Thank you to all who reviewed. I'm intensely sorry this took so long to get out, but it was a very important chapter and I wanted to try to nail it as well as I could from what I had in my head. Which meant taking a lot of time to work on it. I also want to mention that I am not your typical twilight fan. I don't like the books, and I'm writing this story primarily from what I've seen in the movies, this last movie in particular. Though I'm not a huge fan of the series, there are characters who stand out to me and I feel inspired to write about them. I wasn't aware that a vampire couldn't be killed by a human as a reviewer pointed out to me and that their skin could only be pierced by other vampire's teeth or a supernatural creature's strength, so I do apologize if you feel like this story is improbable. But I suppose there's a first time for everything and I just wanted to show that a human isn't always as defenseless as perhaps the series makes them out to be. There are still mixed thoughts on Rachel, but it is an angst story so despite how much one might not like her attitude or personality, understand that there is a reason she got that way, and provided Aro doesn't totally destroy her this chapter, I will gradually be getting into a back story of sorts for her. Just as well, this is the first chapter where it will be told primarily from her POV so hopefully some sort of connection can be sparked between you as an audience and her as a character. If not, then I suppose you guys can cheer Aro on! Oh, and this one is a honker of a chapter. There were so many places I could have split this up, but I just didn't because it needed to be written. Enjoy.

Chapter 4

Rachel sunk lower into the scalding bath tub water, ignoring the throbs of her open wounds. For the moment, the pleasure of heat against her chilled skin outweighed any of the pain.

Outside her bathroom, Demetri paced nervously, a task he'd been indulging in ever since they'd both returned from Isla del Sol.

Rachel couldn't say exactly as the man had sort of shut himself off from her after they'd returned, but she did think he had enjoyed himself, and that in turn caused an unforseen happiness to swell up inside her.

In only a little more than a day, the strange man unexpectedly came to be regarded as one of the closest allies she'd had in a despairingly long time. He listened with a remarkable patience to her thoughts, he never once blamed her for what she'd done to stay alive even though he worked for the man whose wife she'd killed, and to top it off, she felt safe in his company.

That one was a personal shocker she had to marvel at. Actually feeling safe in another person's company, much less a man's? Perhaps she was making more progress with herself than she realized.

In the end, though, it came down to a matter of trust between herself and Demetri.

Yes, she did trust him to a point, recognizing how she'd opened herself up to him so easily when she had a difficult time simply speaking to the local grocery store clerk about purchasing a gallon of milk.

But at this moment, she reluctantly understood that this trust would have to be forgotten about. Put out of memory. Eradicated.

Shortly, Demetri's friends would be inside her apartment and ultimately, duty would win out over whatever temporary bond they'd shared.

Tragic, but it was the way the world worked. And Rachel knew enough of life's misfortunes to recognize she wouldn't be left unscathed for killing Sulpicia, even if the act was justifiable.

With a deep sigh, Rachel lowered her head back and closed both weary eyes. It was time to turn her thoughts to a more pleasant topic.

Demetri sparkles.

She struggled to contain a chuckle at this unexpected revelation. It had to be a skin condition as the man was ungodly pale to begin with, and yet the image still lingered in her thoughts hours later. How was it possible for a human to appear as if someone had personally injected diamonds into their skin?

Underneath the sun, she honestly could say he'd looked stunning, despite whatever unfortunate disability was responsible.

But seeing how uncomfortable the whole experience had made him, she settled for simply relaying her awe through a touch of his shimmering cheek. It wasn't everyday a man randomly sparkled under the sunlight, but she would disregard the action as nothing more than a condition and just go with the flow.

What else could it have been anyway?

Her eyes fluttered back open at Demetri's unexpected pause upon the carpet, but reality still felt millions of miles away. Quite soon, she knew she'd have to return, to put on her big girl panties so to speak and face the consequences of her actions. Consequences that even had Demetri anxious.

A hopeful part of her wondered if she couldn't still get through to these people about why she did what she did. If it swayed Demetri, perhaps her explanation would have some sort of impact on them as well.

Unfortunately, seeing Demetri so anxious informed her that this was a lost cause to begin with.

And yet, for the life of her she just couldn't muster up the proper fear.

She kept reasoning it out in her mind that these people wouldn't be so bold as to outright murder her. She may not have much left for family, but her landlord, currently on vacation for the week, would note her disappearance as well as the few neighbors she'd run into in the time she'd lived here.

Killing her had to be too risky.

Or maybe she hoped it was. With the slashes on her pink skin crippling her movements and the bruises still throbbing murderously upon her own face, Rachel wasn't exactly sure she'd be able to showcase the same miraculous strength she'd displayed against Sulpicia.

They'll turn me into the police. Or fly right through a trial and throw me into prison.

These were the actions she was expecting to be taken tonight, the actions she at least hoped would be, even though inside a place deep within her, a voice warned that her situation was far more grave than she could imagine.

Who does Demetri work for anyway?

The only guess she found reasonable enough to make some inkling of sense was the mafia. Granted, it seemed ridiculous if she thought about it for too long, but it certainly explained why Demetri held such loyalty to his "master" and hardly batted an eyelash at the remains of Sulpicia's body. It also explained why he referred to his peers as masters and why the police were not yet breaking down her door.

It still frustrated her greatly, not knowing why Sulpicia sought her out specifically and decided to engage in a destructive game of captor and captee. One would think as the wife of a mob boss, she'd find other things to preoccupy her time with. Like shopping. Or hosting parties. Letting loose her anger in a shooting range perhaps.

But no. Sulpicia chose to make her suffer.

Maybe that's how she got her kicks.

She did remember Demetri mentioning that the woman's anniversary was approaching. Could it be possible that the three day torture had been a personal gift to herself?

This thought caused Rachel to shiver even while dipped inside the steaming water. She knew there existed human beings with heartless natures, but this unsavory thought took just a little while longer to wrap her head around.

Then again, didn't some of the most ruthless serial killers enjoy toying with their victims before killing them?

The more she indulged this thought, the cooler the water she soaked in seemed to feel.

Whatever did happen tonight, Rachel promised herself at least one thing.

She would not cower in front of these men.

Cowering had made Sulpicia's joy only that much greater in the first days of their time together, particularly when Rachel had naïvely pleaded with her to stop, assuming the woman had carried some sort of mercy.

"Come on, princess. I know you will enjoy these pretty patterns. Another cut for a useless body! Beg away, I don't care. It is sweet music to my ears."

Blinking back the burning in her eyes, Rachel catapulted this thought away, ignoring the tremble erupting in both of her hands as the memory replayed itself tauntingly.

No, she had seen personally that this served only as an aphrodisiac. Fear tended to do that, she knew, to the most despicable of people.

So, when staring Sulpicia's husband in the eye, she wouldn't display any fear, even if Demetri wanted her to. She owed this to herself, to maintain at least some dignity, especially if this man turned out to be just as bloodthirsty and vicious as Sulpicia.

Where has my life gone? What had to have happened to where I'm facing incarceration for the rest of my life?

She wanted desperately to curse at the injustice of it all, blame irony, perhaps. It would be only jokingly, but at least she had an excuse for her misfortunes.

Sadly enough, a side of Rachel observed her situation realistically and couldn't help but think she partly deserved what was coming.

This certainly shows that the past never truly leaves us.

That past, unforgiving and muddled, still existed in Rachel's uneven life. Moving across the country and sheltering herself away, never changed this fact.

But haven't I made my peace? Before I left, I knew I'd been forgiven, even if it is still so difficult for me to accept to this very day. Am I just being unnecessarily harsh, thinking I still deserve to be hurt for what's already come to pass? It certainly makes sense. In those three days, I never once believed I deserved to have the scars and bruises I did. I never thought I'd ever hurt someone so badly as to warrant this sort of karma.

