✿✿✿

The Cullen family stood in the driveway of their home, each member wracked with anxiety and fear as they awaited the imminent arrival of their world's most menacing coven. Emmett was the only one missing from their line up, currently dealing with their hostage situation.

As Alice had predicted, it was not even a minute after they had all congregated outside their two story, isolated home did they hear the rustling and crunching of twigs, the stirring of dirt under shoes.

Through the gaps in the trees surrounding them, they watched with concealed alarm as seven hooded figures, cloaked in black, arrived and broke through the tree line to glide seamlessly towards them.

While the four who formed a protective formation were intimidating enough, it was the three figures in the middle that strode with purpose who truly set the Cullens teeth on edge.

They came to a graceful stop not three meters away, their cloaks brushing against the dirt road leading to the house and its occupants in front of them.

With the same grace, the three in the middle removed their hoods. The shock of raven and snowy white hair against the backdrop of the peaceful woods was unsettling, reality setting in.

It felt all too much like the confrontation that had come to fruition all those years ago. It had led to nothing. No one died, no one was hurt, but past tensions had a tendency to remain. For vampires, it was hard to forget and let go.

A silent order had been spoken, the four outer figures dropping their hoods to reveal the impassive faces of the Volturi's elite guard. Their cold scarlet eyes looked over the Cullens with boredom that had become too commonplace over the last few decades.

Stepping into the rays of moonlight that shone down over them all, the handsome but terrifying grinning face of their leader, Aro, was nightmare fuel to poor Renesmee who his eager sights were set on.

The other two silent leaders hung back, choosing as they always did to not intervene.

For now.

Like their guard this little excursion brought them endless amounts of boredom, it was hardly worth any of the abundance of time at their disposal to be there.

The only one who looked enthusiastically upon this annual meeting was Aro, whose grin was still stretched across his face as he examined them. His eyes periodically fell on Bella and Alice, regarding them both as if they were some sort of trophy to be won.

Edward bristled at the thoughts running through Aro's mind, tightening his hold on Bella's hand assertively. Even after all these years, Aro's want for Alice's talents and Bella's shield still hadn't waned.

His was a greed Edward had never known in anyone else...for knowledge, power, loyalty and respect. His face didn't betray the salacious integrity and desire lying inside him. He was pleasant and calm when he spoke, looking to Carlisle in a friendly manner, who stood proudly in the center of their family.

"My friend, how wonderful it is to see you again! I am gratified to find you well, and such a place you have chosen as your home! So tranquil and open." Aro smiled wistfully and observed their surroundings with fascination.

Edward noticed, with rightful shock, that it was real. Oregon was much different than Volterra, where the sun beamed and the skies were clear. Aro thought the change in scenery and their families ability to be so involved in the humans around them was intriguing, a notion the Volturi could never hope to entertain where they had made their home.

Carlisle smiled back at him, the expression studious and eluding his nerves.

He inclined his head in greeting. "It is good to see you again too, Aro. Marcus and Caius as well, of course."

The two didn't so much as deign to move a muscle when he brought them into it.

Caius's crimson eyes shone menacingly through the darkness, his mind full of thoughts of disdain and hateful wishes for their family that made Edward ball his fists to contain his anger. He muttered something and Edward was sure he should be glad he had missed it.

Aro overlooked Caius's prejudiced hate for the Cullens, rather he gleefully clapped his hands when he looked at Renesmee who accepted his enthusiasm with a sweet smile, used to his eccentricity by now.

"I am glad to note the dear child has grown no more than when we last paid you a visit! How relieved you both must be, young Edward and Isabella. None among us here could ever have known your grief should the unthinkable have occurred." The unthinkable, in this case, being Renesmee's death.

The couple tensed as he tilted his head at them, fraudulently sympathetic to their plight.

"A remarkable phenomenon your darling girl is indeed. I find myself shocked by her...even now." He mused, his eyes sparkling with wonder. "How is she fairing?" He asked, clasping his hands in front of him

"Why don't you speak to her?" Bella said flatly.

She had to contain her anger, but it always irked her...the way he looked and spoke of her child as if she was some sort of science experiment gone wrong.

No, she had to be calm. If she or the rest of her family were anything other than cordial, the two quiet kings would use it as ammunition to start a conflict the Cullens were keen on avoiding.

"Of course, how rude of me!" Aro shook his head in a shameful way, admonishing himself, and turned to speak to Renesmee with a small genuine grin. "How are you, little bambina?"

Despite being fully grown and nowhere near a child anymore, Renesmee allowed Aro to think of her as such. Should she object, there would be consequences.

Amenable and civilized as his front might have been, he was still a ruthless leader. A king. Renesmee assumed the power hungry man would seek to ruin her family as soon as any weak spot was exposed.

