I'm about to crash...
The sickening feeling of falling stayed with her for days without letting up. From the moment Aro removed his teeth from her torn skin, her heart dropped from her chest to her stomach and stayed there.
There wasn't any pain, but rather an uneasiness that would almost certainly cause nausea if she were awake. Momentarily she could hear the noise of her surroundings but more often than not it was muted by the swishing sound of blood in her eardrum.
What Bella could remember from her fading moment of consciousness were the gentle touches from Aro as he dressed her. On occasion, the soothing hand ran through her hair and she was affirmed by gentle loving words.
Although the pain made it nearly impossible to concentrate on anything around her, memories were the only thing she held onto to keep from going insane. Her first focus was on her family. As a child, she spent summers with Charlie in Forks and visited her grandmother when she was alive. In fact, there was a park not that far from the house and the three of them would play there every day. She remembered Renee's constant push to get her enrolled in extracurricular activities, including pottery and painting classes together. She also recalls how they would both tease each other when their masterpiece in artistic classes turned out to be atrocious.
Her heart was starting to beat faster and faster.
She remembers the Cullens and the love that they gave her. She missed certain aspects of that family such as Emmett's brotherly love, Alice's unwavering support but at the end of the day they were a collective. Bella assumed that she was part of that family until proven wrong the day she left Forks. It hurt more than she could explain but those feelings quickly died when another violent pump from her heart rattled her.
Finally, she thought of Aro. Memories of his mesmerizing eyes and his long silken hair paired with that devilish smile stuck with her when she was reminded of what awaited her on the other side of this transformation. From the moment she laid eyes on him she could sense an immediate connection, but Bella never imagined something this grand. It was beyond what she thought was possible but now she understood that unrequited love Edward spoke about when explaining mates. The knowing that no matter what, she wouldn't be able to hate or abandon him and vice versa.
The heartbeat in her chest was pushed to it's limit. There was no escaping the discomfort but when the final thud came it rattled through her body until an exhale was pushed through her lips.
It stopped...it stopped beating completely.
Bella waited for a minute expecting another beat but her heart never gave another thump.
Her eyes snapped open and she gazed at the beautiful ceiling.
Every detail, every cracked piece of paint, every dried brush stroke, every texture was now plainly visible. Her eyes were drawn to the walls because the colors seemed more vibrant than she remembered. Everything was indeed more vibrant.
A shift at the other end of the room towards the fireplace caught her attention and caused her to snap out of bed and onto her feet.
Aro...
Before she could move again, a scent hit her nose like a train.
The dewiness of morning fog, sea spray, and the musk of an ancient museum was the only way she could identify that scent. It was mesmerizing, hypnotic almost.
I need to get closer.
In a moment, Bella was in front of Aro. His eyes caught a glimpse of her newborn eyes, admiring the beauty of the new red in her iris. It complimented her so much that the thought of losing those delicate brown eyes wasn't a concern anymore.
Her hair had a new shine to it with tones of mahogany, and it had grown a few inches, which seemed to enhance the new curls. Her face remained the same but with beautifully enhanced features that made him think that she was born to become a vampire.
Quickly, his thoughts ended when Bella placed both her hands on his face to bring him towards her.
He was shocked by the feeling of her lips on his, no longer did he need to hold back as his lips were finally able to mold against her. Bella took note of the new feeling. He wasn't a rock hard statue anymore but felt softer and more human, ironically. When she felt his cheeks, Bella could put her thumbs against his skin and feel an indentation. When she moved her lips against his, it seemed warm and inviting.
At first, the interaction was wholesome until Aro placed his hands on either side of her waist to push her back. Her strength was beyond his but he still managed to pull back.
"Sweet darling Isabella...immortality suits you."
She loosened up enough from the compliment to let go of her tight grip.
As soon as their intimate reunion started, Bell was thrown off by a single gust of air that made its way through the crack of the windows. A strong wind was blowing against the aged glass producing a whistle that got through was powerful enough to distract her.
She examined the new smell of rain coming from outside. It was almost shocking how clean and fresh it smelled. Perhaps she just never paid attention but the idea of rain having a new smell diverted her focus.
The slightest whiff of the most divine smell entered her.
Aro saw the color in her newly red eyes darken to a maroon before fading into black.
Hunger
He quickly took notice and led her towards the back window facing away from the town below them. Below the window was one of the highly fortified walls of the city leading down to the winding streets, turning into the countryside of Tuscany.
Aro climbed past the railing of the balcony and down the walls, Bella not far behind.
Her fingers felt almost soft against the ancient stone, and with just enough pressure, the stone cracked against her hand, allowing her to fall to the ground below.