"Damn it," Rachel muttered, blowing away the bubbles near her lips. Couldn't things have been simpler? Did she always have to mess the good things up?

"Is there something wrong?"

Arching a puzzled brow, Rachel threw her eyes to the door, curious as to how Demetri had heard such a low spoken curse.

"No. I'm fine."

"You are sure?"

She made sure not to melt a little bit at the concern resting in his voice, even if it sounded so soothing to hear. She couldn't under any circumstances, look to Demetri for help tonight.

Surprisingly, this wasn't because she knew she'd feel disappointed if he looked the other way.

No, it rested in the marginal fear that Demetri actually would do something to help her. And with the kindness she'd witnessed buried inside him, she didn't under any circumstances want to put him in such a compromising position. Those kind of people only so rarely revealed their true selves, and the last thing Rachel wanted was for Demetri to die because he had.

Another unfortunate soul hurt thanks to her actions.

"I'm very sure, Demetri. I'll be out in five minutes."

"Alright."

With that, Rachel raised two clammy hands, dunked her head a final time beneath the lukewarm water before making her way into a standing position, fighting back the whimpers she wanted to emit as each scar reawoke from their temporary paralyzation.

ABJABJABJABJABJABJ

Rachel slipped out of her bedroom a half hour after her bath, wearing nothing but faded, indigo jeans and a charcoal t-shirt. She'd been half tempted to throw on a sweatshirt as well because of the unwavering cold spell seeming to hit her apartment in the last few days. Normally, she kept the temperature at a comfortable 68, but it easily felt ten degrees lower.

"You look...presentable."

Offering Demetri's tailored coat a dry grin, Rachel raked at her burgundy hair, shaking the remaining wet tresses out. They just barely brushed over her shoulders and she enjoyed keeping them short nowadays. Definitely far less of a hassle to style it.

Plus, when all those inches had been chopped away three years ago, it signified a personal metamorphosis from what she'd been.

"I don't know what to expect," she replied honestly, observing his perfectly straight posture. "I doubt their perceptions would change if I tried to look presentable."

Demetri didn't offer up a comment, instead, shifting his eyes to the door and with this gesture, Rachel finally understood his façade was in place. From here on out, she was on her own.

So, the two stood with a considerable distance between them for a good fifteen minutes, simply watching the front door to her apartment. Demetri did this of course with an ever straight and admirable posture, both hands clasped over his stomach, gaze unwavering. Rachel, on the other hand, would move from one foot to the other whenever one position threatened to put her foot to sleep, blinking far too rapidly so as to push away all of the unfavorable scenarios to happen within the hour.

Evening had long ago set in and if it weren't for a few lamps she'd flicked on, her entire place would be shrouded in complete darkness. This atmosphere alone served to heighten the unspoken sense of foreboding.

Thankfully, that fear Rachel had been told to feel, still hadn't hit her yet. Which kept her in a fair mood. In fact, it offered her a bit of optimism, even though from Demetri's tightly wound stance, she knew not to embrace it for too long.

I had a fantastic day. That is something to cling on to.

The minutes traveled by faster the longer Rachel recalled image by image, her day at Isla del Sol. She couldn't even remember how she'd stumbled upon the park, but she was thankful she had. Everything from the uniquely purple, arched entrance way to Artie's good-natured views of life, helped bring back a restless inner child who craved the rarity of reliving an innocence so long ago abandoned.

Though, she could admit shedding that innocence had been partly her fault.

Still, with the hurried way she'd flounced out of her childhood, by the time shit metaphorically hit the fan, it was too late to turn back and embrace those ages for what they had been. A haven.

As Rachel continued this thought, she mildly wondered if she'd just experienced an epiphany. A realization about how wanting to grow up far before her time, led her to approach adult situations with a very child-like mind.

Wow...what else can I fish out of my subconscious while I await my punishment?

This question never got answered because at that very moment, Demetri jerked violently in his position.

"What's wrong?" Rachel observed, biting back the urge to console him as he straightened himself up.

An intensely long second passed by before Demetri replied, and with the vague silence, Rachel could begin to feel the first touches of unease brewing inside her.

"They are...here."

The three word statement sounded strained on Demetri's part and when Rachel finally broke through her feigned indifference and made a step forward, she found a deep perplexity resting on his face.

"Stay where you are," he commanded, not even sparing her a glance as he stomped to the front door.

Seconds later and he was gone, his footsteps echoing down the stairs.

Rachel did as he said, but not without that unease seemingly feeding itself at his departure.

The fear wasn't quite yet there, but boy did she certainly feel it approaching.

ABJABJABJABJABJABJ

Demetri raced down the remaining four floors, ceasing in his steps only when reaching the inside of the lobby.

"Demetri! Long time no see," Felix exclaimed, one thumb wiping away a trickle of blood.

"Felix," he regarded with a slight bow of the head, one corner of his lip rising. "I was not aware you were coming."

The burly man laughed, one gloved hand resting on his stomach.

"Aro's brought the whole gang, it would seem. Alec, Jane, and myself included."

Smiling without humor, Demetri stared at Felix's lone form before glancing at the double doors behind him. He of course knew Aro would bring Jane, but Alec and Felix were surprises.

Yet, it took only a few seconds of calculation to determine why they were here. Aro wanted tonight to be a public humiliation. Just as well, Felix was equipped with a brutal strength while Alec's gift allowed him to poison his enemies.

"Aro wants a great deal of suffering to come to the little bitch tonight," Felix explained, seemingly reading his brief bewilderment. "Personally, I am excited. With the battle we didn't get in Forks, I'm practically dying to rip apart a limb or two."

"Where are the others?" Demetri inquired, deciding not to linger on Felix's threat.

"Indulging in a little snack," he mentioned offhandedly, studying the lobby surroundings with an upturned nose. "How ever did you manage to shack yourself up with the human in this filthy place? It wreaks terribly of waste. Tell me, is the human a pathetic junkie? Or better yet...a common whore? If so, this might potentially be more fun than I envisioned."

"It is not my place to care what the human is. Though, I should think you would not lower yourself so much as to want her attentions."

Felix shrugged, casting a quick glance behind him.

"Once properly submissive, humans do have their uses," he admitted. "As disastrous as the party of 1799 had been, the Swedish coven did train their pets rather impressively."

Demetri revealed a dark smile, crossing his arms.

"Do you have any idea of what exactly Aro plans on occurring this evening?"

"None specifically, but I know he will make it last. This is Sulpicia we are talking about, after all. Her murderer will not be having the luxury of an easy death."

Demetri of course feared this, but actually hearing this realization aloud only built up that piteous guilt stored inside him.

But he kept his features smooth and uncompromised, watching as one by one, the rest of his family filed in.

Jane and Alec entered first, content smirks gracing each of their youthful faces. Aro would demand their abilities the most out of anyone else's this evening, he assumed.

Then came Caius, practically glowing with smears of crimson blood still scattered across his mouth.

"Why clean up when I will only be getting dirty again?" he remarked pleasantly at Demetri's focused gaze.

Although he knew they all traveled as one, Demetri was still surprised to see Marcus drift into the room, features radiating their usual melancholy. The two exchanged nods with each other, though Demetri got the impression Marcus wanted to be here just as much as a chicken wanted to enter a slaughterhouse.

The doors swung open one final time and Aro strolled in, wearing a thick, midnight black coat and equally black dress pants. He appeared put together, showing no signs of what his thoughts could possibly be, even though Demetri guessed torture and abuse had to be stumbling around in there.

"Demetri, my friend, how wonderful it is to see you again!" Aro announced, mirroring Felix's earlier excitement with an open grin. He strode forward, pulling off his black gloves in the process.

