I'm sorry for the delay on the chapter, but it is two times longer than most of my chapters. And its the last one! I hope you enjoyed this story!

Chapter 27

Jake burst through the front door, his eyes darted around the room frantically before settling on my husband. Edward's eyes widened in reaction to their silent exchange. Even Jasper responded to the tension, making his way between Jake and Edward.

"They attacked the Reservation." Jake's voice was all steel, and his body shook with tension.

"Calm down Jake, I know you're upset but…" Jasper began.

"No!" He roared. "Don't you try that emotional shit on me." His chest heaved with rage.

"Jake, go. Do what you need to do." Edward intervened. Jake nodded and was out the door. The sound of ripping flesh soon followed.

"What happened?"

"It seems that our visitors made a stop on their return journey. Four vampires attacked the reservation late last night. Luckily Paul, Leah, and John were there. There was only one casualty; an old man. They got one of the vampire's though – a tall redhead."

"Ethan." Jarek confirmed.

"Yes, the same one the wolves encountered here." Edward held a hand up to no one in particular. I could tell by the look on his face that he was listening, but to whom? "Yes, that makes sense. Damn it!" Edward cursed, uncharacteristically. "I should have known Caius was behind this." Edward looked into the pack mind and must have seen Caius in their thoughts. But how could it have been Caius?

"No! I was watching them, Edward. I would have known. I would have seen!" Alice was near hysterics. Jasper wrapped a loving arm around his mate to comfort her. It was clear she blamed herself for this.

"Alice, this isn't your fault. They know how your visions work which means they know how to get around them. We owe you our lives a thousand times over. You warned everyone about the redh…Ethan and Annabelle before the attacked, and you did the same here. Please, don't blame yourself for this." I couldn't bear seeing her in so much pain, punishing herself for something that was out of her hands. She continued to sob tearlessly into Jasper's chest as he held her close.

The rest of the room was silent, contemplating this new revelation. Caius wanted us dead. I assumed he felt threatened by our strong showing at our last meeting. Even after we were proven innocent, he still demanded we pay the ultimate price for a crime we didn't commit. He wouldn't relent until we were reduced to ashes. He wasthe type of person, no creature, that got a thrill out of every life he ended. A sickening satisfaction. I wouldn't feel safe until he was gone. I only wish the wolves had ended him, ripping his withered flesh apart.

I knew Caius had a long history of hatred for the wolves – hunting the lycanthropes to near extinction. Even though the Quileutes were different than werewolves, he still held the same revulsion to them. That was evident when he first laid eyes on them in the clearing almost a year ago. The fact that they played a major role in destroying his newborn army had to sting. I'm sure that his pride took a major blow as well.

"I am truly sorry for the part I played in this." Jarek apologized, shaking his head. "My boldness and greed has caused the death and pain of many. In truth, I doubt that this Caius would have relented had I declined his offer."

"You're right. Caius won't accept no for an answer. He's proven that by going behind Aro's back and waging war with us. Aro understands diplomacy, he wouldn't allow an outright attack without due cause." Carlisle agreed. I wasn't so sure, Edward had shared with me Aro's thoughts during our last confrontation. Foremost in his mind was the desire to add the gifted vampires in our family to his ranks. This need, along with Caius's words, fueled their attack. Still, I wondered how Caius had managed to keep his plans secret from Aro.

Jarek turned towards me now, his hands folded behind his back as he spoke. It was evident by the way he spoke and moved that he was from another time. I liked it. "Bella, may I have a word with you alone?" I was immediately reluctant, but after a reassuring now from Edward, we walked out on to the porch alone. His red eyes seemed shifty; nervous.

"I have something to tell you, and I think you will perhaps be defensive. I ask that you let me speak my peace before you respond."

"Okay." My response came out more like a question. What could he tell me that would be worse than what he had already done? Surely, if it was really bad, Edward would have intervened.

"I am Shannon's mate, and she is mine." I could feel my jaw pop open. "I know this may seem odd, as I entered an agreement in hopes to get back Emmaline. But when I first laid eyes on Shannon, I felt the draw. I tried to explain it away. Tried to reason that it was just her gift, so much like Emmalines', that drew me to her. But there was more. Her blood was the most exquisite I had ever smelled. I'm not sure if I've shared this with you, but the potency of a human's blood is the first sign of their gift. Shannon's blood is the most enticing that I have ever encountered in my long life. At first I thought it impossible, how could a human be my mate?" I felt a small smile turn up the corners of my mouth at that. Of course I could understand that. "I was fearful to turn her, afraid that the intoxication of her blood would overpower me, and that I would lose control and…drain her." He paused to compose his features.

