Chapter 10 - Slow Life
- Even though you're the only one I see
It's the last catastrophe...
After Gianna left his apartment, Dominic sat motionless staring at his computer screen, even though the machine had gone into power save and the monitor was now dark. He had been in this unchanging position for almost an hour. The chiming of clock as it struck 11am finally shook him out of his daze.
He missed her terribly.
Dominic slid from the chair and moped to the bed. He allowed himself to flop onto it. The rush of air that blew up around him smelled of her fragrance.
"I feel like a love-sick puppy."
He shook his head at the corny irony of this statement.
His mind waffled back to his real dilemma.
"So what would be the better of the two scenarios? Am I a human who mutates into a horribly oversized wolf or am I merely delusional?"
He paused running his hands through his already messed hair.
"Well, considering I'm talking to myself as well, maybe I'm just flat out crazy."
Either way, he was certain Gianna would definitely reconsider being in any kind relationship with him.
He rolled onto his stomach, smashing his face into the mattress. Finding it impossible to breathe, he turned his head to the side and sighed. Even though his mother always preached "honesty is the best policy," he knew there were things he needed to hide from Gianna if he didn't want to risk losing her. The mere thought of her walking out of his life was enough to make him queasy.
Dominic knew what he had to do: recreate the circumstance that had precipitated his transformation.
"Maybe once I can understand or master this, I could explain it to her...she'll understand."
Saying it out loud he realized it sounded even more ridiculous than it did lingering silently in his head.
He stood up, shaking his arms and legs in turn as if he was preparing for the start of a race.
"Maybe I just need the right command."
He secured all the window shades, took a wide stance in the middle of the room, and drew in a long breath.
"Go wolf!" he exhaled.
Nothing.
He felt like a mad fool, but he tried again...
"Change…now!" he said with more conviction and enthusiasm while thrusting his arms out.
Nope. No good.
"Okay. Commands, not working. Think. The first time...I was in the shop. Burned my hand. I guess I'll start with pain, Alex, for one thousand." He paced the room, glancing around. "Now, as if I am not already proving I'm insane, I need to logically figure out how to inflict pain upon myself."
Dominic took inventory of his surroundings brainstorming strategies.
"So, what would David Banner do to coax out the Hulk?"
He tried the first thing that sprang to mind: he slapped himself across the face.
It stung, but he felt nothing else. He checked himself. Nothing.
"Okay. Let's up the ante."
He went to the kitchen and quickly, before considering how ludicrous his actions were, he opened a drawer and shoved his fingers into it. Then slammed it shut with the other hand.
This action resulted in him stamping his foot several times and biting his lower lip to muffle a yelp. However, as he ran to the bathroom to check his look in the mirror, he found nothing out of the ordinary.
"Well, now I definitely am leaning more towards completely delusional - and only slightly crazy. Maybe I got lucky. Maybe it was just a low blood sugar hallucination or something."
Relief began radiating through him as he leaned against his kitchen counter, facing the stove.
Dominic glanced at the clock. Gianna would be returning later in the afternoon, but still, he needed to speed up this experiment. The stove caught his attention.
"Burn. I burned myself."
The sudden memory provoked a reflex and he examined the palm that had come into contact with the soldering iron.
"I am mental..." he sighed.
Dominic turned on the electric stove and watched the coil turn a fiery red.
"Here goes nothing."
Turning his head, he reached out for the heated burner.
"Son-of-a-fucking-bitch!" he cussed, cradling his burnt fingers under the opposite armpit. The pain had him literally spinning in circles as he tried to squelch a scream.
"You dumb-ass!" he cursed himself.
But as he bent over the kitchen sink to cool his fingers under running water, he misjudged. When he stood straight, he split the top of his head on the corner edge of the overhead cupboard.
Anger jolted through him and he reacted, punching the cupboard with his uninjured hand. The doors flew open in response to the assault, and in his uncontrolled fury, Dominic ripped them off their hinges.
As his anger over his stupidity and the pain grew exponentially, his surrounding began to blur.
"Oh...no..." were the last words he managed to utter before a familiar feeling crept up his spine and everything around him rippled. The anger filled him from head to toe, and he was certain he would explode from the feeling of fullness. The next thing he heard was a tearing sound followed by a loud crash.
When his sharp eyes focused, he was standing among the ruins of his dining room table and chairs - crushed to rubble under his feet, er, paws.
Expletives flew through his mind. He couldn't deny it any more – he was a beast.
Carefully he maneuvered to his bathroom door - he needed to see this himself. He managed to get his head through the door, but that's all that would fit. He found his new "shoulders" too wide to allow entrance into the small room. However, he did manage to catch sight of his reflection in the mirror. He looked the same as he did in the shop.
He was a large, gray wolf.
But why? Why would God will this on him? What purpose did it serve?