Demetri did the same with his own, offering his white palm. "I admit being away from home makes it seem like years have passed. It's a shame these are the circumstances we have to meet again under."

"Indeed," Aro responded non-committingly, reaching for his hand. "A formality, of course. I need to see this all for myself."

Without resistance, Demetri grasped onto Aro's pale hand, careful to keep himself just as poised.

As Aro shuffled breezily through his experiences, beginning with the entrance into South Carolina, Demetri stared unblinkingly at Jane before him. Out of all the members of his family, Jane was the closest one who retained the talent of masking her emotions almost as flawlessly as he. And while it must have appeared strange to the others of how intensely he watched her, Demetri knew he had to focus on her unmerciful stare or else he'd find his thoughts rushing to the human awaiting her slaughter upstairs.

After what seemed like an eternity, Aro ever so slowly released Demetri's hand, blinking himself as he absorbed all that he'd seen.

Breaking away his own gaze, Demetri turned to Aro, knowing the man had questions.

However, a dazed look had overcome his master's features and rather than ask a question, he released a statement.

"You appear to have gotten...close to the human."

He wasn't sure if this was an accusation or a threat. Either way, he understood if there wasn't a proper explanation, it might make him look as if he were on the human's side.

"If I hadn't, I feared she would have tried to escape," Demetri reasoned.

"Of course," Aro agreed leisurely, still appearing as if something didn't quite make sense to him. "You performed your duties stupendously, my friend. As a reward, I will allow you to snap the first bone in her body."

Demetri made an attempt at a grateful smile, but it lacked in sincerity from the moment it began. And only Aro was studying him closely enough to detect it for what it was.

"Surely you will want to participate in our handling out of justice?"

"Yes," Demetri confirmed with a vigorous nod. "Though, I am afraid I have not hunted properly in over three days. If I do break her bone and blood is released...I will expect to also have the comfort of draining her as well."

"Perhaps that's not the best option," Caius spoke up. "We want her to suffer properly, do we not? Why not do the honors yourself, brother?"

For a moment, Demetri thought Aro would demand he remove his contact lenses, especially with the intense way the man continued to watch him. If that happened, he'd see a bright, sated red reflecting back at him, showing Demetri had fed earlier in the morning.

To his unspoken relief, though, Aro did nothing of the sort.

"Prepare her for us, won't you?" he offered pleasantly instead.

"She will be at your disposal by the time you step foot inside the apartment," Demetri promised.

His master offered him a final nod and with that, Demetri began a casual walk towards the staircase.

The rest of his family would of course have to make sure no witnesses would be present for what was to come, but Demetri knew they were only delaying the inevitable.

Within the hour, Rachel would be facing her death.

ABJABJABJABJABJABJ

The woman in question tiredly rubbed at the back of her neck, still watching the entrance to her apartment cautiously. Demetri had been gone for a good five minutes, and in her overactive imagination, a multitude of bizarre explanations reached her.

But as the five minutes stretched on without incident, she felt herself slowly relaxing. As nerve wracking as it was to wait for Demetri, it also provided her with much needed time to build up that backbone she felt herself lacking at the moment.

The last thing she wanted was to give in to fear. It was ultimately such a useless emotion, a poison to thoughts and a petrification to any sense of courage.

She was so, so tired of experiencing the shudders and the trembles and the nightmares and the inability to speak properly to strangers as was familiar to her lifestyle prior to this point and time. Those moments had been filled with such misery and paranoia that eventually, she simply forgot what it meant to function individually, not robotically.

For once, Rachel wanted to face a fearful situation with confidence. It didn't have to be of the situation turning out alright, but more of the guarantee that whatever happened would not cause her to crumble within herself and make a home there indefinitely as was her habit when the world got just a little bit too stressful.

And there it was again. An uenexpected epiphany. What did that make it now...two in a row?

If she did survive this incident in one piece, Rachel was now determined to live differently, especially as she gazed around her darkened, empty apartment where so little had happened over such a long, stale period of time.

Only when she experienced that loss of freedom and dignity from Sulpicia's hands and cruel mouth, did she realize how long she'd been truly afraid for. Assured that if she kept herself out of society, out of people's way, trouble wouldn't find her. Sheltered away so even she herself didn't recognize what was happening to her.

Now that trouble had reached her, Rachel understood how she'd wasted all those years filled with mistrust, not making the most of what she had.

And as she thought this over, the reality of surviving against Sulpicia's mad terror and impossible strength, seemed only that much more astounding. How was it someone who disregarded their own life so easily, managed to take away the life of such a threatening and powerful enemy?

Then again, Rachel knew that in her own way, Sulpicia disregarded life just as easily, though not in a pitying way. The woman was confident and trusting of her invincibility, and in this, she had been blind to see what lengths a victim would go to to survive.

In a way, it was tragically funny. Two individuals crossing paths, both holding a dissatisfaction with life in opposite manners.

And yet, one of them held the will to survive over the other, even if it was just a fraction more.

For the first time since he'd said it, Rachel understood Demetri's comment upon their first night together.

"For a woman who murdered another to stay alive, you remain remarkably passionless toward your own life."

It was the unabiding truth. She had been passionless because she remained convinced there was no longer something to believe in.

But in reality, the belief rested in what she'd done.

There was a reason she retained hope in those three days of physical and psychological torture, a reason she kept on swinging the axe down, ignoring the splatters of blood and inhuman screams of the woman, a reason her desire to survive outweighed for just the tiniest moment in time, Sulpicia's own.

If she had fought so damned hard to stay alive, surely there was a reason why. And while it hadn't yet revealed itself, Rachel knew not to treat this incident as foolishly as she'd been doing so. She survived because she wanted it more than anything in the world. Whether she wanted to or not, she had to recognize this fact for what it was.

As these series of swift revelations smacked into her with an uncanny strength, Rachel was caught in between the urge to laugh dementedly and to cry like she'd just been stabbed.

So this is what figuring yourself out feels like. A bit exhausting, but I can't say I'm not relieved in a way with the discoveries.

Granted, time would still have to be taken for these steps to be issued. With her mindset, it wasn't so easy to turn around and embrace life without boundaries. She'd done that before and it turned out for the worst.

But at least she'd make an attempt. Even if she was facing a lifelong imprisonment.

Hilarious how revelations always struck people in the most grave of situations, wasn't it?

In the middle of wondering whether to blame meddlesome irony once more, the door to her apartment suddenly flew open.

Rachel jumped on instinct, but settled herself when she saw it was only Demetri.

The man himself stalked toward her across the carpet, determined gaze in his eyes, and with these swift of steps, that unease crept back in.

Rather than speak, Demetri grabbed an arm and tugged her body into his own, chill lips positioning themselves directly over an ear as one hand cradled her shoulder.

"Rachel," he whispered so lowly she actually had to strain to hear him, "no matter what happens tonight, I want you to know that you have nothing to feel guilt or sorrow for. You are a good person who many tragic things have happened to and despite what will be said in vindictiveness, know that you deserve none of it. Nod if you understand me."

She did so without thought, heart hammering painfully against her ribs. And only when this happened, did Demetri release her arm and allow her to find his eyes.

What sat inside his light brown gaze, alerted her that something sinister was approaching and that Demetri wouldn't be able to stop it even if he could.

More than that, his eyes revealed a heartbreaking guilt swimming around ever so calmly within his irises.

"It's okay," she managed to say with quaky lips, accepting Demetri's stance. She'd known it from the moment he'd found her.

Of course that didn't make it any less sad to see, but at least she didn't feel blindsided by it.

Demetri backed away from her, but not before placing a firm, last minute kiss upon her forehead that seemed to shoot straight through to her brain.

