Songs mentioned: The Scientist by Coldplay
"Why is she in here," the white haired vampire question Marcus at his door.
"Isn't it obvious Caius? She's sleeping," Marcus shrugged the shorter vampire off with a warning, "Keep it down."
Caius snarled at him, "That is not what I meant and you know that. I can smell her all over you."
"Does it bother you that I've gotten to taste our mate, Caius? You do realize you'll have to learn to share," Marcus couldn't help, but poke the beast. He was in a jovial state after what had just happened and nothing, not even his raging brother, could ruin it.
"Wait until Aro hears about this," Caius seethed. Caius couldn't believe Marcus was allowed to take her from her safe, protected room and gallivant around the gardens and then go straight to his room.
"I'd be surprised if he didn't hear already considering she didn't exactly keep quiet, brother," Marcus threw into Caius' face causing the man's snarl to deepen into a predatory growl. "Look, Caius if you wish to continue this conversation might I suggest my office? Amarantha needs her rest."
Caius watched as Marcus picked up his inner shirt and slid into it before bending down to get his suit jacket. He turned to Caius, "Do you want to lead the way or shall I?"
With a huff, Caius moved toward Marcus' office and was there with him in tow in no time. Marcus opened his door to find Aro standing by the fireplace looking into the flames. "What a surprise to find you already here Aro, enjoying the warmth?" Marcus' question must have struck a nerve within Aro for he turned and glared at him.
"Who made you the sole guardian to our mate, Marcus," Aro seethed.
"I don't quite understand what you mean, brother. I have never kept either of you from her," Marcus stayed calm.
"You take her from her room when I ordered her to remain locked inside, you stroll through the gardens during the day as if no one could climb the wall to peak over, and then you copulate with her," Aro's eyes burned with fury that matched Caius', "What if something happened to her? She is fragile, we could easily kill her with one wrong move."
"I have more restraint than you think Aro. It was only oral, nothing more. I wouldn't start our mating bond until she was ready for it. Plus I know my strength and how not to hurt her. If you go check I guarantee she has fewer bruises than when Caius had sex with her."
"Leave me out of this," Caius said through clenched teeth.
"Oh no, you're a part of this Caius. You're the one that started everything," Marcus insisted.
Caius came to square up with Marcus, chest to chest. The older looking male stared up at Marcus, "It takes two, brother. She was just as into it as I was."
"She thought it was a dream, so it doesn't count," Marcus countered.
Caius fueled with anger shoved the older vampire back into the wall. Marcus finally angry himself, growled at Caius. He hunched ready to attack Caius only for Aro to step between the two. "Brothers, now is not the time to squabble. We need to have a civil discussion about this," Aro stated calmly this time, "Like you like to point out, Marcus, she is our mate, so what happens with our mate needs to be discussed openly first."
"Like you promising her access to the library and our offices," Caius pointed out.
Marcus stood, straightening up his suit jacket, "I'd rather have her roam freely and be happy than to have her safe and depressed. She can't be held captive at all times."
"There are vampires that come and get judgment here all the time. What's to stop them from going after her," Aro, bringing up a valid question, went to sit in one of the free chairs by the fire.
"She'll have guards of course," Marcus replied while taking his seat behind his desk.
"I don't like this idea," Caius muttered. He remained standing in the middle of the dimly lit room.
"She needs freedom, Caius. Surely you can see she isn't truly happy here," Marcus urged them to see it.
"Not yet anyways," Aro added.
Caius stalked over toward a chair near Aro, "Have we tried finding a professional for her yet?"
Aro crossed his leg and clasped his hands around his knee, "I believe I found someone that can help. They're a vampire that's been studying the human mind for centuries. They can surely help us in our endeavor to help get our mate healthy mentally. It's just convincing them to help us."
"It can't be that hard to convince them to work for us," Caius spread out and looked at Aro.
Marcus rolled his eyes, "Of course you'd think that."
"Marcus don't start," Aro warned. He turned to Caius, "We will more than likely have to invite them and see if they mesh well with our mate. We have to make sure she is comfortable with them first before asking them to work for us long term."
"Well have we invited them here," Caius asked. He was all to eager to have his mate fixed. Maybe then they'd be able to have conversations with one another and work on what has been bothering them. Or maybe he should be trying to do that now. He didn't know what he should do.