The ground beneath her was disturbed as her feet landed on the dirt. The breeze against her skin felt wonderful, but it carried the scent of Aro with it. Almost teasingly, he paced in front of her taunting her to come to him. The rest of the world ceased to matter when she saw him beckoning her.
She was amazed by the new speed she had. Her movements were effortless, resulting in the new speed. She gained the ability to see beyond what she thought was possible, and smell things she had never experienced before. The air, the individual leaves, the dew on the grass, individual raindrops…it all had its own lingering smell that had the potential of being overwhelming but combined into something wonderful.
Aro stopped along a hillside just before a distant village. Bella came to a screeching halt, almost slamming into Aro but he caught her firmly and brought her back to his chest. With one hand around her waist and the other resting on her arm, she touched his already wrapped arm.
"Exhilarating is it not?" Aro teased. His lips grazed along her neck inhaling her new scent, surprisingly more intoxicating than before.
"Beyond what I expected" She whispered. Her other hand rested on top of his, the warmth still amazed her.
"Focus beyond the walls of the village." He whispered into her ear.
Bella waited a moment to ground herself, looking at the walls of the distant village and up at the towering homes.
She heard miscellaneous sounds that were familiar, a car honking, dishes clanging in a restaurant kitchen, a pair of heels walking along the stone roads, men chatting in a language she was still unfamiliar with. All these noises happened at once but to her surprise, it didn't overwhelm her. It was easy to focus on one sound, as well as all of them at once.
One sound caught her interest.
Heavy walking up stone stairs. It wasn't much but it was enough for her to be curious.
Aro noticed the concentration and released her from his grip. He knew beyond measure that she would be able to control herself far better than other newborns. Call it blind trust, but he already felt like he knew her intentions and it assured him that she would be able to control herself.
"Lead forth, I will follow."
His faith in her was almost overwhelming to her. She recognized in the back of her slightly rational brain that she could still snap or do something incredibly stupid. That was Edwards' main point about the horrors of becoming a newborn. She would turn into an animal due to her uncontrollable bloodlust and unpredictable outbursts. But here she was...she was able to control the outbursts to an extent. She didn't want to embark on a fanatical spree, although there was the part of her that wanted to run and experience this existence. However,. However, nothing in her felt uncontrollable.
Bella smiled at Aro, admiring the look of him wet from the rain paired with his amused smile. Her hunger was getting unbearable as she turned towards the village and began speeding towards the entrance. Once inside the walls, Bella focused herself to remain composed and avoid any run-ins. Steps that had previously caught her attention were now blocks away. She reached a set of stone steps that she was certain was what she heard earlier and followed a lingering scent up the stairs and down winding roads.
After two blocks, Bella saw her target. The same footsteps, the same scent.
A man in his forties walked close to the walls of the buildings to shield himself from the thaw. Bella walked at a human pace towards the man until he noticed her behind him.
He jumped at the sight of a strange woman standing mere inches from him. Red eyes that seemingly pierced into his soul stayed fixed on him while he caught a breath.
Bella watched the man panic, his scent changing when fear set in.
To the man, it was a split second. For Bella, it gave her enough time to focus on his movements.
Bella noticed his veins beating heavily beneath his skin as adrenaline rushed through him.
She drew him closer and began to feed.
What taste she was expecting, she didn't know but nothing prepared her for the euphoria that she was experiencing in that moment. A delicious combination of bitter, sweet, salty and sour poured into her mouth and ran down her throat. It filled her to her core and filled a satisfying hole that she didn't know existed. But when she pulled away, not satisfied with her first hunt, she wanted more.
As her mouth came away from the mans neck and he was satisfyingly limp in her arms, she smelled Aro appear beside her.
"Exceedingly well Isabella. Proceed with your hunt, I will take care of the trail you leave behind."
Dropping the man to the ground, Bella turned to peck him on the cheek before disappearing further into the city.
It was her sense of self-preservation that kept her closer to the shadows of the city. Taking turns that seemed out of place and travelling down quiet streets and taking turns that seemed out of place, she knew it would be easy to lose control. However, there was nothing in her that made her want to embark on a rampage.
Her second victim was very obviously a backpacker passing through the village. The blonde woman had an overstuffed bag, and she appeared as confused as she could. Bella stood on the corner of an alley, seemingly ignoring the woman as she waited for her to get closer.
The trap worked, the woman in her mid twenties approached Bella with a very clear German accent trying her hardest to speak Italian. From Bella's limited understanding, it seemed like she was asking how to get somewhere. Her attention was focused on keeping her head down so the human wouldn't see her eyes as she approached.
