Chapter Fourteen

The next week passes by in a blur. My bruises are all a faded yellow, and the only cut that hasn't healed completely is the one on my thigh. This, of course, means that full-on make out sessions are starting to become a regular occurrence, not that I mind. Baths are also starting to become more common, and a lot more fun than the first time. We try to be careful about when we do things—we figure out what times are more common for visits from Felix or Demitri, and we avoid them.

Eventually, Alec is forced to tell Aro that I'm healed and functioning. Pretending things we don't need to pretend isn't exactly the smartest move right now, and we both know it.

Tens of dresses are brought to my room that exact day, in every color and every style. There are a few more modest ones, but more often than not they are low-cut and short. Many of them are very girly, or very innocent-looking. I can't help but wonder what exactly it is that he has planned for me.

While I'm sorting through them all, Alec watching ruefully over my shoulder, I find a hand written note attached to a simple blue dress with a not-so-revealing neckline.

Wear this one. I'll be by at nine o'clock. We have a late flight.

A flight? As in an airplane? Where is he taking me? I can only hope that Felix and Demitri are the "guards" he is planning on bringing, so I have some semblance of safety.

I hand Alec the note, and his jaw clenches as he reads it. "A flight," he repeats. "That's all he says. No destination, no hint as to what you'll be doing . . . This dress is much better than the others."

I sigh, turning back to the closet. Alec reaches forward and rests his hands on my hips. I lean back against his chest.

"Please be careful." His cool lips brush my neck. "Please, angel."

I turn my head to kiss him on the lips. His lips part slightly, inviting me in. Oh, how I love his invitations. His cool breath makes my head spin, his fingers creeping along the edge of my t-shirt making my heart race. He pulls back maybe an inch to laugh.

"You're so adorable," he whispers.

I raise my eyebrows before jumping up to wrap my legs around his waist. I'm just in my underwear, having been in the process of getting dressed, and his worn jeans are soft on my legs. He holds me up easily, his hands just below my butt. I move my lips to his again and I can feel his smile.

"Alec?" I say suggestively, and I can tell he knows what I'm asking by the way that his grip on me tightens and his back straightens.

"No," he says. "Not yet, okay?"

"Come on," I groan. "Why not?"

"Just not right now, angel."

"You promised."

Now his eyebrows shoot up. He sets me down on my feet. "No, I didn't."

I sigh. "I know you didn't."

Alec laughs a little. "You're so full of it."

"I thought it was worth a shot."

He kisses me on the forehead. "I do love you."

I lean into the kiss and smile. "I love you, too." I turn to walk to the kitchen and grab a bottle of blood, but Alec's arms snake around my waist.

"I don't want you to think it's because of you, that I don't want to."

I turn my head so I can look at him. "I don't think that."

"I'm just making sure. I want to, I do. I just don't think this is the right time."

I purse my lips and pat his cheek. "There's never a right time for something to happen, Al." I duck out of Alec's grasp and go into the kitchen. He follows me.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He looks upset.

I shrug, taking a bottle from the fridge and popping the lid. I set it on the counter. "It means that you can't spend forever waiting for the right time for things to happen. There's never a right time." I take a small sip. "I mean, if you'd caught me next year, or ten years from now, and we'd fallen in love then, we'd still be in the same situation. None of this would be any easier, would it?"

Alec runs his fingers through his hair, and leans against the counter. "No, it wouldn't be any easier," he admits.

"Exactly my point."

Alec frowns and walks to the other side of the kitchen. He pulls something from the cabinet there, and hides it behind his back too quickly for me to see what it is. "Don't be mad at me," he says.

I don't try to hide my confusion. "Why would I be mad at you?"

He sighs. "You're going to be mad at me."

And then he puts whatever it was he'd been hiding from me on the kitchen counter. Even with the foreign label, I can tell what it is.

"Condoms," I say plainly. "In my kitchen. How long have you been stashing condoms in my kitchen?"

He looks down at his bare feet, and then back up at me. "A little more than a month."

"And why didn't you say something?"

"Because I knew you'd be mad at me."