She bowed her head so her auburn hair would hide her troubled expression from him. It was better to be confident under their watchful eyes than to show any weakness, that was what they looked for after all. One slip up and she'd be dead, they all would be. "I am well. Thank you for your consideration, Aro."

He nodded in acceptance.

Humming lightly, he beheld Carlisle in a fond way, how a father would their son. "Such a family, Carlisle. Such a life you have built. It never fails to astonish me." His tone dipped and gained some severity, a swift once–over thrown at Renesmee, who scuttled closer to her mother. "Onto more pressing matters, however. I am afraid I must ask this as I always do. Have there been any incidents?"

The Cullens frowned, put off by the question. It was the Volturi's job, to check up on Renesmee so she wouldn't expose their secret. They couldn't fault them for being so belligerent, but as the years progressed, Bella and Edward found the question increasingly grating. By now, Renesmee should have been pardoned from such judgment over what she was.

Carlisle kept up the polite act and shook his head, his lips pulled upwards so forcefully it felt like someone was holding the agreeable expression on his face, pinning his small grin in place. "I am pleased to say there have not been. Renesmee remains on her diet of human food, with no cravings for human blood. Her only intake is the small amount she needs monthly." He supplied.

Aro was pleased to know this. He still held a modicum of respect for Carlisle. It was infuriating that his friend seeked to try and ruin their tolerable affiliation with one another with every discrepant decision he made, openly making a mockery of the rules set in place.

It would be a shame and a waste should he have to destroy such a talented coven, but there were only so many times that he could not withhold Carlisle accountable under their laws.

He opened his mouth to congratulate them on finally being able to do something right and lawful, but he stopped and sighed, more of a groan, when a cold voice cut through the night air.

The eyes of the Cullens fell on the restless form of Caius as he spoke, cloyingly and with a pernicious grin. "What of the Alpha mutt? Hm? Where is he? Off chasing his tail somewhere?"

Renesmee let her sweet mask slip into a frown, falling for his goading trap.

Bella clasped her hand over her daughters and gave it a squeeze, staying her anger for now. "He is with Leah and Seth, they thought it best if they weren't here. I'm sure you can understand why."

Aro coughed, fixing his gloves. It was a recurring little thing Edward had noticed him doing, anytime he was the one out of control, out of the spotlight.

"Very wise of him, we are all agreed it is for the best." He said tightly, placatingly placing himself in front of his facetious brother. It made little difference, as Caius's withering leer still tried to provoke a reaction from them.

Aro had a mind to continue the pleasantries and fix the tense atmosphere his brother had created for his own amusement, but he stopped when he heard the strangest, faintest noise. He was sure he could hear the shouting of a woman, accompanied by something banging on glass.

"What is that dreadful noise, Carlisle?" He inquired calmly, drumming his fingers together. He angled his head at Carlisle, voice charmingly sugar–coated to disguise his anger over the fact it sounded very much like a human woman.

Would his friend always wish to flout and break the rules?

Carlisle laughed nervously, glad he could no longer sweat.

Damn Nari and her feistiness.

He gulped as his family looked at him with fear etched into their faces and bodies and he knew the time had come. Jasper, the silent observer next to Alice, sent him a wave of calm he had not known he needed to get on with it. He'd have to thank him for that later.

"Um...well...about that. There's something I need to let you three know, a development that I think will please you greatly..."

As he divulged their discovery, all three kings faces lit up with hopeful, skeptical glee.

No matter how much it would damage Nari, they had all made the right decision, it seemed.

So why did he feel so terrible?

✿✿✿

In the Cullens closed off storage room, Nari raged to her heart's content, knowing it was probably useless.

Did that stop her? Absolutely not.

"Let me out you fucking anemic looking assholes! I'm gonna get your asses arrested big time if I ever get out of here!" Nari screamed, her sadness abandoned.

Rearing her arms back, she smacked the baseball bat she had found tucked away in a cupboard harshly against the window and tried one last time to break the glass...but it was no use. There was not even a small crack for her efforts. They must have used military grade glass or something.

Psychopaths.

She continued to shout and rage. It was futile, but she wasn't going down without a fight. She'd had enough of crying and accepting things.

What good would fear and sadness do for her here? It was better to be angry. Mad. Annoying, whatever. If she was going to die, she wasn't going to make it easy for them.

"I know you can hear me, you overgrown ticks!" The lock on the door opening was simultaneously the best and worst thing she could have heard in response to that.

Haughtily, Nari wielded the bat and prepared to strike if whoever had come for her wanted a rumble.

The door swung open and Nari cursed under her breath. Of course–of course, it had to be the big guy. The one who'd attacked her.