Rachel wanted to say more, but words left her and too soon, he returned to watching the door, face devoid of any lingering sympathy.

Helplessly, she stared ahead as well, containing the fear as best as she could.

Just as she successfully brought down the race of her heart beat, the door to her apartment busted open with a teeth chattering BANG!

She tried not to marvel openly at the large man who strode through, but she'd honestly never seen anyone in her life quite like him, even though one could easily pluck him from a mafia film.

He was uncommonly tall with a brutish like body and a snow-white face holding a malevolent grin. Faintly, she thought he could have been attractive with his dark features, but the fear he emitted simply by walking into a room, ruined all romantic notions.

The giant brute made his way over to Demetri's side confidently, not shy about hiding his observation of her.

"The bitch is pretty, I'll give you that," he commented. "But those bruises...they are rather awful, aren't they?"

The words stung momentarily, but Rachel shrugged them off.

With the insult, he'd suddenly been transformed in front of her very eyes from an intimidating fiend to nothing more than a bully. And she'd had enough experiences with bullies to know not to give them the satisfaction of seeing their words wound you.

The door swept open once more to reveal a young boy and girl, appearing almost twin-like in their synchronized stares. They strolled inside, perfectly in tune with each other, appearing just as pale and intimidating as the first man had been. But unlike the first man, they offered no taunts after taking in her form, only a cold observation.

Rachel's fear dimmed just the slightest, internally relieved they had nothing to say.

They slithered their way over to the entrance of her kitchen, well within her eyesight, but obviously blocking a way of escape should she become bold or rash.

Rachel turned back to the door and felt her heart nearly crash into her rib cage as the next man entered the room.

He was a proud looking blonde whose menacing features were purposeful and cruel. In fact, she knew just by a scan, everything about him was a show to instill nothing short of heart wrenching fear. And while she fought against it, a dread did seep in when she located blood smeared proudly across his red lips.

"So you are Sulpicia's murderer?" the man announced as if he'd just learned the news, making his way forward, but not into touching distance. "Just as pathetic as I imagined."

Immediately, Rachel knew she hated the man. More so than any other being in the room. Where this sudden anger freed itself from, she couldn't be sure, but its existence extinguished the need to cower and fueled the urge to fight back if only to show she wasn't nearly as weak as he perceived her to be.

"With your face," she neutrally retorted, offering him a close head to toe study, "I'd re-examine the definition of pathetic."

She had no idea where that bout of bravery had come from, stupid bravery perhaps, but bravery nonetheless.

The man's smirk fell instantly, though, causing Rachel to cheer silently inside.

"I will revel in every scream you make," the blonde man threatened icily, seemingly wanting to continue toward her, but deciding against it at the last second.

Rachel chose not to respond, knowing this carefree action would only infuriate the man.

And as he made his way over to the boy and girl, she could practically feel the bruising force of his withering glares strike at her cool features. Internally, she applauded herself for not wavering underneath the venom he'd protruded forth.

The next person who made their presence known, momentarily took away whatever discomfort and anxiety she'd been experiencing and instead, replaced it with curiosity.

The older brunette man marched in with a frown, almost somber, if she was interpreting it correctly, and oddly familiar because she'd seen that dead look so many times on her own face.

When the man noticed her eyes wandering over his lips and brow, he met them with a mustered force.

And to her surprise, he actually ceased in his movements, that somberness swiftly retreating as he began a study of her as well.

Rachel held on to his gaze the longest because it was the most non-threatening one in the whole room, but quite quickly, she had to break it off. His dark eyes had formed a visible interest in her and the last thing she needed was another of Demetri's friends to fear.

A tense second played out of naked observation before the man finally made his way toward Demetri. At this, she released a silent sigh, the muscles bunched up in her shoulders, growing lax.

If Rachel would have done a quick glance around the room, she'd have noticed they surrounded her in an incomplete semi-circle.

And the only spot vacant was the entrance to the room.

Rachel bravely rose her eyes, but she didn't look at anyone specifically. So far, the fear hadn't yet taken over and she was sporting a reasonably clear mind. She was also careful not to so much as look at anyone out of the corner of her eye, knowing the indifferent facade she'd been wearing, might crumble upon their harsh stares.

Instead, she stared at the open door for all it was worth, somehow knowing that not only was there one more person yet to join them, but this person would be Sulpicia's husband.

With all the individuals who had stepped forth, Rachel couldn't exactly say what she expected to transpire throughout the evening. Yes, each person in their own way sparked a terror inside her. She knew now why Demetri had pushed the issue forward on his friends. They were truthfully a terrifying lot, especially with the unhealthy glow of their eyes.

And yet, she didn't feel true fear like she ought to have.

At first, she couldn't understand why.

But the more she pondered it over, the more she realized each being in their own way, were people Rachel had already encountered in her life. Their disarmingly stunning looks and intimidating presence failed to hide what she could pick out as their true natures.

Cold.

Angry.

And ruthless.

Although their personalities were something she could partly understand, there was still a question she had which confused her greatly. Why was it that each gaze minus Demetri's, appeared to hold a dangerous hue of red inside it?

The blonde man and girl could have passed for albinos perhaps, but definitely not the rest of them.

So, even though unease coursed plainly through her veins, an undying curiosity also rose. If Demetri's friends were indeed the mafia, why were they so weird looking?

Rachel risked a glance at Demetri, hoping he'd shine some light on where his friends hailed from.

But the man only watched the open door dutifully, eyes unmoving.

Reluctantly, Rachel's eyes too turned to the entrance. The tension in the room increased to where it felt suffocating as everyone awaited the final presence.

But for some reason or other, the last guest lingered back in the darkness.

She couldn't see clearly into the shadows, but there was no mistake that the man stood there without movement. And the longer she stared into the blackness, the more of an outline she could make out. And the more she distinctly felt as if his eyes were solely trained on her, and her alone.

At first, this inspired understanding. Of course he'd want to sum up the woman who'd killed his wife.

But after minutes trailed by and he still resided in the blackness of the hallway, Rachel's understanding lessened. If he felt as much anger as she expected him to, wouldn't he simply march inside and hurl a whirlwind of insults at her? Proudly declare what terrible fate awaited her?

Why take the prolonged minutes of staying to the shadows when it was obvious everyone could detect his presence?

"I'm obviously surrounded," Rachel shouted suddenly, focusing on the darkened hallway. "The least you can do is show your cowardly self."

A hiss erupted from someone in the room, but Rachel studiously ignored it. And to her relief, the magic of her words did their trick.

Not even a second passed by before a man slipped into the room, just as pale as all the other bodies. He had long, nearly pitch black hair reaching down past his elegant white neck into an undetermined length behind him. Ensembled in an expensive coat and pants, he walked with grace and poise, far more put together and unruffled than Rachel expected him to be. And he too displayed that same, unnerving, red gaze as he studied her with stiff shoulders.

Rather than feel that familiar, fearful shudder, Rachel was immediately overcome by intrigue. An intrigue that far outweighed any she had felt for any of the other occupants in the room. She couldn't put a finger as to why it surfaced or what she found so intriguing about him, but the tingly feeling refused to waver.

Aside from the intrigue, he was the first person in the room that she found to be openly handsome. At least more so than his counterparts, in his own way.

At first, she felt ashamed to think such a thing. The guy obviously planned an unhappy night for her.

But after a few seconds of careful study, Rachel ultimately let it be. While she hated Sulpicia with a black passion, she also recognized the woman to be just as dangerously alluring.

Why should her husband not appear to be as well?

"Can we start now? I did purposely have a small snack because I was looking forward to tonight," the tall, burly man inquired, studying Rachel with a mocking smirk.

