Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to Stephanie Meyer.

Hello to my lovely readers
Thank you for being so incredibly patient. I have finally finished the next chapter. I know it has taken me ages to do so and I'm sorry.
Unfortunately I had a bit of a writer's block. I knew where I wanted to go with this story but not how to get there. I hope, now that I have finished this chapter, it will all get a bit easier.
It would mean the world to me if you could let me know what you think so far and where you think this is going.
So, here you go! The next chapter! Enjoy!
Love you all Xx

Chapter 11

Caius paced anxiously in his study. He had tried to distract himself in some work but he just couldn't sit still. This whole situation was making him feel extremely uneasy.

The girl he cared about had been injured and now lied sleeping in his chambers and he knew for sure she would demand some answers when she woke up again.

All the while his wife was somewhere out in the castle, certainly very well aware that the mortal he had been seeing for the past weeks was now closer than ever to get her hands on.

And to top it all off Aro was more than giddy with excitement to finally meet that one special girl.

He let himself fall back in his chair, groaned in frustration and covered his face with his hands.

„Christ, what am I going to do about this?"

There was no way he would ever get out of this without telling Sam the truth and thus signing her death sentence.

Of course there was still the option of changing her but that was dying too in some way so no difference there.

With a sigh he brushed his fair hair out of his face.

„All right, focus! One problem after another. What will be the first thing she'll want once she wakes up?"

Getting to know where she was of course. Well, he could tell her that. There was no way around it anyway.

But what else.

He closed his eyes.

„She'll want to go home." he thought with hanging shoulders.

God, this was the worst. Just how should he tell her that she couldn't go home? Not ever.

There seemed to be no way out of this. No matter how he turned it in the end he would scare her away.

And who could blame her? Why would she want anything to do with the man who took everything she had from her? Her freedom, her family and friends and – at some point which was certain to come – her life.

He let his hands sink but his eyes closed. The darkness surrounded him. He could hear the cracking oft he wooden furniture in his office. The ghostly sound of the wind blowing through the corridors of the Volturi castle.

And in the distance he could hear the soft sound of Sam's breathing. He focused on that. The even sound of the air entering and leaving her lungs had a slightly calming effect on him.

His muscles relaxed the tiniest bit. Maybe, just maybe, he underestimated her. Perhaps she could handle all of this.

He just had to tell her in the right way. So she wouldn't think of him as a monster.

„Eventually she will find out, you know that." a voice in the back of his mind snarled.

Yes, he knew that. But maybe he could get her to trust him enough until then, so it wouldn't matter anymore.

Suddenly the sound of Sam's breathing changed. It faltered for a moment and then it came back but mixed with gentle moans.

She was waking up.

In the blink of an eye Caius was on his feet and out of his office. There was no more time to ponder about this.

Sam opened her eyes the moment Caius entered the room. She still looked a bit crumpled but when she saw him her look brightened up.

Could she really be happy to see him? Or…

She fumbled fort he notebook and pen he had given her to communicate and which she had placed on the nightstand next to his bed.

Or maybe she was just excited to finally get some answers.

„How do you feel?" he asked although it was obvious that her throat wasn't well enough yet so she could speak.

Better she wrote. Then she looked at him expectantly.

Caius walked over to her, sat himself on the edge oft he bed and looked at her, his face blank of any expression.

She raised an eyebrow at him as if to say Do I really have to ask you again?

„Yes, I will answer your questions. What would you like to know first?"

Where am I?

He thought she was finished but before he could say anything she added another word below the question.

Exactly

Caius wanted to smile but at the same time he felt like someone had punched him in the pit of his stomache.

Since their last conversation she had learned something. If she wanted information from him she needed to ask precise questions.

He sighed. „You are in my private chambers at the castle of Volterra."

Why did you bring me here?

„You were injured. Badly. I brought you here as this was the safest place for you to heal."

Okay… So, does this mean once I'm healed and my voice is restored I can go home?

His face froze. This was what he had dreaded.

„No.", he said in a flat voice.

No?!

He clenched his jaw but said nothing.

Sam's hand flew across the paper again and he noticed that she was shaking. He could smell the adrenaline in her blood.

Then when can I go home?

But Caius remained silent. He couldn't thell her. He didn't want to see the look in her eyes.

Again he heard the sound of pen against paper and he looked up.

Caius, WHEN can I go home?!

Her face showed a mixture of panick and anger.

„Never. You can't go home anymore» he finally said.

«WHAT ?!»

Her voice was a high pitched and hoarse sound and it hurt the ear as much as it seemed to hurt her throat because right after she had shrieked she grimaced in pain.

Reflexive he moved to comfort her but he stopped himself before his hand touched her. He mustn't give in now.

„But you can't…" her voice failed again and she aggressively wrote the last part of her sentence on the next page of the notebook.

…keep me prisoner here!

Her eyes glistened with anger as she glared at him and he clenched his hands to fists.

Anger washed over him.

What did she think? That he had planned this all along? That it was easy for him to tell her that he had robbed her of her freedom?

All of this was like walking through a never ending nightmare for him and there she was making it even harder for him.

«You are not a prisoner,» he hissed while giving his best to surpress a growl.

In all his years of being king of the vampire world he had gotten used to the fact that when he said something people would accept it. And if not… well, there was something there could be done about it that would change their mind very quickly.

But now, for the first time he couldn't. He couldn't make her to accept his words by force. And that was new to him.

Unfortunately, so was not losing his temper when someone questioned him and it took him everything not to growl or bark at her.

„You may move freely within my chambers and the gardens," he said in a strained voice.

„You… call… that… freely?" she pressed out every single word by force, ignoring the pain in her throat. She would have yelled at him if she had could.

Caius hated to admit it but her boldness to argue with him despite knowing that he was a vampire impressed him.

But then again she didn't know just what kind of vampire he was.

„It isn't safe for you here. There are other vampire's in the castle who might not know who you are and attack you."

„Then… let me go… home."

He got up. „I can't."

„Rubbish!" she got up too, walking over to him, a grim expression on her face. She was determined to win this. « Of c… course you can let me… go home. You said it… yourself. I'm not safe here. »

« Samantha it's not that easy. I can't let you go. »

« Yes, you can. »

« No I can't ! », he snapped at her, « You know too much! And you've seen too much! All I can do is keeping you here now or kill you!»

His voice had risen with every word he had said. His outburst had taken her by surprise and she looked at him startled.

He wanted to stop but it was too late. The beast inside him was slowly taking over.

„This is the only place I can protect you. So if you value your life you will do as I say and stay within my chambers, do you understand? »

For a second he thought she might back away from him and he didn't know what he would have done then.

But then the startled expression on her face gave way to a look so cold it could challenge his own.

«Fine.» she said solwly and her voice was cold and sharp like ice.

„Now if you don't mind," she said with a condescending hint, « I would like to wash away all that blood around my neck. Is there a bathroom I can use?"

„Over there." he said quietly and gestured to a door across the room. His eyes didn't meet hers. He couldn't look at her. He already felt sorry for how he had acted towards her and that he had let the beast get the better of him.

„Just… call if you need any help."

„Oh, I won't." she snapped, walked over tot he bathroom and slammed the door shut behind her.

Caius sighed.