"I would not mind some shopping in Nice, and perhaps Anna would enjoy seeing Majorca. Oh, and we must visit Valencia! You will love the Cathedral and the Silk Exchange! I hear the human food is also quite good," Dora told Anna later that evening when the family had congregated in Sulpicia's sitting room, discussing whether they should stay in Italy or vacate to another residence to avoid the inconvenience of the repairs.
"I've never been to Spain but it sounds lovely," Anna responded shyly. "I'm quite happy to do whatever everyone else decides, though."
Marcus purred and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close to his side. "It will be easier to keep you protected if you are kept close to our family and the guard, and it will be more comfortable aboard the ship than the castle will be during the construction. I support this decision, or we may retire to the Tunis residence if that is preferred."
Sulpicia wrinkled her nose, "It is too dusty and I do not enjoy the flavour of their bl-"
She stopped her sentence abruptly as she realized what she had said, but Anna had already caught it. She suppressed a shiver and tried to pretend like she hadn't understood Sulpicia's meaning.
Changing the subject quickly, she raised a brow playfully at Marcus and teased, "You call me the traitor for reading the episode of Perseus in the Metamorphoses, and yet you have a Carthaginian residence?"
Marcus had been glaring at Sulpicia, however he snapped out of it and immediately responded to her slightly forced gaiety, "It was a very important city in the early Roman Empire. Of course we kept a residence there."
"Yes, yes, we know. You're both very funny," interrupted Dora. "I agree with Sulpicia, I would greatly prefer to stick to the Northern coast."
"I will concede on this decision as well," Caius said disinterestedly. "Although with current wars going on in that area, it may be easier-"
"That is not an appropriate topic of conversation," Marcus snarled.
"The Northern coast, then," Caius said, ignoring his brother's tone and sounding incredibly bored of the topic.
"It is settled then!" Aro clapped his hands together with joy. "I shall send some of the guard immediately to begin preparing her for a voyage! I hope you all will be ready in two days or I shall leave you with the lower guard doing the repairs and my mate will hold you personally responsible for ensuring the great hall is reconstructed to her liking."
Over the next two days, Dora and Sulpicia seemed much more interested in building her a vacation wardrobe, rather than worrying over their own packing. They were currently arguing over the proper temperature where Anna could be comfortable without a sweater and whether they should pack a baby soft heather grey Merino wool cardigan or a thick knitted charcoal grey one with cabling down the back of it. It didn't seem to occur to either of them to ask Anna her opinion on the matter, but rather than offending her, she found the whole spectacle quite amusing.
If she got cold, she'd just take Marcus' jacket, as he was always wearing one with his formal fitted suits… she might do that anyways, just because she loved how he looked when he dressed more casually. And, she admitted with embarrassment, she loved the smell of him and how right it felt to wear something that was his, as if she was advertising that she was his mate. It made the bond settle sweetly in her chest, as if she had satisfied its demands by reminding everyone else of who she belonged to.
She hoped one of them had packed for him as well, as she was sure they would omit the regal billowing robes. They may even get him into some genuinely casual dress! She shivered at the thought of him in that t-shirt at Christmas and imagined him in one, glowing in the sun on the deck of a boat. With a flash of disappointment, she knew it would not be that casual, though. Anna saw that even in their approximation, vacation casual didn't constitute shorts and t-shirts. The bed was filled with lovely wrap dresses and sundresses, wide legged trousers in bold prints, and linen shirts.
She looked down at her watch. Marcus had said they were leaving just before noon and it was 11:15 now… well, at least she wouldn't have to listen to the debate over normal human body temperature fluctuations much longer. She was worried that if they didn't start actually putting the clothes in a bag she would end up going with only the selection of bikinis she had lost the argument for that were already packed away neatly in the set of Louis Vuitton luggage on the floor.
Thankfully she had convinced Sulpicia to include at least one one-piece bathing suit in the packing – however even that one was still cut too high in the back for her comfort. Anna was adamant she was not going to remove the cover up from over it if she had any say in it, no matter how much the sisters cajoled her. She had no interest in anyone but Marcus having such a view of her backside.
