Alec's POV

"Wake up, Bella, we've been asleep for four days." She shot up and looked around the room.

"Slow down Bella. You almost threw me off the bed." She looked at me and smiled and it took everything I had not to sweep her off her feet and get her out of this nightmare. But I couldn't, of course, not yet anyway.

"How do you know we've been asleep that long?" she asked running her fingers through her hair.

"Another one of my many abilities, I can tell time. It used to serve me better before alarm clocks were invented. It's the first time in a long time that I've actually cared to know the time."

She laid back down on the bed and took my hand.

"Thank you, Alec. I really needed that." I leaned down so that I was hovering above her and kissed her.

"No, thank you for allowing me to fall asleep with you. It has been…too long since I've been able to."

She pulled me down so that my body was pressed against hers. Her fingers wandered as mine tried their damnedest to behave.

"Bella, you're doing it to me again." I said against her lips.

"Shut up and take me, Alec." And she moaned. God, what is she trying to do to me? It would be too easy to have her right here, too easy to pleasure her over and over and over again, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Not here, not now, and not while she was technically still with Edward. I couldn't stand that she wasn't mine, not fully. I wanted her to remember this…and to remember it purely, with me. I don't want her to think back on our first…encounter…as that time I was held captive by the Volturi.

She deserved better than that.

I grabbed her by her wrists and kissed the area just under her ear.

"Patience, my sweet Bella. You already have me. I'm already yours. I won't be going anywhere." I whispered brushing my lips along her neck. She groaned and then sighed.

"Trust me, Bella. I want nothing more than to take you right here, right now. I want you so bad it feels like physical pain. But I want you to have the best. This isn't the best."

I rolled off of her and stood looking down at her on the bed. Her dark jeans and her brown sweater revealed way too little for my liking at the present time.

"Come on, let's get you fed. Your eyes are black." She let me bring her to her feet.

"So are yours." She said coming up on her toes to kiss me one last time before we left the room.

"Alec, I'm going to keep the block on you, so you don't have to be afraid of Aro touching you. Anyone else's powers should bounce right off of you as well."

I bent down and kissed her again, harder this time, relishing the way her mouth fit on mine.

"I will keep you safe out there. Do you trust me?" she looked at me full in the eyes and without hesitation replied with a simple and confident, "Yes."

"Then play along if I get…a little rough. And don't listen to the nonsense I say. I love you."

She smiled and took my hand bringing it to her lips. "As do I."

I kissed her on her head before I opened the door and let go of her hand. I walked in front of her to keep the appearance that I was still in control and that I couldn't stand to be near her. If only they knew that she was in total control of everything I did and that I loved her more than I ever loved anyone in my immortal life.

I walked down the stairs, past the several private rooms and into the 'Feeding Hall'. I checked to make sure there were no humans inside before I opened the door and demanded she enter. As she walked past me her unique sent filled the air and I felt every muscle in my body tense, one more than others. I wanted to pin her up against the wall and –

"Alec, so good to see you. I hear that they have you locked up with the newborn." Marcus' voice drifted over to me snapping me out of my…condition.

I turned my attention from Bella to Marcus and worried that he would now see my new tie to Bella.

"I was worried there for a while. I feared the newborn might have gotten the upper hand on you."

"Huh?" I said more than a little confused.

"Well, she is a beauty now, isn't she?"

"Fuck you Marcus!" Bella shouted out. She walked over to him, pushed passed him with her shoulder and opened up the giant stainless steel door that contained the donor blood. I don't know how she knew to go there, but she did. She took out ten packets and tossed them all into the over sized microwave and pressed the buttons to heat them up. She then turned to face us both, her arms crossed leaning up against the table.

I looked over at Marcus and saw that he was just as mesmerized as I was by her very seductive movements.

"How curious," he said as he walked over to her. He stood just inches from her and I adjusted myself ready to pounce on him if he did anything to harm her.

"I can't read a single relationship that you have to anyone, not even young Alec over there." He moved her hair out of her face tracing the back of her shoulder blade and then faced me."

"Aro mentioned that she had a protective block over you. Don't you find that just a little suspicious? I do. Why would she need to hide the bond between you two? Everyone here knows how much you hate her and her you."