"Then, when you…bit her, I lost all reason, launching into an impulsive attack that was the downfall of my army. I was enraged, blinded by fury and hatred towards you. I worried that you would kill her, though in my mind I somehow knew that would not happen. Still, I was angry that it would be you to sire her, and not myself. I wanted to taste her. I wanted to be her maker and to share that unbreakable bond."

He had lost me here. Bond? Sire? These things sounded archaic – straight from old vampire myths. No one had ever told me that there was a bond between a vampire and their maker. In my case I was already irrevocably bonded to Edward. But now that I thought about it, I understood. Almost every vampire I knew had spent a large majority of their time with the one who made them. Jasper despised Maria, yet still he stayed with her doing her bidding for such a long time. Only Alice and Carlisle didn't know their maker. Yet Carlisle turned Edward, Esme, Rosalie, and Emmett and they still remained very close to him.

"Are you certain she is your mate? That you are not just drawn by her power?"

"Yes, I am certain, and I am confident that she will feel the pull to me when she awakens. I feel the draw growing even more during her transition. However, because you are her sire, she will also be closely bonded to you. I know that the first year for a vampire can be filled with chaos. As her sire, you will be quite protective of her. I felt that I needed to make my intentions known to you, as Shannon's maker."

"Are you asking my permission to…date her?" Why did I feel like a mother having a conversation with a pimply teenager who had the hots for my daughter?

He chuckled lightly. "Yes and no. After her newborn year, if she returns my affections, I wish to take her with me. I am a wanderer. In my long life I have found it difficult to stay in one place for long."

"I do have conditions." I wouldn't have thought that I would have conditions, but I did. "First, you will not tell her that you are her mate. If she feels the attraction, then it will be up to her to make the first move. She will be overwhelmed by everything at first, tacking that revelation on top of everything else she'll be dealing with will be too much. Secondly, as long as you are under my roof, I ask that you adhere to our diet. If you are unable to, then please do not feed locally. We must keep up appearances here as this is our permanent residence."

"That sounds…reasonable."

"Good." He simply nodded and went back in the house. Well that was weird. I followed him back inside where Carlisle was examining Shannon. We were now on day two of her three day transformation. Why did three days feel like a century? The wait was nerve-wracking. Jarek's conversation still played through my head. I was bonded to this girl now; permanently. Maybe that explained why I fretted over her like a nervous parent.

It was so different being on this end. Seeing Shannon lying there as still as death as Carlisle watched over her, monitoring all of her vital signs for changes. He would watch for an elevation in her pulse and breathing as a sign that the anesthesia was wearing, and then administer another dose. I prayed that this was truly working – that she wasn't suffering silently like I had. I had heard of entrapment syndrome, where you were in some type of coma-like state, but could still feel and hear everything that went on around you. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy – on second thought, maybe I would.

"Her distal extremities are starting to transform." Carlisle announced to everyone in the room after his most-recent examination. There were nods of understanding all around, butI had no clue.

"In English, please?" I asked, frustration coloring my voice more than I wished.

"Feel for yourself, Bella." Carlisle placed a hand on her ankle. I positioned my hand next to his and found that her skin had cooled from the normal blazing hot, to a warmth that almost matched my own. The quality of her skin had changed too – it had hardened from the soft, malleable flesh of a human to become more similar to my own in texture.

"What does this mean, Carlisle? How much longer until she'll wake up?" Yup, worried parent talking.

"Only Alice knows that for sure, and she's off making her own "preparations", the way only Alice can." He smiled. True, I could hear her now, rifling through my closet upstairs, making small noises of exasperation. "I can tell you that she is burning through the anesthesia much quicker now, a sign that her body is metabolizing everything more rapidly as each cell in her body transforms. Have you ever wondered why we appear thinner after the change?"

I nodded, wanting him to continue though I had never really thought about it before now.

"Some of our fat reserves are burned during the transition, giving us a leaner appearance as a vampire. I know that females usually like the end result." I had always just thought that the slimming effect was part of the beauty of a vampire, adding to the lithe elegance of their forms. Apparently this was just a physiological result of the change. More questions popped into my head as a result of this revelation.

"What about our hair? Why does it grow when we change?"

"Well, I'm afraid this may seem quite morbid, but the hair and nails appear to grow on all corpses after they die. We are, technically, no longer living, so the same is true for us. When a person dies, their body loses moisture; this in turn causes the skin and cuticles to recede giving the appearance of the hair and nails growing. In our case this "growth" happens quicker as our transition only lasts approximately three days."

