Chapter Three

Alec POV

I felt hands on my shoulders, and looked up to see Felix and Heidi; Felix offering me a hand to help me out, and Heidi with a knowing look.

"It'll get better Alec, I promise." Heidi said.

"How long will this last? I feel like I have to be there with her."

"Once you get closer, it won't hurt as bad when she is away for short period of times." She stated.

"Alec, you have my permission. If she agrees to be your mate, and wants to continue and finish out this year, you may stay." Aro spoke for the first time since Bella left.

"She doesn't know you, but I can see the bond of love and trust she has for you already. I can see Aro becoming a father figure to her as well as Caius and myself an uncle figure to her. And your love for her Alec, you will protect her with everything you have. You are her soul-mate." Marcus said with so much passion, I couldn't argue with him.

"Bella! ...I said Bella! ...Now that I finally have your attention, maybe I'll get what I want now." I heard a guy state. I fallowed the voice and saw a guy had Bella back up against a wall. I knew the growl building in my chest would escape soon. I started to take a step towards then when I felt an arm on my shoulder.

"Let's see how she handles herself. No harm will come to her." Aro said. I knew he already saw her as a daughter and would protect her.

"You'll never get me if that's what your wanting. Your nothing but fucking scum on the bottom of my shoe!" I could hear the venom in her voice.

"She will defiantly be able to handle you Alec." Aro said with a small chuckle. About the time he said that, the person that had her backed against the wall had slapped her. Before I could step forward, she started laughing. Aro looked me at, and I looked at her like she had grown three heads. He just slapped her and she's standing there laughing? "The only way you can get anything is to forcefully take it from people, but I am not someone that you can just take from. Your nothing but a little bitch!"

The young woman I was in love with, had fire, and spirit. I'm pretty sure I just fell even more in love with her. I didn't think she could surprise me anymore, until I saw her bring her arm back and punch the guy. He fell to the ground and I couldn't help but laugh. She was a smaller built person, even more so compared to the guy she just dropped on the ground that was now wailing like a child that was told 'no'. The guy started to stand up as she was walking away only for him to grab her and throw her into the wall. I had enough at this point. I could see the pain flash across her face, and it went straight to my cold non beating heart. As I was running towards him at a human's pace, I saw that Demetri and Felix had beat me to the punch, literally.

"Alec, go to Bella, take care of her." Heidi said softly.

I walked over to Bella's limp body. I saw the blood coming from the small wound, and checked her neck.

After a quick exam, I carefully picked her up, and started to carry her to the motel room. Once I got there, I carefully laid her on the bed, ran to the bathroom and got a warm washcloth and began to clean the wound. It wasn't bad, but I knew head wounds seemed to bleed more. By the time I cleaned her up, and slipped one of my button down shirts on her, after all I didn't want my family to see her body more then they already have, my family started to make their way into the room.

"How is she Alec?" Aro asked.

"A small head wound. She will be fine I hope." I said to him before turning my attention back to Bella. "Please love, wake up. I can't lose you. I love you." I whispered to her.

Bella POV

I was on my way home from school. Edward had been acting weird since my birthday, distant. His family wasn't at school, and most of the time, neither was Edward. So when I pulled into my driveway I was surprised to see him there.


"Edward." I said calmly climbing out of my truck.


"Bella, come for a walk with me." He said looking at me, but I could tell by his eyes, he was miles away from me. He turned and walked into the woods, me following behind him. We walked for a couple of minutes before he stopped and turned, facing me.


"Bella, we're leaving."


"Why now? Why not another year? I will have grad.." I looked up to see that he wasn't saying something. 


"When you say we..."


"I mean my family and myself."


"Okay... I'll come with."


"Bella, you can't. Where we're going, it's not a good place for you."


"I belong where you are."


"Bella, I don't want you.. to come with."


"You...don't...want...me?" I stuttered out.


