Beep, beep, beep.

Aria slapped the snooze button on the alarm clocking, missing her target and knocking it to the floor. Groaning, Aria reached down trying to grab the annoying little box. The beeping grew louder, as she fumbled around trying to grab it.

Beep, beep, beep.

I know, I know, I'm up geez, the tired teen thought, you can shut up now.

Silence filled the room soon after. Aria looked up noticing Alec who held the plug in his hand. A smile found its home on her visage at the sight of her boyfriend. The smart suit he wore held creases from the night before. Aria had spent the night with Alec in the guest room, she had refused to set foot into her family's cabin after sensing that they wanted to spend "quality time" together. The night before was wonderful, her and Alec spent the night watching MCU movies after Aria learned that Alec didn't understand what she meant when she said "I am Iron Man" to her mate.

"Morning sleepy head."

Aria stretched and sat up, her hair in complete disarray. Her eyeliner was smeared giving her that wet raccoon look. Alec watched as she pulled the covers around her upper half keeping herself warm.

"Mornin'," she chirped, rubbing her eyes, "you're up early."

Alec laughed, hypnotizing Aria. "We don't sleep."

Aria had stopped rubbing her eyes and stared at Alec. "Please tell me ya weren't a creep watchin' me sleep like Edward did to Bella."

"Of course not, I'm not that creepy," Alec explained, as he sat next to his girlfriend wrapping an arm around her. "I simply read a book while you talked in your sleep."

Aria smacked Alec's arm, hurting herself more than him, "ow."

Alec chuckled, "Serves you right. You shouldn't hit people."

Being the mature person Aria was she proceeded to stick her tongue out at Alec before climbing out of bed.

"What do we got planned today?" inquired Aria as she rummaged through her overnight bag.

Alec rubbed the back of his neck. Felix had been bugged him to let them see her again. To say the strongest member of the guard was fascinating by the tiny mortal was an understatement. He enjoyed her cheerful disposition on life and how she was not afraid to challenge Master Caius, in fact she wasn't scared of any of them. Jane had taken a firm stance on not liking her but she tolerated her for her twins sake. Demetri had pestered Alec just as much as Felix did.

"Do you want to meet my family?"

"I've already met them."

"That was as a stranger, not as my girlfriend," pointed out Alec.

Aria nodded, "I'll get ready and we can hang with them."

Aria made her way to the bathroom as Alec left the room to give her more privacy. The bright fluorescent lights lit the white tiled bathroom. Aria turned the stainless steel knobs causing the water to spring through the shower head. As the water warmed Aria busied herself with brushing her teeth and undressing herself. Her grey long sleeved shirt fell to the ground as well as her matching colored shorts and undergarments. She looked into the mirror, discolored raised jagged scars littered her arms and chest. She touched the one just below her collar bone. It felt smooth and her mind relived that night. The searing pain she had endured, the metallic taste of her own blood. She closed her eyes, collected her breath, she had come so far since that night she wasn't about to break on account of that monster. Opening the glass door, she stepped inside, the warm water chasing away her terrible memories.

Quickly she cleaned herself knowing Alec was waiting for her and got out. After drying herself off she dressed in black tights and a light gray long sleeved dress and matching flats. She brushed, dried, and ran mousse through her locks. She came out the room to see Alec in black jeans, black Chuck Taylor All-Stars, and a Caribbean blue t-shirt. After Alec found out that Aria favored the multiple hues of blue he began incorporating the color into his clothing.

Alec's burgundy eyes surveyed his mate admiring her beauty. Her hair had just begun to curl at the ends giving them a slight bounce as she moved.

"Are you ready cara mia?" Alec questioned as he pulled her close to his chest.

"No," she answered truthfully, "between Marcus's depression and Caius's fury I feel drained by the end of the day."

Alec steered Aria to the door and out into the hall. "I thought you could block us out?"

"I can, but sometimes y'all's feelings creep in."

"If need be, just focus on me."

Aria kissed Alec's cold cheek sending an unseen blush to them. They ventured into the den were the Volturi guards and kings waited for them. Before Aria could registered what happened she felt herself being hoisted into a bone crushing hug.

"Little human," Felix exclaimed, "you have risen!"

"Can't," She wheezed, "breathe." She squirmed in mount sparkles arms trying to regain her breath.

"My apologies," said Felix as he lowered her onto the ground. "Sometimes I forget how fragile humans are."

Aria rested one of her hands on her side, taking in deep gulps of air. "It's alright darlin' just be careful next time."

Demetri chuckled and bowed while kissing the back of her hand, "Good morning Miss Whitlock."

"Good mornin' Mr. Volturi."

Jane and Caius nodded to the human they weren't a hugger they explained. Aria understood, besides the thought of Caius hugging her didn't sit well with her.

