Peyton's POV
"Hurry up, Peyton!" Valerie bangs on my door. "We were supposed to leave at eight, which we can't do if you don't hurry your lazy ass up!"
"Hold on, Val." I laugh, quickly finishing my eyeliner. I take one last glance at my outfit in the full mirror.
A pair of ripped blue jean shorts showed my pale legs, ending a bit higher than my mid-thigh. An oversized dark gray shirt, tied up above my belly button, was paired with a pair of black sandals, a red hoodie around my waist, and, of course, my locket. My hair had been braided into a side fishtail with a few strands dangling in my eyes. I had kept my makeup simple, but I had on eyeliner, mascara, and a light lip gloss. I quickly throw my small bookbag over my shoulder.
I push open the door, nearly knocking Valerie over. She was dressed similar to me, except she had on a white shirt, which brightened her scarlet hair that was in loose curls at her shoulders, and a patterned red and gold skirt.
"Sorry." I chuckle, quickly nudging her with my shoulder. She rolls her gold eyes, her manicured nails pushing aside a hair in her face.
"Yada yada ya." She sticks her tongue out.
"Ouch." I say with a smile.
"Shana, honey, are you ready?" Valerie calls sweetly towards her room. I playfully push her.
"Oh, so mean to me, but a complete angel to your girl." I joke. Valerie sticks her tongue out.
"Oh, I am not an angel. I prefer the term demon in disguise." Valerie winks. The second the door to her room opens, her attention is on Shana.
Shana, after much persuasion, was wearing black shorts that came down to her mid-thigh. She wore a white Fallout Boy shirt, along with black sandals. Her dark hair was twisted into a low bun and her tan skin had a noticeable glow.
"How do I look?" She asks carefully, doing a quick twirl. Valerie is behind her in a second, kissing her neck lovingly.
"Beautiful, as always." Valerie murmurs, stepping back to admire her mate.
"Are we all ready?" Jane asks, poking her head into our hall. I see her pale brown hair was twisted into a crown braid.
"Hold on. Patrick, come on!" I take over Valerie's role, banging on his door. "We were supposed to leave at eight, which we can't do if you don't hurry your lazy ass up!"
"Copycat." Valerie accuses, pointing her finger at me. I simply flip her off before going back to banging on my brother's door.
"Good god, Peyton. I'm ready, I'm ready." He complains, poking his head out his door.
"Come on!" I giggle, grabbing his hand. I've got him pulled out into the hallway in a second.
"I'm resisting the urge to make you cover up." Patrick grinds his teeth. I let out a laugh.
"Brother, it's not 1863 anymore." I joke. "I'm glad to see you at least understand that."
Patrick had his hair rumpled messily, with a dark blue tank top, black jeans, and boots. Sunglasses were perched on his head, along with a pair of contacts in his hand.
"What color did you go for?" I ask, staring pointedly into his ruby red eyes. He groans.
"Dark brown, for your information. It takes longer for them to dissolve and it's less noticeable when they do begin to wear off." He explains. I bop his nose.
"Jane told me earlier this morning she and Alec were wearing green. Guess we can't do the whole family thing." I smile, teasingly poking him.
"Green does go well with my dress." I turn to see Jane. She was wearing an oversized olive green T-Shirt as a dress with a brown belt looped around her waist. She wore a pair of brown sandals and her green contacts were already in. To top it off, she had a pair of glasses and a messenger bag to accompany the look.
Alec was right beside her, his arms crossed. He wore an olive green T-Shirt and dark wash jeans. He didn't look too happy about having to wear contacts, but he had agreed to go out with us.
"You both look lovely." I compliment warmly. Jane and Alec let out a rare smile.
"Well, come on." Valerie waves, her arm wrapped around Shana's waist. The two start to speed away, leaving the twins and my brother.
"Okay then." I murmur, following. I end up beside my brother as we dash down to the castle's garage.
"You ready for some good ol' brother sister bonding time?" I ask, my Southern accent very pronounced. Patrick snorts.
"Haven't heard that in a while." He responds, his own accent easily slipping out. His voice was always deep, but it sounded so much deeper now.
