Second I hope you guys enjoy this story. It's gonna be good.

The sun was just setting. The day had been incredibly sunny, so I had been stuck inside all day. Not that this was an unpleasant place to be in the least; I just preferred to be outside. I hadn't bothered talking to Aro all day. He was incredibly curious about everything and he had taken to asking me about my family recently. I wasn't ready to talk about them yet. It had been decades since I had seen them last. Still, I didn't feel particularly inclined to explain every last detail about the inner workings of my family. At least, those who used to be my family.

I was preparing to go hunt. It had only been a few days but it was so much harder to resist around this time of year. The summer months brought an influx of tourists to Vulterra. Each of those people had a uniquely mouth watering scent and it about drove me crazy. The rest of the Vulturi all fed from the humans that ventured here. I refused. My father had taught me a better way, a more humane way, when I had lived with him. And I had been good. I had abstained for decades. I hadn't touched a drop of human blood in so long.

I was about to leave, just jump right out of my window to find some animal nearby that I could feed from. Suddenly a faint tapping sounded on my door. I could hear the thoughts of the person on the other side. It was Felix.

"Come in Felix," I called, turning back around. So I would have to wait.

"Greetings Edward. Aro requests your presence," he stated simply. I shrugged and followed Felix through the winding halls. His thoughts were raging swiftly through his mind, racing back and forth between hate and jealousy. It was no secret that Felix hated me. The only thing I didn't understand was why he kept thinking why does he get to do it?

Why did I get to do what?

I shook my head, clearing it of my thoughts as well as Felix's. We stopped in front of a door, the one that lad to the main hall where the gatherings usually took place. Felix gestured for me to go inside. He was not invited to this meeting. It gave me sick satisfaction to know that I was included in something he was not, only because we detested each other so much.

When I stepped through the door the buzz of chatter ceased immediately. However all their thoughts continued. Aro, Caius and Marcus were sitting together apart from the rest as they usually did. Jane was sitting to their left, glaring at me. If she even thought about using her "gift" of me, I was going to attack her. She found way too many excuses to "accidentally" torture me. Aro chided her harshly the last time she did it, but I knew she got pleasure from it. So I avoided her eyes as I approached the three. I bowed gracefully. Aro chuckled.

"Hello Edward. I am going to get straight to the point here because we don't have a lot of time before this all happens. I'm sure you have been wondering what it is we have for you?"

I nodded.

"Well we have a sort of…assignment for you. There is a human we want changed and we are placing them under your charge. Change her, watch over her until she is well and then teach her about Vulterra. She will join our ranks as soon as she is well enough. She is very special Edward, which is why we have chosen you to look after her. Can we trust you with this?" Aro asked.

I didn't like this idea at all. I hadn't fed on human blood in so long. What if I couldn't stop? What if I killed her instead of changing her? But I was bound to do what Aro told me to do. So I nodded. He clapped his hands happily.

"Wonderful. She is being sent to you later this evening. You have time to hunt if you so wish," he said and then dismissed me without another word.

I left the hall and did exactly what I was told I could do. I went and hunted. I fed on a few deer before returning to the castle. I had been hoping to find something a little more sustaining but I was out of luck. I thought of calling Demitri in to help me. He was one of the few of the Vulturi that could stand me and that I didn't mind having around. I would not have gone so far as to call him a friend, but he was not an enemy. I was going to need assistance. I knew that it was going to be hard for me to keep from killing this girl.

I had barely returned to my room when someone knocked. It was one of the underlings. He was an unimportant part of the Vulturi, used only to deliver messages, or in this case, packages. I heard his thoughts as he entered the room. He was thinking how wonderful the girl smelled, how good she would likely taste. I turned to see the girl I was going to change and bit back a gasp.

She was beautiful. Her beauty, no matter how ephemeral or short lived was startling. Helen of Troy may have been the face that launched a thousand ships, but I had no doubt that this girl could bring entire empires to their knees if she so desired. I paused, running my eyes along her frame, from her shapely legs all the way to her dark brown hair and chocolate eyes. She blushed furiously. My mouth watered. The scent coming off her skin was maddening sweet, the most wonderful smell I had ever had the privilege to inhale. She made my whole body ache.

It was only after a moment that I noticed something strange. I could not hear her thoughts. I concentrated on her, trying to listen in, but got a complete blank. I furrowed my brow, trying harder for a moment before realizing that I couldn't hear a thing, and I that I wouldn't be hearing a thing. The underling stared at me as I stared at this girl. When I noticed his continued presence I growled. He ran, shutting my door with a slam on his way out.

"What is your name?" I asked the girl. I stepped in her direction. She inhaled sharply, as if I had done something shocking. She was staring directly into my eyes, transfixed. She blinked rapidly as I looked away from her face as though she had just been woken from a trance.

"Isabella," she answered. Even in that one word her voice shook. I smiled. Isabella. What a pretty name.

"Do you know why you are here Isabella?" I inquired, taking another step in her direction. Her heart was beating loudly in her chest, racing at a pace that suggested she was either very nervous or had just run a marathon. She shook her head. I smiled at her and she smiled back cautiously. She was enticed by my very presence. This was going to be easy. She wouldn't fight me. If anything I was going to make things hard. I would just have to make myself stop. I would have to control myself.