Once she was about two steps away, she grabbed the woman by the neck and pressed hard. Unintentionally, it caused her neck to snap and her body to fall limp. Quickly, Bella repeated her feeding. She was taking her time to finish and finally it seemed like the monster in her seemed to settle as her hunger was close to satisfied.
Looking up, she saw Aro walking casually down the alley towards her. He was about to take the corpse away, but Bella stopped him.
"Show me how to get rid of them."
He smirks and asks, "Are you certain?"
She smiled back, "I think it would be helpful to know if I ever had to do this alone."
Aro lifted the dead tourist in his arms and sped out of the town without detection. Towards the southern entrance was a bridge that had a river run below it. Under one of the arches, Aro placed the corpse on the mud along the riverside.
"It is advisable to get rid of the problem as soon as possible. A furnace, old wells, lakes. Places that will decompose them quickly. If that doesn't seem like an option, you must make it look like a wild animal. We could leave her here, but the likelihood of her being discovered is too significant, so I opt for the animal option."
Bella was confused.
Aro turned towards the body and had his back facing Bella.
All she could hear was the tearing of clothing and then the tearing of flesh. When he turned back towards her, Bella saw the damage inflicted. Clothing torn with large gashes in her arms and legs. She was terrified because she thought it looked as if an animal had attacked her feeding area.
I guess we are animals.
She had no time for another thought before Aro spoke.
"Animals typically scavenge."
He took the pack the woman was wearing and began scattering the contents.
The final product, if she was none the wiser, looked like a convincing attack. She knew that nature would now take its course and the creatures surrounding the remains would begin to feast upon the corpse, aiding in their disposal.
Bella stared at the scene not in shock or horror, but in quiet contemplation.
She knew that if she was still a human, this would have turned her stomach and probably made her vomit. It was revolting in all aspects. The murder and disposal of a corpse, especially the mutilation. But how else was she supposed to react other than by accepting the situation?
Yes, she felt a prang of guilt about the two deaths she caused but it didn't affect her as much as she thought it would.
The simplest explanation was that it was like a second instinct now. There was no guilt, there was no sadness.
This could be something that she would have to think about later but for now, she wanted to return to her newly-found home. There was no point in focusing on something we couldn't change or being upset about her decision to feel for humans.
Oh, what would the Cullens think!
Bella thought sarcastically and walked away from the gruesome scene.
Aro followed and asked, "I apologize if that upset you. It is something that must be done to hide our existence."
"I'm not upset Aro. It will just take some getting used to. I don't think I ever truly considered what it would be like to feed on humans but there is no point in me focusing on it right now. I was just chuckling to myself about the absurdity of having a moral conflict over this."
Aro extended his bent arm to her, they continued to walk along the riverside in the rain.
"I am impressed Bella. The restraint you have shown is a talent. Do you require more?"
Bella shook her head no. She could feed forever without feeling full but for now, she was satisfied. All she wanted right now was to enjoy the walk along the river with Aro. The rain was pouring harder but it helped mask the incredible smells within the city. It was like a shield around her that she felt blessed to have in that moment.
The only scent around her was her own, the lingering perfume of the last victim, and Aro.
She stopped them both, turning to face him and pushed aside the wet hair behind his shoulders to wrap her arms around him and bring her lips to his.
With a single deep kiss, Bella pulled back and kissed his cheek as well.
"Thank you for trusting me. That was much easier than I remember the Cullens explaining to me. Carlisle made it seem like you turn into a blood obsessed nightmare."
"Typically yes. My first hunt I eradicated a whole village. It took me months to get my bearings. You, my darling, are extraordinary. Perhaps your self control has something to do with your power. We must contact Elizar."
Bell questioned, "Who?"
"Eleazar was a part of the Volturi many years ago. His ability allows him to detect and understand the abilities of others. He can be quite resourceful when you do not have a clear understanding of your own ability. I am certain he would be pleased to assist."
Bella nodded and ran her hand through his wet silk hair. She was curious about it but right now there were other thinkings on her mind.
"Can we go home?"
It was an unintentional and intentional statement. She wanted to return to the place she would call her new home and begin to accustom herself with her new family, familiarize herself with the location, and lock herself and Aro in their rooms for a few days.
Aro pressed a firm kiss to her lips and lifted her off her feet to spin her. He was overjoyed to hear her call Volterra her home. He had his mate, his soul felt whole. The years he spent in private anguish over spending his eternity alone after seeing so many others enjoy the wonders of having a mate was finally here. It was so much more than he expected.
Those feelings of obsessive curiosity and admiration of Bella while she was human transformed into unyielding devotion and dare I say love when her red eyes locked with his.
Whithin the walls of Volterra, Marcus sat in his library and smiled to himself when he felt the lines between Aro and Isabella begin to strengthen and solidify into a thick golden chain.