33 | IRRESOLUTE |

➖

"YOU ONLY HAD ONE?" Heidi frowned as she dropped her third dead tourist and approached their newest member.

Aurora, as usual, stood near Alec, Jane, and the masters, but while they continued to feed, she simply stared at the broken and cracked marble remains from Felix and Edward's fight. Heidi was gesturing to the single lifeless body at Aurora's feet as unusual for the newborn who typically had at lease three or four during the Volturi's noon meal.

She looked at Heidi with a small smile. "I'll be fine. The others looked hungrier today."

"Aw, little one, you are so sweet," Heidi cooed, her eyes bright and red with no trace of the blue contacts she had used to lure the tourists into the castle as her venom dissolved them. "Most newborns are ravenous and can't get enough the first year. I went through four or five a day!"

"I guess most newborns can't control minds either," Aurora shrugged before turning to walk up to Alec and Jane. Aurora knew Jane didn't necessarily like her and only tolerated her presence because of Alec. In the month she had been a vampire, Aurora spent majority of her time as the third wheel of Alec and Jane's fearsome twin duo.

Alec looked up as he dropped the body he had been feeding from to the ground carelessly. "Finished?" He asked Aurora with a raise of his brows. She nodded silently. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"You were feeding on that girl," Aurora said primly, her eyes setting on the lifeless body of a teenager with dark hair.

Alec noted her tone, but she glanced behind him to look at the three leaders of the Volturi who stood in front of their thrones with their hands clasped in front of them.

"Our meal has ended," Aro smiled widely, roving his scarlet stare across the room littered with dead human bodies as the guards stood at attention. "Thank you for joining us, my children."

The guards bowed before the three kings and promptly filed out. The newborn followed behind Alec and Jane as usual. Despite Jane only barely tolerating her for her twin's and her masters sake, Aurora had unintentionally joined the witch twins, forming a formidable trio—Jane could break any being's strength, Alec could take an enemies sense, and Aurora could change their will. They were physically the youngest vampires, but the entire guard feared them.

"Alec you are so possessive," Demetri remarked as he and Felix walked alongside the trio. The display Alec had performed earlier with the Cullens was unexpected for the usually impassive vampire, but ever since Alec had returned with Aurora, he was undeniably different. "But you two are adorable."

Aurora preferred to keep to herself. She wasn't oblivious to the glares and whispers surrounding her extraordinary gift and circumstances in which she joined the ancient coven. Vampires were easily angered and Aurora tried to keep out of it because as the newborn, she had difficulty controlling herself. She didn't like hurting other people.

"There was a time I used to believe the only girl Alec would tolerate even being a meter near him was Jane," Demetri continued as neither vampire responded to his taunts. "Look, Felix, they're holding hands."

Aurora didn't understand why the two vampires were bringing up the fact as though Alec and her never held hands before. From the moment she changed, she knew Alec was the only person she could trust in the whole castle. Everyone else saw her as a deadly weapon or a newborn who knew nothing.

To Alec, Aurora was the same girl who cried at baby animal videos on the internet and yelled at him for leaving a mess in her dormitory.

"Alec, perhaps you should be careful," Felix appraised the newborn in disdain. "We all heard what those Cullens said. She used to be theirs."

Aurora kept her expression unbothered but her nails dug into her free palm in a fist. She was one minute short from punching one of them into the marble ground. But, she remembered she would ruin the beautiful flooring, and Aurora loved the castle of the Volturi dearly. They weren't worth the effort.

"Our dear Aurora used to be with that Jasper, the empath," Demetri sneered at the thought of the haughty animal-drinking family. "And you still want her, Alec?"

Alec turned swiftly with an unreadable expression, meaning Jane and Aurora turned around as well.

Alec smirked lightly. "You sound a little jealous, Demetri."

"Why does it matter what I did in my human past? I don't remember it anyways," Aurora rolled her eyes. "Regardless, my relationships, past and present, are none of your business."

"It sure helped them get away with breaking the law," Felix sneered in disdain.

Demetri's lips curled in annoyance. "Her gift sure is convenient," he looked at Felix.

"My gift doesn't work the way you are insinuating it could. I had no control over the decision made today." Aurora glared at the two taller vampires. "If you have a problem, then you can bring it up to our masters. I'm sure they'd be glad to hear you are questioning their decisions."

Aurora kept her face neutral, but she was internally worrying that they had figured out her little trick in the throne room. But she knew they were only trying to get a rise out of her.

