Devoted

by ShipperGirlky

AN: SM owns all. Enjoy! Caius had met Athenodora and was traveling with her long before he met Aro and Marcus.

Caius had been fleeing as far from the Romanians as he could and still keep himself hidden in case they had sent someone after him. The battle for his territory had been brutal. While he had only traveled with two others, they were all skilled fighters in both their human and vampiric lives. Stefan and Vladimir had numbers but their forces were dumber than a fresh pile of cow shit. He shook his head. However, one could be overcome with sheer numbers despite tactical advantages. He had lost both friends and he was truly alone in this world. He had not spent much time moving from too many places alone before this past month. He had awaken to this new life and met his coven almost immediately after his newborn time had ended and sanity returned to him. He had certainly never been this alone before now.

Disgusting!

He kicked a rock and it smashed into a solid wall. The wall cracked under the force. He was tired of his own weakness. He forced himself to hold his head high. He would not show weakness even if the only witness to such was himself. Instead he took stock of his location and picked a direction into the woods. He did not want to be caught out in the open. The forest was densely packed and Caius could see the advantage of such a place. He looked around to find a suitable place to rest. He could go to a nearby farm to hunt and then return to plan out his next move. It took him almost two hours to see a ramshackled hut that had been long ago abandoned by its owners. He tentatively sniffed the air. There had been a vampire here but not too recently. He squared his shoulders. Well whomever it was, they would have to move on now that he claimed the place.

Or so he thought….

He checked out the building and then moved carefully to a farm that was ten miles from it once darkness covered the land. He could not risk his whitish hair being seen. He found what he was looking for and fed from two humans before heading back to the hut. He was fifteen feet from it when he smelled the scent of another vampire. He crouched low and searched the area. He could sense nothing from the immediate vicinity. Cautiously, he crept to the door and entered the building. He checked for any intruders and then crept back outside. He was at the nearest tree when both he and the other vampire sensed each other. Immediately Caius gave chase while the other's footsteps were not so sure. Soon enough there were flashes of blonde and white skipping through the trees. With a growl, he charge and tackled the vampire. They slid in the dirt for several feet. He gripped the other one who had turned around. It was a female with long hair of the fairest blonde color. Her crimson eyes were wide with fear. She snarled and bit him on the neck. He could not help but yelp in surprise. Her teeth marked him where his shoulder met his neck. He opened his mouth. She let go and whimpered while he let out a soft moan. He held her tightly in his grip and under his body. To his embarrassment his body responded to her in a very manly fashion which he knew she could feel through both their clothes. She struggled in his grasp. He could not think. He pressed himself onto her until they were both pushed into the dirt. It began to rain. She kicked him on his shin and twisted in his arms.

"Stop!" He demanded. The rain plastered her hair down and he could feel how almost insubstantial she was to him. A mere waif. Delicate features combined with a scent that made him weak in the knees and wanting...too much.

"You were the one in my home!" She tried to twist away from him. "You must leave. I live here. You are not welcome!"

He pulled them both to their feet. "I am not going anywhere!" He huffed at her. She turned and kicked him as hard as she could which barely made an impression. He pulled her close and forcibly threw her over his shoulder. "We will talk inside." He carried her and shut the door. Once indoors, he placed her feet on the floor. She tried to move away from him but he moved with her and kept a short distance between them. "What is your name?"

She wrung the water from her hair. "Never you mind!" She pointed a finger at him. "I live here."

He made a point to look around. "I wouldn't go telling other people that..."

She stepped forward and slapped him across the face. He growled and they wrestled each other to the ground. He kept her in his tight grip. "Now, you have hit and openly marked me for of our kind to see. The least you owe me is your name!"

She shifted under him uneasily before replying, "Athenodora." She looked embarrassed. "I-I did not mean to mark you." She bit her lip.

He snorted. "And yet.." He gestured to his neck, "It is here for all to see. A mating mark." He grinned at her. "Of course I should mark you since you marked me. It would be only fair..agreed?"

Her eyes widened. "I will not be marked!"

He gazed down at her. "Then you will travel with me as mine until I do mark you. Or you will allow me to mark you now." He brushed his lips against her cheek. "Hmmmmm…."

She gave him a studied look. Her hands slid from his grip. She touched his face and then they traveled down to where she bit him. His crimson eyes widened in passion when she touched the mark. "I cannot fight."

He kissed the side of her mouth. "I will fight for the both of us. I will keep you safe. I will see that you have all the blood you desire. If you wish to travel, then I will take you from here," He motioned around him. "And we will be together."

She continued to touch him as she thought it over. Her eyes looked at the disgusting hut. She could feel his warrior's body...she could sense the scars already there. She felt a pull towards him. The instinct to mark one's mate was as old as time. He was as intense as she was withdrawn but opposites attract..right?

He shifted position over her. She looked at him and smiled, "And what should I call you?"

"Caius."