"I sent out a cryptic message to them. Hopefully it will peak their interest enough to show up as soon as possible," was all Aro replied.
"Until then I believe we should allow her these small liberties. It will make her feel less caged," Marcus tried reasoning.
"Athenadora does not like Amarantha," Caius whispered.
"Then send her away," Marcus almost yelled, "She is just your wife, not your mate. Can't you see that choosing her over Amarantha is causing the rift to deepen between you two?"
"Its not that easy, Marcus. Athenadora has been a member of this coven since the beginning. She deserves to stay," Aro defended Caius.
Caius straightened up, "She might only be a wife, but the feelings we have shared are still very real."
"And have you talked to Amarantha about that? If she is important to you at all, you need to communicate that with her," Marcus insisted, "I'm sure she would be able to relate to your situation more than you can imagine."
Caius' face held a scowl, but he nodded in understanding.
"So is it agreed upon," Marcus began, "That we allow her this small freedom?"
The three of them glanced at the others before Aro and Caius nodded in agreement. Marcus smiled a genuine smile, "Good. That will make her very happy."
"Let's discuss her guards though.."
Amara sat within the enormous library that day like most days. She had developed a new routine to go along with her new found freedoms. Some days she would stay out in the gardens exploring all the different types of flowers, herbs and plants that surrounded the area. She had found a few books upon the subject which helped her learn what occupied the grounds. Sometimes Marcus would be there with her helping her learn.
Sometimes she would spend her time in Marcus' office reading quietly to herself while he did some work. There was never truly a time where she was by herself though. Everywhere she went she had up to three vampires with her at all times. Of course there was good old trusted Felix. The super huge guy that made her feel like a dwarf. There was always the creepy girl called Jane that stayed silent behind her wherever she roamed, and then there was her brother Alec that sometimes joined them. She had tried making conversation with the lot of them, but found that only Felix was the one to speak freely with her.
Today it was only Felix with her as she lounged and read. Amara at first was stunned silent when she saw the library for the first time in the daylight. She of course remembered what it looked like the very first time she had been there. The ornate art around the room and the luxurious furniture plus the ancient, priceless tombs quickly made this space to be one of her favorites. The history that they had collected along the shelves alone could keep her intrigued for hours.
Having her nose deep within a book, Amara felt the pressure of a weighted gaze upon her. Placing a finger on the last word she read she Looked up and met the eye of a certain white haired male she'd been dreading to see. She quickly looked back down to continue reading in hopes it would deter him from conversing.
Caius knew where she would be considering its where she had spent most of her days since she was allowed out of her room. She had been laying on the settee with a worn book between her hands. Caius took in the simple black dress she wore with white stocking and black knee high boots. Her wavy hair laid down black side up. The only makeup on her face was eyeliner lining her upper lid with a wing making a cat eye look. When he first walked in he couldn't see her, but her heartbeat was loud inside the quiet place. Easily he located her and watched her for a few moments absorbing her beauty. He noticed when she stopped her reading and obviously their eyes connected. What he didn't expect was her to ignore his presence completely. He stalked up to her and grabbed the book from her hands.
"Hey, what's your deal," Amara snapped at him.
"I should be asking you that," Caius spoke coolly. His finger held her place in the book, but he closed it to look at the title. 'Count of Monte Cristo,' it read. "Planning a great escape?"
"Sure, point me to the nearest wall toward the sea, so I might start digging," came her sarcastic response. She went to grab the book from his clasp only for him to take a step back. "Seriously, what gives," Amara huffed as she righted herself on the seat.
"I wish to talk," Caius simply didn't beat around the bush.
"Isn't that what we're doing right now," Amara pointed out. She felt uncomfortable around him especially after meeting his wife.
"No, right now you're being a smart-ass," Caius held the book out of her reach as she stood to grab it from him, "Which makes it hard to converse with you."
Amara took a deep breath and released it as she smoothed out her dress. She narrowed her eyes at the taller man wanting what was in his hands and for him to go away.
"Now if you want the book back I suggest you follow me," Caius left no room for any 'but's' as he turned and began stalking toward the library door at a pace he deemed slow enough for her.
