*Elizabeth's POV

  It sucked that Carlisle had to leave. I didn't mind being alone too much. I had a lot to think about. Although I wanted to spend more time with him and was disappointed that we got interrupted. However, I could see that this was the kind of person Carlisle was. Strong, kind, compassionate and reliable. He had the best qualities for his profession. The more I knew about him, the more I wanted to know and be around him. Not to mention the crazy sexual tension between us which I was now convinced, he felt too. At least to some degree.

  Immortal, huh? I guess I still haven't begun to comprehend the meaning of it. Well, it should at least mean that I'll have a lot of chances to spend more time with Carlisle and the others. I smiled to myself and picked a book from the library. I felt like I truly found a home with them. Carlisle promised to come back as soon as possible so I decided that reading would be the best way to pass the time since it was not wise for me to stroll around the woods alone now. I didn't want to risk coming across a human if their blood was so irresistible to me.

  I barely read the first page of the book when I noticed a strange mist surrounding me and all of a sudden I couldn't feel, smell, hear or see anything. I had no idea what happened, how long it took or where I was when my feeling and hearing returned. Someone was holding me in their arms. Who...? I managed to get free and on the ground. I still couldn't see anything but I heard Edward's voice as someone tried to keep me restrained. "Beth, it's ok. I need you to stay calm. We'll be around humans for a while. You shouldn't be able to smell them now so it should be easy."

  I fought as well as I could without my sight to get away from him. Somehow he overpowered me, pressing me to him. I was confused. The body I felt against me was bigger and stronger than how I remembered Edward. Someone growled while the person restraining me spoke up. "I like your fire, little one." Surprised, I stopped struggling. This really wasn't Edward. He must have been standing next to him. "We can continue once we arrive but like he said, now we need to keep a low profile so be good for a while if you don't want to die."

  The guy's voice was slightly amused but dangerous. I couldn't see him but tried to focus on his mind. "Seems there'll be a lot of fun once she's not held back by Alec." He thought. I could only guess that this Alec was responsible for the ck of my senses. What this guy thought told me that I was to be released at some point so I decided to go along for now and nodded.

  The big guy let go of me but someone else put their arm around my shoulder. Once he spoke, I knew it was Edward and it pissed me off. It wasn't too hard to guess where his head was since he was so close to me and with satisfaction I listened to the thud of his body nding quite a distance from me. However, he didn't get the message and was moving closer again. I wanted nothing to do with him, much less letting him touch me. And so I used the closest thing I could get in between us and used the big guy as a shield.

  What the fuck?!" Yelled Edward. He was obviously angry and while the other guy ughed, I wasn't sure if he actually said it or just thought it since I couldn't see him. "Leave her alone and get in the car." Said the guy and as I was holding onto his arm, he guided me to the car too.

  It was incredibly uncomfortable not being able to smell or see anything but when we got out of the car again and I heard people around me not only talking but also their heartbeats, I was gd I couldn't smell them. I was hesitant to move. I didn't smell their blood but the sound of their hearts pumping it through their veins was bad enough.

  When I didn't move, the guy's strong arm curled around my waist and kept me close to him while we walked through what sounded like a crowded pce. I realized that he wasn't just pulling me along. Whenever a person would pass closer to me, my step would falter as I fought my instinct to jump on them and his hold on me would tighten, keeping me from doing so. I was quite grateful for his help. To hurt someone I couldn't even see was the st thing I wanted to happen.

  *

  I flew by a pne for the first time in my life, and wasn't able to enjoy the view. Once we nded and got out of what I now knew was the airport, I was stripped of my senses once more. When they returned them to me this time, I got all of them. The big guy was holding me again. Gd that he didn't give me to Edward, I looked around. Edward stood close by, watching me, together with a boy and a girl. I guess that's Alec. Crossed my mind. The two couldn't be older than twelve or thirteen, yet they were vampires.

