Chapter 9-The New Athenodora

Athenodora's POV

I felt lost. I was home, but I was lost.

The Volturi Lair was huge, even bigger then the palace I had spent the past few years of my life in.

I woke in a large bedroom, on a four-poster bed under fluffy feather bedding, my head on silk embroidered pillows. I went over to the large window and looked down at the courtyard of my new home.

The past few days had been a blur. The vampire venom my brother had given me had gone straight to my head, like alcohol to a human who hasn't eaten all day. I was intoxicated, woozy and yet at peace. Despite the fact my entire body was in pain, I was happy.

A human woman knocked on the bedroom door, bringing me out of my thoughts. The smell of her blood made my throat dry with thirst. I looked to my right and found a mirror, reflected in it was the image of a fully-fledged Animorphyte.

"Come in." I said, smelling the woman's impatience on her skin.

I was staring at my reflection, the high points of my facing reflecting a blue-opalescent glow where they caught the sun.

The door opened, and the glum human woman entered.

"I come to do bed" She stated in a thick Italian accent. "Maria come to get you dressed."

Another equally as glum human woman came around the corner, resisting any form of eye contact.

"I won't hurt you, I've been trained to resist my bloodlust." I told them, attempting to make them feel more comfortable.

"You immortal. You are risk our life" Maria said.

A new scent approached. Caius, my Caius. He appeared in the door way, a mischievous grin on his face.

"Athenodora, my dear. You look pleased with your new home." He stated.

"Very" I replied, making my way over to him.

His hand snaked round my waist, my arms coming up to rest on his shoulders. I was in love with this man, whole heartedly and inexplicably in love with him.

"Careful Athena, darling. We aren't married yet, we don't want to offend anyone."

I turned to look over my shoulder, seeing Maria untangling a hair ribbon and the first woman, who never introduced herself, making my bed. I turned back to face him, a playful look on my face.

"To hell with humans, I'm home and I'm with you." I smiled, placing a chaste kiss on his lips.

We parted for only a second before he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me in tight, giving me an eager, hungry kiss before running down the dark hallway.

I smiled to myself and looked round my room, it was considerably light compared to the adjoining hallway. The hallway was all red walls with ebony borders and an ebony floor.

My room, on the other hand, was decorated with blue wallpaper adorned with silver florals, a pale wooden floor and plush white carpets. The windows had sheer white curtains as did my bed, the bedding on which was also white and pale blue with silver embroidery.

I looked down at myself. I was wearing a thin, white nightgown decorated with lace and tied at my neck with silk ribbons.

Maria then made her way towards me. Taking my hand, she led me to the other side of a changing screen, still not making eye contact. I changed into fresh undergarments and she laced me into a corset. She fastened a dark red skirt to my waist with black ribbon before helping me into a matching bodice, trimmed with black lace and matching dark red ribbons. She then sat me down at a white wooden vanity, decorated with pearls, and started pinning my hair using ruby encrusted pins as I applied some perfume and a little rouge to my cheeks.

I made my way to the grand hall where my love was waiting for me, along with his coven and the guard. I looked round at the coven that saved my life and eventually my eyes fell on my family. My mother, sister and brother were also dressed in red and black.

Aro then made his way over to me, placing his hands on either side of my face.

"Welcome to your new home, my darling sister." He then kissed my cheeks before beckoning towards the door.

The large main doors the grand hall opened, and a large group of humans were led in by a member of the guard, recognisable by his grey clothes. He then closed the doors behind him.

"How about a breakfast feast? After you, dear sister." Aro said, staring at me. A small but sly smile seemed to make his blood red eyes brighten even more.

I turned and looked at the group of humans. It took away the thrill of hunting but at least I wouldn't be caught. Still considering the pros and cons of my food being brought to me, let alone the fact I'd be feeding on humans and not animals, I scanned through the crowd of scared faces until my eyes fell on a man who wore no taint of fear on his face, instead he stood there emotionless.

I ran over to him, stopping just in front of him. I looked up into his eyes, he didn't even shake.

"Do you not fear the end? Or the pain you're going to feel" I asked him.

Still he didn't move, didn't make eye contact. He stood there like a statue.

However, I knew better. I could sense his blood racing around his veins, I could hear his heart pumping faster and faster as he felt his fate catching up to him.

"Very well" I said, more to myself then to him.

I then kicked his leg out from beneath him, allowing him to tumble until his neck aligned with my mouth. My fangs shit out within milliseconds as I grabbed his body, holding him in place as my fangs pierced his neck. I felt twelve of them, four long and eight short. All as sharp and deadly as each other.

The man's blood rushed into my throat, his heart pumping it faster and faster in an effort to prevent him from bleeding out. My venom prevented his blood from clotting, the feel of the blood soothing my thirsty throat.

It was true, I could control my thirst. That didn't mean I didn't feel it. It was always there, nudging at my me for relief. That only came from feeding.

Unlike vampires, though, my bloodlust was soothed by any form of blood. Animal, human, witch, shifter, werewolf, vampire. All of it.

My train of thought became disturbed as I felt the man's body go limp in my arms, the flow of blood becoming slower and slower.

I dropped the body to the ground, lifting my head towards the ceiling in order to relish in this relief before desire took over. I could see other humans trying to get out as some others were succumbing to the vampires and animporphs feeding on them.

I caught sight of Caius, just finishing his own feed. He looked at me for a second before running over to me and lifting me up from where I was kneeling on the ground.

I could feel the man's blood dripping and drying in a stream that went from my mouth down my neck. Caius looked at it and smiled before slowly trailing his tongue up the line from where it started to end on slope of my right breast, up my neck and towards my mouth. He then gave me another hunger filled and yet sated kiss, distracting from the struggles and screams of those who had not yet been caught.

If this is what my new life would be like, then I could get used to it.

However, trouble always comes when you least expect it.