"I don't hate him." Said Bella. "I despise him. And for starters it's none of your damn business what I do with my own powers, and second, I can't control what powers my shield blocks. If I want to hide my own thoughts through his eyes and throw a shield over it, it will then protect everything."

"I tried telling Aro to have her remove it. I do not want to be some puppet in her little game, but he refuses. He finds it intriguing and he allows her to get away with way too much." I said hoping my act held credibility.

Marcus laughed at me and walked out of the room.

"I'm sure glad it is you and not me. Good luck young one." I rolled my eyes at his back as the door snapped shut. She let out a deep breath before turning back to the microwave and taking out the now warm donor bags. She tossed me one and I downed it in three gulps. It was absolutely disgusting, but I promised I would do this for her…and for myself. I walked over to her brushing my hands over hers as I took the next one. I smiled at her and was rewarded with a smile in return.

We drank in silence until every drop was gone.

"You know animal blood is going to taste much worse." I groaned and held her hand.

"It's a price I'm more than willing to pay." She bumped her shoulder to mine, letting go of my hand and walked ahead of me. I wonder if she swayed her hips like that on purpose. Who cares? Let my eyes feast upon thy beauty.

My lustful eyes were soon torn from the object of my desire by the last person on this planet I ever wanted to see again – Edward.

The door swung open and he walked in with Jane at his side. They were talking animatedly, almost flirty, but he was quickly stopped in his tracks as he came face to face with Bella.

My heart dropped and my body, if possible, went cold. I stopped breathing. What would she do? Would she run into his arms, would she let him back in? Would she kiss him? Oh God, I hated feeling this way.

They stood about five feet from each other and his eyes went wide when he saw her. What the fuck? Did he think she disappeared or something? He looked like he never thought he'd see her again.

"Bella!" he said shocked and took the three steps needed to fill the gap between them and gave her a big bear hug. I felt a growl escape my lips, luckily no one noticed. I focused all of my attention on what Bella would do next.

"Get your hands off of me." She whispered. I could tell from where I was standing the conflicting emotions she was feeling.

"What?" he said.

"She said get your damn hands off of her!" I shouted from where I stood. He let her go slowly, keeping a hold on her hand. I wanted to rip his damn arms apart.

She didn't force him to let go of her hand and I thought I was going to go crazy watching him touch her. He brought her over to me and stopped three feet away.

"Do you have a problem with me and Bella?"

"Yes." I said, beginning to tell him that she was mine and not his anymore when I caught myself.

"She is to be Aro's new mate. She no longer belongs to you, so hand her over." I held our my hand and she took a step toward me but he held her back.

"She will never be with him." He said between clenched teeth.

"Edward, shut up and let go of my hand." He snapped his head at her and opened his mouth several times as if trying to say something, but didn't manage anything because my anger was no longer in check. I pulled Bella out of his hold on her. I pushed her behind me as I punched him in the face. I wasn't able to get another one in as Jane stood in front of him blocking my way.

"Brother, what are you doing?"

"Protecting Aro's assets."

She looked Bella up and down before looking back at me.

"Ah-huh. Well I, too, need to protect his assets. Quit punching him."

"You never had any qualms of torturing him before."

She laughed. "That's right, my brother, he is mine for the taking."

She grinned at me and winked before kicking him in the stomach and ordering him to stand up. He did and looked over at Bella. He had the audacity to appear hurt.

"What are you doing Bella?" He whined.

She left my side and helped him up to his feet. She stared at him lovingly and caressed his face. My blood was boiling over with jealousy. I had a mind to throw her over my shoulder and hide her from the world. But then I'd be no better than him. Instead I balled my fists at my sides and clenched my jaw.

"I've missed you, Bella." Apparently that was the wrong thing for him to say because her hand froze. She dropped it to her side before thinking better of it and smacked him with everything she had.

"You left me! You could have come to me so many times but you never did! You were too busy with your sadistic bitch over there that you never once thought that maybe I needed you. Go to hell Edward. I don't need you anymore. Don't show up at my door and don't you ever come looking for me. We're done." She walked out of the door leaving me with him and Jane.

I smiled at him.

"Sucks for you." I said unable to keep from teasing him.