Amara didn't follow immediately behind the vampire. She didn't know if she should be alone with him. Turning to Felix who stood nearby she nodded her head in Caius' direction asking if he will come along. The large man came to stand behind Amara which made her feel a little better about the situation. Lucky for her Caius didn't leave without her by his side. Caius glanced at her bodyguard who gave him a bow of their head in acknowledgment. He held her book to his side with one hand while gesturing to Amara to go forward.
Sighing, Amara took the first step in the hallway toward the direction Caius pointed. As they walked she silently studied him. He wore only dark inky black dress pants with a pristine white shirt buttoned all the way up. She sort of wished he had the arms rolled up so she might study how strong they were. After that disturbing want passed through her mind she kept her eyes to herself.
It didn't take them, but a few turns and one flight of stairs to get to where Caius wanted to go. Standing outside a large wooden door, Amara came to a quick realization that this was a new place for her. Where did he bring her? Finding the courage to look up at Caius, their eyes locked once more causing her heart to skip a beat. A slight scowl crossed her features directed toward herself. Why is she feeling anything toward this brutish man?
He opened the door and directed her inside. She walked in fully expecting Felix to follow them in. First thing she saw was a large wooden desk that matched the one inside Marcus' office. He had a lot of different types of weapons lining his wall ranging from Claymore and Axes to Cutlass and Gladius. She saw a few non-bladed weapons, but couldn't recall their names. The colors in this office were a mixture of deep mahogany wood to dark plum fixtures. She wondered then what his favorite color was? His office was vastly different from Marcus' more natural colored one.
Stopping in the center, she turned to the door to find it closing, leaving Caius and her alone in the room. Quickly her eyes widened and darted between him and the door. "Why isn't Felix in here," Amara attempted to not sound panicked.
Caius didn't hide his sneer, "He will remain outside the door so no one disturbs us."
Amara didn't like many things at this moment and being alone in a room with Caius was one of them. She crossed her arms over her chest feeling his eyes penetrated through her being. She shuffled on her feet before getting flustered enough to speak first. "Why did you bring me here to talk if you're not going to say anything?"
She didn't have time to continue before he was right in front of her. She took a quick intake of breath and made to take a step back, but was halted by his hand on her back keeping her in place. Her heart rate kicked up its beating.
"Don't be afraid of me."
"I-I'm not afraid of you," she started off not as confident as she'd liked. Amara put her hands on his chest in an attempt to push him away only to fail because he squeezed her tighter to him. She grunted, "You're just in my personal space."
"You let Marcus in your personal space," Caius sounded envious.
"Hah, you can't be serious. Are you really jealous?" Amara was in disbelief. The man with a loving, jealous wife was jealous of Amara and her budding relationship with Marcus. Should she care?
'Nope,' she answered her own question, but did she? She refused to answer.
"Amarantha, you must understand something about me. I'm not a man who shows emotions besides the negative ones easily. Know that I love my wife, I do, but I can no longer be with her. She used to be the center of my world. She isn't any longer. You are. Ever since you appeared in front of me, you've become everything."
He let her go and spun around and paced with his shoulders slumped, "But I simply can't fall out of love in an instant. She has been with me for so long. We've been through everything together."
She watched him as he turned back toward her. Caius came to a stop on front of her, "I wanted to talk with you about this in private in hopes that you might understand. I know before we brought you here you were with that shifter."
"I wasn't with him," his hand came up and the tips of his fingers gently touched her lips to keep her from speaking further. Her brows furrowed, where was he going with this and why can't he respect her boundaries.
"You love him though," Caius stated more than asked.
That was true. She did love Luke. She missed him as well. She hadn't really let herself think about him or home too much. If she did she would become gloomy and despondent. She bit her lip and simply gave Caius a nod of her head, unable to speak with his fingers still lightly pressing on her lips.
"I'm not asking you to stop loving him and I would hope for the same from you," he let his hand fall from her lips.
"I never asked you to stop. I also never asked for your wife to be acting like an ass to me either," Amara finding her voice.
"She's not an ass," Caius defended.
"I said acting and she totally was. It's not like I asked for this, Caius. I was thrusted into your world quite literally and now I have no way of leaving it. I don't get a choice in this matter because it was decided for me by you three, you understand that?"
