A/N: Sorry for the long wait on this. Thank you to everyone who has been patient and reviewed or pm'd me. As I had mentioned previously I wasn't entirely thrilled with the last chapter so I actually re-wrote it slightly and then tacked on new material and am publishing it in this chapter. So even if you read the last chapter I urge you to read this one because it has more detail and then has new stuff. I actually saw a documentary on The History Channel a couple of weeks ago that gave me more insight into Pompeii so I wanted to add that in.
Special thanks to my beta Aleeab4u. I firmly believe that having her help has vastly increased the quality of my writing. If you haven't read anything of hers you should.
They 'awoke' the next morning to a beautiful sunny day. Edward's seed had dried on Bella during the night turning to a shimmering flaky substance reminding her of mica. It fell easily from her body, but his scent lingered and true to his word she was not allowed to wash. So she freshened up as best she could and donned a sundress for the day.
The plan had been to go sightseeing but given the brightness of the day that would be difficult. However Edward was not to be deterred and insisted they could get in a modicum of tourism from the safety of the tinted glass windows of sex on wheels as Bella had taken to calling the car.
"Ready, love?" he asked coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her.
"Mmhm…"she purred in response.
They drove for miles, taking in the brown countryside dotted with vineyards and ruins as they sat in comfortable silence. Shortly after passing Naples they pulled along the coast and encountered their first bit of traffic. Bella craned her neck trying to see where they were.
"Curious, pet?" Edward asked. She could hear the amusement in his voice. "We're visiting Pompeii today. I checked with Alice and the pixie was right of course. The weather is clouded over here. We should have no problem being out and about. I promise we'll do Rome another day." He said, squeezing her hand.
After finally finding a parking spot they walked hand in hand into the ancient ruins that had been destroyed by an erupting volcano so many years ago and it was with some trepidation that Bella crossed into that place. Edward, always in tune to her, picked up on her hesitation slight as it was.
"Bella, what's the matter?" he asked, stopping them.
She turned to face him. "It's nothing. It's stupid." She replied feeling embarrassed.
"No secrets, love. Remember?" He tilted her chin so she was looking at him. "I can't see inside your pretty little head. You need to tell me what's going on."
"Well…" she said hesitantly. "Doesn't it scare you? Being in a place like this? The thing that killed these people is one of the few things that could kill us."
"Oh Bella." He sighed, pulling her into an embrace and kissing the top of her head. "I didn't bring you here to scare you."
He pulled back so they could look each other in the eyes again. "Bella, any vampire that thinks they are truly going to live forever is deluding themselves. Someday we will end. Either humans will die out, or something will collide with the planet, or yes, we'll get caught in a rain of fire or some such thing. So we've no less reason to value life than any of these mortals walking around us. If anything we have more of a reason because we've been given a gift. Time. More time than most people ever dream of. And I intend to spend every second of it with you."
She melted at his words and they fell into a deep kiss, but when he pulled away Edward was wearing his signature smirk.
"Besides, "he whispered in her ear, "I have to admit a slightly ulterior motive in bringing you here."
She looked at him questioningly.
"Come. You'll see. You're a smart girl. I'm sure you'll figure it out." He said, cockily.
She took his hand and they continued on into the ruins. She was surprised that they were allowed to wander freely without a guide. Everything was, of course, made of stone in varying shades of grey, ochre and terra cotta, and most of the lower portions of the excavated buildings were covered in fine green moss that looked slick and damp.
"Oh my God…" Bella stopped short. She had been looking down at the patchwork of stone they were walking across when she spotted the last thing she expected to see.
"Is that…?" she asked, looking at Edward in astonishment, and then back at the obvious phallus that was carved into the ground.
He simply smiled his crooked smile at her and urged her along in the direction it was pointing.
They arrived in front of a two-story building roughly triangular in shape.
"This, my little lamb," said Edward, while placing a hand at the small of her back, "is the Lupanara, Den of the She Wolves."
She stiffened slightly in fear wondering if it had anything to do with the wolves Edward had mentioned on the plane ride to Italy.
"No, no, my dear." He comforted. "It's a brothel, one of many here in Pompeii."
They entered the outwardly unassuming building and were quickly engulfed in shadows. There were five small rooms on the ground floor, each with a stone bed built in at the far end of the room. Above each door was a painting of men and women in various states of lovemaking and the effect on Bella was immediate and undeniable.
"It's believed those images were a menu of sorts so that the patrons would know what to expect from the woman inside." Edward whispered seductively behind her. He wrapped his arms around her. "Do you like what you see Bella?"