His father's face came to his mind. Dominic needed to find answers. He wondered if his mother knew anything about his father's wolf fascination. And if he needed to, could he ever find his father?
And finally...This is crazy! How could he think about this logically? What the fuck! A wolf? Seriously?
Dominic took several deep breaths and paced the much smaller efficiency apartment, trying to reexamine what had led up to this "change".
It wasn't pain...it was anger! Yes, both times he was burned it wasn't the pain, but the anger at breaking his glass work and cracking his head open that preceded his transformation.
Well, at least that mystery was solved. Now for the next one...how the hell to change back?
Last time...it was Gianna. Her voice, her scent, the thought of her.
Dominic sat and thought. His anger had vanished. He felt no pain. Pushing all else from his mind, he focused completely on Gianna - her face, the feel of her skin, her soft laughter...and what he had come to feel for her inside.
He moved to the bed, inhaling deeply, he took in her almost fruity scent that still clung to the sheets.
It flowed through him and had a calming effect.
I hope this works...
Feeling every bit the fool, but desperate to regain his human form, Dominic pulled the sheets to the floor with his teeth. He curled up in the center of the bedding, placing his sensitive nose to where her scent was the strongest.
While he waited for the miracle, he fell asleep...still wondering why?
(~*~)
Why? Why did she have to feel something for Dominic? It only made matters more complicated!
Gianna had lost track of how long she laid curled up in a fetal position on the gritty, dark floor.
Did it really matter if she stayed there? She was a puppet who wished to be rid of her strings – only to find she couldn't function without them.
"This is how I found you, but not how I left you," a brooding voice spoke from within the gloom.
Gianna looked up at the face of her savior turned master.
Marcus.
"Come child, get up."
Wiping her nose and eyes with the back of her hand, Gianna got to her feet. She attempted to straighten out her mismatched clothes as she stood before him.
"You know, he really does stink," Marcus added dryly.
Gianna felt a half smile tug at her lips. It almost seemed Marcus was trying to lighten her mood.
"He says the same about you...well, not 'you', but vampires."
Marcus turned and started walking down the hall toward the elevator, Gianna obediently followed behind him.
"He can smell us? I shouldn't be surprised. All the more reason we need you to be involved with him. We could not accomplish what you can."
"Yes, master," Gianna replied, remembering who she was speaking to. Still, she had so many questions burning in her mind...and Marcus appeared to be in a talkative mood. She decided to take a risk and ask them.
"May I ask, why did you show mercy when you found me in the streets?"
Marcus stopped. Gianna did too, not knowing what to expect.
"I saw her when I looked at you. I still do."
This was not the answer Gianna expected.
"Your mate?" her voice shook at she ventured a guess at the "her" Marcus was referring to. She knew Marcus had lost his mate, but she didn't know anything more than that. No one really shared information with her; she just had to be good at eavesdropping at the right moments.
"Yes, my mate," he responded.
Marcus resumed his slow saunter down the hallway, eventually entering the elevator. Gianna followed, keeping her eyes averted wondering how much more he was willing to share.
"You loved her."
"It was a long time ago. But, it changed me – feeling love. It is not something I experience here between mates. Mostly they are chosen for strategic advantage or instinctually. Loyalty may be a part of some unions, but rarely love. It is a pity really."
Marcus's tone was as flat as it usually was, but Gianna imagined human feelings behind his insightful words.
"Do I...do I love him?" Gianna asked the question that was foremost on her mind.
"You tell me."
His cryptic answer required clarification.
"I...I thought you sensed this sort of thing."
"I do. I sense relationships between individuals. As he is not present..."
Gianna waited, but Marcus never finished his sentence. She assumed his meaning, then ventured to ask the question at the forefront of her mind.
"Master..."
"I've told you to call me Marcus. I liked it when she said my name."
Gianna felt uncomfortable. Just how much of his mate did he see in her? Still his strange, uncharacteristic openness gave her an opportunity she couldn't pass up.
"Marcus, what will become of Dominic?"
"Aro suggested I remind you that Dominic was brought here for a specific purpose. Should he not fulfill that purpose..."
"He would become expendable," Gianna finished his sentence.
The elevators doors slid open. Marcus exited and Gianna fell in step behind him. Her mind raced.
"What if we succeed? What then?"
"You will be rewarded."
"What if I've changed my mind...about my reward? What if I want something else?"
Ahead of her, Marcus threw up his hands.
"You have so many questions, young one. Let's take this one step at a time. But do know this, for Dominic's immediate well-being, convince him, Gianna. Convince him he needs to accompany you to retrieve Isabella."
By now, they had reached Gianna's work station.
"I believe you have travel arrangements to make for our next round of special guests."
He pointed to an envelope in Gianna's inbox before turning to look at her for only the second time during their conversation. His ancient brow furrowed slightly and he placed a finger under her chin to lift her face so he could examine her more intensely.
