I'm overwhelmed by the positive comments that I've received on my story. I haven't had a lot of reviews, but not one has been negative so far. You are all great.
This is one of my favorite chapters and although most of my characters are based loosely on Stephenie Meyer's Twilight characters, this chapter allowed me to create characters that are completely mine.
Enjoy...
Chapter 14 Later Mater
May 5, 2006
Savina POV
"Savina dear, I've made arrangements for this evening. You're finally going to meet Tommaso." I rolled my eyes. I couldn't believe that in this day and age, arranged marriages were still considered let alone be subjected to being in one.
"Papa, I thought we came to Seattle for a vacation." I whined. "Why do I have to meet this tomato guy."
"We are on a vacation, but there is no reason why we can't take care of some family business while we're here. And his name is Tommaso, although I think his friends call him Maso."
I snorted. Yeah, "family" business. Ever since my sixth birthday, I learned that I was like a princess or something in one of the largest mafia families in the Jersey area. Most of my six year old friends were getting Barbies. I got a switchblade and my first lesson in what the term "family" meant in my world. Granted, I've always loved my switchblade, but there have been numerous times growing up that I wished that I could be just like some of my non-mob friends.
"All I can say is, he better not be ugly." I pouted. My father laughed and I went to my room to sulk. Glancing at the digital readout of the alarm clock on my nightstand, I groaned. The green numbers were a perfect reflection of how I felt about this evening. In eight hours, I am going to meet my future husband…ugh!
My mouth watered as I smelled the aromas of the restaurant before I saw it. After my father's announcement, I was so agitated that I couldn't eat lunch and now my growling stomach felt and sounded like it could jump out and ravish everything around me. Turning the corner, I saw a rusty-brown awning with white lettering overhanging a small terrace and double glass-paned wooden doors leading into the source of the delectable scents wafting toward me.
"Welcome to Ristorante Tulio," the host greeted. "What is your name sir?"
"My colleague has the reservation under the name Capuzzo," my father replied boldly.
"Yes, you must be Mr. Patricelli." The host smiled before turning to me and smiling genuinely. "And you must be his lovely daughter, Miss Patricelli. Mr. Capuzzo and his son just arrived moments ago. Please follow me."
Winding around the restaurant, I glanced at the various plates in front of the dining patrons, salivating more and more with each step. Soon we were escorted to a private room and approaching a man about the same age as my father and a younger man that looked to be a couple years older than me. So these are my future husband and father-in-law. I couldn't help the involuntary shiver that ran through my body at the thought of being married.
Both men stood simultaneously from their seats as soon as they saw us enter. Mr. Capuzzo was fairly tall, his hair more grey than the scattered black that I could see. He seemed fit and was dressed in a dark suit, like my father. His eyes were icy blue and from what I could tell from his posture, sharp features and flat expression, matched his personality. Despite the imposing presence that he conveyed, for an older guy, he was attractive.
Mater, as I had earlier decided to nickname him, was a younger version of his father. Strike that, a younger and hot version of his father. I was suddenly hungry for something other than food. He was tall, like his father. His hair thick, black and lay in neat waves. It was the kind that made you want to bury your fingers in. I bet it is soft and smells good. While Mr. Capuzzo and my father looked sharp in their Armani suits, Mater was sexy with a capital thank you, God in heaven. His eyes were cerulean blue and until I got closer, I didn't see the sadness that he was trying unsuccessfully to conceal. Maybe he was as resistant to this arranged marriage thing as I was.
"Nick, it's good to see you again." Mr. Capuzzo shook hands firmly with my father.
"It's been too long, Max." My father replied.
"Let me introduce you to my son, Tommaso." Mr. Capuzzo wrapped his arm proudly around his son.
"This is my Savina." My father squeeze hugged me. If I weren't embarrassed enough by the public display of affection, the obnoxiously loud rumble coming from the center of my body satisfactorily accomplished the job.
"Come, take a seat." Mr. Capuzzo politely directed to the table. "We'll eat, catch up and get to know each other better."