She pretended not to hear, truthfully unable to tear her eyes away from Sulpicia's husband. Buried beneath even her consciousness, rested an emotion which sighed in disappointment at the unfairness of it all. Sulpicia was able to be insane and snag a fiercely handsome man at the same time? Where was the fairness in that?

To her growing confusion, the man continued to stand rigidly in place, regarding her with wide, intense eyes as if he'd never seen anything like her, completely ignoring what was asked of him. He didn't blink, which freaked her out, nor seem to breathe, and with their locked gaze, she felt like her tummy was dropping out from underneath her.

She wasn't sure how long they stood there, sizing each other up, but she let out a deep breath when he took his first step toward her.

"Aro," the blonde man interrupted, a frown marring his lips, "why are we toying with her? Have Jane begin what you brought her for."

Out of the corner of her eye, Rachel watched as the blonde girl, Jane, stepped forward, focusing her equally red gaze on her with purpose.

Rachel wanted to take a step back at the girl's harsh gaze, but she refused, only staring back at the young girl awkwardly. The blonde man's exclamation didn't make any sense to her, but the girl appeared to know just exactly what to do.

Seconds passed by, but the man remained tight-lipped.

"Have we forgotten how to torture?" the blonde grumbled once more, snapping his head toward the girl. "Jane, I give you full permission to begin what you do best and bring the human to her knees!"

This signaled some sort of unspoken command the girl had been waiting for. With a firm nod, she stepped forward, lips inching up ever so slightly.

A fearful stab shot through Rachel's heart at the lack of expression on the girl's face. Yes, at that age, she'd been just as excellent at disguising her true feelings as well, but seeing this...Jane so meticulously smother even a twitch of an eye, forced her to recognize that whatever was to come next, wouldn't be pleasant.

Rachel nearly shuddered as a steady wave of pricks consumed her body, poking sharply at her skin. They weren't painful necessarily, but their insistency and unexpectedness successfully shot up the beat of her heart to where she could hear nothing other than the rush of blood for a few seconds, feeling as if her chest would constrict on itself at any moment.

What the hell is happening to me?

"STOP."

And just like that, the pricking ceased.

Rachel sucked in a greedy breath of air, watching with slumped shoulders and a hand over her chest as the girl's smirk fell. She then threw the raven-haired man a confused look.

In fact, with this loud exclamation, every person inside the room now stared at him.

"Why?" the blonde man snarled, turning. "This is what you've been waiting for, Aro. To make the pathetic human suffer!"

Raising both brows, Rachel risked an uncertain glance at the man who'd been absorbing her so critically.

Aro.

"Jane, you are not to use your ability for the rest of the evening," Aro commanded, his voice leaving no room for argument.

"You have lost your mind! This is the bit-."

"Caius," the man snapped once more, never breaking his gaze away from Rachel's own, "do not make the mistake of going against my command. It will end most unfavorably for you."

A visible wave of surprise passed through each person standing in the room. And just by a quick scan, Rachel knew the evening wasn't turning out the way it was expected.

"No one in this room is to touch this woman," Aro continued steadily, beginning to take short steps toward her. "This...Rachel."

His voice slipped into a momentary affection when calling her by name, and that's when Rachel began moving her way backwards. In just the change of tone, that fear slipped in so quickly that she momentarily had trouble breathing. What she now witnessed in his eyes, what his voice seemed to indicate, she knew very well to be afraid of it, even if she couldn't pin point the source of that fear.

Aro only continued his silent approach, no one making a move to stop him.

Panicked, Rachel felt her backside slam into a lamp. With a sudden yelp, she twirled around, just to watch it fly to the floor and land softly, the shade cushioning most of the blow, but reangling the source of light and further pitching the room into a tense dimness.

"Do not be afraid, dear. As unbelievable as this sounds, even to my own ears, I truly do not wish to hurt you."

The man must have thought this sounded encouraging, but with his predatory stalking forward, Rachel thought the exact opposite as she kept taking baby steps backwards, fingers hoping to come in contact with something she could use as protection.

Only out of a desperation did she find Demetri's gaze, but his outward confusion was just as apparent as everyone else's.

"Demetri," she voiced uncertainly, hands trembling. "I know you're only following command, but please don't let him touch me. PLEASE."

The despair in her tone visibly shook Demetri out of his suptor.

He made to take a step forward, but Aro quickly stopped him in place with his next chilling words.

"Stay in your place, Demetri. If you should be as impulsive as to come to Rachel's defense, I will not hesitate to make my way through you."

As soon as the threat was released, Rachel knew Demetri would be powerless, his regretful frown saying as much.

Without restriction, that foul anger she'd experienced earlier, made a vengeful return, momentarily soothing her fear.

Ever so slowly, she returned her eyes to Aro, shoulders shaking slightly.

"Don't you dare try threatening the only guy who doesn't want to see me dead in this room," Rachel defended angrily. "He might be little in rank compared to you, but at least he's not some mindless zombie, doing your dirty work. I don't know much of you, Aro, but I can tell already that Demetri is ten times the man you could ever be."

Right away, she knew this was the wrong thing to say.

Without warning, Aro dashed straight at her.

The action was so unexpected that she found herself back peddling straight into the hard wall behind her, slamming in to it with wide eyes.

And in a disbelievingly quick second, Aro was standing in a slight bend before her, both palms balancing against the wall on each side, effectively caging her shocked form.

"How the hell did you do that?" she murmured, disbelief rocking her insides at how quickly he'd gotten to her.

This invasion of personal body space allowed Rachel to see just how utterly red the man's eyes were. And at this moment, they were flying over ever single expression she let out.

"You smell...divine," he answered instead, lips parting as he inhaled her. Like a ravenous, starving animal. This hunger extended even into his voice which was intimately deep and holding an accent she couldn't place.

However, the shivers running up Rachel's spine didn't deter her confusion.

"Answer my question," she tried, attempting to keep her voice from shaking as she tried to blend into the wall. "Your eyes aren't a natural color. You're pale. And you're...fast. Like Sulpicia was. How?"

Aro momentarily frowned at the mention of his former wife's name, his eyes scanning over her face...regretfully?

"Do your bruises still hurt?"

His momentary concern, fueled that anger once more.

"Answer my question, damn it!"

She could tell he was prepared to easily say no at her outburst, so with a forced courage, Rachel apologetically added, "Please."

He appeared to debate her plead while her heart kept at a delirious beat.

"For the moment, you are not prepared to hear the truth," he revealed. "Though, I assure you will learn it quite soon."

"What does that mean?"

"Exactly as I say, my dear."

"Don't call me that," she snapped through her panic, narrowing her eyes at his endearing expression.

"It suits you quite nicely, I think. My dear."

He then smiled brightly as if finding this acknowledgment to be the wittiest thing he'd ever said.

And with it, Rachel's puzzlement grew.

"I don't understand why you're not ready to hurt me. Ready to let your friends hurt me. I murdered your wife! Why aren't you angry?"

Granted, she didn't want him to carry out on the threats she spoke of. But the heated clash of confusion and fear rumbling inside her, no longer on a stable equilibrium, demanded some sort of answer to the unexpected turn of events.

"Indeed. Why am I not angry?" he mused, tilting his head ever so slightly. "I know this was the first emotion to fill me when I had learned her fate, but upon finally seeing you, I cannot find the urge inside me to even think of hurting you. In fact, the very thought physically repulses me. Isn't that a peculiar little twist of fate?"

He voiced all this as if it were a joke, but beneath his exterior, Rachel noticed the raw uncertainty and even a panic, though not nearly as powerful as her own, thriving. As if the answer to his questions were just as lost on him.

"You're going to let me go?" she sounded out, not quite trusting herself to invest in such a result.

Rather than answer her, Aro merely offered her a radiant smile. And that smile of white teeth and secret promises, successfully managed to scare the hell out of her.