"That's gross." Emmett commented, and I had to agree with him.

Emmett had stayed behind as "reinforcements" for when Shannon awoke. Esme and Rosalie had taken the Denali's back to Forks to start designing their new home. This also allowed everyone their space while also keeping the human Sam safe from the newborn Shannon. Jasper and Alice had insisted on staying here in Alaska. As Jasper had explained, most newborns were entirely unruly, caring only about satiating their hunger. They would knock down anything or anyone in their path to feed. We didn't want Sam or Renesmee in her crossfire, so Renesmee would also be relocating to the cabin with Jake prior to Shannon's awakening.

Alice came down the stairs in a flutter, shooing everyone out of the room.

"Not you, Bella. I'll need your help."

"What's going on, Alice?"

"Preparations. I can't have Shannon waking up in that." She gestured to her jeans and a t-shirt as if it were a burlap sack. "I hope you don't mind, but I stole a dress from your closet. Actually, I'm sure you don't mind as it clearly hasn't been worn, along with over half of the contents of your closet! Really, Bella, must I come and dress you every morning?"

"Yes, Alice, you must. If it means I get to see you every day, then I would gladly put up with your dressing and pruning every morning."

"I'm not sure if that was a compliment or a criticism."

"I love you, Alice, but I don't need to be cloaked in silk with a perfect coif every day."

She just shook her head at me, her spiky hair swaying just slightly. I could see her mentally shift gears as she reached behind her to grab something, talking a mile a minute.

"…Dusty rose is usually fashion faux pas on a redhead, but I think it will compliment her beautifully. I had to let out some seams and press it, and I didn't have the right color thread… then again I didn't have much to work with…"

"It looks nice, Alice." I had to stop her tirade for fear of her head exploding. In fact, I swear I saw some smoke coming out of her ears.

"Thank you!" She beamed. "Now do you have a razor?"

That was a weird question. "Um, no, why?"

"Well I can't have her waking up looking like Sasquatch. I need to shave her legs."

"Are you serious? That seems kind of…personal."

"I did the same for you, and you didn't seem to mind. You know, a fine grit sand paper will work too."

"Excuse me?"

"There's no point in being modest, honey." She tapped her head. "I can't help but see everything. I'm just so used to it that it doesn't faze me."

"No, not that. Sand paper? Really? Are you going to buff her?"

"Well, it's not like it will hurt her. Her extremities are now completely hardened. It'll be like sanding a stone."

"Okay, you're the boss. I'll check in the shed." Sure enough, there was some sand paper in there, probably left over from construction work on the house. I brought it back to her and she immediately got to work.

Poor Shannon was on the couch, stripped of her pants. Alice immediately started "sanding". Then, she clipped and painted her fingernails and toe nails in a light pink to match the silk dress.

"Bella, do you mind if I steel a bra and panty set?"

"Sure, knock yourself out." In less than thirty seconds, she had returned with undies in hand.

"I couldn't have her waking up in a designer gown with shamrock panties and a black sports bar on."

"Oh, of course not." I agreed with feigned indignation, turning around as she disrobed Shannon.

"Hmm, I guess she is a true red head."

"Alice!" I hissed.

"Alright, she's dressed."

I turned around and gasped at the results. It was amazing what a simple wardrobe change can do for a person. She was completely changed from the "tom boy" persona that I knew to an elegant beauty. Alice was right; the color was magnificent with her strawberry hair.

"She looks beautiful, Alice."

"I know. But I'm not done yet. I still need to do her hair and makeup."

"If you say so, but I think she looks perfect just as she is." I couldn't explain the welling of pride in my chest I got from looking at her. I think it was that she always seemed so awkward in her skin; uncomfortable. I had only known her for a short period of time, but still I could tell that she was hiding from herself.

Alice sprayed some type of product in her hair and began to brush it. Her wavy hair began to curl instantly.

"Curl activator." Alice answered my question preemptively. She continued her work for another half hour, meticulously applying a subtle blush, mascara and eye liner, and a light lip gloss with just a hint of sheen.

"Alright, she's done." Alice announced, putting away her makeup to take one last look at her work. "You'd never know that this was hiding under denim and baggy t-shirts."

"She's a knock out." I agreed.

"She'll make one very lucky vampire happy one day."

"One day soon." I mumbled under my breath before thinking.

"What?" Her head whipped toward me.