"I-," he blew out air, not exactly sure of what to say. He brought his hand to an inch away from her cheek and hovered there before continuing, "Would it make you feel better if I apologized?"
Amara looked from his hand to his face before shrugging, "I honestly don't know."
He connected his hand to her cheek, softly stroking it, "Amarantha, I don't generally apologize, so please know that I am truly sorry for everything I've done."
Amara felt as if her breath was taken from her. Her eyes searched his face for any signs of deceit. His face was melancholic and his eyes spoke the same. She didn't stop herself from leaning into his touch for once. It felt right even though she knew it had been to soon for everything, honestly, but she left her self-consciousness at the door. Taking the small comfort he offered she allowed herself this one moment of weakness.
Caius felt a warmth, not only radiating from her skin, but within himself. He knew the bond made his feelings for Amarantha run deeply throughout him. He wished he could have started off slowly with her instead of letting his beastly side win out over conscious thought. His hand dropped from her cheek to her injured hand and lifted it to his lips as he bent halfway to meet it, giving it a peck.
"I'm sorry that you had to defend yourself against me. Being around you isn't without difficulty," he said with his head still lowered to her hand. He looked up to her eyes to find them glossy with unshed tears.
"I don't like being made to do things I don't want to do," Amara stated, "And at the time I definitely didn't want you touching me."
"And now," he questioned with an eyebrow raised.
'What about now,' she questioned herself. Did she really want to admit that she enjoyed their touch? That each time, especially when it was Marcus, she melted inside and wanted more. She will hold off on letting them know that though she is sure they might already expect its happening. She might be many things, but desperate for love and attention wasn't one of them. Amara would wait till she let them know that they were growing on her. She let out a soft sigh, "I still want my personal space respected, but I'm not completely against you touching me. Just ask permission first and no groping."
Caius studied her for a moment with his piercing blood like eyes, "I can do that," he let go of her arm and gently let it fall back to her side. They stood in silence for a second just staring at the other wondering what to do now.
"I'd like to-"
"Is there-"
They both started to speak. Amara closed her mouth, biting her lip because of the nerves. She gestured with her hand for Caius to go first to which he shook his head slightly saying, "No you go first, Amarantha."
She released her lip, "I just was wondering if there was anything more you'd like to discuss."
"No, I mean, yes," he stumbled over his words. He was feeling giddy from how smoothly things were going. He felt like a young boy when speaking to her. Buckling down, Caius gave her a soft smile, "I wanted to show you something that I think you'd appreciate."
"Oh? What exactly do you want to show me," she asked, curious as a cat.
"You'll have to wait and see," he held out his hand silently asking her to take it. Amara hesitated a second before grasping it. "It's not a long walk."
She nodded and allowed him to guide her from the room. Outside in the hallway they were reunited with Felix, who silently fell in step behind them. Amara wondered exactly what he was going to show her. If it was a room filled with weapons like his office, she might be curious about it, but she wasn't a hundred percent interested in it. Now if it were a dungeon filled with kinky sex toys she might be down for that. While lost in thought about what exactly he wanted to show her they arrived outside another door that had intricate carvings of vines and leaves on it.
"We're here," Caius said. Leaning down he whispered near her ear, "close your eyes."
She looked at him skeptically. He gave her a reassuring smile, "I promise you no harm, trust me."
"That's asking for a lot," she mumbled, "Trust is built over time, Caius, we have a long road ahead till I'll completely trust you."
Caius was upset to find that out, but instead of blowing up with any anger he simply said, "I understand that. Let's take a step in building it with this. Like I said, I promise no harm will come to you."
Inhaling through her nose, she closed her eyes on the release of her breath. He walked behind her, "May I touch your waist?"
Amara's head turned toward the sound of his voice, eyes still closed. She wanted to say he was pushing the boundaries, but thought he was probably just trying to guide her so she didn't fall. But why her waist? Sighing she shook her head, but said, "Okay," against her better judgment.
Caius slide his hands in place around her waist and guided her forward. Amara, out of habit, held her hands out in front of her just in case she was going to run into anything. She had hoped Caius would prevent that, but she didn't trust him. She walked a ways into the room with Caius right behind her. The echo of their feet hitting the floor told her that this room wasn't filled to the brim with clutter. Maybe it was the sex dungeon that she'd imagined he would have.
