Next instalment, yippee! Not much happens, but I need to get this bit out of the way already. I don't own Twilight. d0_-0b Anonymous reviews are enabled, in case anyone's interested...in reviewing! (You know you want to. Or not.)

I sit on my bed, nervous. I'm wearing a knee-length, wine coloured dress, my bare feet tracing patterns on the cold marble floor.

Chelsea tried training me more, but gave up after she realised I wasn't at all able to focus. Is Dr Cu- I mean, Carlisle, going to say there's something really, really wrong with me? Will I always be bumping into things, falling over? What if I do officially become part of the guard and then stumble when on Volturi business, and someone takes advantage of that and decides to end me-

"How are you?"

I spin around, and glare at Alec, my imaginary heart thudding in my chest. You wouldn't think that vampires get scared, would you? But Alec brings out the worst in me. It's his little extra talent. "I'm great, Alec, actually! Don't you have some humans to petrify or something?"

He makes a show of being hurt, his gorgeous face twisting for a second. "And here I was thinking you enjoyed my company..." He leans against my doorframe lazily, watching me.

"Like a rash," I snarl. I pause. I shouldn't get so het up over everything he does! But I am nervous about what Dr Cu- I mean, Carlisle, has to say about me. And I'm still mad at myself for not kicking Alec's ass earlier. It doesn't matter how pretty he is- he's still a jerk. And therefore I have a right to orchestrate him into next Tuesday. He smiles at my comment, and I lose it.

He thinks this is funny. My fear, my anger... Hilarious. To him. I stride over until I'm right in front of him. My chin barely reaches his collarbone and I have to tilt my head back to glare at him properly. He smiles.

"Just can't stay away, can you?" he smirks.

I hit him, not with my power, but with my fist in his stomach. I didn't think he'd ever expect me to do that, and I was right. He staggers slightly and falls back onto my bed. He looks around, blinking, as I breathe heavily, telling myself I shouldn't lash out at him. Because if I go too far, he always-

Freezes me. Damn. He catches me before I crumple onto the floor, and after what seems like a moment of careful consideration, picks me up, slinging my body into his arms as if it weighs nothing at all. I'm frozen, my neck turned so that I'm left staring at his face. He glances down at me, seeming almost troubled, before he lays me down on my bed. The white ceiling fills my view, and I try desperately to hurl a melody at him, but he's cut that off from me as well. I can't see him very well, but I can feel the mattress move as he sits down next to me. His face -I can only see a bit from my position- is unreadable as he looks at my stretched out figure, lying there, helpless. Vulnerable to him. His gaze travels down my body and I feel his concentration waver slightly, freeing my jaw.

"You can't do anything, Aro will be most d-displeased if I leave because of you-" I stutter. He cuts my control over my jaw and voice box without looking away from the spot just between my thighs.

"I won't do anything," he says, his voice as hard to read as his face. "I- simply find that this is the only way to keep you still long enough to really...look at you..." his voice trails off, uncertain.

He leans over me, his face suddenly blocking out the ceiling, the only thing I can see. Dark hair frames a handsome face with strong features and thoughtful, wary eyes. Wary? O-kay... We gaze at each other. I feel my eyes widen when he puts his hands on either side of my head, bending the mattress, and brings his body to hover over mine, the thoughtful look turning warmer as it turns it's focus to my face. My arms are sprawled by my sides, useless. Alec looks at me, blank-faced. No fake love. Nothing. It's almost scary, the way his face looks. I should be so angry right now. I will be later. Right now... Oh god, his body is so perfect... Wait, what am I thinking? But my body wants him closer. His right knee forces my legs apart and one of my legs drops over the edge of the bed, my bare foot brushing the cold marble floor. My other knee goes up, brushing his shirt. Our breathing is off-kilter and I realise how bad this would look if anyone walked in. Like we're-

What is Alec planning on doing? I'm frozen- I can't stop him... I remember suddenly what Dad said to me once, when he was actually paying attention.

'You find out the most about a person's character when they have power. When someone can do whatever he or she wants- that's when you find out what sort of choices they make, whether they're good people or not. Whether they deserve your trust or not.'

Alec's dark eyes look straight into mine, and I feel like prey. His head dips suddenly and his mouth skims my neck, leaving lingering, burning half-kisses above my collarbone. I swallow, and remember something from my natural history book. Wolves tear out their prey's throat when they kill them, don't they? Lions do the same from behind. Alec could tear out my throat any second. Alec's body drops slightly and his weight pins me down, the fabric of his shirt rubbing against my arms, his cool length taunt against mine. Taunt, as if he's stopping his movement as well as mine. Stopping himself... Hesitating? That makes no sense! He buries his face in my throat, and I take a shallow breath. Should I be scared? I don't know. What is Alec thinking? ...and why can't I be angry...? Alec's head rises and his forehead leans against mine, his eyes closed. His control is slipping. If I wanted to, I could throw him across the room with the sheer vibrations of my melodies.