"I know." I reply, falling silent. This was the first time since 1863 that we had the time to just slow down and spend time together. Between Cole, our duties in the coven, and training Shana before all of that, we'd never really been able to just walk side by side for something simple.
"Santiago's leaving. Did you know that?" Patrick starts, pushing open the last door until we reached the garage.
"Yeah, I saw him yesterday and talked to him a bit about it." I tell him. "Michael, one of the Lower Guard members, is supposed to replace him."
"I'll have to properly introduce myself soon. Aro was talking to me about having a partner, such as Felix and Demetri's collaboration on missions. Maybe Michael will be my fit." My brother smiles.
"Maybe." I murmur, my mind racing to the future. It wouldn't be Michael that he would be adventuring with.
"Which car?" Valerie calls as we enter the garage, splayed out on a sleek red Porsche. Shana was in the corner, shaking her head at her extravagant mate.
"We've got six, so we can go to together in a van or split up." Shana suggests. I turn to see Jane and Alec enter the garage.
"So, what do y'all want to do?" I ask, shrugging my bag off my shoulders.
"Two cars." Jane answers, her twin nodding in agreement. I smile.
"I call this car with Shana!" Valerie pronounces, stroking the red Porsche lovingly.
"I swear, she purrs more over cars than anything." Shana giggles. "She's worse than a cat who always wants to be loved on." Jane cracks a smile.
"So, I'm assuming you two will want your own car." I state, turning to Alec and Jane.
"Actually, if you'd allow us, we'd love to join you and Patrick, Peyton." Alec requests.
"Of course that's okay." Patrick speaks for me. "I'd love to get to know you two better."
"What are we waiting for, then? Let's fucking go!" Valerie cheers, jumping into her car. Shana follows.
"We'll see you there." Shana waves goodbye before joining Valerie.
"I call shotgun!" I cheer, dashing to a slick black Audi. I slide in, giving them a thumbs up through the tinted windows.
"She's a handful." Patrick sighs, shaking his head. I flip him off, smiling wider at the twin's amusement.
Soon, we're out of Volterra and riding through the rolling countryside. Patrick ended up driving, with the twins in the back. Valerie was in front of us, breaking the speed limit by at least thirty miles per hour.
"Aro said we didn't have to be back until early tomorrow at the latest. I was thinking we could see a movie later tonight and go out to a few clubs." I suggest, smiling.
"He gave us until tomorrow? How'd you manage that?" Jane asks in shock.
"I can be pretty persuasive." I chuckle.
"Oh?" Alec murmurs, a small smile on his face. "I didn't realize.
"Shut up." I giggle.
The car falls into silence. I turn to watch the passing countryside, marveling at how much greener the grass seemed. In Forks, everything had a droopy aura, but here, everything stood tall and healthy. Guess I could relate, in a way.
"Hey, Peyton?" Patrick's voice cuts through my thoughts. I turn to him, humming.
"Is it okay if I ask you all about the army?" He asks hesitantly. I smile, preparing to tell my tale.
"Well, you already know the human part of mine. The second I reached the camp…"
-o-
"So, I vote we go out clubbing and maybe have a small snack later." Valerie smirks, crossing her legs. We had already been shopping for a good four hours and Valerie had more bags than all of us combined. We'd already taken a trip back to the cars to put the rest of her bags up.
"Valerie, it is two o'clock." I chuckle. "We have another eight hours before a night club even opens. And then, we have a two hour drive back home."
"Ugh. I vote we find one in Volterra then." Shana groans happily. "Then I can relax at the castle while you all go out and do whatever you do."
"Oh no, angel. I fully intend on taking you to that club and showing you off." Valerie retorts, taking her mate's hand quickly. I let out a chuckle, though my heart twists as I think about the talk I would have to have with Demetri.
"Come on Val." Shana pleads, batting her eyes at my scarlet haired friend. Valerie's eyes become dazed.
"One time, and after that, never again." Valerie compromises, holding up an index finger.
"Fine, once, and one time only." Shana agrees.
