"Ha, ha, ha," Aro chortled again. "You're very brave, to endure in silence. I asked Jane to do that to me once—just out of curiosity." He shook his head in admiration.

Edward glared, disgusted, as did Alice. While the beautiful crimson eyed vampire with platinum blonde hair smirked. Caius . . .

"So what do we do with you now?" Aro sighed.

I looked up at Alice whose eyes had glazed over with a vision. Then as if it never happened, she snapped out of it.

"Alice, what did you see?" I asked over Edward's growling.

Whatever she had seen he was not happy with.

She did not answer me; she only slid closer to Aro with an outstretched hand. He met her halfway.

He bent his head over their touching hands, his eyes closing as he concentrated. Alice was motionless.

The room had been silent until Edward's teeth snapped together.

Time passed on and no one dared to move.

"My dear, you are so very helpful."

"I only wished to save Bella's life and her happiness. It is the only reason I willingly let you know of this future."

"Hmmm." Aro tapped his chin. "Bella, would you like to stay here with us?"

"WHAT?" Caius growled, leaning forward in his seat.

"You will see brother. She will be very important to all of us and very powerful."

"So, Bella, shall you stay with us and let us be your family?"

No. I didn't want to, but no one really has a choice when it comes to the Volturri, do they? Nope.

"I don't feel as if I have a choice."

Edward yanked my to him, I could feel something break, as everyone else heard it.

"Edward, you're hurting me."

"She is not staying here." Edward growled.

"Edward." Alice tried. "Edward, let her go right now."

"Bella will be very happy here. You shall see one day."

Edward clutched me tighter. I cried out at the pain.

Suddenly Edward was flung to the ground and I would have went with him if I had not been caught gently. I looked up into a beautiful face. I was terrified by him even though he had just saved my life.

He handed me over to Alice silently before sitting back in his throne. He looked so lonely, so sad. Despite the cracked ribs I wanted to go over to him . . .

"Bella," Alice whispered, "they will be able to protect you better than we can. You have to stay here."

I wanted to die. I did not want to stay with them. "But Charlie . . . he won't, won't understand. He'll—"

"Bella you have too. It's the only way." I looked up and my eyes met Caius' from halfway across the room.

"The only way what?"

"That you will be unharmed!" Aro chimed in, laughing gaily.

The one called Marcus kept glancing at me and then Caius. Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.

"I do not wish to live." Tears threatened to brim over. "Not anymore and never again."

"Bella, love—"

"Edward, I am this way because of you and your family. It is only right you let me finally have my happiness."

"We refuse to grant you your wish of death," Marcus said. He had barely said a word the whole time we had been here. "Felix, Demetri, please remove Edward and Alice. We must speak to, Bella, alone."

Edward got in a crouch and I lost my temper. "Edward Cullen, do not even try fighting them and you will probably lose because you are working on just you're emotions."

"Why do you care, Bella? All you can do is make eyes at Caius!"

"Why do you care?" I challenged. "You left me in the middle of the woods to fucking die. I never stopped loving you even when you said you didn't want me. The only thing that kept me going was Charlie and Jacob and knowing that you were still alive. I can't survive in a world that you don't exist in."

Aro looked delighted that we were having this argument here. Caius looked tuned in and Marcus couldn't have cared less.

"It's obvious I feel the same, Bella."

"Is it?"I snapped.

"It is. He came here thinking you were dead, Bella. He wanted to be with you. A tiny sliver of him believes that because of you he has regained his soul." Aro interjected. He had a way with doing that, I could see.

I smiled at Aro, but glared at Edward.

"Can I at least write letters to him, Charlie, and Renee? Lies for dad and mom."

"Of course, you can." Aro answered.

"Goodbye, Edward, Alice." I turned my back to them so I was facing Aro, Caius, and Marcus.

I was really stuck here.

They wanted to turn me and I wanted to die. I guess I would be dead, in a way.

I could make some good out of it . . . Somehow, I would find something.

The huge wooden doors slid shut and I knew I was alone with them.

Marcus spoke but not to me. "Aro, her ties with the boy are very strong."

Aro looked at me curiously, about to speak, but he was cut off by Caius. "Human, how can you continue to love someone who said that they did not want you and left you all alone with a hole in your chest?"

How could he know about that? I really wasn't liking him right now.

"I have no idea. I am glad I do love him. Without Edward I would have continued my life without knowing happiness."

"You were very happy before he left?" Aro asked.

"Very."

Suddenly Aro was in front of me. He stroked my hair behind my ear. "You smell of werewolf."

I nodded slightly, trying not to shrink away from him. Show no fear.

"Who is he?"

"Jacob Black. Please, don't hurt him. He's only a child."

"You know of our abhorrence for werewolves?"

"Yes."

"Edward enjoys talking more than I thought."

"I, uh, actually Edward took me to Carlisle."

"Ah. . . How is our Carlisle?"

Why not tell him? It couldn't hurt anything, not now.

"Last time I saw him he was plucking glass from my arm."

"How did that happen?"

"Jasper has a hard time with the Cullen diet. He's the newest at it and he can feel the other's bloodlust so it makes it worse. On my birthday, Alice threw a party. They made me accept presents and—"

With a tone of surprise he asked,"You don't enjoy gifts?"

"Why waste money on me? I'm pathetic."

"You, my dear, are very, very mistaken, but go on with your story."

"I got a paper cut and it bled. Jasper couldn't handle the blood lust from himself and everyone else so he tried to attack me, but Edward threw me backwards into a glass table."

"Hmmm. Interesting." Aro chuckled. "Caius, why don't you escort Bella to her room?"

"No thanks," he answered. "Gianna can do it."

"Gianna has work to do, brother. I need to speak to Marcus alone."

Caius groaned, but walked past me. "Follow me, human."

"My name is Bella." I corrected him. I heard Aro burst into laughter.

Caius turned and glared. "You will respect me."

"Whatever." I was trying to get him to snap.

"You really shouldn't try that."

"Try what?" I asked as innocently as I could.

"Yes, brother, what is it our Bella is trying to do?" Aro asked from beside me.

Caius growled and said, "Come with me. I will show you to your room."

I started to follow him, but I guess he felt I was going to slow. I couldn't help it. A human with broken ribs is bound to have some problems walking fast.

He scooped me up and though he didn't run, he did go fast.

Caius stopped in front of a pair of large wooden French doors.

"This is your quarters. Don't get to comfortable."

"I probably won't. You probably took me to a torture chamber or something," I muttered.

He growled and tossed open the doors. He pulled me inside.

"Does this look like torture chambers?" Caius growled.

It was beautiful, but it paled in comparison to Caius.

I didn't answer. That was a mistake.

I was up against the wall with his hand wrapped around my neck.

"Do not anger me in your stay here or I will tear you apart."