Although I wouldn't call this evening a first date, that's essentially what it was. Afterall, it was the first time that I was spending time with my future husband. The fact that both our fathers were present didn't change anything. For most girls on a first date, especially to one as panty dripping gorgeous as Mater was, they would probably order a salad or nibble on some grilled chicken. Not me. I arrived hungry and I planned to eat. Fortunately, I have excellent metabolism.
When I ordered the number three special, Mater scoffed that I would be able to eat everything. Not to be deterred, I teasingly made a wager with him, which he so gullibly accepted. If I finished every last crumb, he would be required to dress as a giant tomato during our first solo date. Feeling pretty confident, I didn't bat an eye when he stated the conditions of the bet if I lost. Even if my father would allow it, I would not be wearing a thong bikini and nothing else on our first solo date. It's not that I'm ashamed of my body, quite the opposite actually. I was graced with excellent genes. Not only can I eat anything I want without gaining a pound, I've never needed to exercise to keep fit.
An hour later, I was feeling pretty smug at devouring an arugula salad with crispy prosciutto, hard-boiled egg with lemon dressing, smoked salmon ravioli with asparagus and lemon cream, a grilled dry aged ribeye, porcini salted potatoes with gorgonzola and finally a sizeable piece of tiramisu. I swear that Mater's eyes were about to pop out of his head when I asked if he wanted me to finish his risotto. My father only chuckled, having had to feed me for the past twenty-one years.
The mood of the evening was dampened when my father asked about Mater's brother. Both Capuzzos stiffened. I was shocked to learn that Mater and his brother, Primo, had been arrested for the death of a high school girl but was released due to lack of evidence. There seemed to be more to the story, but I knew enough about the family business to hold my tongue when the adults are talking. When Mr. Capuzzo told us that Primo had disappeared at the end of March, I saw Mater's shoulders slump and understood the sadness that I saw in his eyes.
"Hey, Mat…I mean Tommaso, there's got to be a club around here right? It's Cinco de Mayo. There's gotta be a party or something going on right? I need to work off some of this food right?" Okay, I was starting to ramble now, but my distraction seemed to work. Mater looked at me and even though his eyes still held a deep sadness, he smiled slightly.
"Yeah, um…there's some clubs a few blocks from here. We could…I mean I could show you…"
"Great! Let's go! Papa, you don't mind do you?" I flashed my father the sweet girl expression that I knew he was helpless to resist against.
"No, I don't mind, sweetheart. It would give Max and me a chance to discuss some business."
"Thank you, Papa! I'll meet you back at the room later." I hugged him and grabbed Mater's hand, dragging him to the door.
Once we got outside, I dropped Mater's hand and pulled out a cigarette to light it. Taking a deep drag on the thin white stick, I held my breath for a moment to savor the nicotine that my body had been craving for the past thirty minutes. When I exhaled, I shivered at the drop in the temperature. Mater shrugged his suit jacket and put it around my shoulders. I breathed in the Seattle air and caught the aroma of Tulios mixed with faint seawater from the strait, but most predominant was the musky scent of Mater's jacket and the hint of Polo.
"Thanks," I said softly as I looked up at him. "Want one?" I lifted the cigarette, but he shook his head.
"Those things will kill you someday." He said as if I hadn't heard that before. I rolled my eyes.
"Listen," I said hesitantly. "I don't know how much you've heard about me or my family, but I just found out early today that we're like…"
"Yeah. It was supposed to be Primo, but…well, you heard in there." I didn't understand why, but I felt a twinge in my chest.
"Is it too far to walk to the waterfront?" I asked.
"It's about ten blocks, but I thought you wanted to go to some clubs." He said confused.
"Well, since we're supposed to…you know, get…married." I gulped. "I thought we could maybe get to know each other a little better."
"Okay," he agreed. "but aren't you going to break an ankle or something in those heels?"
Looking down at my feet, I'd forgotten that I'd worn my five inch Louboutin pumps. Yeah, ten blocks in these would most likely result in serious damage. I sighed and reached down, removing my both my shoes. Without my shoes, Mater towered next to me. At 5'2" I cursed my mother's height genes.