Sensing the unease, Aro backed up a step, dropping both arms. Instead, he extended a naked hand before him, free of the black glove he wore on his opposite hand.

"Will you please allow me the pleasure?"

Rachel stared untrustingly at the pale limb, not sure where he was going with this, and most certainly not wanting to voluntarily offer her hand.

Nothing felt right about this man. His eyes were creepy, his grins appeared manic, his personality irritated her with an unbalanced rotation between happiness and self-righteousness, and he certainly had no idea how to calm someone down. That much was painfully obvious.

I'm not going to hurt you, my ass.

And now with his swift dismissal of Sulpicia's death and intense interest in herself, Rachel honestly wanted to do nothing more than slap his hand away.

He got to me faster than physically possible. Making a run for it sure isn't going to help any.

The seconds ticked on by, Aro's hand hovering patiently before her, but Rachel still kept up her refusal, her own fingers twitching, looking for a way out of this.

"It's okay, Rachel. He's not going to hurt you."

This calm assurance was voiced from Demetri himself who appeared just as engrossed in their encounter as every other person in the room.

"You're sure?"

Although he'd displayed an urge to help her, she still didn't want to place her trust in a man who could so very easily desert her when she needed him most.

"I swear on Isla del Sol."

The corner of her lips briefly lifted as she shot him a thankful glance at the reference.

However, before surrendering her hand, she reluctantly met Aro's eyes.

"Know I'm only doing this because of Demetri."

"So untrusting of me already? This must be a new record."

"Don't confuse repulsion for fear," she spat acidically. "I doubt anyone touches you willingly."

"Oh, how you wound me, my dear. Though, as it would have it, I could very well share with you stories where the female partner begged for my touch long after I stopped giving it. I have been known to be a very attentive lover."

She blanched at this thought, pushing herself further into the wall as he chuckled to himself.

"I will have my work cut out with you, won't I? Perhaps it would be easier if I understood your need for such guarding of emotions and the root of your anger and pain."

With that, he wiggled his fingers a bit.

"Please do me the honor, Rachel. However...unwillingly."

Scowling at the mock courtesy, she reluctantly extended her own, flinching slightly at the eagerness in which Aro grasped it.

What she felt next hit her unlike anything she'd ever experienced before.

A force, invisible and insistent, began pushing itself without mercy, into her skull, tapping and prodding for access. Though entirely foreign, it wasn't necessarily unpleasant. But like the levee during a hurricane, Rachel felt all of her memories, previously submerged and repressed, being pulled forward through an invisible barrier.

Like a picture show before her eyes, hours and days began playing themselves out, starting with the events at Isla del Sol.

She watched herself, as if through a veil, chatting on top of the ferris wheel with Demetri about how Sulpicia slithered her way into her life. Then, the sun had broke through the clouds and she saw herself marveling at the unnatural sparkle radiating from Demetri's skin.

Throughout this whole time, Aro's cold hand clasped onto hers without mercy and because of this, Rachel felt entirely helpless to dislodge it, much less stop the access of thoughts, feeling a sickening sense of deja vu as a result. She didn't know how, or what allowed it, but this man was seeing clear as day, every memory she'd recently had.

It didn't make any sense to her, and she didn't try to reason it out in her mind because as the memories flew by, finally landing themselves to where she and Demetri first met, Rachel tried to mentally and physically prepare herself for what was next.

Determinedly, she tried to disassemble their limbs, but Aro held on with a ferocious need, eyes staring unblinkingly past her, into the wall.

Her own eyes slammed shut as the intrusion unexpectedly became painful, though she knew it had more to do with the context of the next memory rather than anything Aro had done.

Long gone was Demetri's comforting presence, and in his place stood the horrible woman with the smile of joy twisted on her face as she twirled a knife casually in her pale fingers.

When Sulpicia cut open into her skin, Aro's grip shook ever so slightly. In fact, every time the woman spoke down to her, taunted her, abused her, whispered the most heartless words to an already broken woman, Aro's hand tightened.

Rachel felt her hate deepen for Aro each time he did this. It was his wife that was responsible for hurting her. Mutilating her. Goading her. And he knew very well what she was capable of. Why the hell would he offer her his pity?

But that hate subsided as she powerlessly listened in on the memory, eyes wearily opening, cheeks already wet with shame and humiliation.

When the memory reached its' conclusion - Rachel's battered body slumped against her bathroom wall, bloodied and cut fingers holding on to the axe with nothing short of agony and determination - she expected Aro to throw away her hand and let out some sort of threat towards herself, even if she could tell already this wasn't how he reacted to tense situations.

However, he surprised her by simply releasing a small smile, though it appeared painful to spawn.

Not once did his grip tighten as she swung down her axe, dismembering Sulpicia one by one, slowly and ruthlessly, the pale skin becoming drenched in a sea of red.

A second later and the memory began thickening out, the vision blurring ever so slightly. All that remained was witnessing herself hurl the axe into the bath tub, stumble to her bed, crawl under the covers, and began weeping at what she won and lost at the same time, sounds reminiscent of an animal caught in a trap.

A part of her assumed, through whatever divine way Aro could do what he did, that this was what he wanted to see. The last exchange between Sulpicia and herself.

But she was gravely mistaken.

Suddenly, the invasion prodded into a different part of her skull, releasing the memories of how she'd spent the three lonely years by herself.

"You saw what you wanted to," she bit out, attempting to tug her hand out of his own.

Aro ignored her completely, his grip actually tightening.

With a pained wince, Rachel studied him shakily, unsure as to why he'd want to look at those despondent years.

And the further back he traveled, the more fear spread through her.

"Stop," Rachel repeated with more force, twisting her arm harshly.

Her entire body quaked as Aro only continued observing, the years now melting away for the familiar green hills of her hometown.

At this point, Rachel began fighting without caution against his hold, slapping at his hand, scratching viciously into his skin, even screaming.

But Aro remained unmoved, face eerily statuesque.

The fear throbbed through every pulse of her vein, uncensored and terrifying.

She couldn't allow him to see so far into her past. She couldn't allow him to see what had happened. What had been destroyed and what lay in its wake. What had been lost to the cruelness of time. What mistakes were made and how she'd been responsible. What she'd left behind.

The closer he neared these explosive memories, her hair now long and luscious, eyes retaining a spark she no longer carried, the more she struggled, repeatedly losing her balance from trying to separate their entangled limbs.

When his iron grip maintained its inhuman power, Rachel tried, only out of desperation, a different approach.

This time around, she tried to push him out of her head.

His presence in her mind was like an invisible, steel-like straw, serving as a vessel to suck out all the memories he wanted to see. This wasn't exactly the best description, but every so often, when she could break through her panic, Rachel detected the vessel's presence, faintly, but it was there. And the more Aro prodded at the memory she tried like hell to keep away, the more of the vessel's presence she could detect.

When the darkness her sacred memories had been submerged in, began falling apart in surrender, Rachel blindly pressed against the invading power.

This time, what she felt, surprised her.

Within the vessel, there sat a weak point. An exposed Achilles heal, so to speak. She didn't know what sort of luck allowed her to find this miniscule point, but she knew to capitalize it while time still permitted it.

With all of the power she could muster, the nerves of energy and bundles of desperation, with a strength common of humanity when in the depths of their final seconds, Rachel violently kicked at the invading force, watching with deep relief as it soared out of the unfolding darkness.

When that pressure against her skull suddenly disappeared, Aro visibly showed his shock, detaching their hands with a parted mouth. And Rachel used this split second to pull it back hurriedly, unable to stop its shaking.

Though she was successful, she also felt tired and worn out. Like pushing him out had drained her of energy completely.

"How did you do that?"

