I sat on the bed in my room at the Volturi's castle wringing my hands nervously.
Everything just changed.
The danger I was in had multiplied.
If Aro could kill his closest acquaintance's wife who was also his sister, what would stop him from hurting me?
After I had somehow managed to see what was in his head. He totally freaked out.
He hardly contained his temper with me and had Heidi and Demetri take me back to my room and make sure the door was locked.
I saw the mad, deranged look on his face. He was clearly a man who wasn't used to being outsmarted.
It infuriated him.
I wondered what he was doing now. Having a meltdown?
Thinking up ways to make my death slow and painful?
Preparing to enslave me for life?
I didn't know.
All I knew is that I wasn't safe.
I needed to get out of here.
I had already tried knocking the door with anything and everything I could get my hands on but they now just sat on the ground scattered and useless.
I rushed to the only escape route left. The window.
I looked down and bit my lip. The drop was way too high for anyone to make it. Any human anyway.
Still. I needed to get out of here.
I was thinking rashly and unreasonably. I even considered taking the sheets off my bed and making a long rope out of them like I had seen done in movies.
At this point. I was running out of options and I needed to act fast. Before Aro made up his mind on what to do to me. What ever it was, it couldn't be good.
I swept the sheets off my bed onto the floor. But before I could do anything more, the door swung open. I jumped back thinking this was it.
Alec stood at the door. He looked around at the mess I had made. His expression remained stoic.
"Someone's been busy." He spoke as he stepped over a wooden pole I had wrenched out of my closet.
I took a step back when he attempted to come closer. Aro had sent him to get me. He must have.
Alec rolled his eyes but stopped in his position.
"I see you're still mad at me." He commented.
I didn't say anything. I just eyed him suspiciously. Why was he beating around the bush. Why didn't he just get on with it?
"I should tell you right now that I'm not big on apologies. Especially when I know I'm right." He continued. "So if you're not going to apologize and I'm not going to apologize, this is going to be the longest fight in history... but on the bright side. We just had our first official fight as a couple. That is if you still consider me your significant other."
I looked at him trying to figure out what he was doing.
But of course this was Alec, I couldn't see through him if I tried.
And I was still too much on edge to play any games with him so I just came right out with it.
"Have you talked to Aro?"
He shook his head and leaned back on the wall casually. "Considering I'm about to disobey him, I'd rather not face him just yet."
I rose my brows at him. "What do you mean you're about to disobey him?"
"I'm taking you out." Alec spoke.
His choice of words only made me grow pale.
"You-you're taking me out?"
Alec would be the one to kill me?
And he was being so casual about it?
I know we had major trust issues after what he did but was he really just throwing all we had away? Like a sociopath? Did he really have no feelings?
He was going to just... kill me?
"Yeah. I hear you have been a pain during meal times and refuse to eat. And though I'm not very happy with you right now, I don't want to see you starve yourself to death. So wear something pretty and lets sneak out."
I felt like I had just been slapped in the face.
'Take you out'. My life had taken such an abnormal turn that those simple three words had even become hard to decipher.
Alec wanted to take me out on a date.
Could he really not know about my meeting with Aro?
Oh was he just pretending? Could this be a trap still?
Alec sighed when he saw my expression. "I know you're still mad at me, little human. And quite frankly, I'm not too pleased with you either..." the next words seemed hard for him to say. "But I care about you... a lot. You might not believe it but it's true. So... For goodness sake can't you see I'm trying?"
"Yes." I found myself blurting out. "Lets go out."
If Alec was indeed oblivious to Aro's intentions. I could get out of here in the least.
Maybe then I could talk him into letting me go. It sounded impossible. But this might as well be my only chance. I had to try.
For a few minutes, Alec and I just stared at each other.
Well not really. He stared at me and I tried to not look too nervous.
He still thought I was mad about what he did. And I was going to let him. I didn't want to let him know about anything that happened with Aro because I honestly had no idea how he'd react.
To be honest. He was the only one in that castle who I didn't think would hurt me.
Hence, he was my only hope.
"So..." he sang. "Are you going to eat or are you mad at the food too?" He smirked.
He had brought me to this fancy restaurant in town and ordered me the most expensive food on the menu. But I felt queasy and didn't feel like putting anything in my mouth.
He huffed and sat back in his seat. "Fine, play your game, little human. Just know that I have a looot of time."
I started drumming my hands on my thigh.
We were in a booth secluded from everyone else but why couldn't I get the words out? Especially since it was so urgent.
Maybe I was afraid that Alec would turn against me and immediately hand me over to Aro. God knows he owed his allegiance to him. Not me.
"Did you know that I once shot a whale right in the blow hole?" He asked out of the blue. "I was on a ship on the Pacific, I think the year was 1898? I wanted to keep the whale, maybe get a souvenir from the thing but guess what? The flipping fish was only playing dead."
"Mammal." I muttered.
"What?" He asked.
"Whales are mammals." I told him. I sat up. "And you really shouldn't go around killing endangered animals. It's cruel."
He smiled. "Well at least I got you to talk. Even if it was to say something that annoying. I was starting to think-"
"Alec." I spoke, putting my hand on the table. Big mistake. It started shaking uncontrollably. "I need to get out of here." I told him.
He looked exasperated. He was wearing grey contact lenses but I was sure I saw some of the red as his face showed obvious anger.
"I can't believe you're doing this again. Sophie, you need to stop lying to everyone around yourself. You said you picked me. Not that big block. And yet here you are begging me to take you back to him."
"It's not about Emmett."
"It's always about Emmett." He muttered bitterly.
I took in a shaky breath and tried to keep the tears from rolling out.