She whimpered unable to form a coherent response as Edward's hands slid down her torso and downwards just grazing her mound.
"Look here." He said, releasing her and pointing at the walls. "You see this?"
There were Latin phrases etched over and over again, numbering in the hundreds and they were all variations of the same thing.
Fututa sum hic; bene futuis; futuo.
"What does it mean?" she asked while running her fingers over the worn stone.
"It means to fuck, to fuck well, to be fucked." He whispered in her ear.
She suddenly got an idea and took off without warning, running through the ancient halls.
Edward laid chase and caught up with her moments later in the second floor rooms which were slightly larger than the ones below. He found Bella sprawled seductively across one of the stone beds touching herself in the place that belonged only to him. Her fingers were just barely hidden by the hem of her dress which had been hiked up and he could easily smell her excitement. He growled in response.
He quickly strode to her but before he could join her on the bed she sat up and placed a hand on his chest, her newborn strength easily stopping him in his tracks.
"Uh-uh." She whispered teasingly as she began to undo the buttons of her dress, revealing her pert breasts to him. He eyed them hungrily barely listening to her.
"I don't give myself away for free." She said.
Ah, he thought. This is what she's up to.
In the blink of an eye he tore her dress open and sheathed himself within her. She moaned, unable to control herself but she continued with the charade.
"It'll cost you." She managed to grunt out while he tried to move within her, held at bay by the vise grip of her arms and legs. His need was beginning to win out so he caved.
"Name it." He begged, desperate to make love to her in this sexually charged place.
She let him move. He glided in and out of her for a few long luxurious strokes before she froze again squeezing him to stillness.
"Sex On Wheels." She moaned as she released him and writhed against him. "I want her. Stateside."
Desire claimed her and she fell back onto the stone bed and let Edward fuck her violently for a minute more before halting him again.
"Bella." He warned, tugging on her hair.
"I want her, Edward." She sighed into his ear and squeezed her inner muscles around the cold hard length of him embedded within her. He groaned in response.
"Her?" he questioned, his tone laced with amusement.
"Yes, her." She replied with an impish smile.
"I never thought I'd be jealous of a car." He swiftly took one of her nipples into his mouth and bit down hard. Not enough to break the skin but enough that she cried out loudly.
"Fuck, Edward!" she screamed.
"That's the idea." He said, ramming into her. She was losing the battle. He could feel the first flutter of an orgasm building within her.
"Edward, listen to me…" she begged.
"No." he growled and sped his movements bringing both of them to the edge.
"Please…" she pleaded.
"Please what?" his voice came out stilted with each thrust.
"Please…" she begged, her voice gone soft with need though she no longer knew for what, the car being quickly lost through the haze of her lust. Her eyes were closed and her head rolled to the side.
Edward released her hair and pulled back enough to raise her legs over his shoulders creating a deeper angle and she cried out while arching into him.
"That's right little lamb." He began working her clit and her soft cries came in a steady rhythm that matched each flick of his finger and each thrust of his cock until each sound was a blur into the next. He could feel himself tightening with his own pending release.
"Fuck…oh God…Bella…now, now!" he commanded.
She came violently, grabbing onto the edge of the stone bed for leverage so she could impale herself onto him as hard as possible while he exploded within her causing another orgasm riding on the heels of her first.
She lay there spent and slowly opened her eyes to look coyly at him.
"Now…about that car…" she smiled.
Meanwhile…
Such easy prey, the vampire thought to himself. These mortals, these humans were always eager cattle. Why we don't just take over and treat them like the cows they are I'll never understand.
He walked the ancient streets wearing a friendly face and the promise of forbidden sights to lure them away. They were always so easy to seduce, so eager to be privy to that which is not meant for them.
It was easy to imagine himself a shepherd herding sheep to slaughter as he walked behind them towards the parking lot where their cars awaited. He was so hungry…
But he stopped short as they passed by one of the many ancient structures.
I know that scent…
He sniffed the air like a fine wine trying to pick out any notes that would give him a clue as to its owner. Taking a large gulp of the familiar smell he moved on to catch up with the waiting humans not wanting to arouse any suspicion.
He would figure it out. He knew it. He was one of the best of his kind. And he so very much loved the hunt.
Edward whisked Bella back to the car under the cover of night and placed her gently in the passenger seat while she held her tattered sundress close around her.
"I think you owe me a dress." She teased when he got in the driver's side.
'I don't owe you anything." He reprimanded. "I'll have you walk around naked all the time if I want to."
"Yes Sir. I'm sorry." She whispered, looking contrite.
"Bella." He whispered, tucking his finger under her chin and drawing her face towards his. "I love you." He kissed her sweetly on the lips.