"Not good. Very not good." She muttered. He stepped inside, cautious but amused at her antics.

Shoving aside her qualms, Nari tilted her head upwards and sized him up like he didn't tower a good few feet over her. "So, you're the one who knocked me out, huh? Eben, was it?"

Smirking, he scoffed with a curt shake of his head. How he got such a simple thing to look elegant, who knew. He had the build of a wrestler and yet every move he made was smooth and flowing. It just wasn't right...vampires were becoming increasingly more weird....like aliens or fairies, more than anything.

"Emmett. Not Eben, if that's even a real name. You were close, though." He said, a grin stuck on his lips.

Not appreciating his bantering with her like they were friends, Nari harrumphed and adjusted her nimble fingers around the bat, the small action and the fiery gleam in her eyes electing a startled chuckle from him.

"Well, shall I return the favor of your untimely need to give me a concussion? Huh?! Come on, bring it on Popeye!" She sniped nastily, swinging the bat at him for good measure.

Emmett choked down his amusement, concerned for her mental state.

Here he stood, a literal centuries old vampire who could so easily crush her with his superhuman strength and she had the balls to threaten him with something so meager as a wooden bat?

What a strange girl. She was crazy, but he was already starting to like her–he knew the kings would, too. She was most definitely going to be a challenge.

He sobered up as he remembered their terrifying company waiting impatiently on the front drive...he had a job to do. Delaying it would do no good for anyone.

He hurled out a dense puff of cool air, a wry look on his face that tried to convey his apologies. Advancing towards her, he was impressed when she didn't back down. She really looked as if she was going to attack him.

"Sorry, Queenie. It's nothing personal, but there's some very scary people who wanna meet you and I ain't about to keep them waiting." Easily, he smacked the bat from her hands, tightening his jaw to thwart a grin as she stuttered incomprehensible words and stared at her now empty hands that were still poised like she had a grip on the bat.

"Well fuck me. Uhh...truce?" Nari offered, batting her eyelashes innocently.

He smirked. "Cute, but no."

Quickly, so he could get this over with, he grabbed the same arm of hers he had earlier and decided to pull her gently along. She couldn't get out of his hold, and he went purposefully fast so she'd have to keep up.

This all wasn't to say that she didn't put up a fight while he did it.

"Dude, are you for real right now?! I'm a tiny little woman and you're massive, this is such an unfair advantage!" She screeched, slapping at his arm as he basically dragged her up a flight of winding glass stairs, only succeeding in hurting herself. She could see her hitting and pushing had affected him in no way whatsoever, though her palm stung for her efforts.

He didn't respond and determinedly stared forward, wanting to get this over with. The kings, because of her, were now overstaying their welcome and he didn't like that at all. The quicker he got this over and done with, the quicker they'd piss off back to Italy and leave his family alone for the next couple of years.

Nari's struggles were beginning to die out as she tired, but he couldn't help but to commend the way she carried on regardless, knowing if he were human her punches would actually be doing him a great deal of harm.

It would appear Nari Jeong was a force to be reckoned with, even in the gloom of her undisclosed fate that hung over her.

They approached the open front door that would lead to his salvation, her enraged voice carrying on the wind. He could see even from inside the house, the way the three kings perked up as they heard her berating, scalding tones.

So, they knew now then. Made it easier.

"You didn't even give me my shoes, Elmer. Is common decency hard for vampires or is it just you who is a rude little bitch?" Nari spat, but she became infinitely more distressed as they stepped through the doors threshold.

They were now face to face with a large congregation of people she could only assume were vampires. Each ethereal person was dressed in black, but it was the seven vampires who were draped in dramatic cloaks like they were members of some cult that made her want to hightail it out of there.

Using humor to hide her trauma that threatened to bring her to ruin, Nari stumbled to keep up with Emmett and giggled nervily as they neared the entourage.

"What are you lot, some kind of vampire food delivery service?" His eye twitched. "Meals on wheels for vamps or something? Had to be a way you made all your obvious wealth." He bit his lip. Hard. Whether it was to refrain from laughing or from yelling was unclear.

Someone from the odd group of people did bark out a short laugh, managing to have silenced themselves by the time Nari and Emmett came to a halt near them all.

To her left were the presumed, remaining members of the Cullens; all of whom were glancing unsurely between her and the three men in the middle of the cult who stood across from her.

Men who were...in awe? Nari knew she was hot, but she was no Megan Fox.

It was strangely quiet and Nari shifted from foot to foot, her discomfort the culprit, as the three mysterious, gorgeous men inspected her in all of her beat up and disheveled glory.

Clearing her throat, she cringed and had no idea what to do with herself.

"Well, this is awkward." She said, when the tension in the air was too much for her. Still staring like stone statues...okay.