He removed his hands from her waist before saying, "Open your eyes."
Eyes opened, she nearly gasped. Around her the walls were covered in beautiful art pieces she had never seen before. Portraits of people long past, ancient landscapes, and even some current. Amara stepped forward to one of the landscapes that really caught her attention. The coloring made it look photo realistic. She almost wanted to touch it to make sure it was paint. She looked for a signature, but found none.
Walking to the next painting it was a portrait of a woman. Her features were soft, petite even. She had flowing wavy locks of brunette hair. Her eyes were red like every vampire around her. Amara wondered who this was, why were they so important to have a portrait done and be hung on a wall inside the castle. She again looked for a signature and found none.
Her features turned even more curious about the mysterious artist once she went to the next painting. It was of ancient Greece. She could tell by the style of dress of the people with in it. The painting was set during what appeared to be a cloudy, rainy day in front of a grand villa or maybe it was a temple. She didn't know, but from what she could tell it was a place of great importance to the painter. Why else would they paint it?
Looking to see if there was a signature, Amara, yet again found nothing. "Who is the artist," she finally asked, turning to Caius.
"For which piece," he countered.
"All of them." Her eyes scanned the room.
"We all dabble in art, but I'm the one who is mainly interested in doing it," he walked up to her, "The first painting you looked at was mine, the second was Marcus' and this is Aro's."
"So everyone is a better artist than me," she laughed at the irony. Of course her mates would be into art.
"I wouldn't say that, Amarantha. Your art is intriguing and refreshing to look at," he gestured around him, "This is just our personal collection. We do have a collection done by other artists, if you're interested?"
Just as he asked her that question her stomach decided it was time to be heard. It was way past lunch time and it was getting closer to dinner time now. She hadn't ate since breakfast and now she was paying for it with embarrassing bodily sounds.
"Sorry, I might have forgotten to eat lunch today," she said sheepishly while placing her hand on her stomach.
"Forgotten," his eyebrow raised in question, "How does one forget to eat?"
"Easily, I got absorbed in my book. Which can I have that back," she asked.
"After I get food in you then you can have it back." He paused to look at her. He knew what to do. "May I pick you up," he asked for permission, which Amara was grateful for.
"Uh, sure," she sounded unsure of answer, "Why?"
He smiled at her which turned his normally aggressive features soft, "So I can take you to the kitchen to eat."
"But why pick me up," she quizzed.
Without missing a beat, "So we can get there before you expire from starvation."
His answer caused a laugh to escape her, "Hey I'm not the slow."
It was normally how she'd act when she was hungry so for him to be over-dramatic in his answer it made her feel seen. Caius clearly enjoyed the sound of her laughter. So much he released a chuckle of his own. When he went to pick her up he was mindful of her injury making sure not to accidentally bump it. He made a mental note to ask Aro about when they'd take her to the doctor to get her wrist checked out.
"I'm not saying you're slow, Amarantha-"
"Amara," she interrupted him while looking up into his eyes, "You can call me Amara. My friends tend to do that."
"So we're just friends," he asked with a smirk on his face.
"I would say acquaintances," she said with a smile, "I barely know you, Caius."
Caius nodded his head, "We technically know each other in ways acquaintances don't generally know each other, so I don't agree with us only being only that. But I will agree that we barely know each other and that we should rectify that.
"Now hold on tightly we will be there shortly," he said before he took off in the direction of the kitchen.
Amara did take his advice and held on tightly. She didn't think it could be possible, but he seemed faster than Marcus. She felt like she was on a rocket ship propelling through the atmosphere. It was always the abrupt halt that made her feel nauseous and not the movement. So when he came to a gradual stop she was surprised by that. He continued to hold her while walking at a normal pace into the industrial sized kitchen.
"Thank you," she whispered, head unburying itself from his chest.
He looked down before setting her on her feet, "For what?"
"For not coming to an abrupt stop. I feared my stomach might have turned me away from food if you did," she answered as she righted her dress.
They began to walk to the double door refrigerator in the black and white space. He nodded in understanding, "All you have to do is tell us that, Amara. We'll always do what you ask with in reason."
