Chapter 2: A Cold Heart Turned Warm

Aro hissed in disapproval when Alistair stood between him and the human child.

"Alistair! Explain yourself this instant. Bringing a human child here? A child that has been bitten. This better be good!" he spoke chillingly. Aro was never one to yell or raise his voice. He was known as the eccentric one, while his brother Marcus was the calm one and lastly, Caius was the angry one. No one wanted to face his wrath. The only reason Aro had not ripped Alistar to shreds was because of how long he had known the man. Alistair had always been loyal to them and did his duties with 100% accuracy. He was just one rank under the king in authority. Whatever reason alistr had it must be a good one.

"speak." He ordered

Alistair took a deep unnecessary breath and said " I found her master, mutilated, bitten, and suffering. I feared that if I left her, she would be discovered by the human police and therefore leave us exposed. She is covered in bites on her ribs. She is so tiny and so young. Im shocked she survived the trauma. I just couldn't leave her master and I couldn't kill her either. I thought by now.. she would have died. But she is still breathing."

Aro held his hand out without words.

Alistair gave him his hand.

Aro shifted through the memories, the tears, and the pain of the innocent child flashing through his mind. Alistar's own guilt and confusion reveal a vulnerability like never before. The human girl had been hurt by his kind. He was amazed she allowed Alistair to hold her. maybe it was the purity of a child?

"I need to see the young one for myself, Alistair. And then I must confer with my brothers. They may want to see her for themselves." Aro said as he let go

Alastair hesitated looking between his master and the little girl. He then stepped to the side.

Aro was swift in approach. The child was tucked in Alastair's bed, not that he needed it. Covers tucked to her chin. She was pale, with a tinge of pink to her cheeks. He gently pulled the covers back to examine her and hissed. The child's arm was missing! There were obvious vampire bites on her shoulders and two where the arm was missing. The clothes she wore were torn and barely hanging on. He could see things, no man or woman who wasn't her parent could see.

"mon Seigneur! qu'est-ce qu'ils t'ont fait, mon enfant ?" he exclaimed. 'This girl should not be alive! She couldn't be any older than six! And you sure her parents were dead? She was found under a tree, right? Was there any evidence of any other humans?"

Alistair nodded. Even though Aro saw all of his thoughts already, he felt compelled to ask questions.

"she was the only one out there master. The fire started from Maria being careless. As you saw, the child said the newborns ate her parents. Why they felt the reason to torture an innocent child, I don't know. What do we do now master? She's survived this long. I think she's a fighter."

Aro sighed.

This was a very difficult situation. On one hand, if Alistair had been cruel he could have ended the child's life, disposed of the body, and moved on. But he wasn't cruel and neither was the Volturi.

Now, they had to figure out what to do with the child. There was no way to hide her bites. And from Alistair's thoughts, the child had a clear memory of what they were.

Could they send her out to the world with even a tiny bit of knowledge of them? How would she explain the bites? And what about the venom? she had been bitten but did it go through her body? did they suck it out just to be cruel? Sucking out venom and preventing a change was more painful than the change itself. It overworked the human body. this child had miraculously serviced that. And if they did let her go, what would her mental state be? Doomed to have trauma for the rest of her life?

He reached to touch the girl's hand, and when he did he gasped in shock.

"what is it, master? What did you see?"

"nothing.. absolutely nothing."

…..

Aro paced in his office. He was currently waiting for Caius to answer the video call while Marcus sat in an extra chair.

He had also called the wives to join them. He would need a women's council.

"Brother you will pace a hole in a hole in the floor if you don't stop," Didyme told him in concern. Didyme was his sister-in-law. As soon as Marcus laid eyes on her it was kismet, as they say. Didyme was skilled in opera and music. She often traveled the world as the veiled angel. She would perform but stayed behind the veil to protect their identity. Not to mention, she had quite the fanbase.

He looked over to Athenaora, his other wonderful sister-in-law. She had elven features with striking blonde hair. She was known as the prima donna of their coven. She loved fashion and yet was a brilliant scientist. She currently had a lab in the basement working a synthetic blood to bring down how many humans they had to hunt. And yet she somehow managed to create her own fashion line.