"Are y'all gonna kill me then or? Because to be frank, if you're not then we can forget the whole thing ever happened and I can go home to my cat because I hate to be rude, but I'd rather be anywhere else in the galaxy than here." She was rambling, but her social anxiety wouldn't let her shut up.

The svelte, white haired man who beared imposingly over her and who was the very definition of devilishly handsome, smirked and cocked his head. His eyes were swimming with curiosity...his red eyes.

Huh...that was a new one.

She wasn't sure she liked that deep, hypnotizing red any better than the Cullens migrainous golden eyes.

The man next to him, stood proudly in the middle like a God among men and just as ethereally handsome, maybe was the scariest to Nari. It wasn't at all the way he looked, far from it...his face could have been crafted by the most talented of artists.

No, more so it was the vibe he gave off. Ever since she had arrived, he had stopped in place like someone had hit a pause button and was obstinately ogling at her.

Seriously. He didn't even blink, not once.

It was inherently creepy and made her want to run away, because she had no idea whether to be flattered that she was apparently so beautiful she could stop time, or whether to be afraid of his lack of movement.

She guessed she'd settle for a mix of both. She was gorgeous, she couldn't fault him for seeing the obvious.

It took some time, but after torturous moments filled with anxiety from everyone, he regained life–er, well...mimickry of life? Nari still didn't quite understand how vampires worked.

There was some appealing, disarming emotion in his red eyes, but unlike his blond companion who still observed her in curiosity and whose lips were pulled downwards by a frown as he took in the state of her, the dark man was more calculated and guarded.

Nari had no idea what the hell he was thinking.

Long hair blowing in the night's breeze, he managed to tear his eyes from her, just to place them on the last stunning male to his right.

This one was cute.

He too had black hair, but it was a nearly unnoticeable shade lighter and was just that bit shorter than the other two's. From what she could see he had slight waves or...curls? Nari wasn't sure, but it complimented his sharp features well, nonetheless.

Despite the hard angles to his jaw, his prominent dark brows and his strong nose, his eyes were completely soft and soulful and he out of all three looked the most entranced, gazing from something invisible only he could see, to her like she was some beautiful work of art.

It was flattering to no end but still, she didn't know any of them. His almost lovesick gaze made her feel a little nauseated.

Although...there was something about him, about them all that did manage to calm some of her fear. If they were going to eat her, why would all three be looking at her so tentatively yet warmly?

The assumed leader in the middle...no, she was gonna call him Dracula. He had the hair and regality for such a title.

Dracua tilted his head at the last man who she was going to dub cutie, the mean looking blond also taking notice of their interaction.

When cutie nodded with a smile, their moods brightened from simply curious of her to now full on adoration.

Okay...this was getting fucking odd now. She wasn't bloody Aphrodite, there was no reason for such devoted staring.

Lost for what to do, Dracula saved her the trouble of finding a distraction and graced her with his voice, which she had to admit was hot. It was smooth and deep with an airy quality that belied wonder to every word he uttered.

He stepped forward, a crafty one that brought him discreetly closer to her, the other two flanking him.

"Hello, my darling."

Nari blinked like an idiot, craning her head to look behind her. Surely, he wasn't talking to her. He couldn't be, no.

Because she was no one's fucking darling.

Looking back at him, a sleek brow lifted questioningly, his amused little twitch of his lips aggravated her.

Fuck this.

She wasn't going to just stand about. If they were going to kill her, she was at least gonna get her kicks.

"Listen, nosferatu," She started. He and the other two ethereal men frowned for a short second–but her words didn't have the desired effect of making them angry, instead they all became enlivened with happiness as she finally spoke to them.

She smiled blindingly. It was so glaringly fake and obnoxious that Rosalie, who stood a few feet away, had to cough to cover her laugh.

"If you're going to for lack of a better word...eat me," Nari cringed. Well, that sounded all sorts of wrong, but she couldn't correct herself now. "Please get it over with so I don't have to stand this bizarre family any longer."

Nari jabbed a thumb behind herself at the Cullens, making Caius huff out a half suppressed laugh in appreciation of her. He could tell already, she was going to be fun. If not a bit of a handful, but that didn't bother him. He loved the chase, so long as she didn't make it too difficult. He had no patience to endure her if she was to be rebellious.

Aro found himself dumbstruck. As each vampire there was experiencing, he had no idea what to say when it came to her. For millennia after millenia, they had waited for her and finally here she stood.

It wasn't often he was rendered speechless, but she had bewitched him with her bold, smart–mouthed attitude and her beauty. They hadn't expected to meet her this way, nor had they expected her to be so fiery, but he was certainly grateful to the fates. He adored intelligent women who spoke their minds.

