Chapter Twenty-two:
Fidgeted with her hands, walking the corridors to the throne room. Alec had tried to give her comforting words but they fell on deaf ears.
As the door opened, she could see everything more clearly now. She saw how beautiful the other vampire truly were. Eyes widening, she found that he feet had stopped moving when she spotted a few art pieces on the wall. She could see the details more clearly. Like she wore the worlds most focused pair of glasses.
"My dear?" Aro voice, silky and yet there was and edge to it.
Maddie turned her head toward him. Maddie blinked at him, he had asked for her hand. She could feel his emotions pouring off her. he held her hand for a brief few seconds before letting it go.
"I am sorry for you loss, little one."
Maddie fought the frown on her face. His words sounded sincere and yet, his emotions weren't. she scanned the room, wishing for Alec to be beside her. she spotted him, near Jane and she couldn't help but lift her lip and a slight snarl.
She forced her eyes away from him and decided that she would stand beside Felix. He gave her a grin before turning around and neutralizing his expression.
"We have a new coven member. Of what happy days. She also has a gift." Aro announced. All eyes tracking his every move.
"Gift?" the blonde one Maddie had learned was Caius spat. She could feel his utter anger, annoyance and something she chalked up to disbelief.
"You call me a liar, brother?" Aro turned. His angelic face morphing into anger.
Caius eyes sorted Maddie out, raking over her and making her feel like a child. She felt Felix tense beside her, his own anger rising to the surface. Maddie couldn't help herself, she drew the anger out and into herself. Felix turned to her with a cocked brow. She looked down, feeling like she had done something wrong. She felt a stronger emotion pounding at her, jealousy and she fought the grin that was trying to get on her face. Alec didn't like her and Felix bonding. She decided that she wouldn't make eye contact until they were leaving the throne room.
Aro had announced they were going to throw a ball to introduce Maddie to everyone in the Volturi. Maddie glided out the throne room. She smiled to herself before she became so distracted by her gliding, she bumped into a stone wall.
Her feet tripped her up before hands gripped her upper arms.
"I will admit, you will make eternity entertaining." Alec smirked.
"I honestly blame you. You tripped me up!" Maddie accused.
Alec rightened her before, lacing her arm through his.
"Where are we going? The room is that way." Maddie pointed to the corridor their room was. Alec had stated that she and him would be sharing a room.
"I thought you may want to see some of the art I promised you, before you escaped me that was." Alec chuckled at Maddie as her mouth dropped open.
She could feel he was teasing her, she smiled at him.
"I am glad I can feel your emotions."
"As am I." Alec replied. Maddie grinned, he spoke truth and she was overjoyed that he didn't find her annoying. Her memories served the reminders of when people would get agitated by her presence alone. she frowned.
"What troubles you?" Alec asked.
"I just…..I don't know. I am adjusting. My memories keep replaying like a home movie." She finished.
"Ah." Alec sighed. He understood that she would be remembering them with a lot more focus then before and it would not help with her gift swaying her.
Alec brought her hand up and kissed her knuckles lightly.
"I love you Madeline."
"Do you? Or is it some forced vampire juju and you are pretty much stuck with me."
Maddie felt Alec's surprise to her question. Her head was still getting around her new life. She missed being human. Her mind wouldn't be circling in five different circles at one time. She felt like her brain would explode with how much her thoughts kept on swirling in her head.
Maddie frowned; Alec had not answered her question. Pulled them to a stop.
"You haven't answered my question."
"I could see I had lost you to your thoughts, I was waiting until you came out of them." Alec replied, cocking his head to the side.
Maddie was glad that the blood couldn't rush to her face anymore. She was embarrassed. Alec kissed her forehead; his red eyes bore into her own and a smile that she had not seen before.
"I do. You and I are so very different. I honestly never thought I would be gifted a mate. If I was to be given one, I thought she would be a very elegant lady…" Maddie frowned. Her mouth about to open to defend herself. Alec kissed her lips lightly before smiling again. "An elegant lady would bore me and would be very much predictable. You, my love, always amuse me. I never know what you will do next. You breathed life into my very dull existence. I don't deserve you. I will spend the rest of my life, however long it will be, loving every minute I have with you."
Maddie felt a smile widened and almost crack her face. She could feel his every word and it made her inside feel like they were beating to life.
"I wonder what would have happened if I had never come to Italy." Maddie mused. Alec had continued their walk after his declaration.
"I would not like to think about it." Alec scowled and Maddie could feel he didn't like that question.
"I would be graduating in three days and be giving the best speech anyone has ever heard. Then I would have gone to art school, also working part time at this little diner that Bella and her father always go to. If I had not been given the free plane tickets for Italy by my aunt, I would probably save to go to Greece. I would love to go there." Maddie finished with a sigh.
"For the culture and the art?" Alec guessed.
"Of course. Their culture and their art, it sings to me." Maddie found herself admitting. She had never admitted that to anyone, not even Angela.
"We can arrange to go, if you would like." Alec offered.
He had never had much of an interest in visiting other countries, he had seen enough over his many many centuries. But when he looked at his mate, he knew he would see them in a new light. Her amazement and wonder was something he cherished and would preserve for as long as he could.
"Really?" Maddie asked.
Alec turned to his mate; her eyes sparkled beautifully. They were like a crimson ruby that glistened in the day. He watched as she bounced slightly on her feet and he found himself grinning at her. he tucked some of her brown hair behind her ear, as he had done when she was human.
"Yes." Alec answered.
Maddie had spent an hour on each painting, her finger lightly brushing over the strokes and she smiled. she had been so lost with the time that it wasn't until Alec cleared his throat. She turned to him with a confused look.
"How long have we been here?" she asked before he had opened his mouth. Alec gave a confused look before smiling.
"Six hours." He answered.
"SIX HOURS?!" Maddie exclaimed.
"Yes, my love." Alec answered. Her emotions were as clear as crystal on her face.
"Have you been here the whole time?" she asked.
"Yes." Alec answered, his hands clasped behind his back.
Maddie blinked at him, cocking her head to the side. Alec smiled at her. He had studied her while she had been fawning over the paintings. He had enjoyed listening to her mutters and murmurs.
"I'm sorry." Maddie said suddenly.
"Why?" she felt Alec's confusion.
"I get so warped up in art I forget that not everyone enjoys it as I do." She looked to the ground, shifting her weight. She felt Alec's fingers gently tilt her face up.
"I admit, art is not something that had interested me, but I adore how you are fascinated by it."
Maddie gave him a sceptical look.
"You admitted to me on more than one occasion that you do not like to read, yes?"
Maddie nodded firmly. She had a distaste for words.
"But yet you like when I read to you."
"That is different."
"How so?"
Maddie tapped her lip in thought, understand what Alec was getting at. He enjoyed spending time with her, doing something she loved. Like she enjoyed listening to him read, she would never read on her own, but she loved it when Alec read to her.
"Come, feeding time will be soon."
Maddie scrunched up her face.
"Do I have to feed on someone?"
"If you do not want to, then we can hunt."
"I would like that. I don't like it when I feel the other person's emotions."
Alec blinked before he understood. Maddie being an empath meant she would feel that person's every emotion. Maddie also being a newborn vampire and yet to learn control, it would be overwhelming which would explain her constant breaks downs a such.
"I am sorry. I should have factored that in." Alec murmured into her hair.
Maddie's arms wrapped around his waist, she nestled into him.
"It's ok. We are both learning."