"How's that sound Pat, Jane, and Alec? A night out would be fun." I turn to the others, smiling.
"I think we're out." Alec states. "Jane and I would prefer to not associate with the humans."
"Completely understandable. Pat?" I turn to my brother.
"I'll go." Patrick murmurs, a small smile playing on his lips.
"Yeah!" Valerie pumps her fist up. "If you want, I'll rent us a lounge so you want feel as overwhelmed? Does that sound good, Shana?"
"I'd prefer that." Shana smiles thankfully at Valerie. "Thank you sweetheart."
"Hey, can we go to that shop just down the plaza? La Pelle, I think it is." Jane asks. "I'd love a new dress."
"Well, let's start moving." Alec lets a small smile spread across his face.
"Agreed." Patrick adds, pushing himself up from the table. "Alec, I think I saw a shop that wasn't for dresses back beside La Pelle."
-o-
"Why is clubbing so complicated and revealing?" Shana frowns, attempting to pull her strapless dress up a bit more. Her dark hair cascaded down her back, going good with her golden dress that came just mid-thigh. Valerie had paired it with a pair of black heels and a big gold necklace.
"That's the way it is." I chuckle, fixing my own hair in the mirror. I had opted for leaving my hair down and straight. It fell past my shoulders to my jumper, which was black and sleeveless.
"So, I've got the lounge booked." Valerie comes into my room, braiding her scarlet hair into a crown braid. Already, she was in her sleek red skirt and see-through shirt.
We had been back at Volterra for an hour and thirty minutes now. Patrick had gone off on his own to get ready, while Shana, Valerie, and I hung out in my room. I had yet to move into Demetri's room due to the recent chaos, but most of my stuff was piled on my bed and ready to move.
"Peyton, can you tuck this in?" Valerie motions to a stray red strand that was hanging in her face. I nod, quickly fixing it. Valerie turns, her eyes landing on Shana.
"You look beautiful, angel." Valerie whispers. Shana smiles shyly, her grip on her black clutch tightening.
"Thank you." Shana replies quietly, lowering her gaze to the floor. She was still very shy, but many vampires enjoyed her company. It had been a while since a gentle vampire joined the Volturi.
"Well, let's go!" Valerie cheers, shaking herself out of her dazed state.
"Sounds good." Patrick pushes open the door, smiling.
Soon, we're all at a popular vampire nightclub, Notte, in Volterra. Though it was ran by humans, many vampires when passing through Italy would visit. Heidi owned a share in the club and had installed a few vampiric elements.
"Peyton, let's find some drinks!" Valerie calls over the loud music, beckoning towards me. She grabs Shana's hand as they maneuver through the crowd.
"Hey, Peyton?" Patrick swings me to face him. I could see in his eyes something was wrong.
"Pat? Are you alright?" I ask, touching his shoulder lightly.
"It's just a lot of people." He forces a smile.
"Go get some blood. They serve it here." I beckon him towards the bar, where Valerie and Shana were already sipping animal blood.
"It's-"
"It's all the people, I know. You'll feel better when you have some food in you. There's the whole lounge Valerie rented too if you need to get away." I tell him. "I'm sorry, I should have stayed at the castle with you."
"It's fine, Peyt. I'll be okay. Just go have fun and do your thing." Patrick forces a smile. I grab his hand, starting towards the lounge.
"Oh no you don't, big brother. Sit down while I get us some drinks." I push him into the private lounge, closing the door behind me. I wave to Valerie, who was swaying her hips to the loud music. She nods as I point to the lounge, and pulls Shana close to her.
It doesn't take long to get some animal blood and O-Negative. I did get a couple of weird looks, mainly because of the animal blood, but I'm back to Patrick in two minutes.
"Here you go." I hand him the cup of blood. He downs it in one gulp before putting it back on the table.
"So, what food do you miss the most?" Patrick begins, putting his head in his hands. I let out a laugh.
"That's random." I giggle. "But I'd have to say peaches or strawberries. What about you?"
"Cornbread and hush puppies." Patrick groans. "God, I miss eating."
"Me too." I chuckle, taking a sip of my animal blood.