  They all had red eyes. Carlisle told me that I had them because I just turned, but all those vampires around me had them because they fed on human blood and I knew Edward's were the result of my own blood. It pissed me off, anytime I looked at him. From what I could see, we were in some old or even ancient building. I didn't see or hear people around except for the four vampires, but I could smell something that made my mouth water. I had the same reaction to the mountain lion but this smelled even better. This must be the scent of humans. Thankfully there didn't seem to be any around now. "Where am I?"

  "In good hands." The guy holding me answered me with a smirk. He was huge and dark haired like Emmett but his demeanor reminded me more of Jasper. He was obviously good at hand to hand combat and I could see a scar here and there along his jaw and neck. Otherwise they were covered by a grey robe. The two small vampires were wearing the same robe as him but theirs was so dark it was almost bck. It made me wonder why the difference.

  Now I already recognized Edward's growl and turning in his direction, I could see him take a step towards us. However, he suddenly stopped and as if in agony, fell to the ground. What the...? "I said that Aro is waiting." The blond girl told him in a low voice, turned around and started walking down the hall to an elevator while he gathered himself off the floor.

  Realizing that I was still in the big guy's arms, I asked him to set me down. I had no idea what she did but I knew that the reason Edward fell was the girl. The guy let me walk on my own but kept an arm around me again. I couldn't compin though. He kept me on the opposite side from Edward. "If you don't want to feel like being burned alive, I suggest you refrain from doing anything stupid, girl." He warned me as we walked to the elevator too.

  Burned alive? I am quite familiar with that feeling. I thought, looking over at the reason I felt like that not long ago. "Unless it's going to st more than two days, I think I'll manage." I couldn't help a remark. "I won't do anything stupid if you'll keep him away from me." He was apparently stronger than Edward and I might have found an ally in him since he didn't seem too fond of Edward either. He obviously kidnapped me on someone else's order and I could swear it was because of Edward.

  "Beth, I'm sorry that I wasn't there when you woke up. The others kept getting in my way. I don't know what they told you but it's all lies." Getting in his way? Lies? Did he ever even consider me? He attacks me out of nowhere, causing me to burn by myself while he bmes Jasper and since then keeps shouting that I'm his, never really telling me anything! I tried to ignore him and keep my anger under control. "You're my mate. Everything's going to be alright now."

  I felt the big guy's slight movement that seemed a little out of pce. Gncing to the side at him I saw that he was looking at me in wonder and focused on him. "Mates are supposed to be drawn to each other and she looks like she'd rather see him burn than to let him touch her. All the mates I met also cimed each other. From what I can see, she's got his mark on her wrist but he doesn't have one from her. This girl would probably rather tear him apart than cim him. These two, mates? Bullshit!"

  "Beth is mine." Edward growled at the guy again. He was obviously listening too. It made me happy when I found out that he couldn't hear my thoughts.

  I couldn't be his mate. I didn't want to be. Nothing Carlisle told me about mates nor what this guy apparently knew about them fit on me and Edward. This time the growl came from me. I seriously had enough of him. "Stop calling me that!" I was ready to punch the asshole but the big guy released my waist to grab my fist.

  "As much as I'd enjoy watching you beat his ass, it has to wait. We're here." He grinned at me. There was a huge door in front of us. The girl opened them and darted through the room to stand by three steps leading to three big chairs that could be easily considered thrones. In each of them sat one red eyed man with long hair.

  "You're the only one lying." I looked Edward in the eyes and then entered the room.

  The three on their thrones looked familiar as they looked down on everyone around. When I reached the center of the room and the middle guy with long bck hair smiled at me, I remembered that I'd seen them in the painting with Carlisle. "Young Elizabeth! Welcome!" He greeted me cheerfully, walking towards me.

  I returned his smile, quite confused at his antics. He seemed more childish than the two kids that accompanied us here. The boy was now standing next to the girl and I couldn't help but think that aside from their hair, they looked very alike. Far beyond sharing the common vampire traits. "Thank you... do you always kidnap people to get them to come here or should I feel special?" I asked him and he ughed.

  I noticed a girl standing by the other dark haired man as she leaned to him and they whispered for a while but made sure to be so quiet that I couldn't hear what they said. "You very well may be, my dear. You are obviously special enough for Edward here to go against his entire coven and join us in exchange for help to remove you from them." He announced to everyone in the room.