Wanting to hurry up the proceedings, she looked to the beautiful bickering immortals, "So should I start packing the things on the bed or-"
"You will sit," Dora commanded, pointing at her to stay in the chair before the fire as if she were a naughty child. "We will pack them and you will read your book like Marcus told you to do."
Anna huffed. Before he left less than an hour before to meet with some minister of something, her mate had instructed her to relax and most of all to not worry, as he knew was often her custom when there was change in their routine. She was already on edge enough because of the strange vampires flitting in and out of the family wing while they measured and analyzed the damage, and from Marcus' conspicuous absence.
He finally returned a few minutes later and raised a brow at the empty suitcases. He gave the sisters a pointed look, reminding them of their time constraints, before joining Anna on her chair and settling her in his lap. "Are you ready to depart, beloved?"
"I don't know, you should ask them. Apparently I've been put on a time-out."
He chuckled and nuzzled her neck, making her nervously look over at Dora and Sulpicia to make sure they were adequately distracted and wouldn't notice the small display of public affection.
"You should use the washroom and change into comfortable clothing for the journey," he told her.
"Are we traveling far?"
"It is a few hours' drive to the port we are going to."
She grumbled but got off his lap and ventured toward the bathroom. He gave her bottom a small swat as she went, which stopped her in her tracks as she looked back at him incredulously. He only raised one perfect brow and nodded towards the bathroom again. She huffed and closed the door, grumbling about presumptuous mates.
Marcus and Anna were sitting in the back of another black Land Rover, with Anna sitting securely in his lap and his arms wrapped around her. Sulpicia was seated beside them, poking through what looked like an engineering textbook and grumbling every few minutes before sending a text message to someone. It took Anna a few minutes to realize she was likely trying to micromanage the castle's repairs from their vacation. Aro was in the front seat speaking in smooth, rapid Italian to someone on the phone while Demetri was driving.
They were practically in their own convoy, with multiple sleek black SUVs in front of them and behind them carrying their luggage and the contingent of the guard that was accompanying them. After a few hours of driving, however, the novelty and excitement had worn off and Anna had grown incredibly bored. Sulpicia was still reading the textbook and had brought a notebook where she was making massive, complex calculations and Aro had not gotten off the phone once on the entire drive. Marcus seemed content to merely hold her and stare ahead, apparently lost in his own thoughts.
She watched his face as she twisted herself around to root around in his pocket. His eyes turned to her inquisitively until she found his phone and brought it out, silently asking his permission. He nodded slightly, clutching her tighter before staring off into space again.
She knew she had her own phone, however it had been packed away in one of the bags somewhere along with her computer, and she preferred using his anyways. She didn't know why, but it felt right to share things with him and she had decided to stop arguing with what the bond demanded.
She opened the internet application and began browsing the news, losing herself in the happenings of the outside world. She had been so isolated for the past year, it was relieving to be aware of what was going on around her. She felt a wave of warmth for Marcus, feeling incredibly grateful that he had found and saved her and given her this beautiful life. She snuggled closer to him and relaxed further into his embrace.
The first thing that caught her eye was a story about a small town in Serbia that had been destroyed in a fire with no survivors. She frowned slightly, and it only deepened as she read through the article. There were many speculations of who may have been responsible for this, considering the country's recent civil war, but none of them had claimed it and so far, there were no leads. She felt a wave of sadness go through her at the senseless violence of it all.
Bombing hospitals full of sick people, massacring entire villages… where did it stop? She knew Marcus fed off people, but their family seemed so civilized, so compassionate. It was the humans that seemed to be committing these atrocities. Besides, how could she blame her mate for doing what he must to survive? She did not know that she could ever feed off humans, but she didn't know how strong her will to live may be either, or what she may do if she or her mate were threatened. She shut off the phone and put it back into Marcus' pocket, wrapping her arms around him tightly and banishing the conflicting thoughts.
After another half hour, the highway opened up to a great expanse of the Mediterranean on her left side and Anna suddenly sat up straight, releasing Marcus and staring at the sight in awe. She had been to the ocean once before when she was a child, but she couldn't remember it looking anything like this. That beach had been grey and gravelly and the water had been dark, cold, and rough.
