Preeeeettyyy people !!!! Hi ! This is the last chapter before Xmas, maybe the last one of the year, and so I'll use it to wish everybody "A very merry Christmas / And happy New Year / Let's hope it's the good one / Without any fear" You know the song, right ? I know this sounds sickly, but may all your wishes come true, have a lovely time with your families, and never, ever, lose hope.

Merry Christmas and Thanks !

A price to pay

He locks us in our bedroom and as soon as the door closes he starts.

"Why did Jasper kiss you?" he asks, his eyes spitting flames.

"He... he was just being polite," I stammer. "You saw me with all the others, he didn't mean anything."

"Then why did he hold you, too?"

"Well, that was spontaneous, he-"

"And why did he say he had a lovely time? What did you do?"

"Aro, please, don't be reckless. We all talked and went shopping. It was innocent, believe me. Aro, I'd never defy you, and you know it, we just-"

"You liar!" he screams. His voice and his hand hit me at the same time. My cheek burns and I can taste the blood in my mouth. He takes me by the shoulders and begins shaking me while he shouts. "What's going on? Is he your lover? Tell me!"

"Aro, I swear... I swear there's nothing wrong... I've always been faithful to you, I'd ne-"

"Shut up!" He hits me again, so hard I fall to the floor. "You will learn to respect me, you bitch! No one can ever fool me, and most certainly not a stupid, useless girl like you." He unfastens his belt and I close my eyes, knowing what is coming. "You will learn, kitten, one way or another, but you will learn. Even if it's the last thing you do."

The first blow falls. Even through the clothes I can feel the metal cutting my skin, and now he starts to combine the blows of his belt with his own kicks. I curl myself in a ball, erasing all thoughts but one: Jasper. While the belt marks my body over and over again I only think of Jasper, of his voice, his hair, his smile. Of how I wish Sebastian were his and not this beast's. Of how last night, while Aro abused me, I imagined it was Jasper instead, that he was the one touching me, kissing me, that it was his scent I inhaled, his voice I heard. Jasper, Jasper, Jasper, I chant to myself. Jasper, Jasper, Jasper.

Finally, Aro is done with his punishment. Or so I think. Next thing I know he's over me, his whole icy body pressed against mine.

"You're mine," he says, his voice coming in sharp and harsh pantings. "You belong to me, and only to me. You are my wife, and you'll behave as such. Right now you'll please me and I don't give a damn if you enjoy it or not. You are of my property and you will do what I say."

He kisses me savagely, and for a moment I fear he might bite me in his wildness. He pushes my dress up to my waist and fingers me all over. The upper part of my clothes is torn and I feel his eyes on my skin. I open mine one tiny bit and meet his possesed gaze, all sense or reason gone. For what I see I know he's doing this not for the pleasure of my body, but for the pleasure of seeing me dominated, broken. And as much as I hate to admit it, he's got what he wanted.

Yet with all these consequences I don't regret anything I did. It wasn't wrong. This is a hard price to pay, but I'm willing to give it all. And when Aro's nails sink on my skin, and he licks the blood that comes out, I know I'd gladly take it a thousand times if it gave me the happiness I felt before.

I can't help gasping in pain when he consummates his attack, though. We weren't made for each other, in any sense. Nor emotional, nor physical. We're an exception to the opposite poles rule, we repel each other. And it's quite... desperating when the answer to my pain is a soft laughter. It's in these moments when I toy with the idea of setting fire to the entire castle, and the image of the flames wrapping all these monsters is so seductive I wonder why I haven't tried it yet.

And I'm so taken by my fantasies I barely notice when he leaves. I know I'm lying on the floor, trying to breathe, but somehow I'm not worried about it. Then I sense someone's presence, and a soft voice,

"C'mon, Alice, it's okay. I'll help you." It's Jane. Aro always sends her after he beats me, and she and her brother look after me until I recover. She offers me her hand and helps me to stand up.

"It's not okay," I hear myself say, "I'm still alive."

"Now, now, there's no need to be so upset. After all, you shouldn't have provoked him. And it's not that bad, is it? At least you can walk."

"Yes, Jane, I consider myself the luckiest girl on Earth when your master doesn't leave me with three broken bones, one half of my body purple and the other bleeding."

"Well, you should. You know he hasleft you with three broken bones, one half of your body purple and the other bleeding."

She's right. It happened once, the one and only time I tried to escape with Sebastian. But the fact that I've had worse doesn't mean that these wounds don't hurt like hell. But she's right, at least I can walk this time. Somehow we manage to get to the bathroom and the hot water starts to run. It makes my wounds burn, but I gladly take it, for I know it washes from my body everything that has to do with Aro.

"See, Jane? This is what you get for being married to him. I hope it makes you reconsider your wishes." She knows that I know that she loves Aro, and for a moment she is silent. Then she sighs and say in a soft voice,

"It would never be like this with me. I... I'd never... I'd do anything to please him, he... he'd be my whole life."

"He is your whole life. I'd gladly give him to you, but, you know... Someday, Jane, someday we'll both get what we want."

But as I speak I know I've never been further from what I want.

And now on Facebook! Finally! Find me as Alice BrandonWhitlock, or with my e-mail adress: sxyvamp_. See you there!

Merry Christmas!

¡Feliz Navidad!

Frohe Weinachten!