AN: Trigger warnings to many things are present in this story. Don't like don't read.

I do not own Twilight.

I just like to play around in different worlds with them :)

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Bella slid off Athenodora's back and stood beside her mate on the dirt road that led to the farmhouse. The barn was closest to them, but she wanted inside that house as her stomach protested her lack of food.

Athenodora chuckled, "Hungry?"

She shrugged as she began to walk, "It's been a while since I've eaten, and I blame you."

Athenodora grimaced at her, "Why me?"

She smirked over her shoulder at her mate, "You kept me in bed all day yesterday."

A smug grin spread across Athenodora's face, "I don't regret it. Do you?"

"I didn't say that." She chuckled.

The run had been quick but silent however she still felt like they were being followed. She kept checking over her shoulder every few minutes as they walked down the road, surrounded by overgrown fields on either side. The tall barn and large two-story farmhouse towering over the fields in the distance.

"Did you not trust me?" Athenodora asked quietly after a few minutes of silence.

She frowned as she glanced over at her mate, "What?"

"Back then," Athenodora shoved her hands into her pockets, "Did you not trust that I could help or that I couldn't protect you?"

She shook her head as she clasped her hands behind her back, knowing that this conversation was going to be coming sooner or later, "No. I trust you with everything, every part of me. I knew as long as my father survived then I would return but you…"

She shook her head, not even able to think the words. She couldn't, she wouldn't, she refused to think about the what ifs. This was not the time for her emotions to overcome her. She needed to stay focused in their harsh environment. She would have this conversation with her mate but right now their survival was more important than the long overdue conversation.

"When the sun goes down, we need to be locked inside one of those buildings. We only have an hour or two at most of light left and then things are going to get horrible out here." She picked up her pace as a loud howl sounded from somewhere in the distance to their left.

Athenodora, thankfully let the conversation go for the time being and she couldn't feel relieved enough. They quickly made their way down towards the barn as a low wind picked up around them. The scent of sulfur filled the air, and she felt her body begin to tense up. She paused for a moment and looked around them.

Athenodora pulled her against her chest, "Is that sulfur?"

She nodded, "Yes and that's not good."

Athenodora frowned at her, "Why?"

"Have you ever seen a vampire that has starved themselves? My scent is going to be drawing them in like crazy in this wind, especially if their out here in the fields."

Athenodora kept her close but pushed her into movement again. They hurried towards the barn and she stood back to watch Athenodora use her vampire strength to open the door just enough for them to squeeze through. Once the door was closed, she turned to the dark interior of the barn, seeing the ladder that led to the loft where most of the hay was stored.

The stalls were all empty on either side of them but there were still ropes and harnesses. All kinds of tools hung from the walls and hooks near the stall gates. The wind whistled through the old barn as they moved further in and she couldn't help but pause as a familiar feeling climbed up her spine.

"I've been in here before." She moved towards the ladder, "There's a way to the roof of the house from the loft."

Athenodora glanced at her curiously, "When were you here?"

She was halfway up the ladder when she glanced down at her mate, "Ex lived here." She continued up the ladder ignoring the growl that rolled from her mate's throat.

"Ex what exactly Bellaluna?" Athenodora asked through clenched teeth.

She smirked as she stood on the loft and looked down at her mate, "Lover, girlfriend. It really depends on how you look at it."

Athenodora's growl shook the building and a loud wet snarl answered back from somewhere outside. Athenodora blurred up the ladder to her and she stepped back as her mate appeared in front of her.

She smirked, "I love the jealous side of you."

Athenodora grinned at her, pulling her close sending a shiver of arousal to her core, "I remember baby."

Her heartbeat and breathing quickened at the sudden sexual energy surrounding them. She wanted Athenodora, right there in the loft. She swallowed thickly as Athenodora's eyes turned pitch black, before stepping back. She needed space between them, or she was going to take the woman right here.

She turned towards the stacks of hay, "There's…Uh…" she cleared her throat, "There should be a small hole that leads to the roof. From there we can jump to the house roof and slip into one of the upper windows."

Athenodora nodded but didn't move, "I'll follow in a minute."

She could see the struggle her mate was under, her dark eyes shifting from red to black and back again. She nodded and moved quickly, shoving a haybale over the edge to the wood floor below. She found the hole and grimaced at the cobwebs that had claimed it. She swiped her hand through the web and grimaced at the feel of the silk clinging to her hand. She hated spiders.