The water here was tranquil and a beautiful clear blue. It had also become warmer as they had left the mountain the castle was built on and traveled further south. There was no snow here and Anna didn't think she would even need the heavy winter jacket outside. It was overcast, which she knew was good because it meant the vampires could go outside without attracting attention, but she suddenly longed to feel the warmth of the sun on her skin.
She felt her excitement growing again and she was reminded of a time when she had first met Marcus and she had felt horrified at the idea of going outside into the world. Now she felt only excitement for the places her mate would bring her. He squeezed her waist gently and she looked to his face to see him smiling warmly at her, apparently pleased by her reaction.
When they finally reached the marina where Iphigenia's Sacrifice was moored, Anna was barely restraining herself from bouncing on Marcus' lap in excitement. There were a few docks with reasonably sized sailboats and motorboats docked at them, but something further out at sea caught her eye. What appeared to be a small cruise ship was anchored offshore.
"Aro does not do anything by halves," Marcus said dryly as he noticed what had drawn her attention. "He could not merely have a small keep, he needed a fortress. Likewise, he could not have built Sulpicia a modest sailboat, he needed to build the largest privately owned watercraft in the world."
Anna stared at it in shock. The ship had to be at least 400 feet long, all sleek white lines with four storeys that she could see. There were multiple decks on it as well, and she thought she saw the glistening water of a swimming pool on one of them.
"It is the second largest now," Aro said, coming up behind them and sounding thoroughly disgruntled. "Some Arab sheikh built a larger one last year."
Sulpicia soothed him with a hand on his arm, "But his boat does not have its own submarine, my love."
Anna blinked a few times in shock. She was distracted from her contemplation of why on earth they would need a submarine by Dora and Caius emerging from a sleek black convertible that had just screeched to a halt, apparently bickering about something in Latin. Finally, Dora huffed in exasperation and stormed away, pointedly ignoring him as she joined the rest of the family.
"I hope your drive was better than mine," she complained. "He put the top down because he wanted to enjoy the air! Look at the state of my hair!"
It was perhaps slightly more voluminous than usual, but Anna did not see anything terribly wrong with it. She didn't say anything, but Sulpicia clucked sympathetically.
"We are going on a boat, your hair is going to be ruined anyways," the blonde male snarled from behind them.
Dora let out a threatening growl at him that sent a shiver down Anna's spine and stalked away again, moving to stand closer to the water where a few of the guard were preparing a large motorboat to taxi them to the yacht.
One of the robed figures gracefully jumped onto the dock and bowed her head respectfully before the Volturi. "The boat is ready to depart now."
"Very good," Aro said cheerily, completely ignoring his two sullen siblings as he climbed on board and helped Sulpicia with a guiding hand. Marcus looked at Anna, seeming to be measuring her up, and then carefully picked her up and cradled her against his body as he simultaneously gracefully leaped onto the vessel.
She squeaked in surprise and clutched him as she felt the wind rushing around her and the jolt as he smoothly landed on the deck. "I could have gotten on myself!"
He brought her to a small seated area under a canvas and settled in a seat with her still in his lap. He began running a hand soothingly across her back, "Beloved, your balance is not ideal even when we are on land. I do not wish to start this vacation by fishing you out of the water."
Anna wanted to grumble more but she had to admit that he did have a point so she settled into his embrace. She could see Dora and Caius arguing again from the shore. Caius seemed to lose his temper as he hoisted her up unceremoniously, tossed her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, and jumped on the boat, landing with a heavy thump that didn't look nearly as graceful as Marcus' had.
"Let's go," he said, ignoring Dora's screaming, which seemed to reach a decibel at the rough manhandling.
Marcus sighed and rolled his eyes as if this was normal behaviour for them and Anna looked at him with slight concern. "They do this every trip. They will be better tomorrow, do not worry," he assured her.
Anna looked back at the screeching Dora, still held securely over her mate's shoulder. Aro and Sulpicia seemed to be ignoring them as well, although Anna saw a few heads turn from the shore.