"Problem solved. Let's go." Mater shook his head, but started to lead me in the direction of the waterfront. I extinguished what little remained of the cigarette and followed him. Surprisingly, the conversation flowed smoothly as we walked and before either of us realized it, we were comfortably sitting on a park bench quietly gazing at the reflections of the city lights on the water.
"He left me." I was startled at the sudden break in silence, but didn't say anything. Instead I reached out and placed my hand on his.
"What do you mean? I thought your father said that Primo disappeared."
"There was something wrong, but he didn't know what it was. He just told me that our grandfather called and told him to pack a bag for a few days. I tried to ask my grandfather about it after a week, but he only told me to stay away from red and yellow eyed swans." A tear tracked slowly down his face. I didn't understand how something so cryptic could be so upsetting.
"You knew what he was talking about?" I couldn't help but ask. Mater was quiet for a long time before he finally spoke again.
"There's only one swan that would hold any significance to my family, but I don't know what it has to do with red or yellow eyes." His voice was barely a whisper.
"I don't understand." I looked at him, not sure if I should press him.
"It doesn't matter now. He's gone and there's nothing I can do about it." Mater's shoulders shook as he sobbed. I felt like I should try to console him. That's what a fiancé should do right? I awkwardly put my arm around his shoulder. Mater leaned into me, crying silently as I held him. There was a simple comfortableness in our embrace. Although I was still resistant to the entire arranged marriage thing, I wouldn't abhor a life with Mater. At the very least, I could see us becoming really good friends.
May 20, 2006
"I'm going to miss you Vinaigrette."
"Mater, I'll miss you too, but you know I'm planning to visit as soon as I get back. You know how much I've been looking forward to this trip to Europe." The day after the waterfront stroll with Tommaso, I'd accidentally let my nickname for him slip. Rather than be offended, he surprised me by laughing. In turn, he felt obligated to come up with a suitable nickname for me. Somehow being named after a salad dressing didn't bother me as much as I would have thought.
During the week that my father and I were in Seattle, Mater and I ended up seeing each other each day. He took me sightseeing, shopping and spent a lot of time learning about each other's families. At one point he confided in me the events that led to his and Primo's arrest and the fallout that resulted. His grandfather's vague reference to swans was now clear, but neither of us could figure out what his grandfather meant by red and yellow eyes.
Mater was disappointed when he learned that I would be gone all summer touring Europe. He had hoped that we could split our time with each other between Seattle and Newark. Being apart from his twin had been difficult for Mater. It was obvious that our developing friendship had helped him cope with the separation so I was worried that my leaving would be a setback for him.
"Yeah, I know. Be safe okay?" I could hear the dejection and worry in his voice.
"Oh, thanks for the reminder. I almost forgot to pack the Trojans." What does he think? My plane is going to crash or I'll get attacked by a raving lunatic?
"I'm serious, Savina." Okay, the boy used my full name. He is serious.
"Nothing's going to happen Tommaso," I heard a honk from outside. "Oh crap, I gotta go. The car is here to take me to the airport. See you soon, Maso."
"K…soon, Vina."
I rushed out of the house and jumped into the awaiting car. We made good time on the drive to the airport and arrived well ahead of my scheduled departure time. After checking my bags I found that I had about an hour until boarding so I looked for the designated smoking area. The only part I was not looking forward to on this trip was not being able to smoke for the duration of the long international flight.
Surprisingly, there was only one other person in the smoking area. She was standing in the shadows with her back facing me. I eased myself next to an ashtray and looked down to dig into my purse for a cigarette. The next thing I knew, I was on fire.
I don't know how long I burned. I think I was screaming and thrashing, but I'm not sure. I tried unsuccessfully to think of something, anything to distract myself from inescapable pain. I could only conclude that I was in Hell. But had I during my relatively short life been so bad to deserve an eternity of Hell? I didn't think so. There was no other explanation though. Maybe I was being punished for sins of the blood. Although I wasn't privy to all the details, I knew my family had done some horrific things. It's all part of being in the mafia. So be it. I accepted my fate and let my mind escape as far into the deep recesses as possible while the fire consumed me.
