Chapter 7

Rescue

We waited for the cover of nightfall, my chase of having a child of my own was so close and yet so far; this had to be done delicately. I felt so exhilarated, knowing that my search was over, but for the first time in all of my existence I was actually feeling a little concerned for the life of the young mortal. With the knowledge of what was to become of her, if the birth of the child would be successful; now I was enduring only a fraction's taste of the situation young Edward had experienced with his beloved Bella.

But Carlisle was beginning to express his concerns.

"Aro, now I really must protest; I am happy for you that you found the right mortal but you have not even begun to control your thirst – if you try to court her now you will kill her before a connection can even take place."

"Yes, maybe so but I have to at least home in on her scent so I can find her again." I replied.

Our little group followed her as she strolled through the streets until she went through a small quiet park.

"Carlisle..." came Jasper's voice.

We followed his gaze and ahead was a group of ruffians – if only I had the convenient ability of distant telepathy; but as the young mortal walked carelessly closer, the group began to move in around her. I leant down to Alec and whispered a little plan I had in mind, Alec faded and camouflaged himself into the shadows while Carlisle, Jasper and Emmett stayed behind as I went after the woman with Jane at my side. But then the group had caught her and they circled her.

One of them began adjusting her hair. "You're a pretty little thing, aren't ch'ya."

"Get off me!" she cried.

"Why don't you stay a while?" Said another.

"Don't touch me!" she yelled, and then she slapped one of them.

Until another grabbed her shirt that was when I let myself be known. "Excuse me!"

All of their faces turned to me.

"Well boys look what we have here."

"Is this your bitch, pretty boy?"

In over a thousand years I had never been so disrespected, I found it rather humorous actually; but Jane strongly did not.

"I think it'd be best if you gentlemen release the maiden."

They all laughed, one of the boys locked the girl's head in his arms while a few of the others advanced, hungrily eyeing Jane.

"Hey, baby, why don't you join the party?" One invited.

The others began to ignore me but I smiled, as I raised my right hand their faces morphed and they began to drift back, and then my fingers outstretched and each one of them fell to the ground.

"Ha ha ha haaa."

Jane smiled as the screams of the one she was torturing exulted. Upon releasing him, the human struggled to escape; I went forth and picked up the girl, as soon as she was in my arms, Alec and Jane advanced and quickly placed the bodies elsewhere. The girl then raised her head, as she awoke from Alec's spell.

"What happened? Who are you?" she asked, her voice was beautiful and harmonising, even in its state of shock.

"Calm yourself, my dear. My name is Aro." I whispered. "What's your name?"

"Sonja." She replied lightly.

"I'm watching over you, Sonja."

Her delicious brown eyes faded, her arms wrapped around my neck, as her head collapsed on my chest; suddenly the wind blew in across my face, and as I breathed in the scent of her blood pulsated through me and I could feel the succulent heartbeat pumping in her wrists. The smell hit me harder than anything I had ever felt before, my muscles clenched tightly; the aroma was just tempting me so, it was becoming tormenting.

Carlisle rushed to my side to examine the girl, the poor lamb was weak; she needed time to rest, and my throat was burning terribly. Jasper came and took her and placed her in Carlisle's arm; from the corner of my eye, I saw Alec and Jane return having just took care of the ruffians. But then all of a sudden my body locked instinctively, as did Jasper, Emmett and Carlisle – without crushing the girl – Jane and Alec came to me immediately, and then emerging from the darkness were two familiar faces.

It was Edward and Bella.

"Edward, Bella, what are doing here?" asked Carlisle.

Continuing their stride; hand in hand. "Esme was getting worried." Spoke Bella.

"Well as you can see, we're handling ourselves just fine." Laughed Emmett.

The young couple took once glance at the woman and I knew Edward realised who she was.

"Well, you certainly found her much quicker than I expected." Commented Edward.

I brushed my hand across my lips and stopped breathing altogether, "Oh, no." Came Edward.

Grabbing his arm, I saw my eyes were blacker than the night. Carlisle saw the state of my condition.

"Oh dear, Edward, Jasper, Emmett; get Aro out of here, while I take Sonja home."

The boys nodded, helping me walk away from the girl; all through my mind ideas just infested my thoughts of how to kill her and to just sample the taste of her blood – it came to the point where young Emmett and Jasper had to almost hold my arms just to make sure that I wouldn't turn and run in the opposite direction.

Even when we entered the national park, by now Carlisle had caught up with us and still the scent on his clothes was so clear; briefly I took Carlisle's hand as we walked, observing through his memories. I watched Carlisle place her in a bed and pulled the quilt over her body; just looking down over her while he brushed the hair out of her eyes, I felt slightly odd – like a small string of attachment began to form.

When we reached the Cullen's house, Jane and Alec stood beside me as I placed myself down on the lounge; Carlisle was keeping a close watch over me, and kind enough to offer me a cup of human blood from his reserves to steady my thirst. Thinking of how inviting the girl's scent was, never having experienced something like this before, I believed that I had now met my singer – the one who's blood would tempted me far greater than anyone else – it only ever happens to a vampire ones or twice, sometimes thrice, in his or hers own eternity.

And yet I felt the need to protect her – to my understanding she was the one who was going to carry my child into this world... and so I felt I had no choice but to protected her.

"It's hard isn't it?" came Edward's voice. A smirk came to my face as I looked at him. "The harder you try to keep her alive; the harder it will be to destroy her."

Nodding in understanding I looked down once again. "It's just such a waste." I finished the last sip of human blood, "Well, this will only make things a little more than potentially problematic, will it not?" I asked, rhetorically.

"Indeed," agreed Edward, the only one who would understand my situation. "It was hard enough when my Bella was human, but her scent was not as strong as it used to be. And you feed on humans regularly; normally one would not stand out from the rest, so I could only imagine that you would be even more tempted than I ever was."

I sighed heavily, "Carlisle, is there hope for me at all?" I asked.

He took a few steps forward towards me, "Well, the only thing we can do is help you control your thirst; and hope that, in time, everything will turn out for the best."

And so it was – ever since that night when we rescued the young woman – Carlisle was kind enough to keep a close eye on her while Jane, Alec and myself began mastering the control over our thirst; and I never realised what degree of strength in restraint the Cullens put themselves under each and every day.