"I love you too, Lion."
BPOV
We drove along the coast, but I quickly noticed that we were heading in the opposite direction of Fiumicino.
"Edward?" I asked.
"You'll see." Was his simple reply.
We pulled into a resort parking lot and Edward was quickly at my side helping me out of the car.
"What if you get a ticket?"
"Then I'll pay it." He replied with a cocky grin.
I just shook my head.
"Close your eyes, Bella."
He lifted me up and carried me through some trees. I knew that much because I could smell them, and then I smelled the distinct salt scent of the sea and heard the ocean waves lapping at the shore. He set me down on fine sand.
"Open your eyes."
We were standing on a beach with black sand. In the dark of night the sand looked black as pitch and our pale limbs gleamed like moonlight.
"It's beautiful." I whispered as he pulled my torn dress from my shoulders so it fell to the ground leaving me bare to the elements and more importantly to him.
"No." he said, turning me to face him. "You're beautiful."
I knew this look and this tone. This was the softer side of Edward. The one that came out when he was particularly pleased with me and wanted to show me that his love for me went beyond any confines we placed on each other and ourselves in the realm of our erotic life. Not that he needed to prove anything to me. I had known since I was human that he loved me. But I would never deny him anything he desired, least of all this.
He kissed me and picked me up so he could carry me further onto the beach. He laid me down gently and spread my legs as he knelt between them, bowing himself down and laying his lips upon me. This was his act of submission, his way of saying he belonged to me as much as I belonged to him. He would never do this when we were in the heat of our roles as Master and servant, but it was something he gifted me with when he was feeling reverent and honored to be with me. He often couldn't say the words but this act spoke volumes to me.
He kissed and nibbled and laved me with his tongue slowly and lovingly while I looked at the blinking stars above us and wondered how much time we'd have in this life. As he brought me closer to my release, I thanked the heavens above for the beautiful man kneeling before me, for this second chance at an improbable and miraculous life and for the love I was sure no other creatures on Earth could feel as deeply as we did. I came while chanting his name like a prayer and running my fingers delicately through his hair.
The vampire watched them from high on the cliffs. He knew now what he was after. Upon returning to his Master with the human feast in tow he'd consulted with him, both allowing him to inhale deeply of the scent he'd trapped within himself and the mental flavor of the familiar vampire he'd come across in Pompeii. His Master recognized the vampire immediately and instructed him to follow them and learn what he could. He was intrigued and excited at this chance to increase the strength of his coven. So the tracker watched. He watched them make love. He listened to their murmured sweet nothings. He admired the nude form of the female vampire who was clearly the mate of the male. He was a patient man. He would follow his orders and report back on the morrow.
Elsewhere…
The wild beast roamed the forests and hillsides searching for others of its kind. They'd been hunted to near extinction but no more. A plan had been formed and it was time to gather. They would make more of their kind. It was within their power. It was simply something they normally chose not to indulge in. But desperate times called for desperate measures and vengeance was long overdue.
On the ride back to the villa Bella felt almost as if she could sleep. She was languid with the remnants of their lovemaking and the sweet words Edward had bestowed on her. She allowed herself to slip into a dreamlike state without a second thought. Her eyes closed and her head drifted to the side molding itself into the seat. Before long she felt the air around her change. It was a small shift and she thought they must have arrived home so she opened her eyes, but home was far from what greeted her.
She was in a large stone chamber and a woman stood in front of her. For some reason she reminded Bella of a serpent and Bella knew immediately that she was in danger. She stepped back searching around her for Edward but he was nowhere to be found. She was alone in this cold dark place with something she instinctively knew was very very dangerous. Without even the slightest hint of motion the woman appeared in front of Bella baring the curved fangs of a snake dripping with venom seconds before plunging them into Bella's neck, and then everything went black.
A/N part two: The only reason you are reading this chapter is because of the pm's I got asking me if I was going to update. I have promised in the past that I wouldn't ever leave a fic unfinished but I have to admit I've been disenchanted lately and I'm sorry for how emo this is going to sound. I hardly get any reviews at all. For any of my fics. I'm lucky if I even hit double digits and even then it's not usually more than ten or so. And yet I see fics out there that have thousands of reviews. I don't mean to imply that I think I'm the end all be all of writing but I put in SO much work into my writing. As I've mentioned before I do tons of research so I can guarantee you that almost every detail you read in something of mine is real. And to have so little feedback makes me wonder why bother? So please please please leave a review. Even if you don't like what you read let me know that too. I can't improve if I don't know what's wrong.
Okay, emo rant over. Thanks for listening.
