"I believe that we need a hybrid child."

Aro's words were so sudden, so out of place that it threw everyone off. Marcus and Cauis looked at him, curious, while Jane, Felix, Alec, and Demetri stared at him in complete and utter disbelief at his words.

"Do you mean a child like the one the Cullens have?" Cauis demanded, looking at Aro with calculating red eyes, still not quite understanding why his brother would even want to propose such a notion.

"Of course I'm talking about Renesmee." Aro responded as if it were the simplest thing in the world. "What other sort of hybrid would I be speaking of, brother?"

It was only months after their encounter with the Cullens and they were seated in the throne room, waiting for Heidi to bring them their meals. "I've thought about this for quite some time, actually." He continued on. "After I saw the extraordinary gift that Renesmee possessed, I knew that it was exactly the kind of new member we need in the Volturi."

"But wouldn't that mean two new members?" Marcus spoke up, earning both Aro's and Caius' attention. "The mother of the child as well as the child itself."

"We'll turn the mother." Aro said after a pause, articulating his words carefully. "But after the child is born. If she shows that she has a gift, she will stay. If not, she will be executed on the spot."

Cauis turned back to Aro. "Where will we get the human girl from, and who will be the father of this child?"

"We will pick her from the group that Heidi is bringing us. I wish to finish this process as quickly as possible." He paused. "The father of the child is simple. Alec."

Said vampire looked towards Aro upon hearing his name. Aro's lips spread into a grin. "Seeing as you're one of our most gifted Guard members, you will be the father of this child."

Alec didn't protest. He only nodded and looked over towards the door, signaling that Heidi was about to enter with their meal.

The doors open and tourists rushed in, excitedly talking and taking pictures of Volterra. "Welcome, welcome." Aro greeted, standing once Heidi had shut the doors behind the tourists.

Suddenly, the room went quiet. The group had apparently realized that the people surrounding them had red eyes, and knew that there was something wrong. "Alec," Aro said in a voice that almost sounded like singing, looking over at the young vampire. "You may take your pick before we start." He clapped once and looked cheerily back over to the group. "If you all will stay still for a bit, Alec will be performing a quick search, and then we can get back to the finale of the tour."

A smell hit Alec's nose and he perked up, his eyes widening as he looked around the room, trying to locate the scent. He spotted a woman through the crowd, red hair falling in loose curls to her waist, a small, button nose along with stormy grey eyes staring back at him. Suddenly, he was by her side, forgetting that he should control his speed so he wouldn't frighten her. Her eyes widened in horror and she stepped back, but not before Alec grabbed her arm and whispered one word, one single word, that made her blood run cold.

"Mine."