that Caius will hear of this. To think he trusted you." Carlisle shook his head quickly.

Herod glared at Carlisle a long moment. "Like he'll believe you, you filthy old man." He snarled as he stormed out of the room.

Carlisle hugged me tightly, and I whimpered. "Holy Crow! What are you doing here? I thought they were making you leave!"

"I convinced them to let me stay. You have to learn how to hunt animals some way, don't you? And I don't mean pigs like the one that was just in here."

I couldn't help but laugh as Carlisle released me from his grip. Nodding, I spoke, "I thought you weren't supposed to be taking me for a few hours."

"They let me come in early, thank goodness."

"Is Edward okay?"

"He's fine, Bella."

A feeling washed over me like it had yesterday, when I was speaking to Edward. Maybe it was better described as an instinct. "You're lying, Carlisle."

"I'm not ly-"

"You're doing it again! Just tell me the truth!" My voice showed my frustration, as I'm sure my eyes did. Carlisle was staring deep into them. He began nodding slowly.

"He didn't want to go."

"Then why did he?"

"Alice's vision."

"She had a vision?"

Carlisle nodded, and I looked down. As I did, so did he. "Bella!" He said, putting his hand on my shoulder.

"What was her vision."

"Bella, you weren't supposed to know that. How did you?" The aggravated look on his face faded as his lips curved into an upward smirk. "Bella, I think I know your power. How did you know I was lying?"

"It was just a feeling. I have a power?"

"Actually, that is two powers. You could tell when I was lying. That instinct you got." He paused crossing his arms over his stomach and shaking his head. "And then when you looked in my eyes, you forced me to be truthful."

"I did?"

"Did you not hear me a second ago? You weren't supposed to hear anything that I said to you."

Taken aback, I stared at him for a moment, and then away again. "Who else has two powers? Does any other vampire you know of have two powers?"

Shaking his head, Carlisle touched my shoulder again. "No, never have I found a record of a single vampire with two powers. Be sure and keep this between us. If the Volturi find out, they'll find more use for you."

I had no reason to argue. Before I could speak again, Carlisle looked from me to the door. "We'd better get going, Bella. If we don't leave soon so I can show you to hunt, they'll get suspicious." He said, leading me out of the room, and down the hall to the elevators.

The walk to the gates was quiet. I was too busy letting myself get lost in my own thoughts to have anything to say. Carlisle glanced at me. "We'll run out beyond a bit beyond the city. There's a forest not too far from here."

I nodded at him, "Before we go, can I ask you something?" Carlisle sighed and turned to me. "Of course you can, Bella. After what I did to you, I'm surprised you'll talk to me at all."

"It's not your fault." I paused, staring out at everything in front of us. "I'll see Edward again, soon, wont I?" I turned once more to look at Carlisle.

"Nothing in this world, or the next could keep him from you, Bella. I think you've known that all along."

Relief washed over me, and I smiled. I had no instinct Carlisle was telling a lie. With that, Carlisle sped off, and I sped off after him, for an afternoon of teaching and learning, on both ends.