She was distracted from the spectacle when Demetri started the boat and backed it out of the dock, and then they were speeding towards the massive yacht in the distance.
As they grew closer, Anna realized that "massive" didn't even cover it. It was monstrous. She could see people bustling about on the decks and preparing them for departure as Demetri maneuvered the motorboat to the stern and docked it at the yacht's own boat launch. With Marcus still carrying her, they disembarked and she looked in awe as he carried her up a flight of stairs and onto a massive pool deck. It seemed outrageously extravagant to Anna, considering they were literally surrounded by the beautiful blue water of the Mediterranean.
She saw Caius carrying Dora up a flight of stairs and into a large cabin with double doors that overlooked the pool before slamming the door. She heard snarling and thrashing, the sound of glass breaking, and then what sounded like two boulders knocking together. There was more growling and angry voices and then a rhythmic grinding sound.
"You don't want to know, piccola," Marcus told her as he saw her confusion and concern. He had a slightly mischievous look on his face as he led her away and her own face began to heat up as it dawned on her what Dora and Caius' argument had culminated in.
"It is their conflict resolution," he explained as he led her through another set of double doors that led directly from the pool deck into a beautiful sitting room, which blessedly blocked out the noises coming from Dora and Caius' cabin. It had a large screen TV on one wall, bordered by large bay windows, and an entire wall of windows on the opposite side with a beautiful view of the ocean. There were large white couches with a selection of throw pillows in teal and coral surrounding the TV and there was another hallway opposite the door they had just entered.
"Are you hungry, beloved? Shall I have your dinner sent for? Or would you prefer I show you our room so you may rest first?" His thoughtful consideration shocked her out of her awe.
"Maybe I can rest a bit before dinner?" She was certainly feeling weary and sore from the car ride, not to mention her mortification at the knowledge of what Dora and Caius were doing.
"Of course," he said as he looked behind him and nodded to one of the guard before leading her down the hallway. There was a small step up onto it and he led her through the spacious hall lined with a few doors before he reached a grand staircase.
"Our room is to the right. The left staircase leads up to Aro and Sulpicia's suite. They have the penthouse floor," he explained as he ushered her up the shiny dark wood stairs, which had a teal carpet running down its centre. When they reached their landing, Marcus opened an opulent set of matching dark doors, leaving her speechless once more.
Three of their suite's walls were windows which were jutting out from the bow of the ship and making Anna feel as if she were soaring over the water. There was a set of doors leading to a large balcony where she could see a small table and lounging chairs set out.
To the right of the door they had just entered sat a massive bed and another set of massive, dark wood double doors on the other side of it, which Anna assumed led to the bathroom. A small sitting area was overlooking the view of the windows and she could easily imagine herself lounging on them with Marcus and watching the sunset.
"It's beautiful," she murmured, overwhelmed by the grandeur of it all.
"I'm sure they will be glad you think so, my darling," Marcus said dotingly, leading her to the luxurious bed which was covered by a softly shiny white duvet, reminding Anna of the way the sun looked glinting over water.
"Rest now, I will fetch your dinner when it is ready."
She climbed on the mattress and practically sank into it, moaning in delight. "I never want to leave this place."
He chuckled softly and, to her delight, shrugged out of his shirt before crawling into the bed behind her. "Wait until you see the palace in Portugal before making such decisions."
"After seeing how Caius and Dora christen their vacations, I'm not so sure I want to."
She felt his laughter more than she heard it and he turned her on her side so he could spoon behind her. "Rest, beloved. Your dinner will be ready soon."
She obeyed, easily finding a peaceful doze.
Anna awoke in their large cabin the next morning to the gentle rocking of the boat and Marcus' erection pressed against her. He nuzzled her hair gently, letting her know he knew she was awake, and she felt him press a kiss to the top of her head. She luxuriated in the moment, trying and failing to remember a time when she was ever this happy.
While she had slept, they had started the engines and pulled away from shore so there was nothing before her but the beautiful blue horizon, which she could see easily from the bed. Between that, and Marcus' arms around her, and the promise of pleasure from him rocking against her, Anna knew it didn't get much better than this.