She crouched and looked out the hole just as the sun began to disappear behind the horizon, "Shit. So much for the hour."

Athenodora stood behind her, "Let's move. The house might have some food for you."

She gagged, "Right, because I'm so looking forward to thousand-year-old bread."

Athenodora laughed, "Did can food exist back then. It was so long ago."

She snorted as she crawled through the hole, "Yes I forget how old you are sometimes." She felt a stinging slap on her ass, and she jerked around to glare at her mate, "You'll pay for that."

Athenodora smirked at her, "I'm looking forward to it."

She shook her head as she stood on the narrow ledge of wood that wrapped around the outside upper level of the barn. She sidestepped to the far corner and frowned at the distance between the house and her, "You know I remember this being easier back then."

Athenodora laughed, "You had your full-blown Elf abilities Bella. You're still getting them back right now. Let me carry you."

She shook her head, "So you can drop me, no thanks."

A glare was aimed at her, "So you don't trust me."

She shook her head, "I trust you when you aren't trying to seduce me."

Athenodora snorted, "Dropping you is not my idea of seduction baby." She yelped as Athenodora swept her off her feet and into strong cool arms, "That's what the ass smack was for."

She opened her mouth to respond but Athenodora jumped, and she quickly closed her mouth so she wouldn't vomit. Once they were on the roof she was placed back on her feet and she swayed slightly, "I really hate when you do that."

Athenodora laughed but it was quickly cut off as howls erupted below them.

They eased to the edge of the roof and peeked over the side, seeing hellhounds gathering below them, "Since when do they travel in packs?"

Athenodora frowned at her, "You're the expert on the creatures here."

"Yeah, from a thousand years ago when they were nice and listened to my commands." She shook her head and moved away from the edge, keeping her balance on the angled roof, "Let's get inside."

Athenodora nodded and led them towards the closest window, "So why did you two break up?"

Confusion made her frown at her mate, "Who?"

Athenodora focused on trying to open the window without breaking it, "You and the Ex that lived here."

She rolled her eyes, really not wanting to go into detail, "Hey you have a past too ya know."

"Yes, but mine is long dead. We are currently trying to survive in yours." Athenodora smirked up at her.

She narrowed her eyes at her mate, "Ha, ha. Do you want the truth?" At Athenodora's nod she grinned, "You."

A loud snap echoed around them as part of the wooden window frame broke under Athenodora's hand, "Me? What do you mean?"

She grinned as she shoved the window up, "You came along and suddenly I couldn't see anyone else."

She slipped a leg through the window as a goofy grin spread across her mate's face, "Oh."

She sat on the windowsill for a moment while cocking her head at her mate, "That's a very smug look dear."

Athenodora chuckled, "Get inside," and shoved her inside.

"Hey," She yelped as she fell to the floor of the room, the carpet not really helping with the landing. She could hear Athenodora's laughter echoing around the house outside as she leaned up on her elbows, "Asshole."

Athenodora grinned at her as she slipped easily into the room, "Oops."

She shook her head at her mate as she pushed herself up to her feet, "Shut up."

She closed the window and turned to face the room. A large desk sat against the wall to her right with a high back wooden chair in front of it. Two handmade dressers sat against the wall to her left and a small twin sized bed was across the room near the door. Dust covered every surface, showing just how long it had been since the house had seen any form of life.

She crossed the room to the door and paused with her hand on the doorknob, "Think the owners are still alive?"

Athenodora shrugged, "Hope not but if they are maybe, they won't mind a few guests for the night."

She grinned at her mate before opening the door as quietly as she could. The slipped out of the room and entered the long even darker hallway. Six doors lined the hallway and all of them were closed. A light was shining up the staircase at the other end of the hall and two doors were closed behind them.

"Should we search first?" Athenodora whispered hesitantly.

She shrugged, "Start with these two and then head downstairs."

Athenodora nodded and the moved to the doors behind them. Each room held much of the same furniture, but they were thankfully empty. They remained close as they searched the rooms one by one. At the end of the hall, closest to the stairs they found the largest bedroom. A queen-sized bed sat across from the door, a long dresser to the left of the bed under the window, and a door to their right made up the furniture.