But I don't. I don't understand myself anymore. His mouth is so close, and one of his arms goes under my stomach, pulling my middle up to him, so that I can feel the material of his trousers against my legs. His other hand goes under my head, playing with the hair, twisting it around his fingers with an almost savage gentility. Why...?

"Why?" I ask. Why is he doing is? Is it another trick? Where is his cocky attitude? What is he doing?

I smell his scent. He smells like smoking timber, and I understand why I've never noticed it before. His smell stays amazingly close to his skin, like he's in his very own personal bubble. A bubble I've breached a few times, now.

"Damn..." he trails off, his voice hollow. His mouth hovers a millimetre from mine. My stomach flips. I can't bring myself to push him away. What's wrong with me..?

He ricochets back, away from me, suddenly standing, looking furious. The anger dissolves slightly when he sees my confused face, the way my dress has ridden up, my clenched fists. Ok. Now I'm angry. He thinks he can just play with me? Toy with my body like I'm just a rag doll?

I stand up, brush myself off, smile, and slap him. His head flies to one side and I'm thankful for newborn strength yet again. "Romeo," I say, and hurl a screaming concerto at his head. "Romeo," I repeat, and this time he tries to stand up. I see red. Why would he do that? I was helpless. He could have done anything! What if he hadn't stopped? I throw a ream of braking trains at his ears. "What the hell are you trying to do, Romeo? Why did you do that? Answer me!"

"Chelsea," he mutters, his back against the wall. I kneel down in front of him, my eyes fixed on his face as it refuses to look at me.

"What? What does Chelsea have to do with this?" I ask furiously, pointing to myself and then him.

"She told you about her talent, yes? I...think she's using it on me," he admits, teeth gritted. His fingers, seemingly involuntarily, brush my hands. I move away, refusing to acknowledge the bolts of need his touch sends through my system. "She said about her being able to manipulate emotional ties between people, right? I think...Aro ordered her to make us 'love' each other..."

"So all that just now was a lie?" I ask, my voice catching slightly for no apparent reason. He smirks,before turning serious again.

I feel my face start to contort slightly with humiliation and turn around quickly, starting to pace around furiously. He still isn't really seeing this as anything but a distraction. He doesn't see me as a person.

"You didn't push me off," he says, his voice hollow again. I look at him, surprised. His dark eyes burn into mine hotly. "I let you go, but you didn't push me off. I know you knew. Why didn't you attack me straight away, Anna? Why didn't you?"

I take a step back as he stands up smoothly.

"Answer me, Anna," he demands. I look at him. He let me go...on purpose. He gave me my control back- to see what I'd do?

"Is Chelsea making you love me?" I whisper. I must sound so stupid. He laughs raggedly and runs his long, slim fingers through his hair.

"Not quite love... It's mostly physical..." he mumbles. "No." He looks at me, oddly calm. "Is she making you love me?" he asks, dangerous and soft. I look at him uncertainly. He steps closer, his hands looping around my waist carelessly. We stare at each other, and I try to remember my anger. I turn my face away from his. The perfect panels of his face don't move, waiting.

"I..." I pause. I can't love him. He's egotistical, sadistic, over-confident swine... But. There's a knock on the door.

"Anna?" The door swings open. A vampire I don't recognise does a double take when he sees Alec's arms slung around me.

The next second I do something I'm not very proud of. The surprise and tension builds up, and as soon as I look at the guy opening the door, the wave of sound unleashed from my mind hurls him backwards, and slams the door in his face with a loud BANG. I breathe slowly, then realise how stupid I just was. I push Alec away, stumble -god dammit- and open the door shakily.

I realise Alec's laughing, his body practically spasming, and I try not to die of embarrassment when I open the door. The vampire looks at me, amused, and does a low bow.

"Dimitri," he says, by way of introduction. I do an extremely terrible curtsey, concentrating on not falling over. Alec isn't laughing anymore. He's being as quiet as the grave. Haha...grave.

"Did you want something?" I ask nervously. Dimitri nods, and I don't miss the flash of amusement that crosses his face. Oh, god almighty.

"Dr Cullen requires your presence," he informs me, trying to sound professional. I freeze. Please be good news, please be good news, I beg quietly. Seeming content that he's done his job, Dimitri smiles and leaves. I breathe out, not realising I was holding my breath.

"Go on, then," Alec says quietly. I look at him over my shoulder. He's looking at me, smirking, his hands in his pockets.

"I should... Bye, um," I say intelligently, and run.

I'm going to try some AlecPOV in next chapter...

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