"So asking for God hood would be out of the question," she japed.
Caius stopped with his hand on the handle. He turned his head toward her and very seriously asked, "Is that what you truly want?"
She looked at him confused. He can't be serious, could he? She shook her head, "No, its not at all what I want. I don't want to hold any power. I tend to rebel against those in charge if how I look isn't enough of a testament to that."
That made Caius remove his hands from the door and look at her fully. "I would offer you the world, Amara. You only have to ask."
"I would never ask that of anyone. I don't seek power and I find that those who do tend to lead to their own ruin," she stated as she went past him to the fridge and opened it. "Besides can you really see me ruling fairly?"
"Yes," he said without hesitation.
"Then we really don't know each other well enough yet," she said with a shrug of her shoulders.
Looking with in the cool space, Amara pulled out some ingredients for a simple sandwich. She didn't feel like cooking a large dish just for herself today.
"What are you doing," he asked looking at what she grabbed.
"I'm just going to make a sandwich," she said with her arms full.
"No, you'll eat real food. Here," he grabbed what she had and went around her to replaced it inside. He began to grab items out of the refrigerator before telling her to have a seat at the counter.
"Why?"
"Because I am going to cook for you," he said, going over to the cabinet to grab anything else he needed.
She snorted, "You? Cook for me? Can you even cook?"
He turned and glared at her, "Of course I can, Amarantha."
He said her full name meaning he didn't appreciate her questioning his skills. "Not every vampire knows how to cook, but I never lost the skill.
"Here's something else you don't know about me that you might not like. My wife and I have taken many human lovers throughout the centuries. I've cooked for every single one of them. They never complained," he shared in hopes she wouldn't be disgusted by it.
He's hand human lovers? She was shocked. She couldn't picture him having the patience for humans, let alone her. So she was honest, "I didn't think you'd be patient enough for any human lovers."
He shrugged as he pulled out a pan, "Not all of them lived very long."
Her eyes widened at that statement. Amara didn't know how she felt about that. How many lovers did they have? How many survived? It was a little morbid to think about it. "So what? Did you just decide to have a snack when y'all were done with them?"
"You could say that," he said while turning the stove on and placing ingredients in the pan, hearing a sizzle as he did.
"And I won't be one of those," she asked doubtfully.
Caius stirred the food letting the flavors of what he added in the pan meld together. Satisfied he zoomed across the room to where she stood and bent down to her level, "You'll never be just a lover to me, Amara. You're my mate, it's completely different."
"How so," she truly wanted to know the difference.
He turned to the food on the stove and went back to it, "You'll understand better once you've been turned, but I will say that it's like a piece of my being had been missing till I found you in our throne room. No one before then ever made me feel complete."
Amara stared at his back watching as he stirred what was in the pan before adding some, what looked like fresh pasta and covering it with a lid. "We have five minutes till it's ready. Anything else you'd like to discuss?"
"What I don't completely understand is that if we, as in all four of us, are meant for each other then why do I also find women attractive," Amara coming out to Caius almost wrecked her nerves. She hadn't told anyone yet and the only one that knew that she was also into women was Aro. Luckily he had yet to use her bisexuality against her.
Caius' brows raised, "Do you mean-"
"That I'm bisexual? Yes."
He shrugged and laughed, "It's perfectly normal. If you think all my lovers were women than you're mistaken, cara mia."
It was Amara's turn to raise her brows. She didn't imagine that he would be so open with her or accepting about it considering how jealous he was. "So does this mean even though we are mated there will be others allowed within our...," 'bed,' she found herself trailing off not fully wanting to say what she was thinking. She didn't believe she just admitted to it being their bed even if it was just to herself. She also didn't want to admit she had thought about him sexually even though she has had many dreams about all three men in her life.
"Cat got your tongue, Amara," he smirked at her, causing her to blush, "In our bed? Is that that you're asking?"
She could only nod through her embarrassment. Where did her confidence go? How could she so readily admit it to him, but not herself.
"I figured once you've been turned you'll notice that you won't want anyone else, but if the need for other people is still there I don't see any of us objecting to bringing in another female into our bedroom," he fully eyed her causing her to squirm under his scrutiny.
She bit her lip before quickly adding, "This is all figurative by the way. I'm not saying that I've thought about... Nevermind."