"Nothing? This is getting kind of cruel now guys." Nari voiced lazily, though her hardy mindset was cracking the more no one did anything.

Why was no one doing anything?

Nari opted to ignore the three speechless Gods and turned her head to the left, glaring when she took notice of Alice and Rosalie, standing together near two people she supposed to be a couple.

The thin woman was standing kind of sheepishly, awkwardly in her simple black dress, her limbs stiff and hunched. The auburn man's hair, who stood next to her, was styled into a ridiculous bouffant that made Nari let out an insulting little peel of laughter.

Composing herself and ignoring Jimmy Neutron's mad frown at her mockery of him, Nari narrowed her eyes and set her face into an expression of hate. It was so intense that the two causes of her misery wished the ground would open up beneath them, so she couldn't keep trying to burn their skin from their bones with her sizzling gaze.

Emmett, having a feeling that Nari wouldn't run now, finally let her go. She didn't notice at all. She was far too angry.

The kings were taken aback when she crossed her arms over her chest and curled her lips back in a snarl at the two women and Marcus chuckled quietly to himself, overly entertained by her. What a beguiling sight she was.

"Ah, there they are. My two favorite girls. How's it going, backstabbers?" Alice closed her eyes in pain and cowered into the uptight, rigid blond male next to her while Rosalie looked away shamefully.

"What, nothing to say? Come now, you should be proud." Nari had forgotten their audience. They were inconsequential. Impartial parties to her that had done nothing yet to win her scorn like the two women had.

"It isn't everyday you go about tricking people into friendships only to hurt and betray them." She taunted, and scorn it was indeed. She didn't recollect a time she had ever sounded so volatile.

"We're so sorry, Nari." Alice said, like that sorrow and pleading would do her any good.

It was her, the little saintly sprite, who had plunged her into this mess. How cheap did she think Nari's forgiveness was to earn?

The blond man next to Alice was staring at her intensely, but he seemed to become aggravated by something when Nari stared back, wholly unimpressed with her mood unchanged.

She rolled her eyes so hard it actually hurt.

She didn't have time for this; these could be her last moments and she was going to spend them cold, battered, bruised, standing in her formal clothes, with a headache from hell having to listen to this bitch beg?

"When will you give me a break, universe?'

Alice took a rushed step closer to Nari, nearly running back to the safety of her family when Caius sneered and hissed inaudibly at her, his eyes promising perilous consequences in their depths. The bruises coloring Nari's temple and bicep had been noticed by him, and he was not happy.

Alice's eyes glossed over. It was short and sweet, her vision, but it left her petrified.

It was her prerogative, now, to keep her distance from Nari. There was an outcome where Caius used her close proximity to his advantage to take retribution for the accidental harm they'd done to his mate.

"I told you this was coming, I did." Alice said skittishly, still disturbed by the short vision of Caius attempting to murder her.

Nari seethed silently at the blithe statement, because Alice had told her. Nari just hadn't thought she meant something like this.

"I might not have divulged too much on it, but I've done you a service. You'll see that, you'll see eventually how good this is. Still, I am sorry. I never wanted you to hate me." Alice continued.

A service? Nari failed to see how what Alice and her band of snakes had done was good.

"Well that worked out well for you then, didn't it Judas." Nari remarked flippantly, aware she was only being so mean because she was confused and no one was telling her anything. She honestly could have torn her hair out she was that frustrated.

Nothing made sense. Was she to be killed? Her blood harvested and sold on the vampire equivalent of the black market or something?

Or worse...was she going to be some sort of blood slave like so many poor woman were in novella she had read about similar situations?

No.

She was no man's plaything and never would she be.

She dragged her tired eyes over the three eerily quiet mafia–esque men, her fatigued body stiff with anger, her wispy voice deepened and quieted by rage, and told them as much.

"Listen, I don't know what the hell your intentions are for me or why the hell I'm being obviously handed over to you like some sort of consolation prize, but let's get one thing straight." They were amused by her ranting.

Amused.

She was really starting to hate vampires.

"I would sooner die than be subjected to any form of torment, sexual or emiotional, by any of you. So if that's what you have in mind you may as well kill me now because I promise you, I am not going to make your lives easy. If you try anything, I'll make you regret it until your last day. I have a talent for being pretty annoying when I want to be." She finished her rant, making a point of taking a long step back from them.

Caius hummed lowly in his throat, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise. He was impressed. She was ruthlessly snarky. Full of fire and resilience even in the face of such daunting circumstances. It was admirable, he had to admit and he quite liked her ferocity.

He had been a tad cynical over their preconceived union due to her humanity and how commonly weak humans were, it was no secret he couldn't stand them.

They were food to him, nothing more.