"My name is Edward. I am going to be taking care of you," I said. I was right in front of her now. I held my hand out to her as though I wished to shake hands. She slowly placed her tiny, warm hand in mine. I brought it to my lips. The scent from her wrist was incredible. Her skin tasted sweet, and I knew her blood would only taste sweeter.

I heard her gasp as I kissed the back of her hand. I dropped it almost instantly, afraid I had hurt her. But her cheeks were only flushed more intensely now. Her heartbeat was pounding louder now, if that was possible. Her breathing was erratic, as though she had forgotten she needed to breathe at all. I wished I knew what she was thinking. What had I done to make her so nervous?

"I…" she began. But then she stopped, her words seeming to catch in her throat. She struggled to push them out as I looked at her again, taking in the gentle curve of her neck, her perfect skin, the warmth of her eyes. While I stared into them I could see the sheen of tears beginning. She was going to cry. Suddenly tears spilled over onto her cheeks. The salt smell of them filled the air. She sank to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably.

Watching her cry felt worse than having Jane's powers used on me. My body was in such physical pain I thought for a moment that Jane had indeed stopped by. But she was not there. No one was. It was just this girl and I—this Isabella. Who would see if I offered her some comfort before taking her humanity?

I went to my knees as well, resting on them in front of her. While she cried I tilted her chin so she would look at me. Her eyes wide and blood shot from crying, but there was pain in them. She shuddered as another sob tore through her body. I felt pain like nothing before rip through me. Before I knew what I was doing I pulled her into my arms, ignoring the blood lust that begged for a taste of her blood.

I could almost feel her surprise as she rested against my chest. But then without warning her arms snaked around my neck, holding me to her. She cried for a long while, almost an hour. I sat on the floor with her, rubbing her back. I wanted her to stop crying so the ache inside me would cease as well. She was making me feel weak with the hurt she created in me. When the crying finally stopped she sniffled a little and then drew back so she could look into my face.

Her face was tear streaked and blotchy but there was the same unmistakable loveliness beneath that. She swallowed hard.

"I'm sorry," she murmured very quietly, attempting to disengage herself. She was embarrassed. She pulled out from between my arms and attempted to stand. She rocked back on her heels and nearly toppled back against the floor. I caught her with unnatural speed. I held on to her shoulders until she could stand without falling over.

"There is no need to be sorry Isabella, you have done nothing wrong," I soothed. I was the one who was going to do something wrong. I was the one about to take away the most precious thing she had—humanity. She shrugged as though she did not believe me. The she yawned.

"You are tired. Go, lie down and sleep. You are safe," I said, leading her to the bed I never used. I did not mention that though she as safe, it was only for now. I needed more time. I would not be able to stop myself form killing her if I tried to change her now. Neither would there ever be a vampire strong enough to prevent me from killing her. Even with Jane putting me through intense physical agony I would drain her. I would need to request some more time to get myself under control. I needed to build up my self-restraint. Only then would I be ale to change her as Aro and the others wished.

As soon as she was asleep I called down for another one of the underlings to watch my room. I needed to speak to Aro privately and he was not one to be summoned. When the young vampire arrived I warned him sternly not to go inside at all. He would not be able to resist her either.

I made my way to Aro's chamber. He was no longer in the main hall. I knocked lightly and he called for me to come in.

"Did you meet her Edward?" he asked excitedly. I nodded.

"That is what I came to discuss Aro. I do not think I am ready. I would not be able to stop. Even with help I know that I would kill her. I need time to prepare myself, to build up my self-control. I won't need long. I do not wish to disappoint you with failure," I added.

Aro nodded.

"Very well Edward. If you feel as though you need time to be ready for this, I shall grant it. Let me ask you something now however, do you understand why she is special?" he asked.

"Is she immune to you as well?" I questioned, remembering my inability to hear her thoughts.

"Indeed she is Edward. I cannot hear a single thing when I touch her. I wondered if she would be open to you as I am limited in ways you are not. But it seems she eludes us all. Even Jane could not touch her. It was extraordinary."

I quelled sudden anger. To even imagine the poor girl writhing in the agony Jane could cause was horrible. I held back a violent shudder.

"I thank you Aro. I must return," I said swiftly. Before I could get all the way out the door I heard Aro's thoughts come after me.

You can have her if you wish. After she is made, if you desire her, she is yours.

I paused in the hall. I was half intrigued, half repulsed. Aro was telling me I could have her, as though she was his to give. I would not want her unless she wanted me. Which after she realized what I had done to her, when she knew what I had made her, she would certainly not. But I also enjoyed that idea. I didn't let myself linger too long on those thoughts. First I needed to kill her and I was having enough trouble with that.

I made my way back to my suite, dismissing the underling as I went inside. When I stood in the room I watched as the girl slept, her chest rising and falling in a steady slow rhythm. She turned over and mumbled something unintelligible. I went and sat on the chair near my bookcase, taking out one of several volumes I kept in my room. I scanned the page wishing to distract myself from the scent that was hanging heavily in the air. I was going to have to get used to her smell—almost desensitized—if I was going to control myself.

Then suddenly I heard her whisper words as though she were awake. I looked over to her.

"I don't…please I…" her words were soft and barely audible. But she was still asleep. She turned again, burying her face beneath the blankets. Then the most beautiful thing happened. She sighed and then one single, incredible word escaped form betwixt her lips.

"Edward."