"Jarek."

"Really?" She leaned down to Shannon. "You go girl!" She whispered in her ear. I chuckled in response. I hoped that they were a good match. Knowing that they were mates, they should be the perfect match. For some reason I just couldn't see it clearly. Jarek seemed so formal, stoic and rigid while Shannon was sarcastic, blunt, and everything but formal. I guess we would have to wait and see how things played out between them.

"She'll be waking up in…forty-three minutes." Alice announced.

"What!" Forty-three minutes? I thought we had half a day left!

"Bella, you drained quite a bit of her blood. The transition doesn't take as long when the human is nearly drained." I nearly drained her? Was I really that out of control?

A storm of motion had ignited around me while I contemplated Alice's words. Furniture was cleared in the room. Jacob and Renesmee left for the cabin. Carlisle examined Shannon and noted that most of her internal organs had already changed. My feet remained rooted to the ground during all the chaos. I should have been helping, or at least doing something, but I remained frozen in place.

Edward's hands on my shoulders jolted me out of my daze.

"Are you alright?" He asked softly. I nodded my head, blinking away the bewilderment. "I know this is all new to you; watching a transformation can be nerve-wracking. I remember all too clearly worrying, hoping, praying that you would be alright." He brushed the hair from the back of my neck, kissing it lightly.

I couldn't help but point out the difference. "You saved my life. I ended hers."

"You did what you had to do. No one's blaming you for the choice you made."

"The person's opinion that matters the most hasn't woken up yet."

"Don't worry, Bella. I have a feeling she'll do well in this life."

"Can you hear her thoughts right now? Is she scared?"

"Right now I'm just getting pictures. She's still in a dream-state. The anesthesia should be wearing off soon."

"Are they good dreams?" I couldn't help the anxiety in my voice.

He laughed lightly. "You're really concerned about her, aren't you? Yes, I suppose they are good dreams. Right now she is thinking about water. She's floating in it."

Thank goodness she wasn't hurting. This whole experience really put things into perspective for me. Edward and I had argued at no end about my change. I don't think I ever really understood why he was so opposed to it until now.

I've changed a person's life – uprooted her from her reality. Regardless of whether or not her human life was a happy one, it's now gone. At least I was prepared in some ways. I had an enormous amount of time to think about my decision and the consequences of it, but I had only given her mere moments. I had also spent over a year with vampires, learning their strengths and weaknesses; studying them. She was catapulted into this half-life with little knowledge of it. I felt responsible for her, and that was an uneasy feeling. I had no idea what her reaction would be to this life. Would she be a crazed, blood-thirsty newborn? Would she be able to adhere to our diet or would she go on a murderous rampage?

"Eleven minutes until she wakes up. Jasper, see if you can round up her first meal. We don't want her roaming around out in this snow storm. It will be harder to track her if she gets away." Alice was a flurry of motion, zipping around the room.

"She's almost completely burned through the anesthesia now." Carlisle announced.

"I can hear her now. She's disoriented. Bella?" Edward held his hand out to me, asking me to sit beside Shannon.

"The venom is traveling to her heart. It should only be a matter of time now."

"Shannon. I don't know if you can hear me, but it's Bella." I said as I crouched down beside her and took her hand in mine. It was warm instead of the blazing heat I was used to feeling from humans. "I don't know what you remember, but you are changing…into a vampire. You've been unconscious for over two days." She squeezed my fingers. "I felt that, Shannon. Does that mean you can hear me?" She squeezed them again. I looked to Edward for confirmation. He nodded.

"She's starting to feel the burning pain again. It feels like fire in her chest." Edward gave words to her thoughts. Upon hearing what he said, Shannon gripped my hand even harder. Ouch! Newborn strength, so that's what it feels like on this end.

"It's alright Shannon. Only a few more minutes and the pain will go away. Can you hear your heart beating right now?" She squeezed my hand, crinkling her forehead.

"She's wondering why it's so fast. She's concerned."

"Don't worry. That's supposed to happen. It will continue to beat very quickly, and then it will stop all together. There is no need to be alarmed by this." I tried to control the tone of my voice, to keep it as calm as possible. But it was a struggle. I remembered the last few moments of my change vividly. I remember thinking I was dead. How the silence of my heart was resounding.

Jasper came in the door then. "Her first meal is ready – two elk. She'll still need more than that, but at least it will help with the thirst. I wanted to make sure I was here when she awoke."

"Thank you, Japer. Do you think you could help calm her?"

"Only until she wakes up. Newborn instincts will override my power to affect her after that."

