Disclaimer: I own nothing execpt for my OC, and my own ideas.

Note: Okay so I know some of you are angry with me...BUT...I have good reason, you'll see :P Anyways, thanks again to my beta KittenEm, who was ALOT of help with this chapter.

Enjoy!!

Chapter 14: Reluctantly Willing

I felt as though I had not slept at all that night. I felt exhausted; every ounce of energy drained from my body, as I lay in my bed. I was sure that it was sometime late in the evening as the sun would soon be setting across Volterra. I had lain in bed all day, not even having anything to eat, which caused my stomach to snarl loudly at me on occasion.

I was overcome by an enormous sense of hopelessness. Part of me wanted to hunt Chloe down and deal with her myself, but I had decided otherwise. Besides the fact that I was not a violent person, I couldn't find the will power to drag my body from my bed.

I watched the sun cast an orange haze throughout my room, eventually darkening into a deep purple, before my room became dark. I soft knock at my door pulled me from my dazed stupor, and I turned my head to see who would venture through the door. Apparently whoever it was had been waiting for an invitation, but I was unable to find my voice, and so I waited. Finally, the door opened soundlessly, and a male silhouette slipped inside, floating over to the bed.

'You look dreadful, Lyana. Have you been in that bed all day?' Demetri voice was laced with concern as he spoke softly. I nodded, still unable to force any sound. He sat gently at the edge of the bed, observing me for a moment before he spoke again.

'Caius has requested your presence in the great hall. I suppose you'll want a little while to prepare. How long shall I tell him?' As the words left his mouth I heard a startlingly loud chuckle pierce the silence of the room, however it took a moment before I realized it was my own. Demetri stared at me for a moment, waiting for the laughter to cease. 'Have you gone mad? I know this whole ordeal with Chloe has been hard on you, but it's not the first time there's been another woman.' His red eyes continued to search my own, possibly trying to determine if my sanity was still intact.

I forced myself to sit up, I felt oddly energized now. 'I don't care what you tell him. But seeing as though my services are no longer required, I think I would rather stay right where I am.' I pulled myself out of the bed and walked over to the balcony.

I had never dreamed of defying Caius, but the betrayal on his part had seeped through to my heart. Demetri was right, there had been others, but they rarely lasted the night. I think what had bothered me the most, was that I had allowed myself to feel anything for Caius. He was a monster; ruthless, vicious and bloodthirsty, and though I knew the results would be devastating for me, I had allowed myself to feel for him. Perhaps what bothered me more was that I had allowed myself to believe that maybe - just maybe - there was some sort of genuine emotion, on his part, for me as well.

For three years I had told myself that I was expendable, replaceable even. But for some reason, all within the last little while, I had let myself believe that I had a purpose, a value.

Demetri had risen and stood barely a foot behind me. I knew he would deliver no such message; instead he waited there, as some form of silent aid. I let a quiet tear wet my cheek as I stared across the darkened city. A gentle breeze touched my skin, and I wiped the tear away, turning to face Demetri.

'Tell him I will be down within the hour.' I watch him nod at me, before walking past him to the bathroom. I wanted Demetri to tell Caius I would not come down, but I feared such a response would enrage Caius, and that was the last thing I needed. I also was afraid that by refusing to come down, Caius would come up, to me. I would have to face him regardless, and I preferred for him to be somewhat civil when it happened.

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I slipped from my room a short while later, freshly bathed, and looking more than acceptable. My hair fell in long soft waves around my exposed shoulders; my body encased in a short, strapless, navy blue satin dress, which hugged all my curves. My black Louboutins continued to penetrate the silence of the castle as they echoed off the stone floors with each step.

As I walked into the great hall, I felt somewhat relieved to see that Marcus and Aro were also present. I wasn't sure what had made me think that they would not have been, but I was startled at how relieved I felt to see them. I suppose part of me had believed that maybe Caius was going to take me out of the picture, once and for all. I approached the three brothers with my chin held high and my focus concentrated on Aro.

'Good evening, my Lord. You wished to see me.' An oddly enthusiastic smile appeared on Aro's lips as he observed me.

'I believe Caius wished to discuss various matters with you. Isn't that right, Caius?' Aro turned to look at him, while Caius' gaze threatened to burn a hole right through me.

'Yes, brother. In fact, Lyana, I would like you to follow me.' He rose from his seat, motioning for me to ascend the stairs, before he led me down the passageway behind them.