Marcus smiled faintly to the human only to feel a boost of happiness in return. "Aria," his tired voice called out.

"Sorry," She said sheepishly gazing down at her shoes, "I just wanted ya to be happy."

A pang of guilt came from Aro caused the little empath to look at him. Why does he feel guilt?

"You're intentions meant well," Aro spoke understanding that the empath only wished the best for the ones her significant other called family. Secretly, he hoped she didn't feel his guilt over him causing Marcus's sadness and grief.

Alec watched on as she mingled amongst his companions. Her and Felix had turned her guessing his feelings into a game only after ten minutes of being around each other. Demetri had joined in there after proposing the challenge that she couldn't alter his own feelings. Alec sat next to her, her hand resting on his leg. It was her way of telling Alec not to worry about her. He watched as her nose crinkled ever so slightly when she laughed, her smile making its way to her beautiful chocolate eyes making them seem like someone had stolen the stars and placed them in her eyes. She had quickly won the hearts of each of them in only a couple of hours.

"I haven't laughed this much since Demetri was chased by that chicken," Jane giggled.

"Wait a minute," Aria called readjusting herself as she sat between Alec's legs on the ground, "a chicken chased ya Demi?"

Demetri became dead serious peering into her earth brown eyes, "It wasn't an ordinary chicken. It was an attack chicken."

Aria laughed. "Elaborate please."

"It was during the dark ages, the plague was spreading like wildfire. Majority of Italy's citizens were infected. It poisoned their blood making it hard for us to find food. We didn't have Heidi yet so we had to hunt the old fashion way. So Jane, Alec, Felix, and myself all went on a hunting expedition. So we're on the countryside of England looking for food. We come across a cottage and we start creeping up to it when I open the door a chicken comes flying at my face and starts chasing me."

Aria laughed as everyone lost their composer laughing at the trackers misfortune.

"I can top that," Aria challenged.

The tracker waved his hand for her to proceed.

With a flip of her hair Aria sits up straighter, "Alright so my best friend, Chris, his grandparents own a farm out in Beaumont. Well his uncle now runs the farm, but that's not the point," she rambled as she got back on track, "they had plenty of animals. Pigs, chickens, goats, oh there was one goat, I called him Lil Bill, he was so fluffy," Caius cleared his throat making the mortal get back on track, "anyway they have horses, American Paints to be exact, and they are so pretty.

"Off topic sorry. Anyway we were like ten, maybe eleven, and we would spend the summer with his grandparents. Well we wanted to go ridin' but the rule was we had to have an adult just in case somethin' happened. Well me being the genius I am, I decided when Chris went to go get his abuelo that I would climb onto Comanche, he was a pretty black and white paint but totally psychotic."

Felix chuckled knowing where this story lead already, as Alec was staring at his mate like she was crazy, "why did you ride a psychotic-"

"-hold all questions 'til the end," Aria chirped, "where was I? Oh right Comanche! So I climb up on his back, now keep in mind I wasn't wearin' my boots. The boots have a bit of a heel so your foot don't slip from the stirrups. I was wearin' my twinkle toes, smart idea right? Second strike against me. So once I'm in the saddle, Comanche freaks and bolts out the stables I'm trying to pull of his reigns but he's smart he bites down on the bit and the rider can't control his head so he's just runnin' like the wind and I'm screamin'

"Chris's Uncle Javier is screaming for me to jump off since he knows Comanche ain't gonna stop, so I try but my stupid little foot gets caught in one of the stirrups and now instead of being in the saddle I'm being dragged through dirt and mud and lord knows what else. They finally are able to settle the horse down and save me. Long story short I learned a valuable lesson that day."

Alec chuckled softly, "Not to ride crazy horses without adult supervision?"

"What no! I learned no matter how fashionable I thought my twinkle toes were they weren't good for ridin'."

Marcus was practically in stitches, venom rising in his eyes, "That was the lesson you learned?"

"Yeah, what was I supposed to learn?"

The room filled with more laughter. Aria watched as her newest friends laughed, if someone told her months ago that she would be living with vampires, befriending them as well as shifters, and dating one odds were she would've taken that person back to the mental hospital. She was having a blast with the ancient vampires.

Aria wandered into the kitchen to fetch herself a drink and a blood bag for Felix. Her phone rested on the island nearby as she grabbed herself a juice box and a A- pint for her tall friend.

Buzz. Aria looked at her phone one new message showed on the screen. Her mood elevating more since she was expecting a text from her bestie.

An unknown number. It's message contained four chilling words. Her blood froze in her veins as it felt like her heart stopped. Her previous happy mood now gone replaced with one of terror.

I'm coming for you.