She crossed to the door on her right and frowned, "Bathroom?"

Athenodora shrugged, "Was indoor plumbing a thing?"

She scoffed, "For me and my mother it was a must."

She smiled at Athenodora's laugh as she reached for the doorknob. She frowned as a burst of wind rattled the windows and Athenodora grew quiet. They both shook it off and she opened the door. A screech echoed around the room as a large mass slammed into her body, knocking her onto her back.

She struggled with the snapping person on top of her as Athenodora blurred forward, knocking the feral man off her. She rolled to her feet as Athenodora slammed the man against the wall, pinning him with a forearm to his throat. The sunken in eyes had dark purple circles underneath and his pale skin was drawn tight over his bones. Skeleton walking wasn't even close to how she would describe him.

Pitch black eyes stared at them blankly, wildly darting between her and her mate. His nostrils flared as her scent kept catching his attention and venom dripped from his teeth, dribbling down his chin. The only noise coming from him was a grunting growl as he struggled against Athenodora's strength.

She stepped closer and frowned, "Do you think there's any mind left in there?"

Athenodora grimaced at the feral vampire in front of her, "No. I think this is a madness that no one can return from."

She nodded, "My scent is going to drive everything wild in here. He's only going to be the first."

Athenodora eyed the man for a moment, "I'm sorry."

She watched as her mate gripped the feral vampire's head and easily pulled it away from his body, barely a sound being made. She felt sadness for the man, he didn't ask for this. No matter if he had lived here or if he had attacked the city, no one asked to be driven mad by hunger.

She motioned to his body, "We can burn it in the fireplace."

Athenodora frowned at her, "What about alerting other creatures?"

She shrugged, "The smell of a burning vampire should keep most of them away. The hellhounds might be drawn to it but they're already out there so…"

Athenodora nodded, "Let's check the rest of the house first and then I'll come back to finish the job."

She led her mate back out of the room, closing the door behind them. Athenodora dropped the man's head at the top of the stairs before they descended them quietly. The living room to the right of the stairs was empty, as was the large dinning room to the left of the stairs. The circled around to the kitchen and finished off their search near the back door at the back of the house.

Once they made sure the doors were sealed and the windows were secured, she headed for the fireplace in the living room while her mate went back upstairs. She focused on starting a fire as the temperature began to drop in the darkness and wind from outside. A nice stack of wood sat to the left of the fireplace and there was even more near the backdoor, as if the family had been stocking up for winter. Once the fire was going fully, Athenodora returned downstairs carrying body parts.

She stoked the fire as the feral vampire's body quickly burned and disintegrated. Athenodora had disappeared into the kitchen and she was beginning to feel the separation from her mate. They had spent the entire day together, running for their lives yes but they were together, nonetheless.

She stood and made her way back to the kitchen and leaned against the doorframe, watching her mate as Athenodora stood in front of the cabinets, "I forgot how things were back then."

Athenodora nodded, "So much has changed. Technology was something only thought of and even the idea of cooking inside was unheard of."

She smiled as she moved to the island counter, "Funny how somethings never changed though. I mean look at this house. It's so modernized that it's hard to believe it's over a thousand years old."

Athenodora turned to her, an ear of corn in her hand, "Unfortunately food was scarce here."

She chuckled, "Not scarce. Most people took only what they needed when they needed it. There weren't many options back then and everyone shared. There will be more in the castle, I'm positive. It's just a matter of getting there."

Athenodora frowned, "Bella you need to eat."

"So do you," she eyed her mate, not willing to back down.

Athenodora shook her head, "Absolutely not. It will weaken you and you need all the strength you can get right now."

She shook her head, "Elf blood remember. I can regenerate faster now. Even if we must kill a hellhound for me to eat, I'll be fine. You are the strongest of the two of us. We'll need that to even make it to the castle. You need to be at full strength."

Athenodora glared at her, "Not until you have food."

She sighed, "What else is there?"

Athenodora shook her head, "Just this and some other vegies that I'm not sure I want to know how they survived this long."

She frowned, "Let me see them." Athenodora sat the corn, potatoes, and tomatoes on the counter in front of her. She could feel the hum of magick coming from them and smiled, "These were grown with magick. That's how they're still fresh."