Now, there was just respect for her. A kindling warmth of feeling for the little human. There were not many in this world who could manage to be so collected and driven when experiencing such a thing. He applauded fate in his mind, knowing he could not have asked for a better match.

That respect for her is what made him do what he did next.

"We plan nothing of the sort, dolcezza. You will learn in due course what your purpose is to us. For now, I am keen to bring this grievous meeting to an end. I hope you may forgive us for this, in time." It was irritating to her, that the wintery wraiths quiet voice that was as smooth yet commanding as the ocean's waves, made her fear basically evaporate.

Wait, hang on...forgive them for what?

He adjusted the cufflinks on the sleeve of the black suit she could just see peeking out from under his cloak, lifting his arm to crook two fingers.

A young boy about the age of twelve moved from the formation of the other four figures she had paid little attention to. He reminded her of Justin Bieber with his ridiculous swooping hair–do, but any humor she had was wiped clean from her mind when he opened his hands, exposing his palms, tendrils of black smoke billowing towards her like it was its own sentient creature.

Nari staggered back in a mix of astonishment and fright.

"What the hell is this? Are you the X–men?!" She all but shouted. Until that is, she giggled like a maniac.

This had to be a dream. Yep. Just a dream. Vampire or not, no one on the planet could create something like that.

Nari turned, jagged stones digging into her feet, about to sprint away for her life. Just because it was a dream, it didn't mean she was gonna let the monstrous black vapor get her.

Her plans were foiled as she bumped into a muscular, cold chest that felt more like a brick wall.

She dragged her eyes up, a flinch she hadn't even felt coming on falling over her when they connected with the deep merlot ones that belonged to the tall man–cutie. There was not enough hope nor sorrow in his eyes to calm her ire, no matter how much he tried.

Like she was a wilting flower that could be destroyed by even the slightest of breezes, he placed his hands delicately on her upper arms, avoiding her bruise, holding her in place as the black fog creeped closer.

"I'm sorry." He whispered.

Tears pricked along her waterline. This wasn't a dream–or a nightmare now–she had concluded grimly, and when he whispered more pleas for forgiveness she felt the smoke finally make contact.

As she slipped into the throes of that black oblivion, Nari was fuming.

When would vampires stop knocking her out?!

✿✿✿

Comfy.

That was the first eloquent thought that popped into Nari's head when she felt herself waking up. Another thing was that she wanted some Mcnuggets. With barbeque sauce...and maybe a whopper. Jesus she was hungry, how long had it been since she'd eaten?

As she dreamed of McDonalds, she grunted and adjusted her stiff body, but that made her pause.

What the hell was she lying on? It wasn't her bed, and it wasn't her couch. It was too hard, too stiff and small and weirdly curved.

She was having some serious trouble recollecting most things. She was aware she had woken up too early this morning, she had dealt with Dean and his fucking revolting depravity and then...

Alice.

That jumped up little pixie and her gorgeous, honey haired goddess of a sidekick. They'd fucked her over and she'd been basically handed over like a beautiful trophy to...

Oh crap. Oh no.

Nari was not a religious person. Never had been in any way, shape or form and never would be. She hadn't been before the murder of her parents and most definitely not after.

But now she could have dropped to her knees. She could have clasped her hands together and begged every interpretation of God, each deity from each religion around the world that existed that she wasn't with who she thought she was.

Remaining still, with her breath even so she imitated sleep, Nari honed her senses and let her 'gift', as Alice had called it, do the dirty work for her.

Yep. Something dangerous was near her. Very near.

Great.

She could feel that, coming from underneath whatever she was stretched out on, there was a constant low rumble. A hum. She could feel something draped over her and when she subtly moved her hands underneath it, it was soft...silky, velvety and heavy and had cocooned her in her own warmth.

Next, she focused on what she could smell when she breathed in. Mostly just air, crisp and cool and streaming in from somewhere.

There was a faint scent, barely there and coming from the assumed blanket someone had put over her. A mix of woody, leathery notes...like a freshly bound book, along with something Earthy...sage, she came to realize. She had a pack of incense that smelt just like it.

She also came to realize that, against what she wanted to feel, the scent was relaxing. Calming and even more warming and comforting then the heat that was trying to push her back into the throes of sleep.

Lastly, she listened.

She listened long and hard and she truly wished that she hadn't, that she had escaped back into her peaceful sleep...because the quiet whispering between what she surmised was three people happening from in front of her was lead by a familiar, enchanting voice...and she knew now...

She was done for.

The alarm bells were ringing with as much gusto as they had done when she'd been trapped in the Cullens home.

Nari felt sick. She must have been surrounded by vampires.

'Come on, you're not a wimp. Confront them.'

She counted to three and forced herself to open her eyes, knowing if she didn't, she'd keep them closed and escape back into her subconscious.