His eyes finally rested on the love of his life. His reason for living. His Sculpia. She was a brilliant and strong woman. The only person who could truly challenge him. She was a wonderful artist and sculptor. Her work was in museums all around the world.

Aro gave her a soft smile before he went back to pacing. Patience was not his virtue.

The flat-screen TV was soon connected, to Caius' glowering face.

"aro! If you're calling me to ask how the negotiations are going im going to rip your throat out. For the 65th time, everything is fine! In fact, we just wrapped up and I am on the jet as we speak. Now what in heavens is-"

Caius stopped his rant as he took in his brother's facial expression.

"what is it? what's wrong? why do you look sorrowful? This is unlike you brother? Is someone hurt?"

As Caius waited for an answer, the family took in their brother. Aro wasn't his excited chatty self. As he seemed to be staring off into space, his brows were furrowed. A look of sadness deepened his features.

"my love?" Sculpia questioned as she stood.

Aro turned his body away from them and gripped the wall. Cracks formed.

Once he was composed, he turned to face them.

"my family, I fear our kind, has harmed the life of an innocent."

"How so?" Marcus asked.

" a human girl was found among the wreckage of the Texas incident. It was newborns of course. But it was led by Maria and the Romanians plus a man we don't know. I think it's time we take of them once and for all. But that is beside the point. This child was harmed by them. Her arm was ripped off her body, she was bitten multiple times, and from what Alistair told me, her parents were drained, while she watched."

Immediately the women in his family were gasping in horror. Their eyes filled with venom tears.

" wait, explain this brother. Did you check her thoughts? To see from her perspective? To even see the evidence?" Caius questioned through the screen.

"I have…and I saw nothing. Her mind is completely blank."

The family gasped.

"Can you show us what you saw from Alistair and James?" Marcus questioned. He had been silent, always the quiet one, observing situations.

"yes, let me show you."

Caius grumbled about not being there to see what Aro was going to show them.

Aro closed his eyes, put his hands out in front of him, and projected his thoughts towards them.

Immediately, everyone except Caius could see what Alistair and James had shown him.

" Brother Aro we have to help her!" didyme cried.

Caius growled through the screen.

"wait a second this is a human girl! We can't just have her wandering the castle! And if she's been bitten why hast she changed? Or die from trauma! And if she was bitten, and she has venom changing her as we speak, then we will have an immortal child on our hands."

Aro put a hand up for silence.

"peace brother, I have looked at the child. she has been bitten yes, but there is no venom running through her veins. I checked her myself. I fear they bit her started the change and then sucked it out."

A chorus of growls vibrated the room. Caius the loudest of them all.

"and she's still alive!" Caius roared.

Aro nodded.

"yes. alive and breathing. But I fear she needs immediate medical attention.-"

"We could call doctor cu-"

A chorus of NO sounded through the room before didyme could finish her suggestions.

"I am sorry sister but this a delicate situation. I trust no one but our family in this situation. And I don't think her first interaction with a medical doctor should be one of our kind. Not with the trauma she has had."

"then what do you suggest Brother? Who do we know that has this kind of medical experience and is not one of us?" Didyme asked.

It was then Marcus made a suggestion.

"how about Bianca? She has her medical degree and her license. She helped children in poverty in a few other countries. However, after her husband died, she no longer had the will to practice. She still keeps her license up to date and I often catch her studying in the library, when she thinks no one notices."

"she gave up being a medical doctor to be our secretary?" athenadora questioned.

Marcus shrugged his shoulders. "she needed a change of pace. But I believe she would be a big help to the child. especially a human female presence. She can be reassuring"

It was then the family came to an agreement. They would fetch Biannca immediately, so she could assess the child. their other human secretary Gianna would take her place.

"aro, Darling. I wish to see her with my own eyes." his mate requested.

"I think we should wait a little while. The only one of our kind she has been exposed to is Alistair." Aro told her.

"brother? May I at least pop my head in her room? I wish to see her bonds. How do we know that a relative is not looking for her? And do we know her name?"

"Goodness! I didn't even think to find out the child's name. I will send a convoy out to find her information."

With that said, the family went their separate ways.

However, Caius was still stuck on the screen.

"Hello? Hello? How do I turn this blasted thing off? Aro come back!"

A/N: Don't worry! Sam comes up in this next chapter!