Athenodora frowned, "What like Jack's magic beans?"

She laughed as she shook her head, "Sort of but different kind of magick. The ancient magick that my father built this place out of." She picked up one of the potatoes and grinned before setting it in front of her, "Wis Matl."

The potato vanished and, in its place, sat a roasted turkey.

Athenodora stared at her wide eyed, "How?"

She chuckled, "My father taught me everything I know. Magick is an exceptionally large part of Eleven culture, at least the way my father taught me. To live by the earth. To give back more than what you take. When I would hunt it was for every part of the animal. Bones made great tools and weapons. Hide made clothing and blankets. Even the tendons could be dried and used for lashing or rope. Every part of the animal would be used, and I would never take more than what I needed to survive."

She ripped the leg from the turkey and sank her teeth into the mouthwatering meat, "It's all a cycle of life."

Athenodora smiled at her, "You still amaze me sometimes."

She smirked as she swallowed her bite, "After all these years?"

Athenodora nodded, "Why did you never tell me everything about Elves?"

She frowned as she slowed her chewing, "Father always told me never to give too much away although now I understand what he meant. At the time I was young and naive. I took everything he said as just that but now I get it. You are my mate, and I can tell you everything because you would never betray me. My father never knew who a friend was and who were foe."

Athenodora nodded, "Things were chaotic back then. I can understand why he taught you that."

She shook her head, "But I sometimes wondered if he hadn't would I have done things different."

Athenodora frowned as she moved around the counter towards her, "What do you mean baby?"

She turned on the stool to face her mate, "Would I have really sent you away if he had told me exactly what he meant? Would I have been honest and open with you from the beginning? Things like that."

Athenodora kissed her softly, their lips brushing together, "We'll never know now, but we are here together now and that's what matters."

She stared up at her mate for a moment before taking her hand silently. She pulled the woman to the living room and pushed her down onto the sofa. She straddled her mates lap and kissed her deeply. Their tongues pushing and pulling in a steady pleasant rhythm. She ran her hands underneath Athenodora's shirt, spreading her fingers on cool skin.

Athenodora pulled back slightly, "You should finish eating."

She smirked, "I will after you've fed."

Athenodora gripped her tightly before flipping her onto her back against the sofa, settling between her legs, "Are you sure?"

She nodded, "You are my mate and I need you at full strength. Plus, it will harden me for a while, remember." Athenodora grinned at her and captured her lips again.

She could feel the desire growing quickly as her mate's cool hands shoved her shirt up, cool lips traveling down her jaw to her neck. She arched her back when she felt Athenodora's hand sliding easily into her pants, cupping her firmly. She moaned as a soft bite sent a wave of pleasure through her body.

She needed her mate, now more than ever. Everything that she had felt for Athenodora, from the first time they met to the time they met in this life crashed down on her. she gasped as she closed her eyes, seeing everything meeting, feeling every touch. Every kiss they shared burned her lips as if she were receiving them all over again.

It was overwhelming and intoxicating at the same time. She could feel the energy of the room, of the earth pulsating through her body as Athenodora's fingers slipped between her wet folds. A moan vibrated her chest as her mate teased her, circling her entrance before pressing firmly against her hardened clit. She bucked her hips up, trying to keep the needed pressure firm but Athenodora backed away.

She growled after a few minutes, "Dora please. I need you."

Athenodora smiled against her neck, where she had been sucking gently, "I know baby. I'm going to claim you in everyway possible. I love you."

She felt two of her mate's fingers ease just inside her dripping core and she tightened her arms around Athenodora's body, digging her nails in. She rocked her hips in a slow steady pace that her mate was setting, fingers going deeper with each stroke. She turned her head, giving Athenodora more access to her neck, submitting to her mate.

A growl of understanding rolled from Athenodora's chest and she felt another finger being added to the quickening thrusts of her mate. She spread her legs wider, accepting everything her mate was giving her as she neared orgasm. She felt Athenodora's teeth sink into her flesh as her mate quickened her thrusts, adding more power to each one.

She cried out Athenodora's name as her orgasm slammed into her unexpectedly, riding her mate's thrusts right into another one as Athenodora continued to drink from her. The pain pleasure of it quickly overwhelmed her and she felt her eyes growing heavy with exhaustion.

She whispered, "I love you," before the darkness took her.