Nari had to stop the gasp that wanted to burst from her throat, because she wasn't in a car, like she had assumed.

No. She was in an overly fancy private jet.

She had money, sure, so she shouldn't be so shocked by something like this, but she didn't have this kind of money. They were very obviously loaded.

As she marveled at the interior, she ultimately forgot where she was and let her guard down.

Big mistake.

"At last, you are awake Nari! You had us worried, darling."

Her shrill gasp wasn't kept in this time.

Nari could have screamed as her gaze snapped over to look at the three elegant, unfathomably beautiful men lounging across from her in plush looking seats.

Of course. Ha. She had the shittest luck in the world.

She hadn't wanted to believe it, but lo and behold there they were.

The three intimidating vampires all watched her with varying degrees of concern and mirth when she stumbled to her feet, what she now recognized as one of their cloaks dropping to the floor.

Every fiber of her being was accusatory towards them and she didn't care if she made a fool of herself when she adjusted her body into an offensive stance, leaning back from them.

"Come now, no need for that...calm yourself, dolcezza."

"Calm myself?!" Nari could have punched the arrogant platinum haired prick when he tsked and nodded at her. He looked vexed and disgruntled, as if she was overreacting to the fact they'd literally kidnapped her.

"Fuck you, pal! How about you come over here and try and make me 'calm myself?' I bet only one of us will come out on top and I know it's not going to be you. I am well versed in the art of Tang Soo Do. I'll have your pompous ass on the floor in a second!"

"What did you just say to me?" The snooty asshole hissed, glaring openly and rising from his seat, looking as though he was ready to pounce on her.

Oops.

"Are you threatening me?" Nari smirked at his affronted accusation and scoffed.

"What? Are you hard of hearing? I know you understood me. Or is your head too far up your ass to receive any noise, dolcezza?" She quipped.

He did not like that. At all.

"I will not tolerate such disobedience–"

"That is enough, Caius." The Dracula wannabe addressed him sternly, slapping a hand against the ice king's chest so he fell back into his seat with a furious grunt.

Caius? It was an odd name, but like the voice of the icy individual it belonged to, it calmed the fire of her fury.

Ugh, well that was frustrating.

She wanted to be angry, but something about the three men drove any bad feelings from being able to settle in her.

The same could not be said for Caius. His blackened, squinted eyes bore into her from where he sat, anger practically rolling off him in waves.

"You should tread very carefully, sputo. Do well not to forget yourself, or where you are." If he was able to do so, she was sure she would have been burned like a witch at the stake simply by those eyes alone. They were brimming with agitation.

"You are a weak, pathetic little human amongst the strongest vampires of our world. In the time it would take for you to even make up your mind to attack me, I would already have killed you if I so wished to." His careless warning was antagonistic and he took no heed of the scathing looks from the other two.

Gravity hit Nari and she had to swallow back tears at how much his cruelty had affected her...hurt her.

It was different, with the Cullens. They didn't actively try to hurt people, they were nice and caring and though they had condemned her to this, she would gladly go back to them in a heartbeat then be here...with her captors.

Captors who, very dissimilar to the Cullens and from what she had gathered in such a short period; seemed to enjoy being viewed as evil and enjoyed making threats. The rude one did, anyway. She couldn't say the same for the other two yet.

She had no doubt that they also took great pleasure in killing people and didn't think twice about it.

Her abrupt, sullen silence and slouched figure seemed to disturb them all, even Caius. His pride and smugness dwindled, replaced with concern and something akin to regret.

He hadn't meant to say something so brash as that...of course he would never, he could never kill or even so much as hurt her. Simply entertaining the thought of her being damaged by his own hands was agonizing.

His tolerance for someone challenging him was nonexistent, even in regards to his mate.

He was used to women being obedient, submissive and bending to his every will and whim. Nari was the complete opposite of what he knew and while he looked forward to it, he had underestimated her in spite of her warning that she would be difficult.

His brothers would reprimand him for this little blip, after all he had promised to try and force out his gentler side; but his emotions fought in him, a part of his soul wanting to reach out and soothe away the building tears in her eyes, the other stubborn part of him trying to convince himself she had deserved to be put in her place.

He was too prideful to apologize, but he could at least grant her the leniency of trying to control his temper from here on out. He needed her to like him, it would ruin them all if he made her hate them.

"Do it then."

Caius's jaw dropped when he was interrupted from his reflection.

"W–what?" He stuttered and if she hadn't been so emotionally numb, Nari would have laughed in his face. He'd stuttered.

Her heart made blood rush through her veins with adrenaline, but she couldn't find it in her to care anymore if they really did what she suggested.

"Kill me."

All three men were left flummoxed in their disbelief that she would request such a thing.