"Remember your place, boys." Alec still expressed no hint of emotion, yet the way he regarded the two as if they were worms at the toe of his leather shoes said enough. "Both of you are becoming far more replaceable as time goes on."

The threat was clear. Demetri and Felix exchanged a look and joined the rest of the guard making their way towards their duties within the castle. They had enough sense to realize they were pushing it with the vampires who could dismantle them with a blink of their crimson eyes.

"She could have handled it herself, Alec," Jane said dryly, annoyed by the dilemma that halted her from continuing her walk. Ever since Aurora had showed up, Jane had no choice but to share her twin with the newborn. Jane couldn't even use her ability on the girl because it would only result in her brother's ire, which Jane didn't want.

Alec raised his brow at his twin. "You as well, Janie?"

Jane narrowed her eyes. "You treat her like a child."

"She's a newborn with amnesia," Alec countered.

"She is right here," Aurora interrupted with an aggravated groan. She crossed her arms as she met the stares of the witch twins. "Just because I don't remember my human life doesn't mean I don't know anything."

Jane rolled her eyes and walked off. She had much better things to do with her time. She had a sudden pressing urge to interrogate the Volturi's prisoners in the dungeons creatively.

Alec and Aurora stood alone in the darkened corridor.

"Luce mia..." Alec murmured the pet name he only spoke in private. He brushed back a strand of her waves endearingly.

Aurora knew the pet name was significant to the relationship they had when she was still human. She didn't remember much, but she knew Alec did. He never pushed too far or shared everything he knew about her when she was human. She didn't really want to know anyways. But she didn't want to linger anymore in the odd feelings she had in Alec's presence. She needed to clear her head.

She turned the opposite direction and began briskly walking away. "I'll be in the boardroom if anyone needs me to control minds or whatever." She paused, but didn't look back, knowing Alec was staring after her. "Don't worry. I remember the way."

Aurora was unsettled by the way Demetri and Felix had so boldly approached her. Normally, the guards stayed away from her, leaving her to work in peace.

Her job in the guard was unsurprisingly easy. With her gift, she wasn't needed in everyday trials so Aro preferred to have her train instead. And it wasn't your typical physical training, it was hardcore mental workouts, intended to enhance her gift of mind control.

The display in the throne room earlier, stopping Felix and Edward Cullen's fight, was the first time she had attempted to control people on that scale. The other, subtle display and cause of her stinging headache was changing her masters decision about the Cullen's fate. She didn't know it would work so successfully—no one had even figured it out. It was why Demetri and Felix's pestering freaked her out more than a bit. It was lucky her gift made her a damn good liar.

In her jumbled thoughts, Aurora hadn't even realized she had entered the reception of the castle where she ran into unexpected guests.

"Rory!" Alice Cullen appeared in front of the unsuspecting newborn with an excited smile. She had been sitting with Jasper, Bella, and Edward on the expensive coffee colored leather couches, but as soon as Rory stepped into the reception area from a hidden corridor, Alice ran right over.

"Buon pomeriggio, Signorina Aurora," The pretty human secretary, Gianna, stood behind her desk and smiled at Aurora. "C'è qualcosa di cui hai bisogno? Il signor Alec non è programmato per pattuglia fino all'alba."

"Sto bene, Gianna. Non stavo cercando nessuno, grazie," Aurora nodded and looked at the four visitors curiously. "I thought you had all left."

Edward Cullen pointed to the high windows. "The suns still up." Bella Swan had been resting on his shoulder, but she perked up at Rory's awkward entrance.

"Oh. Right." Aurora felt awkward under their expectant stares. She wanted nothing more than to leave the reception area and run away into the shadows. She was feeling uneasy with what she had just done in the throne room.

Edward frowned at her thoughts.

"Your Italian is more than perfect, Rory," Alice complimented her with a wide smile, being bold enough to pull Aurora towards the couches. Aurora was too nice to pull away from the hopeful looks the four were giving her.

Aurora shrugged. "I had no choice but to perfect it. Alec was adamant."

Jasper couldn't take it anymore. "So, are you and Alec...?"

Aurora raised her brow at the tone Jasper Hale spoke with. "I don't think that is any of your business."

Alice and Edward exchanged looks.

"Listen, Rory," Alice spoke up, interrupting Rory from glaring at Jasper any longer, "I know you don't remember us, but once upon a time, we were like family."

Aurora frowned. "Family?" She had nearly forgotten that existed for her. She hadn't really thought about them in her days of trying to get used to her new world, controlling her thirst and gift took the forefront of her mind.