"I'm not mad!" I exclaim. And then I stop, because I am mad, and the fact that I'm raising my voice proves it.

"You're mad."

"Yeah, I am. Just a little bit, though."

He shakes his head sheepishly. "I am really sorry I didn't say something sooner. I've just been having so much trouble wrapping my mind around it that I didn't want to say something until I was sure."

"And are you sure, now?"

"Not at all. I'm never going to be sure, I don't think."

I can't help the small smile that forms on my lips. "So does that mean . . ."

He sighs. "Yes."

"Say it out loud, please."

"Renesmee Carlie Cullen," he starts, in a quiet voice, "I promise to make love to you before your family rescues us."

I put my bottle on the counter and skip towards him, standing on my tip-toes to kiss his nose. "I love you!"

He sighs. "I know you do." He narrows his eyes over my shoulder a moment, and then says, "Under one condition."

I groan. "What now?"

"I can say no."

"Meaning . . ."

"Meaning that if you want to at two in the morning on the kitchen floor, I can say no. I promise before your family comes, but it can happen any time between."

"Why are we planning this?" I wrinkle my nose.

He laughs. "I'm trying to prevent you from planning it. That's the whole point. It should happen when it happens."

I let out a slow breath. "Fine."

He grins. "Fine."

"You kind of drive me crazy."

"And I'm glad of it."

Aro arrives at exactly nine o'clock, not a second before or after. This is the first time I've seen him without his robe and classic Volturi clothing; he's dressed in a suit, looking much like a business man, complete with a brief case. Demitri and Felix flank him, looking equally business-like. I feel like such a girl in the sweet blue dress Aro picked out for me, but I suppose that's the point.

"You look lovely," Aro says. "I especially like the blue with your skin."

I attempt to push down my nausea. Felix meets my gaze over Aro's shoulder, urging me to respond with his eyes.

"Thank you, Aro," I say, hoping my voice doesn't sound as shaky as I think it does.

"Of course, darling. Felix and Demitri will be accompanying us as your guards. You must always be near them, unless they are directed otherwise. It's a short flight, but we may be spending the night there." He gestures into my room, handing me a small black bag. "Pack whatever you'll need in the case that we do."

I do as he says, going inside to grab pajamas and a pair of sweatpants for the next day, plus a toothbrush and hairbrush. I go into the kitchen where Alec is sitting at the counter, feigning carelessness with a novel in his hands.

"Alec, my dear boy," Aro says, from outside the room.

Alec stands slowly, his actions bored and uninterested. But he looks at me before leaving the room, and I see it in his eyes—he's absolutely terrified.

They talk too quietly for me to hear, but I follow Alec's mind, sensing when he turns to leave. He must feel me there, because he's screaming in his mind, Be careful!

I'm always careful, I tell him.

I can feel his laughter from here.
_

The plane ride is short, and I stay as far away from Aro as I can. It's a private plane, though, and as far as I can get isn't far enough. Demitri and Felix stay by my side for the entire time, and I'm comforted by their protection. It's warm outside, and Demitri tells me it's July. I've been with the Volturi since February. It's been five months.

Do you have any clue where he's taking us? I ask Felix, and the slight tilt of his head tells me no.

Soon, we've arrived at our destination, not that I'm exactly sure where that is. The weather hasn't changed much; if anything, it's warmer. Felix leads me down the stairs, and the heat seems to radiate from the paved runway although the sky is dark and clear. The runway is surrounded by fields of green, sloping hills, and there is no airport in site.

Aro pulls me aside. "We are here to question a man. You are here to ensure that he tells no lies, and that he answers my inquiries. No matter what, you do exactly as say. Can you do that, my dear?"

I swallow hard. "And the dress?"

His eyes twinkle. "Men like beautiful women. Even poor farmers."

And then the light in his eyes is gone, his expression darkening. He squares his shoulders and straightens his tie. "Felix, Demitri. Stay by her side, please. We'll be walking to the house from here."