Nari was so over this. They were sweet, then mean, then creepy; not unlike nearly all human men she was sure they'd loathe to be compared to.

Similarly to the males of the human species, they didn't appear to have the capacity to comprehend basically anything.

"Just do it. I'm assuming that's what you've taken me for and if I disgust you so much with my weak humanity," Caius stiffened, his dignity stung. That was openly directed at him. "Then get rid of me right here, right now. No point keeping me around right? It's not like I even have much left to live for anyway."

Except her cat, her poor little Mim probably wondering where the hell she was; but she'd have to sort that little predicament out later.

The raven haired fancy vampire recovered quickly, casting Caius some horrible side eye that nearly made her laugh beyond reason. It was entirely too sassy to look normal on such a refined man. "I apologize, Nari. There seems to be some miscommunication between us all, you'll have to forgive Caius for that. He can be an unreasonable, impulsive idiot at times."

Nari snorted and was satisfied when Caius growled inhumanly, aggressively offended by both her reaction and what his affiliate had said.

Was she supposed to care? He was a jerk. Rude and egotistical and he deserved to be knocked off his wrongly appointed pedestal.

"If you will allow us, we'd like to explain some things to you that might put you more at ease?" Dracula enquired.

"Ah, well–"

He ignored her and beamed a blinding grin that rivaled Alice's in its radiance and it's likeness to the sun. "Wonderful! You are so gracious."

She really wasn't, he was just selectively deaf.

"But first, we should introduce ourselves." Nari nodded hesitantly, only being complacent with them so she'd get some much needed information. After she'd got what she wanted, there was no guarantee she was going to be so calm.

"You already know Caius." Yes. Unfortunately she did.

Her sentiments were shared, as he stuck his nose up in the air like a bratty child when she took a spooked step away from him. Rather churlishly, she stuck her tongue out at him for it and was astonished when he looked to be biting back a smile.

So he did possess positive emotions, that was at least good to know.

The dark Adonis grinned softly once more, an even more beautiful one that aimed to disarm her fear and mistrust with them. "I am Aro, my dear."

"Aro..." Nari tested the name on her tongue, slightly surprised when Aro's eyes darkened and he clenched his hands that were in his lap. He licked his lips, blowing a deep breath out through his nose.

Nari scrunched her face at him, freaked out, and ignored whatever weird moment he was having in favor of looking at the final man expectantly.

"And you?" She said, eyeballing him curiously.

He had already been watching her with those pretty, wide eyes full of light happiness.

He was gorgeous.

"I am Marcus, sweet one." Nari felt like she wanted to melt when she heard his voice and what he'd called her, her cheeks heating and flushing bright red. How was it possible for a voice to be so deep? It was smooth and it reminded her of dark chocolate. Mellow, but sharp and rich.

"Right." She cleared her throat, holding off the urge to fan her face when they all looked at her with smirks, hearing the catch in her voice and the stutter of her heart.

"It's really so great to meet you all," Her sarcasm was perceived with sadness on their part. "But you made me a deal. Tell me why the fuck I am here and what the fuck you want from me and please, make it snappy. That was something the Cullens failed to do." Aro chuckled under his breath, admiring her with no shame.

"What a mouth you have on you, Nari." Wow. Such an astute and keen observation. For a vampire, he loved stating the obvious.

She didn't say that in fear of angering him, but what she did say was mortifying, because it excited him.

"You haven't even heard the worst of it." She scoffed.

It wasn't a threat or challenge, but he still held a predatory sort of thrill on his face that made her want to run and hide so he couldn't look at her like that.

Like he wanted to devour her.

"You will want to have a seat, Nari. We have a lot to get through." Marcus intervened, thankfully drawing her eyes from Aro, but she could still feel him looking at her. It caused goosebumps to rise along her skin.

She nodded at Marcus and plopped herself back down in the row of seats she'd been sleeping on, squirming to try and get comfortable.

Marcus flickered a look at his cloak that was still on the floor. He wanted to pick it up and wrap it back around her, but he thought better of it. She wasn't ready for such a thing yet.

When he was happy she was comfortable, he leaned forward and placed his elbows on his parted knees, locking all of his attention solely on her.

Without the cloak, she could see what he'd been hiding underneath and she wasn't disappointed. He was deceptively muscled under his clothes, his emerald green button up rolled to his elbows to expose his strong forearms, a few of the buttons open so she could see his pale, defined chest and...were those abs?

Nari snapped out of it and could have jumped from the plane when she saw they'd all seen her basically drooling over him. How mortifying.

They stared at her and she stared equally intensely back at them and after short moments of waiting, where Marcus was deciding what she needed to know, he decided to get it all over with.

"Where to start..."