I followed him silently, before we emerged in a large, dimly lit room, which reminded me of a combination between a study and a sitting room. The room had no windows, but was lined with dark, oak bookshelves, and various statues which all appeared to be Greek in nature. In the middle of the room there were a few deep red sofas, and Caius motioned for me to sit. He however, did not, instead he paced the room slowly; his gaze, constant.

Finally, he stopped in front of me. His eyes were wild, and I noticed they were just beginning to lose their vibrant crimson hue, threatening to blacken.

'I know about the exchange that took place between you and Chloe last night.' He wanted me to address the issue, perhaps he wanted me to show how hurt I was, but I refused. If it was so easy for him to be so cruel and heartless, surely it could not be so hard for me to be as well.

'We spoke briefly, surely that isn't a problem.' I focused my gaze on a beautiful bound volume just beside his head. I feared that if I looked into his eyes for too long I would fall apart.

His eyes were searching mine, and for the briefest of moments I could swear concern washed over his face. 'I had hoped you would come to me last night.' He resumed pacing the room.

'Forgive me, my lord, but I assumed that if you had wished for my company you would have seen to it.' I gently shook my hair out, the waves tumbling around my shoulders. 'Besides, as I recall, Chloe had made it perfectly clear that you would not be needing me.' I heard a low growl escape his lips from somewhere behind me, and I knew that I had gotten back at her sufficiently, with that single comment.

'She said that?' his voice had become a bit hoarse; anger overwhelming him.

I stood, turning to face him, the sofa separating us. 'She said a lot of things, unfortunately. I see now that most of them are true.' I felt the despair begin to clutch at my stomach again, and I knew that unless I wanted him to see me cry, it would be best to excuse myself. 'If that's all, my lord, I wish to be excused.'

His eyes were hard, and I was surprised when he nodded. I turned quickly and slipped back down the passageway towards the great hall. When I emerged, Aro and Marcus had left, and only Demetri remained, waiting for me.

'I can get back to my room on my own, Demetri.' I struggled to give him a small smile, as I moved to pass him to exit the hall.

'Actually Lyana, Aro wishes to see you…in his study.' As the words left his mouth, they sounded foreign, even to him.

I felt my stomach turn, and I needed a moment of composure before I nodded. I could count on one hand the number of times I had been to Aro's study, and I knew I would need Demetri's help to find it.

I followed in silence as I was led through parts of the castle where I rarely ventured. In fact, I almost felt as though I was not welcome in these parts. The marble of the floor and walls was dark, almost black, and occasionally we passed white marble statues, beautifully showcased in delicate little out coves.

Finally, we reached a large oak door, nearly three times the size of my own. Demetri opened the door for me, closing it once I had slipped inside. I stood in a large foyer which connected three separate rooms. Unlike Caius, whose rooms were scattered in various locations around the castle, Aro had opted for one extensive suite. The room directly ahead of me stood open to my view; the study, and Aro appeared suddenly at the doorway.

'Hello, my dear, please won't you come in?' I slipped by him slowly into the study, before he motioned for me to sit at a large black, silk armchair in front of his desk. He leaned against the desk just beside me as he studied me for a moment.

'I understand that the situation with you and Caius has worsened. I know about your encounter with Chloe last night, but I do wish I could get your thoughts on the matter.' His pale hand extended towards me, and I offered him my hand without hesitation. His cold fingers wrapped gently around my own.

'I think Caius cares for you far more then you can possibly understand.'

Though he had seen all he required, he maintained his grip on my hand. I searched his vividly red eyes, trying to determine how sincere he was. I often found that Aro was hard to read, being so used to reading all those around him. He had cleverly constructed an artificial enthusiasm, which hid his truly vicious and deceptive nature.

'Then why is he bothering with her? I don't understand what I've done to be cast aside.' For some reason it was easy to let down all my defenses with Aro; they were pointless. I let myself sink back into the soft cushioning of the chair when Aro finally released my hand, almost reluctantly.

'I thought you of all people would understand that Caius is, and always has been, a predator. He enjoys the chase; the complete and utter domination of his prey. With you, every intrigue is a new, exciting chase for him, you constantly thrill him. Chloe provides a different sort of excitement for him, but I believe it to be temporary.' He held my gaze for a moment before his eyes began to wander.

I felt a shiver ripple through my body, and suddenly I felt the need to distract him. 'What do you mean?'

A grin spread across his lips, revealing just a hint of his perfect white teeth. 'I think she helps him release a little bit of his anger, if you will.' After a moment, when I was still unaware exactly what he meant, he decided he would have to clarify a little more. 'You've seen the bruises. If I recall, he hasn't lost control like that with you in quite a while.' Aro appeared suddenly, just behind my chair. He leaned around, his lips barely inches from my ear. 'Even I'm having trouble controlling myself right now, Lyana.' His breath was cool against my neck; an icy finger tracing the line of my jaw.