"No." His answer was short and to the point. He looked at me with eyes that were so clear and deep, I knew he wasn't lying or sorry for the pain he was putting me through. "Your not good for me Bella."


"I'm...not...good enough...for you." I stated. I was tired of this line of questioning.


"I would like to ask one favor, don't do anything reckless or stupid. And I will make a promise in return. I won't come back, this will be the last time you see me. It will be as if I never existed." As the last sentence left his mouth, I felt all my rage and anger flare up.


"How dare you?" I screamed at him. He looked at me confused. "As if you never existed? Are you fucking crazy! I will live everyday for the rest of my life knowing you existed! I have the fucking proof on my wrist from James!" I stopped to catch my breath before starting in again. "Your taking the easy way out. When things get hard you leave and try to bring me down? Saying that you don't want me and I'm not good enough. You say you love me, yet you degrade me? You never fucking loved me, you loved the idea of being with me! Get the fuck out of here and out of my damn life!" Edward looked shocked at my outrage, but nodded and walked away.

I thought I would feel the pain from his walking away from me yet again, but I didn't. I felt all the weight he had put on my shoulders, lift away. I finally stood up to him, even if it was in my dreams. I finally had the closure I needed. I could feel the fog start lifting away from me enough to hear voices.

"How is she Alec?" Aro asked.

"A small head wound. She will be fine I love, wake up. I can't lose you. I love you." That's all it took for the rest of the fog to clear. I opened my eyes to the most beautiful red eyes. I should have been afraid, knowing this vampire fed off human blood, but I felt safe with him. "Bella, love, welcome back. Are you hurting anywhere?"

I went to sit up and felt a small pain in my head. Not as bad as a hangover, I thought. "My right hand hurts a little bit." I said looking down to see it was scrapped with a little bit of dried blood on it. At that moment everything came back: Chris, me telling Chris off, him slapping me, me laughing at him then punching him, him throwing me into the wall. But it was all worth it. I cracked up laughing and when the vampires in the room looked at me like I had lost my mind, I simply held up my hand. A few chuckled along with me, until I looked at the leader.

"You are a feisty one aren't you Isabella?"

"Yes I am..." I trailed off not knowing his name.

"Aro." He stated simply.

"Yes I am Aro. I wasn't always that way. In fact moving here is what really brought me out of my shell." I said with a smile on my face.

"Bella, would you like to meet everyone?" Aro asked, which I nodded for my reply. "Well I'm Aro, these are my brothers Caius and Marcus. This is Felix, Heidi, Demetri, and the one standing next to you is Alec. The rest of the guard have returned home." I looked into Alec's eyes and I could feel the love coming out of him. But then I remembered what Aro had said, and it confused me.

"What do you mean by 'the rest of the guard has returned home'?"

"Isabella, how much do you know about us?" I'm guessing by us, he meant vampires.

"Can't say that I know much." I stated.

"Ah, well let me fill you in. In our world, we have but one rule. To keep humans silent to our world. Shall one find out, they have a choice." He looked at me to make sure I knew what he was saying. I must have showing that I was listening because he soon continued. "You can either be changed or be killed. Since we, we being Caius, Marcus and myself, are the Kings of our world, we must enforce this law."

"So what your saying is, I can either be killed, or changed?" I asked confused. I knew I wanted this when I was with Edward, but since he left and I got the closure I needed, is this what I still wanted, to be changed?

"Well, when it comes to you, let's say you are different. We wish that you would join us,but yes, the decision is yours." I looked at Alec, and felt all the pain disappear, like it was never there to begin with. I could see the pain in his eyes when it came to me making a choice. Why did it matter to much to him? Then his sentence that brought me out of the fog came back. Please love, wake up. I can't lose you. I love you." Could the feeling I have for him really be love? I didn't know him, but I knew there was a pull to him.

Now the question is, do I feel like taking a leap into the unknown with someone I just met, and possibly get hurt, or just let them kill me?