"It won't be long now." A voice said. Was I hallucinating? I could still feel the burning, but it seemed to be more focused. My hands and feet actually didn't feel like they were soaking in red hot magma. The searing heat seemed to be instead more centralized in…my chest.
Dear God if you can still hear me, I'm sorry for whatever wrongs that my family or I have done that I am being held accountable for. Please forgive me and make this burning stop.
As I prayed, I heard the beating of my heart. What? My heart was still beating? Then I'm wasn't dead. What was happening to me? Wait…the beats…they're too slow, too loud…they're slowing down. I was dying then. My body was finally succumbing to the fire.
With the last beat of my heart, I no longer felt the fire. My thoughts drifted to the sounds, smells and feelings around me. Everything seemed so intensified, indescribable. How odd. Conscious thought must carry through to the other side. And what was it with my throat? Having strep and my tonsils removed was nothing compared to what's going on in my throat. I was too distracted to think about opening my eyes yet.
"Can you hear me? Your transformation is over. Don't be afraid. You're not alone. I won't hurt you." Who was that talking? What transformation? I'm not dead? I felt a hand touch my arm and I felt a jolt of static electricity. My eyes snapped open.
"Mater!" I exclaimed, but my voice didn't sound right. My friend or fiancé or whatever we were to each other was standing in front of me, holding his arms out with his palms outward. His expression was cautious. I don't understand why and at this moment, I didn't care. I sprung into his arms, startling him. He didn't expect that. It was then that I saw his eyes. They were red.
"Stay away from red and yellow eyed swans," a voice in my memory said and I flew back into a crouch and growled.
"What happened to you Mater and what have you done to me?" I snarled.
"Easy now," he answered cautiously. "First of all, my name isn't Mater, it's Primo. As for what I've done to you. I haven't done anything to you, but you have been changed to be like me. We're vampires."
"Primo? Maso's brother Primo?" If my expression matched that of the person in front of me, they were mirrors of shock.
"How do you know my brother?" He asked warily.
"Our families arranged for Mat...Maso and I to be…Oh My God! You and I were supposed to…we were meant to…"
"What?" He replied impatiently.
"Our families arranged for us to be married." I finally got out.
"You're Max Patricelli's daughter?"
"Yeah. Savina Patricelli."
Primo looked intently at me, probably processing what I'd told him before deciding what to do with me, making me fidgety.
"So are you going to stare at me all day or are you going to explain what you said we are?" My question seemed to snap him out of it.
"Like I said, we're vampires. You know…undead, drink blood, Dracula…"
"But vampires are just a myth." I must have fallen asleep on the plane and am having a nightmare. This can't be real.
"Well they're…we're not," he said resentment dripping from his voice. "Anyway, I know you're confused. You're sensitivity with everything is heightened right now. I'll try to help you adjust to that, but first I need to take you hunting. Your throat must be killing you." Oh…that's why. That means…
"I'm going to kill someone and…and…" Panic was setting in.
"Take it easy," he soothed. "I'll be right with you. Yes, we'll kill someone and drink their blood. If we don't, we'll starve. We don't eat food anymore. After you've fed, we'll talk more about our families."
Looking at Primo, I couldn't help but see Mater. Primo held his hand out for me and vampire or not, I could see a longing in his face for his family…his brother…as much as I was. Grasping his hand, I felt the same static charge that caused me to open my eyes at the completion of my transformation. Primo was looking at our connected hands with a puzzled expression.
"Do you feel that too?" I asked.
"I don't know what it means, but we'll talk about it later. Let's go." He urged.
Primo led me toward a lightly populated town, giving me a crash course in vampirology. He explained that the mythology behind the existence of vampires was preserved to maintain our survival. I was surprised to hear that he had always been aware of the existence of vampires, but hadn't entirely believed it until he was forced into it. I sensed more to the story, but he didn't trust me enough yet to elaborate.