The two men come to stand next to me, each placing a strong hand on my arm. We make our way into the tall grass, Felix and Demitri maneuvering me through the area. Aro is about fifty feet ahead of us, still in hearing range. We keep a steady pace and reach a narrow stone house soon, perched on the slanted side of a hill. The door is open, Aro standing in the doorway.

When Aro said man, I'd still thought vampire. But this man is human, maybe in his fifties, with skin darkened from the sun and laugh lines in the corners of his eyes. He's half the size of Aro, and a small woman stands behind him. His wife?

They're talking in rushed Italian, and the man is not laughing now. Either is his wife, who soon turns around and walks further into the house, possibly at the orders of her husband. The poor man spots me over Aro's shoulder, and he suddenly looks furious. I peer into his mind, which is open and friendly and kind, and his anger is apparent. He's angry at Aro, but I can sense it has something to do with me. Does he know that I am here against my will?

Aro reaches behind him and clasps his hand around my wrist, pulling me up next to him. My hair is loose around my shoulders, and although I know I am incredibly pale, I know I am beautiful. My hair shines in the light from the house, and my cheeks are pink from the heat. The dress is working its magic. I smile briefly, and I know he is affected by my beauty. It pains me to see it.

"My dear Renesmee," Aro says quietly. I can see that this kind man doesn't speak English, doesn't understand what it is he's saying. "Stay by my side, darling."

The man's expression darkens but he turns around and leads us into his home. We sit around a large wooden table, and I clench my teeth when Aro has me sit next to him.

Aro proceeds to argue with the man, spitting out accusations. I don't follow anything, but I can see the man cower away from Aro's anger.

Felix nudges me after of few moments, and leans over to whisper in my ear. "I know you don't understand what they're saying, but it's important that you look in his mind. We need to know if he's lying."

I do as he says, focusing on the man's emotions as he speaks. Fear. Anger. Concern. But he's definitely being honest. He's confused. He doesn't know what they're talking about. I turn to Aro and say, "He doesn't know anything. He has no idea. Please stop."

Aro clenches his teeth a moment, his eyes bright red. And then his face transforms into an incredibly cruel smile, his eyes going blank. "Grazie per il tuo aiuto." Thanks for your help. And then he adds something else. They both move to stand, and the man leads us out a back door.

We follow him down the hillside, and he leads us to a patch of pale gray-green plants. He gestures wildly as he explains something, and Aro nods thoughtfully.

Aro says something sharply, and the man nods hastily. "Si, si," he says. "Domani?"

Aro nods, too, and holds out his hand for the man to shake. The man hesitates a moment, but takes it. I watch the gooseflesh form on his tanned arm from the cold touch. As we turn to leave, he meets my eyes. I search his mind. He's worried for me. He wants me to run.

I purse my lips and shake my head no.

The man swallows but nods, and stands there to watch us leave.

I jog to catch up with Aro. "What was that about?" I ask him. I stand in front of him and put my hands on my hips.

"Fiesty, aren't you?" he says, sarcasm dripping from his tone. "None of your concern."

I shake my head. "You want me to help you; I should know what it is I'm doing. Was that whole thing about a plant?"

Aro's lips are a thin line. "Yes, a plant," he says finally. Felix and Demitri are watching our conversation warily. I can see that Felix is begging me to stop, not to cause problems for myself, but I can't help myself.

I narrow my eyes. "What kind of plant?"

"Now, darling, I suggest you mind your own business. Can you do that?"

I clench my teeth but nod.

"And you're sure he was telling the truth?"

"I'm positive."

Aro looks thoughtful. "How strange." And then he steps around me and continues walking back towards the plane.

I'm so incredibly sorry for taking this long to update. I'm currently living in SOUTHERN ITALY as an EXCHANGE STUDENT so as you can imagine, I've been sort of busy. Hopefully this chapter can keep you satisfied until I get back in the swing of things. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about my lovely readers, or about my stories. I'll be posting regularly soon. If you want to hear more about my high school exchange, go to www(dot)leahsharaby(dot)blogspot(dot)com.

Review, please, if you aren't too angry with me. Grazie mille!