I saw his wave of calm wash over her. The grip of her hand that I was holding slacked, and her body relaxed minutely into the couch.

"Her eyes will open in twenty-eight seconds. Oh! I almost forgot!" Alice zoomed up the stairs and back with a small mirror. I smiled at the memory of when I first saw my reflection – so changed and yet the same. I still looked like me, only better; minus the red eyes of course.

I turned my attention back to Shannon, to hear her heart flutter like a hummingbird's wings and then lurch to dead silence. Moments later her eyes popped open in shock, and then she was gone – her hand ripped from mine. I quickly canvased the room. Jasper and Emmett were now flanking the door, and Edward moved to stand in front of me. I found Shannon up against the wall in a defensive stance. A feral hiss slipped from her lips, and a look of surprise came over her. Her hand whipped to cover her mouth.

"What the hell was that?" Her bell-toned voice chimed. "What's wrong with my voice? Oh shit! What's up with all the rainbows?" She flashed to the chandelier in the dining room. "Jesus-fucking-Christ how did I move like that!"

"Can a vampire pass out from shock?" I giggled. Her head whipped towards me, her fiery locks flying. For a moment, I thought she was going to attack me. And then she was gone again. This time she took the front door along with her. Literally taking it off its hinges and leaving a very stunned Emmett and Jasper. I dashed outside to see her devouring the first elk. Blood, sinew, bone, and skin were flying everywhere.

A throaty growl resonated in her chest at our approach, and then she dipped her head back toward the second elk, draining it completely.

Her head came up then and her eyes met the carcasses. She screamed, leaping away from them, staring at her blood-soaked hands in horror.

"Oh my God, what have I done?" She asked in disgust.

"You ruined a couture gown, that's what." Alice whispered under her breath.

"Shannon." I started to approach her carefully. "It's alright. You just acted on instinct. Do you still feel the burn in your throat?"

Her red eyes focused on me and then shifted back to the dead elk. Her hand grasped her throat, rubbing it.

"Yes, I still feel the burning, but why do I feel the burning."

"Because you're hungry. You're a vampire now, you drink blood. That is a fact. When you are new to this life, you need more blood and more often. We will take you hunting later. Is the pain bearable now?"

She continued to rub her throat, and then nodded.

"Okay, let's get you cleaned up."

We followed her back inside the house. I could tell that the men were on edge – prepared for whatever sudden move she might make. But she seemed more in control of herself now.

Alice and I took Shannon up to my bedroom to clean her up. She allowed us to help her remove the soiled dress and undergarments and don some clean clothes. Alice carefully wiped the blood spatter from her face and hands. Shannon was now clad in a steely blue satin wrap dress which suited her nicely. We escorted her back down the stairs to where everyone else was waiting.

"Alice? The mirror?"

"Well, there's still a bit of blood in your hair, but I think you'll still be pleasantly surprised." She said as she held up the small vanity mirror.

"Oh my God…I'm hot!" she gingerly traced her hands over her features: her defined cheekbones, pouty lips, and smooth jaw line. Then she frowned slightly.

"The eyes are a little hard to get used to. But they will fade to a golden color if you stick to our diet." I tried to explain.

"Oh it's not the eyes. It's my freckles. I thought my skin would be flawless, like yours."

"The freckles are barely noticeable. I'm sure a human wouldn't even be able to see them." Shannon pulled up her sleeves to investigate her arms and snatched the mirror out of Alice's hand, bending the frame slightly.

"Oops. Guess I'm a little stronger than before, huh?"

"More like a lot stronger. You will have to be careful with everything you touch until you are able to regulate the amount of force you use." Jasper instructed.

Shannon held up the mirror, examining herself at different angles. She seemed pleased.

"How did my hair get longer?" She asked while holding the mirror angled toward the back of her head.

"Trust me, you don't want to know." Emmett said, cutting off Carlisle before he could explain.

She continued to look in the mirror, angling it back even farther until she gasped. "Look at my ass!" She jumped up and down, causing the floor boards to creak and moan, while looking at the result of the motion in the mirror. "Damn, you could bounce a quarter off of it!"

Emmett let out a booming laugh. "Oh, I like this girl. Can we keep her Bella, please?" My eyes shifted to Jarek. He had remained completely silent. But I could tell by the way his eyes studied Shannon that he was mesmerized by her – taking in every detail.

Shannon continued studying herself. Now, the mirror was in front of her as she continued to bounce up and down. "My boobs are perky too. Are they bigger?" She questioned while cupping them in her hand. So much for modesty, I laughed, shaking my head.