"Yes, when you were human, our coven thought you as another daughter to Carlisle and Esme, and a sister to Edward, Emmett, Rosalie, Bella and I," Alice explained with a reminiscing smile. "We still love you and want to return you to home."

"Volterra is my home now," Aurora pulled back from her threatening state of vulnerability. "I don't know anywhere else." She glanced at Jasper suddenly. "And...you, Alice didn't say, who was I to you?" She had an idea that they were once very close by the way he stared at her and by the way he had declared they were "mates", but she was still very curious about this golden haired man with lovely gold eyes.

Jasper felt his breath hitch when her crimson gaze fell on him. He had been prepared to profess his undying love and beg for her to come home, but when she set her pretty eyes on him that he'll always remember as hazel and not the deadly red they were now, he couldn't bring himself to cause more distress to her life.

"You don't even remember where you lived before here?" Jasper asked instead gently.

"I remember my mother and my sister," Aurora closed her eyes to focus on scraping past the solid black wall that permeated her human past. "My biological father left us from what I recall. Where are they?"

The state of Rory's memory was becoming more clear to the three vampires and one human girl. They all wondered the reason for her severe amnesia. The change always dulled human memories but not so much that the newborn could barely recognize her old friends or remember her family history.

Bella wanted to hug her, but Edward's cautious grip kept her back in the seat. "Stella is fine, searching for you, of course, but Luna isn't—"

"Bella," Edward shook his head warily, unsure of what the newborn's reaction would be, "It's not safe to—"

Aurora caught his tone. "Is Luna dead?" she asked flatly.

They all nodded silently.

"Oh." She looked down at her hands. "I must've forgotten."

Jasper stared at her intently as he realized something else different about the girl he once knew. While she was clearly different as a vampire with pale, perfect skin and bright red eyes, she had no heartbeat but Jasper could now read her emotions. Maybe it was because her emotions were heightened as a vampire or her mental gift unblocked her wall of emotions, but it didn't matter. Rory was mostly confused, with a current of guilt hinting at nervousness.

Jasper desperately wanted to take her away from Volterra, but not at the cost of killing his siblings and Bella. Besides that, it was clear Rory had bonded with the witch twin, Alec, but Jasper wasn't sure to what extent. Her only emotions that he could decipher when Jasper brought Alec up were immense confusion and something else.

The four vampires in the reception looked up as they recognized the approaching scent of sound of another vampire. Alec entered the reception from a pair of double doors. His gaze immediately went straight to the utterly confused newborn sitting beside the Cullens.

"Aurora," Alec said her name like he was seeing the sunrise for the first time in a millennia.

Jasper rolled his eyes and got to his feet, crossing his arms across his chest. "Alec."

"Jasper," Alec sneered at the honey blonde.

"Witch twin."

"Vegetarian."

"Psychopath."

"Coglione."

Aurora stood to her feet with an exasperated sigh. "Oh my God, if you two idiots don't shut up already I will get inside your minds and fuck you both up mentally. I won't hesitate." She narrowed her glare at both male vampires.

She looked to Alec with her hands on her hips, "What are you doing here, Alec?" she asked softly in Italian.

"My job," Alec shot back. He looked behind Jasper and Aurora to Alice, Edward, and Bella who were standing aside with varying degrees of concern. "You're free to leave now," Alec said warmly as if he wasn't just glaring daggers at Jasper. "We ask that you don't linger in the city."

Edward made no answering pretense; his voice was ice cold. "That won't be a problem."

"Follow the right hallway around the corner to the first set of elevators," Gianna told the four visitors with a practiced smile. "The lobby is two floors down, and exits to the street. Goodbye, now," she added pleasantly.

They all gave Aurora one last wave goodbye as they entered the elevator. "Bye, Rory," they all said, with hesitation but genuine concern for the girl they once knew having no choice but to say goodbye.

"Goodbye."

Aurora watched the elevator doors shut, feeling more confused than ever with Alec by her side.

➖

AN short-ish chapter ik but i wanted to update before my bday!! just some light drama before eclipse begins...

also thank you to everyone who replied to the last part of last chapter's author's note, i sincerely treasure u bc i felt so much better reading that! i mean ya girl only had a mental breakdown at costco so i needed those nice words of encouragement 💖💖💖😭🤧💗💗💗❤️🖤🖤🖤😤😤😤

translations

gianna: Good afternoon, Miss Aurora. Is there something you need? Mr. Alec is not scheduled for night patrolling until dawn.

rory: i'm fine gianna. i wasn't looking for anyone, thank you.

Coglione = asshole