I'd never killed anyone before, but Primo assured me that my instincts would take over. He was right. The moment I caught the scent of humans, I lost all conscious thought. Before I knew what I'd done, I'd slaughtered and drained two campers. When my senses returned to me, I saw the carnage that I had created and broke down crying. I cried for the monster that I realized I'd become. I cried for the human life that I'd lost. I cried for the loss of my friend, Mater. I cried for Mater, knowing what my disappearance and losing me would do to him after losing his brother.
Strong arms wrapped around me and the familiar tingling seemed to ease the ache that had settled in my silent heart. My head was nestled into his chest and I became aware of his cedar and Lily of the Valley scent. Still weeping, I felt myself being lifted, but I couldn't bring myself to move. My eyes were closed, afraid of the horrors that I would see if I opened them. Cool breeze blew across my face and through my hair and the sounds of running water drew closer.
Warm fingers pushed the hair away from my face and wetness brushed across my face so tenderly giving me the courage to open my eyes again. What I saw took my breath away. Primo had removed his shirt and with water from the river, was washing the blood from my face. His crimson eyes conveyed remorseful understanding but also…love?
"Primo…" I whispered.
"Shh. Don't talk, just listen and feel." He continued to wipe my face with one hand as he still held me with his other.
"Neither of us chose this path Savina, but I believe the fates found a way to put back what was meant to be. You said it yourself. Our families had arranged for us to be together and now we are. When you were brought to me, I knew immediately that you were my mate. I know you're scared and horrified about what we are and what we have to do to survive, but I promise you that it will get easier and I will be right here with you."
His words and his touch confirmed what I saw in his eyes. Primo loved me. The question was did I love him? Crazy as love at first sight sounded, I did love Primo. I realized that although the brothers obviously looked alike, I could look at Primo's face and not see his brother, but someone that I could truly spend an eternity with. Of course it probably didn't hurt that he was cradling me shirtless and damn if he didn't look yummy without a shirt.
I could tell by the way Primo's nostrils flared and his eyes darkened that he picked up on the shift in the atmosphere between us. It might have been the change in my breathing or my tongue licking my lips as I ogled him. Regardless the reason, my thirst already sated I found my body ravenous for something only Primo could provide.
Bliss. Such a simple word, yet it explained my new life perfectly. I quickly learned the intricacies of my new life and savored every moment I spent with Primo. Hunting no longer was a problem for me after Primo told me to think of the people that our families had executed and imagine our victims were, like our family's marks…necessary. It made sense. Okay, so it may not conform to the general population's views on morality, but it's not like I'm going to lose any sleep from it.
Speaking of families, I could tell that Primo missed his. I tried to fill him in on some of the things Mater and I had talked about, but I was finding that my human memories were fading. Primo said this was to be expected and was disappointed, but pleased to hear what I could remember, especially when it came to Mater. He laughed when I explained how I came up with the nickname. When I described what Mater said to me about Primo's disappearance, I saw some of the same sadness in Primo's eyes that I'd seen in Mater's. He explained what transpired after his conversation with his brother. Although I had not met Victoria face-to-face, I swore to myself that I would not let her hurt the Capuzzo family again. I didn't know how, but once this entire business with Victoria was concluded, Primo and I would see Mater again.
A/N:
The meaning of Patricelli is elevated social level. Considering the union between the Capuzzo's and the Patricelli's would result in an increase of power for both families within the mafia, it seemed appropriate.
Tulio's is a real restaurant in the Seattle area. The link is on my profile page. The gallery of pictures on their site makes me wish I could dine there and their menu...simply mouthwatering.
I chose cedar as one of Primo's scents because it symbolizes strength and constant love. Two thoughts accompany the meaning. Think of me and I live for thee. Lily of the Valley was chosen because of his meaning of returning to happiness.
Edward may not have found his happily ever after with Bella, but why can't others in my story meet their soulmates? In case you're wondering if I'm divulging some hidden clue to Edward's future, well you'll just have to stick with my story and wait and see. (laugh's evilly)