"Seriously? They look bigger." The hand that cupped her right breast traveled up to her throat.

"I know you're still hungry, but we need to discuss some things before you hunt." Her face squinched up as she contemplated this.

"I guess you don't mean with a gun, right." She continued to rub her throat. "I don't know if I can do that again. I mean, did you see the way I tore that animal apart? It was disgusting."

"It will get easier, I promise. Soon you won't make a mess at all."

"I can't eat anything else? No substitutes?"

"No, our bodies cannot process human food. Blood is energy for us, it keeps us…alive." For lack of a better word. "Do you remember the way the elk smelled?"

"Yes, it had a gamey, earthy smell to it."

"Yes. That's right. The smell is what triggered you to feed. There is blood out there that will smell hundreds of times better than elk blood. It will be very hard not to drink it. Human blood is intoxicating, and very hard to resist; especially when you are new to this life. It will take an enormous amount of restraint not to kill a human if you come into contact with them."

She listened in silence, taking everything in. "I don't want to kill anyone. I really don't want to kill animals either, but I guess it's not too different from eating a steak I bought at the grocery store. I'm just cutting out the middle man."

"That's a good way to look at it. And just think of the alternative. We are here to help you, Shannon. Slowly, we will help you get used to being around humans, and more importantly, their blood. It will be difficult not to act on instinct and drain them. But I promise it will get easier with time."

"So I am a monster." She mumbled under her breath.

"I know it seems that way, but you don't have to be. We've chosen another life. What or who you feed from is your choice." It was difficult to say that, but it wasn't my decision to make.

"What about you? Your eyes are red like mine. Why?" She had turned to Jarek .

"I drink human blood."Jarek simply stated.

"Don't you feel bad for killing people?"

"I am merely a hunter, and they are my prey. I don't see how it is any different from a lion feeding from a gazelle. When I was young, I merely followed my urges and fed from humans. I was disgusted with my actions at first, but then I came to realize that it was simply my nature as a vampire."

Edward coughed after Jarek was done speaking. Shannon startled at the sound, breaking her gaze away from him. There was something going on there – some unspoken thoughts that Edward picked up on. It drove me crazy not knowing.

"Can't I just take a little blood? Do I have to kill them?"

"You now know how to feels when the feeding frenzy begins. It is difficult to stop. For a newborn, it is almost impossible. Not only that, if you were to stop feeding on a human, your venom will already be in their system. This will begin the transformation from human to vampire." Carlisle was the one to speak up now.

"Wait, what? I have venom? Like a snake?"

"Well, yes, in a manner of speaking. Our venom spreads through a human's body like a flame. That is the burning sensation that you felt during your change. It is all but incapacitating, this prevents our prey from escaping." Carlisle explained.

Shannon nodded her head. "Great."

"I know this is a lot to take in, but all we have is time." And it was true, we had forever.

OoooooO

Volterra Castle

The black-haired woman turned and Caius's surprise was now complete. In the woman's arms, was a small dark-haired baby with startling green eyes – the same shade as the woman's. Divya was her name, the half-breed that Aro had become enamored with.

"Isn't she astounding? Do you hear her heart beat, Caius? Blood pumps through her veins. And the thoughts in her head are so vivid and detailed for a mere babe…" Aro doted on the child like a proud father. "I just know she'll be gifted. Don't you see Caius? This is our future! No longer having to lurk in the shadows. She is entirely passable for human. With careful breeding, we can create a powerful army. One that no one can match." Aro's eyes had taken on a special gleam to them. He reached out his arms to the baby, who happily went to the ancient one.

"She is the first of many, dear brother. Divya is now with child once more."

"And whose seed is in her belly this time, dear brother?" Caius sneered.

"Demetri." Aro answered, his smile still firmly in place as he stared at the child in his arms.

"Master. I believe it is time for Naysa to feed."

"Ah yes, dear one." He passed the child back to its mother, who promptly slipped her dress down her shoulder, exposing her breast. The baby greedily suckled as Divya hummed and bounced her to and fro in her arms. Divya gasped.

"No, Naysa, that is not nice." She scolded the child. She then looked up at the two sets of burgundy eyes. "She's a biter." She explained, as a line of crimson fell from her breast.

"Indeed." Caius remarked.

I could have gone on and on with this story. So I know that you are probably wanting to know more about Shannon and Jarek. I'd like to write a sequel one day, but I have other stories to work in the meantime. So that's all she wrote, folks.