The irony of his question wasn't lost on her as she'd asked something eerily similar minutes before of him and his abnormal talents.

Rather than answer, however, she shot him a murderous glare, the teary red of her eyes openly showing how painful his intrusion had been.

"Don't. Ever. Touch. Me. Again," she growled in between breaths, fighting against the sobs caught in her throat. "Those memories are not yours to see! No one gave you the right."

Aro blinked in surprise, but didn't respond.

With his silence, something inside Rachel snapped. Maybe it was from exhaustion. Or from Aro's overwhelming presence. Or maybe because she finally really was losing it.

"Stay the fuck out of my head!" she screamed, the anger and pain intermixing, nurturing each other. "Better yet, stay away from me! You are vile and unfeeling and I'd rather face your wife a million times over than be in your presence a minute longer! No good human being would keep pushing when they knew not to. When they knew those thoughts weren't theirs to see!"

By now, tears were blurring her vision and it wasn't all that surprising when the weight of her exhaustion forced black spots to appear before her.

A moment later and Rachel dropped to the floor, body thoroughly surrendering to a sweet unconscious.

ABJABJABJABJABJABJ

Aro knelt instantly beside Rachel, hands gathering her to himself despite what she'd said. The demand inside him to have her near, only grew by the second, particularly a bit more hastily each time she pulled away from him.

"Well, that was a delightful evening," Caius sneered from behind him.

Tightening his hold on the woman, Aro continued staring down at her tear-stained cheeks, unused to feeling the guilt stirring around inside him, especially when he knew he was responsible for those tears. Usually, he felt a sense of pride, even arousal on some occasions at having brought forth such a sniveling reaction.

But on this human, he didn't enjoy it quite as much.

"Do reign in your sarcasm for the moment, brother," Aro coolly mentioned back, a gloved finger pushing back a stray lock from her sweaty forehead.

She really is beautiful, despite what Sulpicia did.

"Reign in my sarcasm? Aro, you kept the bitch alive! There is no reason for this. And you speak to her fondly? What are you thinking?"

This time, Aro's patience wavered substantially.

"Caius, if you do not quiet yourself down now, I will demand Jane to subdue you until clarity reaches your mind. She may answer to us both, but ultimately, I am your superior by many centuries and she will do as I say without a second thought."

The atmosphere itself lit up, partially in response to his words and partially from his words.

And yet, Aro hardly payed any mind to it.

Instead, his thoughts were thoroughly engaged with the human in his lap.

There was an initial denial upon first seeing her in Demetri's thoughts that he'd battled. He wanted so desperately to see her as the unworthy human responsible for slaughtering his beloved wife. To see her as the useless food Heidi led to them within the walls of Volterra.

But he could not envision her as this sort of cattle even if he tried.

Upon recognizing the sadness engraved so nakedly within her features, Aro actually felt an unfamiliar churn in his ribcage. The intense sadness pained him greatly to see, more so to know it'd been that way for a long time. And again, he'd felt guilt, though he didn't know the source of it this time around.

When watching her from the safety of the darkness, he had briefly hoped she'd be proud. Or dim. Or deserving of Sulpicia's ministrations. Yes, he may have held an initial fondness of her, but this meant little even to the vampires he'd had met in his life because most of them were sadly pathetic in one way or another.

Instead, Aro had ended up seeing the human woman for what she really was, despite the unsavory scars and bruises lighting her skin.

This admission had kept his feet rooted to the floor in shock, an emotion uncommon for him to feel in this day and age.

When she had finally called him into the room, taunted him, already knowing he'd respond, Aro felt that shock retreat for emotions equally as rare.

Need. Dependence. Wonder. Possessiveness. Lust. So very much lust in fact that he'd had to keep his lips closed lest he spoke something rash and foolish.

Aro wasn't normally a man to push away his thoughts and emotions. They surfaced in him for a reason and understanding them would only make him stronger as a ruler.

But he held off on admitting what Rachel meant to him until Jane had been oh so close to crippling and tearing apart the human's mind. That physical pain was not something he ever wished to witness, and never would if he could help it.

So, he had stopped Jane and in doing so, accepted everything with a concrete clarity.

Rachel was his mate.

He'd known enough of Marcus's love for his own sister, to recognize when one found their mate. He'd even done extensive research on the topic, though this was merely to satisfy his boredom.

However, all of his emotions, his suddenly rampant desires, his unnatural desire to have her so close, led to the understanding that this human was his mate. He even felt his senses react to her presence, nose bent on inhaling her into memorization and tongue bent on-.

His lips twisted up with a jerk at this thought, hugging Rachel's form closer to him.

His feelings at the moment, really were quite...overpowering. Silly perhaps, but quite appropriate to say of the situation as he never expected to actually find his mate.

In fact, he'd convinced himself after so many centuries that Sulpicia was. It made things so much easier.

But this pleasure he felt, this unexpected renewal of a primal passion he'd thought long dead, so very painfully eradicated any form of love or affection he'd assured himself was strictly for Sulpicia.

Though he did feel just the slightest guilt for disregarding Sulpicia's demise so quickly, he ultimately was relieved in ways he could not even admit yet that Rachel had been the one to survive his former wife's torture.

And to think this human was to be my gift. I'd have never known. Or perhaps I would, though it would have been far too late.

At this thought, Aro forced himself to confront just how insanely protective he felt of her already, stemming partly by that sadness he couldn't quite erase from his mind. And among this protectiveness was a desire to know every detail of her life from the moment of birth until now.

Unfortunately, she was not as receptive to his curiosity, going so far as to kick him out of her own mind. An impressive feat, though not completely unheard of. The few times it had happened, mostly by those who were lying to him, Aro understood he would be approaching a memory cherished above all others, guarded and sanctioned so knowledge of it would never leave the being's mind.

Something agonizing lived inside the memory he'd nearly pried open, and for the moment, the desire to acquire this memory, consumed him.

Briefly, he considered pressing his gloveless hand to her skull now just to search for the prized memory.

However, his thoughts kept him from doing so.

She is rather insistent on me not getting inside, isn't she? If I am to convince her to at least stand in my presence, then perhaps it wouldn't be wise to invade her thoughts while asleep.

Her aggression and outright hostility towards him was unforseen, though avoidable, he supposed, if he hadn't teased her or threatened Demetri who appeared to be the only person she did trust in the room.

But it had been fun, if not a bit stimulating. He quite enjoyed the wild anger that appeared in her eyes. He never knew when it was coming.

Still, he couldn't ignore the truth.

She hated him.

Which would have been a funny thought, if it wasn't so damned ironic. And this irony upset him greatly, especially when he thought of how he would break it to her that she was in the company of vampires. From experience, he knew humans never tended to react well to this tidbit of information.

As his thoughts played out, Aro scooped Rachel further into his arms before moving to his feet. Though he did not wish to explain what had just happened, he knew his family needed a proper explanation. He had after all, threatened two of his family members already for the sake of a human.

"Explain yourself," Caius growled upon witnessing Rachel's unconscious form cradled protectively in Aro's arms.

Aro opened his mouth, but all words were silenced as the sound of Marcus's booming laughter filled the entire room.

Both brothers cocked an eyebrow at each other, neither having ever recalled hearing their normally sullen brother laugh so loudly.

But on Marcus laughed, hands actually balling into fists as he risked peeks at Rachel's form from his closed eyes.

"Pray tell, brother, what of Rachel has so powerfully ensnarled your humor?" Aro inquired, hiding the uncertainty in his voice.

"I knew from the moment it occurred, but heaven forbid I go against the blood lust so common of yourself and Caius," Marcus explained softly, a smile still balancing his lips.

"Knew what?" Caius sharply questioned, giving the normally pensive man, a cold stare.