My heart thudded loudly in my chest, and I felt his finger forced my head to turn, to face him. His lips were so close to my own, and I felt the world stop for the briefest of moments, the sound of my own heartbeat filling my ears. His eyes flashed dangerously, as they blackened before my own. His lips were parted slightly, and I could see just the faintest glint of his teeth behind them. My body felt almost numb beneath me; paralyzed by what should have been fear. I felt his fingertips brush along my neck and down to my collarbone, ever so gently. I knew he wanted me, but I wasn't sure which he wanted more; my body, or my blood.

I heard a low hiss, which was just barely audible, escape his lips before he vanished. He reappeared on the opposite side of the desk; his lascivious eyes were slowly beginning to regain their vibrant colour. I felt another shiver touch every inch of my body as I tried not to look as terrified as I felt in that moment.

'We will speak again soon, my dear. Go now.' His smile returned, but it was betrayed by the chaos still lingering in his eyes. He led me to the door, being sure to maintain some distance from me. He opened the door for me and as I slipped through, I allowed myself to pass perilously close to him, brushing against him for the most fleeting of moments. The gesture was oddly intimate, and Aro looked neither surprised, nor offended. I mentally blamed my legs, which were still weak from the encounter. However, a small part of my mind led me to believe that perhaps I was reacting to whatever emotion it was that I had seen in his eyes.

Demetri found me quickly, and escorted me back to my room. Once I had said goodnight and closed the door behind me, I let myself think over my encounter with Aro. What had I been thinking? I had been playing with fire, in more than one way. Could it possibly be that Aro wanted me as well? I felt dizzy at the thought; I couldn't fathom another fiercely overpowering vampire to satiate.

I also thought over what Aro had said to me before I left, that we would see each other again soon. My knees felt weak again, and I had to lean against one of the posts of my canopy bed to steady myself. I wasn't sure if Aro actually expected me to sleep with him as well; perhaps Chloe had been a ploy to make Caius less possessive of me. The thought made me want to laugh, perhaps I was deluded.

As I sat leaned, lost in thought, I remembered my last conversation with Marcus, and what he had said to me, 'It was hard for him to have you be so far away for so long. That was how he chose to cope with your absence. It was Aro's idea, I'm sure that comes as no surprise to you.' It all hit me then, like being struck by lightning. I couldn't recall Aro ever having done anything that would not be beneficial, first and foremost, to himself. So perhaps I wasn't deluded; perhaps Aro had brought Chloe into the mix to keep Caius preoccupied. Though, I couldn't help but wonder why? I had been in Volterra for years, so why would Aro all of a sudden be so interested in me?

Surely if he had wanted me before, he would have acted sooner. I tried to drive the thoughts from my head. It was useless to try to understand Aro's mind, and I was fairly positive I didn't want to.

I changed and slipped into my bed. Even though I had been in it all day, it still felt so good to return to it. I was sure that the events of the day would allow me no rest.

As I recalled Aro's lips, so close to my own I felt another chill wrack my body. Aro was much different than Caius, in fact, he was probably more bloodthirsty and deceptive. Caius was brutal and angry, but once you understood what he expected from you, you had some sort of chance. I wasn't so sure with Aro; he seemed the more compassionate of the two at first, but beneath the surface he was still a cold calculated killer.

So why did the thought of him wanting me, not bother me as it should have? I assumed it was because I had no choice. If he wanted me there was nothing else I could do, except hope that Caius would be infuriated by the thought alone.

I realized I was going to have to find some good in the situation with Aro, if it was to progress. I reluctantly allowed myself to entertain the idea of what it would feel like to let down, not only the emotional walls with Aro, but the physical ones as well. But I found it only made me ache for him even more. I wanted Caius. It had taken me three years to finally understand him; to know how to please him. I had often questioned my own sanity, but I enjoyed it, being with him, letting him in.

I finally drifted off to sleep, but it was melancholy, and I knew it would be uninterrupted. I knew that Caius would not come to me after our discussion earlier; he was probably with her already. And I knew Aro would not come to me at all. Rather, he would make me come to him. I felt another chill run through me; it would be like starting all over again.

I remembered the fear I had felt the first time Caius had summoned me to his chambers; it had been overwhelming. But the ecstasy that fear had brought had been exquisite; but I drove the visions of that night from my mind. I couldn't bear to think of that night right now, it would only make the pain worse; the pain of what had already happened, and the pain I felt knowing what would come next.

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