"Smile for me, child."
Gianna couldn't think of anything she had to smile about, except the swirling in her gut when she thought about seeing Dominic later in the day. She let that be her inspiration...
"Ah, so bittersweet," he sighed before turning to leave. "Chose carefully who you give your heart to, Gianna, because once that person is gone, you can never get it back. Heartless. It's no way to exist – human or vampire."
Marcus walked into the elevator and disappeared behind its doors, never looking back.
His words echoed through Gianna's head. He spoke of choices and decisions, however, the Volturi held all the power, not her. Nonetheless, the threat he delivered was definitely clear – if she didn't get Dominic involved in the plan, he was of no use to the Volturi.
Aro had indeed used her thoughts against her. He knew her motivation was not immortality, but avoiding Dominic's mortality. Dominic cooperates or he dies.
Waves of nausea weakened her knees and she slumped into her desk chair. She stared at the envelope on her desk, eventually tearing it open.
Dear St. Marcus Church,
Thank you for the opportunity to send our overflow of homeless individuals to your shelter.
Many of these men and women are struggling with addiction issues, and have been turned
away by family and friends. Hopefully they will benefit from the recovery services you
mentioned in your letter of invitation, and eventually reunite with their loved ones.
Please inform us of the date of departure once transportation to your facility has been
arranged.
Sincerely,
Basilica di San Paolo Maggiore, Bologna
Homeless addicts equal disposable people.
Automatically, Gianna started flipping through her rolodex under "bus companies". She was always careful to avoid using a specific company twice, it could raise attention. But as she began to dial, her stomach clenched violently and she barely had time to grab her trash can before she vomited.
As she rummaged through her desk for a tissue, Gianna heard Marcus's lament resounding in her head:
It changed me – feeling love.
Gianna functioned in a zombie-like state the rest of the afternoon doing what was required, but not thinking or feeling whenever possible.
At 5:30pm, she texted Dominic she was leaving work and heading home for a shower and a change of clothes. She advised him she would bring dinner with her to his apartment.
But when she arrived, he didn't answer his door. Gianna glanced around for any sign of Felix or Demetri before knocking again. When he still didn't respond, she pulled the extra set of keys from her purse and entered.
"Oh my!"
The destruction that greeted her flooded her system with adrenaline. It looked as if there had been one hell of a fight – or a small explosion! Cupboard doors lay under wood splinters and shards in front of her.
Panicked, her eyes searched the rest of the room.
Dominic lay, in total contrast to the scene in front of her, curled up sleeping peacefully in the center of the room wrapped in sheets. Stepping over and around the larger pieces of destruction, Gianna ventured to where he was snoozing. She knelt next to him.
"Dominic?"
"Hmmm," he mumbled, rolling over at the sound of her voice, but still very much asleep.
Gianna snickered. He looked so cute. His usual slick, spiked hair was matted in some areas and his five o'clock shadow was darker than night. She liked the rugged edge it gave to his appearance and longed to run her tongue from his Adam's apple to his chin just to experience its rough texture.
"Domenico. Sleeping bambino," she called to him in his slumber in a sing-song voice.
A smile formed on his thin lips.
"G."
His eyes flew open and he scrambled to his feet
"G!"
Dominic frantically ran his hands over his chest before holding them out in front of him.
"Oh, okay. I'm okay!" he assured himself.
He looked at Gianna, who had turned her head away from him and giggled.
"What?"
"Dominic, you're naked."
"Oh shit!" He quickly grabbed the sheet off the floor and wrapped it hastily around his waist.
"Can I ask what happened here?" she said seriously as she gestured to the once table and chairs. "And why are you sleeping on the floor?"
Dominic walked about in small circles, a bit dazed, and muttered, "My mom never let the dogs on the couch."
"What?"
"Nothing. I didn't expect to see you so soon."
"It's almost 7pm. I texted you I was on my way. I brought dinner."
She pointed to the Styrofoam take-out containers in a white plastic bag sitting on the counter by the front door.
Dominic shook the last remnants of his deep sleep from his head and rubbed his hand over his scruffy chin.
"I'm sorry, I must have fallen asleep. Can I grab a shower and a shave? I'm in no condition for dinner with a lady."
"Neither is your table!" she retorted.
"Oh, that. Yeah, I tripped. Fell right on it. Flimsy stuff just snapped right under me."
"The table and chairs? And what happened with the cupboard doors?"
"They pissed me off. Wouldn't stay closed," he grumbled as he rummaged through his drawers looking for something to wear after his shower. He tried to play it all off and wished she'd stop asking questions that he couldn't answer – truthfully. "I'll pay for all the damage."
Before she could respond, he had dashed into the bathroom, effectively ending the conversation.