"Mhmm, of course, Amara," he turned back to the pan and removed the lid, "Go take a seat, I'll bring it to you."
Amara smelt the air and sighed as she walked over to the small table set to the side of the room. Whatever he was cooking smelt delicious and made her mouth begin to water. She sat down as she watched him grab an oval plate and begin to dish the food onto it. Before serving it to her, he garnished it with what looked like fresh basil and grabbed utensils for her. He came over to a small table and set the food in front of her.
"Buon appetito."
In a flash he left and came back with two bottles, one green, the other black, and two wine glasses. He placed a glass in front of her and poured a rich colored wine into it.
Amara looked from the wine to what looked to be a simple dish of pasta with a red sauce. She grabbed her fork and dug into what could possibly be her new favorite thing to eat. If her taste buds could sing there would be a choir going on in her mouth. She resisted the urge to pig out and ate like a lady in front of him.
After her third bite she picked up the wine glass to take a sip. The bitter sweet taste melded well with the savory flavor from the pasta. She couldn't help the sound of contentment that slipped from her mouth at the combination. What she didn't realize was that it sounded like a moan to Caius.
He watched her eat a little of what he made before pouring himself a drink of what was in the opaque black bottle. A thick, deep red liquid filled his glass as he heard her. He stopped pouring his drink almost immediately and his eyes darted back to her. A look of bliss was etched onto her features which Caius' eyes drank in and would store in his memory. He wanted to make more sounds to spill from her lips.
Amara opened her eyes she had let close from savoring the taste of the food and drink to find Caius frozen looking at her face. "Do I have something on my face," she asked in earnest.
He blinked once hoping his dilated pupils went unseen by her. Giving her a small smile, he purred, "No, Amarantha."
She licked her lips at the sound of her name coming from his mouth. The way he said it like it was a prayer caused her to shift in her seat. She still debated within herself as to why she felt so eager to be dominated by him again. She mentally wasn't prepared for it, but physically her body screamed for him.
She quickly darted her eyes from him back to the food. In a small voice, "This is really good by the way."
His red eyes pierced her as he took a drink from his glass, "I am humbled that you like it."
She placed another bit in her mouth before noticing he was drinking what appeared to be wine in his glass. She thought back to a conversation she had with Marcus. Swallowing before speaking, "How are you drinking wine? I thought y'all couldn't eat or drink human food."
"It is not exactly what you think, Amara," he took another sip.
She squinted her eyes before widening them, "Is that blood?"
"Partly," he set his glass down, "It's a blood wine that I've made over the years."
"Hm," she nodded before going for another bite of her food.
"You're not disgusted," he asked.
"Why should I be? Are you disgusted with me eating," she asked nonchalantly after swallowing her bite.
"Most humans would be disturbed by this, Amara," he said while studying her.
"I am not like most humans, Caius," Amara shrugged.
"I must remember that," he picked up his glass.
They continued to eat and drink, conversing throughout the meal. Amara found herself actually liking Caius a little. He didn't seem like the pompous asshole that she originally thought he was. He was quite easy going, she learned more about him. He found enjoyment in the arts, but wasn't musically inclined. Even with the best tutors he was unable to ever learn to play an instrument. He had met many of the famous artists over the years of his eternal life. He owned a lot of their artworks which he wanted to show her on another day. He spoke of his history of how he and Athenadora came across Aro and Marcus when he was a young vampire. How they joined to become a powerful coven. When they overthrew the ruling vampires at the time and became the powerful coven. Why there are certain laws in effect.
Amara shared about some of her past. She tried focusing on only the good happy moments, but it was hard because her mind gravitated to the negative ones a lot. She was telling him of how she made her best friend by threatening to poke his eye out with a paper clip if she wasn't first in line as a kid. They remained friends even after she moved; they just hadn't talked as often as she had liked. There was also a time before she understood what stealing was so she had let her sister "borrow" candy from the store by putting it down her pants. She was caught with the candy in her pants at home and got punished severely for it while her sister got away from any punishment by pretending to use the restroom when their parents were dealing out the repercussions. She spoke of her horrible time in school, but how music and art were her saving grace and without them she didn't know where she would be.