His hand came up to cup her breast and tease the nipple through the thin fabric of her shirt, causing her to whimper at the feeling. She ground her ass into his erection, eliciting a growl from him.
When she was fully awake, she turned around in his arms to face him, throwing one leg over his hip as she did so to press her pelvis against his and seek the friction of him against her warming centre.
"Good morning," she whispered bashfully and smiled. She was still slightly shy about what they were doing, but her nervousness was quickly overcome by her arousal from feeling the state he was in.
He leaned down to kiss her as he bucked his erection between her legs, purring as he anticipated the pleasures to come. He knew he would need to be careful still, to ensure he did not hurt her as much as their first time… he would be as gentle as she needed, as long as she permitted him within her silky, wet warmth that was smelling so delectable as her desire grew.
Her hair was coming out of the braid she had placed it in to sleep and he loved the sight of the softly curling strands framing her sleepy, flushed face. Her cheeks were pink and rosy from her arousal and her eyes still had a hazy quality to them from her slumber. He could see her love for him in those eyes and it made him want to bury himself inside her even more, to show her the extent of his love in response.
He flipped her on her back and pressed himself harder against her centre, purring as he did so. She practically convulsed around him, clutching his neck like a lifeline and a strangled moan escaped her lips. The vibration of the purr went straight from his cock against her clit and intensity of the pleasure it produced felt as if she was shocked by a volt of electricity.
"Oh my god Marcus," she moaned. "Please don't stop."
She hooked her legs around his hips and used the leverage to press her centre harder against him, seeking out more of the stimulation that was swiftly driving her to an unexpectedly close climax. He purred even harder when he understood what had driven her so mad with ecstasy, offering her more of the stimulation. He attacked her neck, sucking at the pulse point and lightly grazing her teeth over her sensitized flesh.
His hand reached under her shirt to pluck at her hardened, straining nipples and that was all it took to send her careening into her release. The first contraction that ripped through her left her shuddering with the intensity before more followed, seizing her in a vice grip until she could only gasp and squeeze her eyes shut as she rode out the crashing waves.
She whimpered when it went on longer than usual and tried to scoot her hips back to avoid the overpowering stimulation that had not yet peaked. Marcus, staring at her hungrily with black eyes, pressed his erection against her retreating form, not granting her the reprieve she sought and forcing her to accept the pleasure that was beginning to border on pain. She felt the second orgasm building from the first as everything in her tightened even further and her eyes flicked open with fear at the intensity.
"Marcus," she gasped. "Please!"
She was babbling, unsure of what she was even saying, and felt as if she was going mad from the feeling of the second release that was growing within her. He began to rock his hips, dragging his cock over the entire length of her sex, offering the extra stimulation she needed to push her over the edge. The second orgasm shuddered through her, feeling more of an electric current that rushed through her body rather than the desperate gripping of her sex that usually occurred during her release. Sometime later when it had finally weakened in its intensity, Marcus took mercy on her and relinquished her, allowing her to catch her breath and still her trembling body.
He rolled onto his back, pulling her with him so she was collapsed bonelessly on his chest. After a minute, she recovered enough to strain her neck to seek a kiss, which he granted to her still slightly parted and swollen lips. It was sweet and loving and she pressed herself harder against his stone-hard lips, slightly warmed from her own heat.
When they broke apart he used his hands to guide her hips over the erection still straining in his pants, reminding her of the pleasures still yet to come. She closed her eyes in delight as she felt the head of him nudge her entrance through the drenched fabric of her panties.
She sat up straight to tear her shirt off and watched him do the same, not bothering to unbutton it but merely ripping it from his body and throwing the shreds of it aside. She stared hungrily at his chest and ran her hands down the hard perfection of him before reaching his waistband.
She fumbled with the fastening of his pants and he gently brushed her hands aside, doing it for her and quickly divesting himself of the garment. Now there was only the thin fabric of her panties separating them and she trembled with anticipation. She felt him pulsing against her, nudging her and driving her mad with longing to feel the hardness of him pressing into her once more, making her feel as if she would burst from the fullness of it.