"Why can't I read your mind?" I winked at him and walked out of the door leaving his question unanswered. II made a promise to Bella not to leave her alone in this castle and it was one I was definitely going to keep.

As soon as the door closed behind us she turned to face me.

"It's over. I don't want to see him again." I nodded my head in acknowledgement and motioned for her to follow me.

I took her down to the main floor that held a miniature movie theatre. She paused before entering. I nudged the small of her back for her to enter. Once we were alone she whirled around to face me.

"I'm sor-" I put my finger to her lips to stop her from an unecesary appology.

"Sit." I said and she obeyed. I popped in a movie about vampires and werewolves. It was such a silly movie. I figured she just had to laugh; two teenage boys, one a vampire and one a werewolf fighting to be with a clueless human girl. Ridiculous, right?

As she sat there, her feet pulled up on the seat, I stayed standing watching her laugh.

"This movie is so stupid, Alec. Why is she so whipped over Edwin when Jason is so much better for her? I swear, Ella just doesn't get it."

"I know, I wanted her to end up with Jason too. What can you say? The girl is obviously dense."

We stayed in the room all day watching movie after movie. After the second movie finished I couldn't stand the distance between us. I made sure the door was locked on the inside then swept her up in my arms. She sat in my lap, her head on my chest as I wrapped my arms around her and just held her. Doing something as normal as this with her made me want to spend the rest of my existence with her even more.

Could we be together or was I just buying time until I had to accept the fact that she just might have to stay with Aro? Could I get us out of here safely, and if so, would be hunted? Yes. We would. I couldn't hand her over, I wouldn't hand her over. She would never be Aro's for as long as I'm alive…or whatever you want to call what I am.

I would fight for her and I would need to start making a plan to get her and the others out of here safely. I would spend the rest of eternity with her, if she wanted me.

"Alec, do you think you and I could live a normal life away from here?" apparently her thoughts mirrored mine.

I shifted her in my lap so that she was facing me. She did one better; she turned around fully wrapping her legs around my waist. It was really hard to concentrate when she was practically straddling me.

"Bella, I promise you that I will do everything within my power to get you out of here. If we do manage to find a way there is no one I'd rather be with than you. I will give you everything you ever needed or wanted and we will have a normal life, just the two of us."

She smiled at me brilliantly.

"Are you asking me out? Because you know, I don't even know your last name."

"Cross. Alec Cross. And no, I'm not asking you out…not exactly."

"Then…"

"I want way more from you Bella Swan."

"Go on…"

"Bella!"

"Just tell me!"

"I want you as my my mate…my wife."

She didn't even look shocked. She just smiled at me and bit her bottom lip.

"Did you just propose to me?" she said still smiling.

"Absolutely." I said with a smile just as big as hers.

She threw her arms around my neck and kissed me deeply and passionately. She giggled when she felt me and kissed me harder.

"Is that a yes?" I tried asking, but she wouldn't set my lips free.

"Mmm hmm" she said sliding her tongue into my mouth driving me absolutely crazy with desire for her. I felt a tingling all through my body as she agreed to be mine…forever.

I picked her up, her arms and legs still wrapped tightly around me, and set her down gently on the massive couch.

"I love you Bella."

"I love you, Alec."

Just as I was about to throw all of my new-found morals out the window and make love to her a loud pounding came from the door.

I looked down at her and apologized with my eyes before stealing one more kiss.

"Alec, hurry. Aro is in trouble." I shot to my feet and brought her up with me.

I opened the door. Felix stood there panic-stricken.

"The little one escaped. She has him captive." I looked at Bella to tell her to follow me, but Felix cut me off.

"No, she stays here. We need to go now."

She nodded her head letting me know it was okay to go and I flew up the stairs.

"He's in the throne room." I turned several corners until I arrived and flung the door open. There in the middle of the room stood Alice and Ulric with Aro's head in her hands and Aro's body being stepped on by Ulric. If I wasn't so horrified I would have laughed. With all the vampires in the entire with insane abilities these are the two that had him captive. How amusing.

"Alec, paralyze them!" Shouted Marcus from the other side of the room.

I had two choices to make.

One: Immobilize the warlock and the Cullen and get Aro safely out of harm's way or

Two: I could join the two and battle our way out of this room.

Talk about being stuck between a rock and hard place.