Gianna again surveyed the damage curiously. Long, deep scratches on the surface of the larger pieces of tabletop caught her attention. She squatted down to examine them more closely.
She ran her hand over them. The gouges were parallel to each other and about two inches apart - like very large claw marks.
Gianna's head swam. She had thought she had come to grips with Dominic changing into a wolf, but the staggering size of the scratches brought to life for her just how large he must be in that form.
But instead of fear, she felt pity and guilt.
She decided to clean as much of the mess as she could. Maybe, just for a few hours, they could ignore their separate unpleasant realities and just enjoy each other's company. She stacked the larger pieces of wood outside the apartment door and tossed the smaller ones into his garbage can. She leaned the cupboard doors against the side of the refrigerator. Lastly, she bunched up the bedding and threw it back on the still open Murphy bed.
By the time Dominic reemerged, Gianna was setting up dinner on the coffee table.
"Do you have any candles?" she asked as she retrieved two wine glasses and a bottle of wine from his kitchen.
He flashed a quick smirk.
"I know," she rolled her eyes, "guy."
He laughed and joined her on the couch. He smelled more enticing than the food did.
"Thanks for cleaning up. I can't believe I slept that long. I guess our night of...togetherness...really wore me out," he offered.
Dominic watched as she served food onto a plate and handed it to him. He didn't realize how very hungry he was until then.
"It was very special to me. Last night. Being with you," she stuttered.
Dominic stopped shoveling food in his mouth to look at her. Her filled plate was sitting on her lap, but she sat motionless, staring at it.
"Gianna, what's wrong? Aren't you hungry?"
"I just..."
She could feel the sting of tears forming in her eyes. She tried to breathe and blink quickly to hold them back.
"What? What is it?" he asked slightly alarmed.
When she didn't answer, Dominic took his plate and hers, placing them on the coffee table. He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to his chest.
"You can tell me, angel. What's wrong?"
She knew the stress he had to be under, yet Dominic was consoling her! The weight of her guilt and fear broke down the defensive walls she had tried to create. She broke and cried uncontrollably into his hard chest. She wanted him to save her, yet the only way she could hope to save him was to fill his ears with lies and pull him even deeper into her hell.
"It's just that you are so good to me, and my...sister...she suffers so much," Gianna sobbed. She had crossed the point of no return...
"Your sister? You never mentioned her. Why is she suffering?"
"She is married to a horrible man. He beats her, and almost keeps her like a prisoner. I have tried to convince her to leave him when I can reach her on the phone, but she refuses. She doesn't see him for what he is."
Dominic had heard about women who remained in abusive marriages. When he questioned why women would do so, his mother was quick to explain that often the abuser is so clever at lying and isolating the victim, even if she wants to leave, she has no resources or emotional strength to do so. His heart broke for Gianna's sister, especially knowing Gianna had been abused by her stepfather, and he assumed that had been Gianna's sister's fate as well. Already broken, she was probably easy prey for the man who would continue to abuse her as her husband. It made his stomach churn.
Gianna continued to cry in his arms. He gently stroked her hair, breathing in its fresh smell to keep him in control.
"I just heard from one of her last friends that he had threatened to kill her! I'm starting to think I will never see her again and I've got to do something!" Gianna raged.
"What choices do you have?"
"I decided today that I'm going to go there and confront that man! I'm going to insist she comes back to Italy with me. If I don't do something, it will be just as much my fault if something happens to her as his."
Dominic felt anger and fear prickle at the surface of his skin. He didn't like that this nameless man was upsetting Gianna and treating another woman in such a way. What kind of man strikes a woman, let alone his wife? But what really concerned him was the fact that Gianna was going to confront a violent man. This he knew was not a wise or safe decision and he just couldn't risk anything happening to her – she was everything.
"You can't do that, Gianna. He won't take well to your decision to steal what he sees as his property. You could get hurt in the process!"
"What choice do I have? I'm going, Dominic. I bought my ticket today – actually Father Aro paid for it. He has been so supportive of me helping my sister; he even says he'll give her a place to live if she returns here."
Gianna pulled away from Dominic, but she couldn't look at him. She absolutely hated herself.
"Then I'm going with you," he said resolutely.
It's what she needed to hear, yet it only made her cry harder.
"I can't ask you to do that. This is not your fault. You shouldn't have to get involved in this."
"I'm going with you. I want to help you and your sister. Please, let me do this."
After a long pause, Gianna nodded.
Dominic took her hands in his.
"Don't cry, my angel. We're going to get through this together. Tell me more about her, what's your sister's name?"
Gianna choked out the concluding lie that sealed the fates of so many, "Isabella Cullen."
A/N: Thanks for reading. Gianna is in quite a pickle, but she is moving forward. Wonder how deep her feelings go for Dominic?
Thoughts/comments are very much appreciated!
New chapter next week!