"The seer who traveled across a diseased land for seven days just to speak to you. The one Sulpicia made sure to murder most foul because of how threatening her prediction truly was. A prediction I knew to be true the moment she revealed it," Marcus continued, his smile turning morose. "Viola warned you, did she not? That upon killing her, you would never have Rachel as your own. Your decision to mate by force to a woman that never belonged to you rather than have the patience to search this world for your true mate, has led to the troubles you are experiencing now. Rachel, the woman who appears to want to suffer at the hands of Sulpicia a million times over rather than be in your presence, is your mate."

Caius immediately scoffed at this, but Aro remained silent, lips set in a thin line.

"You will pay with unknown grief in centuries to come for your laziness, cruelty, and impatience. I only regret to inform you...that so will your mate."

Aro glanced down at Rachel, studying the crease of sorrow in between both brows that followed her even into sleep.

What had the seer said? I'd meet her two months after her eighteenth birthday?

From Demetri's thoughts, Aro knew Rachel to be twenty-four. Which meant that they never met when they were supposed to. And from what he remembered, the seer had been quite excited to describe how passionate and exciting his mate was.

The woman in his arms, sorely lacked much of those exotic traits Viola had spoken of.

"Much like your mate whose heart will never be open again, leaving you to drown in a loneliness you alone are responsible for."

Was this what she meant? By not entering Rachel's life when he'd needed to, he'd left her to a fate that left her appearing older than she looked and marred with scars she would gladly die before letting him see?

Now, he understood why that second wave of guilt had hit him. And what Viola's dying words to him meant. By deciding to kill her, by disregarding her prediction, he had ultimately changed not just his own future, but Rachel's as well.

And from what it appeared, very much for the worse.

Aro wanted to openly process all this privately, but he did not have this luxury and instead, masked each observation with a cool collection.

Underneath, however, his ribcage continued to throb in agony as he realized what sort of future he'd led Rachel into. Not just of whatever it is she hid from him, but ultimately one where his wife nearly tortured her to death.

"Aro," Caius snapped. "Surely you don't believe such outlandish lies."

Aro straightened his posture, the weight in his arms suddenly feeling a lot heavier.

"It would be wise to take caution with your words, brother. Marcus's talents have yet to be wrong."

"Yes, but a human is Aro's mate?" he snarked in disbelief, frowning. "Ridiculous."

"Sulpicia was human before Aro turned her," Demetri unexpectedly pointed out, guarding himself against Caius's narrowed glare. "Just as well, Rachel's achievements as a human really are quite impressive. She's resourceful, intelligent, and was strong enough physically and mentally to prevent a millennia old vampire from killing her after suffering three days of torture. Though it's difficult to see now, she is very kind. Something Sulpicia never was. Maybe Volterra needs a new sort of woman to look up to."

Caius looked like he didn't know what to say for a moment.

"Sulpicia was your wife."

The words were meant to force Aro into seeing how grand of a mistake he was making.

But instead, they served to make a point.

"Was, being the key word, brother," Aro noted. "I am mildly surprised you are so distant from what I am experiencing right now. Sulpicia nearly murdered my mate. Just as your current wife and mate was nearly murdered centuries ago. Surely you know the agony and panic one feels."

"You haven't even known her a full day," he spat back, glowering at the mention of the incident.

"And I already know I do not want her to be harmed. Ever."

"Caius is right in one regard," Marcus mentioned, features far more reserved now. "Your attachment to your mate is far more intense than it should be. Far more urgent. But I think this is only a consequence of having waited so long, depriving yourself of the proper contact you needed. While Sulpicia certainly got you by, a time would have come where her companionship would ultimately have been worthless. Your loneliness, though you hide it well, would have begun consuming you. For no person on this Earth, be them human or otherwise, can live life without having experienced love."

"Why did you not mention all this to me sooner, Marcus? You knew Sulpicia was not my mate," Aro asked, attempting not to sound accusatory.

"Yes, but watching you take the seer's life taught me something. For a short second, you considered touching the her to see the vision for yourself. But ultimately, your lust for power and position won over. There existed inside you at that moment, a very real fear in which Viola's prediction could be right and you would have to give up the powerful wife you'd molded for yourself and anticipate the arrival of someone new and unaccustomed to our ways. I suppose it would have been a further waste of time to wait for Rachel. Watching you choose to kill Viola taught me you were not yet ready for my information, and you wouldn't be until something drastic occurred. I suppose this is that drastic event."

Aro frowned at the words. While everything was now coming to light, he wondered briefly if Marcus wasn't getting a pleasure from seeing his own thoughts becoming reality.

Of course he would. I have put off his comments so often that he does not care enough to offer them anymore.

"So...what happens next?"

It was Felix that spoke this, eyes set on the human.

"Regretting your decision to have a light snack?" Alec mentioned with a faint smirk.

"Very much so. Though, it appears the drama for this evening has been met. I must be sure, master. You do wish to take this human back to Volterra?"

"It is not even an option to leave her behind," Aro dictated. "Upon arrival, she will be treated with politeness. From everyone."

Caius sniffed at this, but offered no remarks. And yet, Aro knew he would have the most difficult time incorporating the human into his life.

"What will we tell the others?" Felix questioned.

"I will be speaking to the rest of our family on what has occurred. Say nothing upon arriving."

Everyone seemed to nod in agreement with this, thought Aro knew they were all still processing the information they'd learned.

"I have a request."

Aro turned to Demetri, fighting the urge to bring Rachel closer to his body.

"Whatever it is you need, it is yours, Demetri."

The man nodded, but appeared the slightest bit nervous.

"I wish...to be the first to explain Rachel of who we are. From what I know of her, she will not respond well to force or fear. I believe I can make the explanation relatively harmless and easier to accept. Her world is opening up fast and she needs someone to accommodate this."

"That would probably be best," Aro admitted reluctantly. "I have the distinct feeling that I am not the first face she would like to see upon waking up. You are free to tell her everything."

"Including your eventual plan to turn her?" Demetri continued.

"Yes. But perhaps not all at once. I want her to enjoy the last part of her humanity before I give her a new life. I would like to be on good terms with her first as well."

"Understood. I will be as gentle in my information as possible."

"Thank you, Demetri. As for the rest of you - this will be difficult to process, yes. I cannot say I wouldn't react the same way were I in your positions. But Rachel eventually will be a part of this family. She will find her place, with or without your help. Though it would be easier with."

"Do you think she's suicidal, Demetri?" Felix asked.

Demetri opened his mouth to respond, but he closed it a second later, throwing an uncertain glance at Rachel.

"I can't say exactly. She told me once that she wasn't, but I'm unsure how she will take all this. There is a reason she has distanced herself from the world and from people. I do not know why directly, but I do know that she had control in her life and she prides being able to carry out decisions. Now, she won't. Everything will be decided by strangers whom she doesn't trust. I don't see her reacting calmly to this."

"She will adapt," Aro assured.

He missed Demetri's worried gaze as well as Marcus's frown deepening with these words.

"Let us depart, then," Caius bitterly announced, casting the entire apartment a distasteful glare. "The stench of humanity is getting repulsive."

Aro and Rachel. What do you think? And I assure you that Aro will be riding the struggle bus from here on out. His selfishness and cruelness, as Viola had observed (whose last words and prediction are now making a bit more sense), will come back to bite him in one simple way: Rachel hates him. And this will be very fun to write because Aro was so used to Sulpicia running to him and not really caring about how she felt, but indugling her blood lust. Don't worry, he's not completely over his former wife, and various members of the Volturi will have their own POV's from here to there regarding what's going on, but as of this chapter, Rachel is Aro's reluctant mate. And Marcus. He's just a mysterious one, isn't he? Let me know your thoughts in a review!