"Can I tell you something?" Patrick's voice lowers, his eyes avoiding mine. My jolly mood disintegrates.
"Of course." I tell him.
"Promise you won't be mad." He adds.
"I promise. Pat, you're starting to worry me." I murmur.
"Peyton, I want to travel. I want to leave Italy." Patrick finally states, avoiding my gaze. My eyes widen as a beat of silence passes between us.
"Travel?" I repeat, the animal blood I was sipping on leaving a bad taste in my mouth.
"Don't take this the wrong way." He pleads. "I want to stay with you, of course, but Peyt, I've never had the chance. Sure, I go out on missions, but that's my job. Cole never let me off my leash long enough to see the world." He finally turns to look me in the eyes.
"After the battle with Cole, I realized how much I've missed since 1864. I realized how much I haven't got to experience."
"You've always had a wild streak underneath that shyness around other people. You took me out in the woods that day forever ago. I couldn't have been more than eight." I reminisce. I start to swirl the blood around my glass, staining the smooth sides with a red sheen. "You always loved exploring."
"Peyton?" Patrick mutters, his hand reaching out to stop my movement.
"Go for it." I quietly tell him. "Explore what the world has to offer. Find some new animal in some forest. Take in the atmosphere of the sunny Bahamas or the peaceful Rocky Mountains. Maybe you'll even find your mate. I don't want you to miss out on this decade's fun because of me. Just promise me one thing." I smile softly.
"Anything." Patrick breathes, biting his lip.
"Come back and visit. Oh, and stay out of Cancun for a year. There's a local there who's obsessed with the supernatural and will be suspicious of you." I state, my mind conjuring up his future.
"I will. Thank you, sister." Patrick sighs, relaxing his stance.
"When would you leave?" I ask, tapping my fingers into the song playing in the other room. If I focused enough, I could feel the vibrations rattling through the room.
"I'd like to leave in a month or two, but that is the Ancients' decision. Maybe I'll go to Virginia and see the hometown. Dad's shop is still there, but it's abandoned and needs some work." Patrick reveals.
"I haven't been back there in a long time." I murmur, remembering the days of my father showing me how to run a business. I'd always sit up on the counter as he went through his book of profits. Some of his fellow businessmen gave him shit about teaching his daughter how to take care of the shop while I had an older brother who would inherit it. Father was always polite, but later, after the carefully veiled insults, he'd tell me not to listen to them. A woman could do anything as well as a man could.
"Who knows, maybe my mate will be there, with a business of her own. Maybe she's even a country away." Patrick smiles.
"I wish you luck, brother. Maybe I could visit if you'd ever settle down." I tease. He swats at my shoulder lightly.
"Oh, that'll be a long time from now." Patrick chuckles. "But what about you? Would you ever leave Italy?"
"Maybe, I don't know. Demetri loves being a Guard member and I don't want to take that away from him, but if I'm honest, I don't see myself staying with the Volturi for too long. Trust me, I love the Volturi, but I miss Forks and its charm." I explain. "And now, Demetri and I aren't too great now. We're out of that honeymoon stage and now I've got doubts that I don't know how to deal with."
"I'm sure Valerie has already told you this, but talk to him. Tell him your worries and desires. I may not be very experienced in love matters, but communication is essential in a relationship."
"Thanks Pat. I really appreciate you being here for me. I may not say it often, but I missed you when I thought you were dead." I laugh. Patrick joins in.
"I think we may have some issues, dear sister." He winks.
"Which ones? The fact that we are immortal vampires from the mid 1800's or the fact we both thought the other was dead for about a century?" I joke.
"I think both." Patrick grins. "Now, what do you say we get out of here? I'm ready to get out of these tight clothes."
The door bursts open, Shana and Valerie filling the doorway. By the look in their eyes, I knew of the things they wanted to do.
"Hey, get out." Valerie demands, growling. I see Shana's hand trailing down her thigh slowly.
"Somebody is possessive." I giggle, taking Patrick's arm. "Come on Patrick, let's go back to the castle."
Before the door even shut, Valerie and Shana were together.