  I turned to look at the bastard. I was right. Of course I was here because of him. "Aro." Edward addressed the man in front of me. "It would seem the others confused Beth in my absence by her side. Maybe Chelsea could help a little?" He suggested.

  I didn't give a fuck who this Chelsea was supposed to be or what they could do but Edward stepped to me, trying to pull me by my waist to him and I couldn't contain my anger any longer. "How many times do I have to tell you? That's. Not. My. NAME!" I lifted my fist to punch him but at that moment the man called Aro said a name I already heard and I froze. Looking over to the boy, I could see the mist that enveloped me before I lost my senses creeping towards me.

  It was spreading over the whole floor. I couldn't hope to get out of the room through the vampires guarding the door, so I thought that getting above the ground might work instead. I knew that in a few seconds I'd be helplessly lying on the floor, deprived of my senses and spun around in hope to find something I could leap onto. Finding nothing but the big guy who brought me here, standing behind me, without thinking I jumped on his back. "Hey, what are you doing? I told you to not do anything stupid. This won't help you by the way." He commented.

  "And I told you that I won't if you'll keep Edward away from me, damn it!" Wait what? "What do you mean-" Suddenly there was nothing once again. Getting above the ground wouldn't help me, was what he meant.

  Then my senses returned. All except that I didn't feel anything. I couldn't move. "Didn't you hear her?" The guy asked someone while apparently once more holding me in his arms. "Master, I can prove that she behaves, unless he comes too close to her."

  There was silence for a while before Aro said Alec's name and I could feel and move again. I turned to look at Aro. He was watching me with clear interest. Not just me. All three of us. "All for the love of a woman." He said when he looked at Edward and then back at me. "You are truly special. It's rare for Felix here to take interest in a youngling as yourself." Aro spoke thoughtfully. "I know that your thoughts are hidden from Edward. Would you do me the honor and let me try?"

  So he's called Felix. I thought as he sat me down after Aro reached his hand out to me. I understood that I was supposed to take it and hesitantly walked to him. After a while he let go of my hand with a surprised expression. "I can't see anything. Shall we try if you're immune to any other gift?" Aro asked excitedly, reminding me of a child with a new toy. "Shall we?" He looked at the blond girl.

  So I'll burn anyway, huh? Crossed my mind as I turned to her too. Suddenly there was Felix's huge body obscuring my view of her. "Master, you saw that Alec's power works. Is it ne-" I had that little deal with Felix which was supposed to keep me from the girl's ability if I behave but he didn't need to get involved when it was his master's will. I didn't bme him for it either. Yet he tried to protect me and the girl used her power on him instead since he literally shielded me with his body.

  "Stop her, please! He didn't do anything!" I tried to plead with Aro but he just watched, as if there was an interesting experiment before him instead of one of his men, unjustly tortured. Unbelievable... Felix fell to his knees in his agony so now I could see the girl again. She was concentrating on him and... smiling. She was freaking smiling! She was enjoying causing people pain. Seeing her smile unbelievably infuriated me. Stop it! I thought, angry and desperate to help Felix since he suffered because of me.

  The girl's smile vanished as she blinked a few times, obviously confused and Felix seemed to be released from the pain. The girl turned to me. "What... what the hell did you do?!" She screamed at me and I took a step back. Huh?

  "What happened Jane?" Aro asked the girl unphased by her screaming but very interested in her answer. Oh no...

  But it wasn't Jane who answered him. "She ordered Jane to stop and Jane couldn't resist the command. Even though she obviously didn't speak the order nor could I hear it in Jane's mind until she thought about it afterwards." Expined Edward, causing me turn to look at him. What? No way...

  "Magnifica!" Aro cpped his hands while I was still shocked at what just happened. If he was looking at me like I was a brand new toy before, now it was multiple times intensified. It gave me a feeling he would love to put me into some collection like a rare find so he could show me off to others, bragging that he was the one who found me. "Corin, darling." He spoke another name I didn't hear yet but the next moment I felt somewhat calm, nearly happy to be where I was.