"Alec." I tried again. Trying desperately to stabilize my voice. "If... If what you said was true, if you've ever cared about me at all. You'll help me with this. You'll help me get away."
I felt guilty, playing at his emotions like that. But he didn't realize the magnitude of the danger I was in.
He let out a hollow laugh, void of emotion. "You've got some nerve. I'll admit. You know what? You have some great acting skills too. So how did you find out? Did Jane tell you? You didn't have to play this game just so that you would make me feel worse than I already do."
I furrowed my brows.
He couldn't be talking about Aro.
"What are you talking about?" I asked. Genuinely perplexed.
He suddenly sat upright. "What are you talking about?"
I guess there was no better time to let it out. Besides, maybe it would help my argument.
"I'm in danger, Alec." I admitted. I looked around frantically as if just like that someone would come in and assassinate me.
Alec looked at me in concern as if he just noticing how I had been trembling and shaking.
"What do you mean?" He asked.
"A-Aro." Was all I could get out.
"Aro?" Alec asked obviously perplexed. "What are you talking about, little human? Aro would never hurt you."
Yeah right.
"I-he... something happened." I didn't know if I would be able to even make a full and coherent sentence at this point.
"What happened?" Alec urged me to go on.
He leaned forward and took my shaking hands in his cool ones. It only seemed to make it worse.
"What happened, Sophie? You can tell me." He spoke in a reassuring voice.
But could I? Could I really?
Aro was the only thing close to a father that he had. He rescued him and Jane and gave them a family. What would he make of my news?
He wouldn't believe me. That I knew for sure.
Maybe I shouldn't tell him.
Maybe he was the enemy too. I couldn't trust him.
"Sophie. I would never let anything happen to you. Neither would Aro. He knows how much you mean to Jessica. He knows how much you mean to me." He sounded so genuine but was he really?
I wondered how much Aro's sister meant to him or even Marcus and yet he still killed her.
I opened my mouth but it wasn't my voice that came out.
It was another that I could never forget.
"Sophie."
I snapped my neck to look behind me. Emmett stood there staring at me with a new found look of utter relief.
That same relief seemed to reflect on me. How did he know that I needed help?
Alec gritted his teeth and immediately shot up. "Someone just can't seem to stay away, can they?"
Emmett took a step forward. I immediately got up and put myself between them before a fight broke out.
Emmett looked at me. His expression softening. I caught his hand twitch as of he wanted to touch me but knew he couldn't. Honestly I wanted to touch him to make sure he was real. For all I knew this could just be a self induced illusion. It seems to good to be true.
"Maybe you should back off." I didn't even notice Alec come by my side. He shoved Emmett causing him to stumble back a few steps.
The angry look came back to Emmett's face.
"Do not give me a reason to tear you limb from limb right here." Emmett spat.
"Oh, trust me, I've been waiting for this opportunity." Alec replied. I tried to pull him back by his arm but he had already evaded me.
"Hey." I heard a familiar voice join us. Bella also appeared in the booth. She pushed Emmett back, using her vampire strength as well. "Lets not cause a scene in front of all these humans." She scolded them. Then her eyes landed on me and she rushed to wrap me in a hug.
"Sophie. You're okay." She pulled away and studied me intently just to make sure I was in fact intact.
"What the hell is going on?" Alec asked. He seemed conscious of the humans just at the other side of this booth so he didn't yell.
"Sophie needs to come with us." Bella spoke, her hand already in mine, ready to lead me away. Alec stood in her way.
"Like hell she does." He spoke through gritted teeth. He ripped Bella's hand off mine, pushed her away and stood in front of me protectively. "You and Mr Steroids are not taking her anywhere."
Bella didn't look happy at all but I could tell that she was trying to keep her cool. Which was more than I could say for Emmett.
"You don't understand. They're still after her." She spoke. "Alice had a vision. The newborns under Victoria are hunting her down as we speak."
I gasped. Yet more people who wanted me dead. Would this ever end?
Alec still seemed skeptical. "I don't believe you."
Bella rolled her eyes. "Well we don't exactly have time to explain. Every second we spend here, we're endangering Sophie. She's coming with us." Bella tried to reach forward to take my hand again but Alec blocked her.
"You're not taking her away from me." He spoke sternly. His voice was a low threatening growl.
"And let those newborns come. The Volturi will protect her. We're her family now."
"Okay, genius. What about the tourists crowded outside your fortress?" Bella asked. "What will become of them when a flood of uncontrollable vampires go there looking for Sophie?"
Alec didn't have an answer to that.
"We don't have time for this." Emmett growled. "You want to do this the hard way? Then we'll do it the hard way."
"Stop!" I finally spoke up making the fact that I was still present very much known. I pulled on Alec's hand causing him to turn to face me. "I'm going with them." I told him.
Betrayal showed visibly on his face.
"It's the best course of action." I added quickly.
He wasn't talking. I wasn't sure if he would so I just squeezed his hand. A gesture he didn't respond to. I started walking towards the Cullens. He latched on to my hand at the last minute.
"I'll find you." He told me.
He seemed to be asking for permission.
I gave him a nod.
He seemed satisfied
He looked at Emmett and Bella with distaste. "Get her somewhere safe. I'll rally some troops to help." He spoke.
He and Emmett exchanged nods. This seemed to be the only thing they ever agreed on.
Alec placed a long kiss on my forehead. When he pulled away, I noticed for the first time how distressed he looked.
"I will find you." This time he said it with more force. It wasn't a question anymore. It was a reassurance.
I nodded. "Okay."
"Stay safe, little human." With that, he walked away. I watched his back retreat. Maybe he did care about me more than I initially thought.
Bella grabbed my hand. "Lets go. We don't have much time."