Suddenly, there was a thump above them as if someone had dropped something on the floor and she froze, staring up at the ceiling and then back down at her black-eyed mate, who looked aroused beyond sense.
"Ignore it," he commanded. But she was already growing anxious.
"Can they hear us?" Her whisper was frantic and useless. Of course they could hear them. They were all vampires with superhuman senses and, while this boat was very large and well-made, it didn't have nearly enough soundproofing to muffle what they were doing.
"Pay it no mind, beloved," he said and rolled his erection against her centre again. He groaned when he realized it made no difference. She had been torn out of the frenzy of arousal and there was no getting her back now. She scrambled off him and he sighed in resignation. So much for that delightful start to the morning.
She was mortified. Let alone the rest of the family, the guard had likely heard!
"I can never look at any of them in the eye ever again," she groaned.
He sighed and rolled on his side to look at her. She was staring up at the ceiling, a stricken look on her face and he reached out a hand to gently stroke down one arm. "Your feelings toward sexuality are influenced by the culture in which you were born, your young age, and your relative inexperience. For my family, there is no such shame and you are only harming yourself with these feelings."
Her eyes flicked to the side to look at him and then back at the ceiling, blushing still. "I don't like the thought of anyone seeing or hearing me like… that… except you," she whispered, unable to look at him with her admission.
"While that inclination pleases me immeasurably, because I am a very possessive man and I do not wish to share you with anyone, I would prefer if it did not impede on my ability to be inside you when you are so clearly aching for it."
Her blush deepened at his coarse words, and yet she felt the tendrils of arousal building again. "Marcus!" She scolded him, trying to keep her voice harsh but unable to stop the giggling that bubbled out of her.
He grinned at her predatorily, inhaling the sweet scent again. He snatched her suddenly, clutching her to him and making her giggle and squeak in surprise.
"Marcus stop!" She screamed as he started tickling her, squeezing her waist and reaching to lightly brush his fingers behind her knee. She tried to squirm out of his grasp, giggling hysterically and trying unsuccessfully to shove his hands away.
"Stop! Please! I have to pee," she cried out frantically.
His purring stuttered slightly as he laughed before he gave her waist one last squeeze and released her. He had achieved his goal, at least, and shocked her out of her brooding mood and brought a smile to her face.
"That was mean," she panted and looked over her shoulder at him before huffing and hauling herself out of the bed toward the bathroom. She grabbed his shirt from where he had draped it over the chair the evening before and swiftly pulled it over her head to satisfy her modesty. When she emerged, he was still sprawled across the massive bed, totally naked and still partially erect.
She averted her eyes and blushed heavily. He purred.
"Do you see something you like, beloved," he teased.
She huffed, flustered by his behavior and his nudity and averted her eyes.
"We will be aboard for many weeks…eventually you will succumb," he promised, purring, and she knew she wasn't imagining a hint of a threat to it. His predatory nature sent a bolt of pleasure straight to her centre, making her even more flustered. He wasn't going to play fair and they both knew it. She shivered in anticipation.
AN: Sooo does anyone else have a sudden need for a Marcus-sized vibrator? Sorry this chapter wasn't super plot-y but it just wouldn't leave my head until I'd written it down.
On a more serious note, as you all may have noticed from the gratuitous history references in this fic, I'm a history major – specifically Classical Civilization (and more specifically, early Imperial Rome). I know I put a lot of random details/words/references in here that people who aren't history majors might not get and I was wondering whether you all would be interested in some sort of glossary at the end of each chapter?
For example, I named the yacht Iphigenia's Sacrifice because Iphigenia was the daughter of Agamemnon in the Trojan War cycle. She was sacrificed to Artemis so the Greeks could set sail to Troy to go to war and that seemed like a great name for a boat in my nerdy little brain, haha.
And Carthage is a city located in present-day Tunisia, which was a classic enemy of Rome in the Republican period and later became an important city in the Empire after Rome had conquered/colonized it. Hannibal, the guy with the elephants, was Carthaginian.
Anyways, leave a review to let me know if you would be interested or find that helpful! And I hope you all have a great long weekend!