Alec's POV

He placed his ridiculously cold hand on mine. My eyes flew open when I heard him gasp. What would he say when he saw what has transpired these few days with Bella? How would he take the news that I was completely in love with her? Would my death be a quick one or will it be a slow and painful?

"What have you two done?" he said turning his fierce gaze on Bella. I stiffened immediately ready to defend her if he did anything to harm her. He was furious at us which was to be expected, but I would not allow him to lay a hand on her.

"Um…" started Bella. "What do you mean?" she asked innocently.

"I can't read a single thought in his head. Would you care to explain this to me?" His voice seemed to get an octave louder with each word. I looked over at Bella and her expression, if I was reading it correctly, was a mix between shock, fear and even a little smugness.

"I…uh…what?" she said clearly confused.

"Why. Can. I. Not. Read. His. Thoughts?" The look in Aro's eyes was one that I was only too familiar with. He was on the verge of hurting her and I could not let that happen. I could not let him come near her. I took a step closer so that I was shoulder to shoulder with him.

"I…I blocked them from you. I don't want you knowing anything about me. I've told too much to Alec…you know, about me and Edward so I just…I threw a shield over him."

"I don't need you shielding me. You shouldn't keep my master in the dark." I said trying to play as if I was on Aro's side when all I felt was relief wash over me. I didn't know she could extend her powers to others and obviously neither did she, up until now.

"No," he said putting his hand on my shoulder again clearly trying to get another read on me. The small slump in his shoulders told me that he got nothing. "Alec, it will be just fine. Let my mate keep her secrets. If that is what she wishes then that is what she will get. Stay with her though, I don't want anyone else anywhere near her. That goes for Edward as well. If he should choose to want to visit, then he will need to come to me first."

I bowed my head in reply.

"No!" she yelled at him, but I could tell she didn't really mean it. She was starting to see that maybe Edward's love for her wasn't so solid. I felt for her, but I wasn't complaining.

"Ah, Isabella, do not fret my love. You still have me. Remember, you only need call on me and I will be here to make you fully my own."

I clenched my teeth and balled up my fists wanting to attack Aro. I could see the look on Bella's face and she was terrified. She feared him and she loathed him and for the first time in hundreds of years, I too wanted nothing to do with Aro. I have decided that my loyalty does not lie with the Volturi, but with the woman standing in front of me who was currently cringing at the touch of the demon beside her.

"Aro," I dared interrupt. "Shall I take her hunting?" I asked in an attempt to take his lustful thoughts away from her.

"No, she can stay here. Do not leave her side."

"Yes master." It was the one order I could follow through gladly.

He placed a kiss on Bella's lips and it took all of the self control I had not to snap his neck right there.

"Until later my Isabella."

And he left us alone again in the room.

She was facing the ground her brows furrowed. She looked like she wanted to cry. I walked up to her and she let herself fall into my arms. Her dry sobs were heart breaking and it was another first for me as I wanted to cry with her.

"I'm sorry." I whispered for her ears only. "I'm going to get you out of here, I promise."

She looked up at me, her eyes glassy with unshed tears and put her hands on my head. She closed her eyes and then said, "Numb me." What was she talking about? Even if I wanted to I couldn't.

"I can't."

"Yes you can. Please just numb the fear I have."

I would do anything she asked me to.

"Open your eyes Bella." She did and I focused mine on hers as the signature mist that came with my power wrapped around us both.

The hard lines on her face relaxed until she fell limply into my arms.

"Bella? Bella, can you hear me?"

"Please hold me."

I picked her up in my arms and took her to her bed. I lay down with her, her head on my chest and her arms around my waist, and it was as if she was sleeping. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was even.

I played with her hair absentmindedly and sang a song my mother, from another life, sang to me before I went to sleep.

While the moon her watch is keeping,
All through the night
While the weary world is sleeping,
All through the night
O'er thy spirit gently stealing,
Visions of delight revealing
Breathes a pure and holy feeling,
All through the night.

"That's beautiful, Alec." She said groggily.

"How did you do it, Bella? How did you block Aro and how did you let me in?"

"I don't know it's hard to explain. I got scared and I felt as if I threw my protection at you. Once I knew what that felt like it was easy to pull the protection back to let your powers work on me."

"Do you feel better now? Now that I've numbed the pain?"

"Yes. Thank you, Alec. It almost feels like I'm about to fall asleep. I may just ask you to do it again."

"And I would do anything you asked me to do gladly." I placed a kiss on the top of her head and held her like this the entire night. Neither of us spoke for hours. It wasn't until almost sunrise when she broke the silence.

"Tell me something about you that no one else knows." I looked down to see her eyes looking up at me intently.

"But I already have."

"Tell me something else." I looked down at her and traced circles on the back of her hand. I couldn't seem to get enough of this girl who stole my heart after centuries of feeling nothing but vile emotions.

"Ok…" I took a deep breath and held her hand, more for support.

"I was nine when I first met Aro. He was stalking my village watching my sister and I. I was a pretty bad kid, a bully of sorts and my sister…well you can only imagine. He made me promises of immortality and ultimate power. I was intrigued. When I turned sixteen my father and my mother were killed at his hands. You see, my sister and I knew what he was, but the others…they did not. They believed that he was a witch or a warlock. According to him he was forced to slaughter them since they were going to burn him at the stake. I ran. When I saw my mother and my father killed, I no longer wanted anything to do with the Volturi. I no longer wanted to become a vampire, immortal life be damned. I being young, weak and vulnerable was caught easily enough and turned against my will. My sister on the other hand has always been fascinated by him and I think she believes she loves him, if she is even capable of such a thing as loving someone. In the end it was either serve him or die. I was a coward and I gave in. I already told you what happened with Elijah, he was my grandfather." She took in a sharp breath and buried her face in my shoulder.

"I didn't know, I'm so sorry."

"No, my love, do not be. I do not deserve any sympathy for I have had none on my many victims. I will forever be haunted with the faces of the thousands of innocent lives I have stolen. I do not even deserve to have this bit of happiness with you in my arms. But I've already confessed to be a selfish person, and I would rather be here with you for an hour, than to live an eternity without you."

"Alec, please don't say things like that. You've never had a choice. You've never been told about another option, have you?"

I shook my head.

"You see, you've never even met Carlisle, how could you know until Edward came here that there was a way out, a different life you could be living?"

"Bella, I'm a monster. Had Carlisle himself come here and told me about this life of his he lives without being a murderer I still would not have left. I still would not have changed. It took you to come into my life to know that I would be willing to change everything about myself, as long as I had you in my life."

She leaned up on her elbow and arched an eyebrow.

"Why me, Alec?"

"Why not, Bella? I don't know." I pushed back a stray hair behind her ear and kissed her perfect little nose.

"I don't know much about anything anymore. The only thing I do know is that I love you."

She took my hand and kissed it before interlacing her fingers with mine. It was a perfect fit. I just hoped that she could see it too.

"Can you numb me again?" her reply came in the form of the mist.

I felt something odd come over me. I slowly started to feel a little numb myself. The mist turned from a clear early morning mist into a small fog. I looked at Bella and she was looking back at me.

"I can make you feel your own power."

I wrapped my arms around her, holding her tight against my body and nestled my head into her hair, breathing in her delicious comforting scent. I focused on numbing her and in return I felt what she was feeling. Within a matter of seconds her eyes were closed and her breathing was even.

"Bella, can you hear me?" I heard soft snores coming from her before I too joined her.

It was the first time in nine hundred and ninety six years that I, as a vampire, was able to fall asleep.