All the while the wine kept flowing till both bottles were emptied of their contents. The conversation turn joval before changing into light teasing. They seemed to be comfortable with each other after spending time speaking to the other.
Amara wasn't sloshed, but she would say she was pretty tipsy. She tended not to drink like she used to so drinking a whole bottle of wine had her feeling a certain way. As she downed the last sip from her glass Amara looked at Caius differently. Like she truly saw a man slightly insecure with himself for a lack of better term, who is also certain about things about himself. She found him to be a conundrum and it intrigued her.
Caius hesitated to grab her hand from across the table to wish Amara saw. She felt the courage to extend her hand and place it on his due to the alcohol running through her veins. She smiled at him, "Thank you for tonight. It has been surprisingly more pleasant than I could ever imagine."
"Oh, do I not seem like a pleasant person to you," he asked while reversing their hands. He held her hand palm up while his other came to lightly tickle it.
A shiver ran through her body from the pleasing sensation. She looked from their hands to his face, "Well if I'm honest, at first I didn't think you were. You've proven me wrong."
"Good. This is one of the many times I'll like proving you wrong," he admitted with a smirk.
"Don't go ruining the mood," she muttered with a forced pout. He took one look at her dead pan causing her pout to turn into a giggle.
"I'd never ruin a mood," he leaned in, "I'm not Aro."
That only caused her giggle to turn to a full laugh. She shook her head, "Well ain't that the truth."
They sat it a comforting silence before he stood with a sigh. "I should get you to your room for the night."
She began to stand only to find her legs were a little wobbly. She almost fell over, but Caius was there in an instant to catch her. Giggling out a, "Whoops," Amara straightened her posture.
"Maybe I should carry you back," he suggested.
She cocked her head to the side and said boldly, "You just want to put your hands on me."
He took an unnecessary breath in and released it as he said, "Guilty, but who could blame me when someone as beautiful as you are my intended."
She blushed, ignoring the feeling of pride being who she was. Not everyone her size is comfortable being big. Not everyone finds people accepting of it either. Trying not to seem distracted by the compliment she quickly smarted off, "Oh, so you only like me for my looks, huh?"
He stepped closer to her causing her heart to pitter-patter against her chest. He leaned down to her ear, ghosting his lips against it, "Lets just say your looks are a bonus."
Caius didn't ask for permission to pick her up this time causing her to wrap her arm around his neck. He just did it, mindful of her dress and arm. He didn't want to flash off what was underneath to anyone, but maybe his brothers. If he were human he wouldn't have heard her say, "Please go slow."
He could have groaned at the image of her underneath him saying the very same thing. He decided he would just walk a human pace back to her room which would take them a while, but at least he would have more time with her. Caius enjoyed having her so close to him. She made him feel a warmth inside himself that he could quickly become addicted to.
As he walked along the corridors they passed very few people which made Amara feel more comfortable in his arms. She shifted slightly in his arms and decided to do something against her normal persona. She leaned further in and whispered breathily in his ear, "I wondered how slow you'd be willing to go. I just didn't know it would be this slow."
That made his nonexistent feathers bristle. What was she implying? His eyes rolled down to her as her bottom lip became trapped between her teeth. Was she trying to make him pounce her in this hallway? If she was he wouldn't stop. He wouldn't go slow either.
Deciding to return the favor, "Cara mia, I will go faster than any man's gone if you give me a chance to."
Her flustered face grew even more red with heat. She was loosing this battle just thinking how he had taken her against that wall the first time. She moaned his name causing him to come to a stop at the base of the spiral staircase.
He almost set her feet down, backed her against the wall and fuck her for all to hear. He took a few steps up the stairs before he purred back her full name causing her to squirm in his hold. So he was having an effect on her. He could help the smirk on his face. He sniffed the air inhaling her sweet scent. He could get lost in it.
Continuing up the stairs at a quicker human pace, Caius needed to get her to her room as quickly as possible before he lost himself to her. He bounded up the stairs taking two to three steps at a time with his long legs. Gliding up the overly long stairway. It took no time for him to be met with Felix on the outside of her room, expecting her back.
Amara looked around and noticed they were back at the entrance of her room. She noticed Felix and gave him a nod of her head before disappearing behind the door still in Caius' arms. He got her near the center before slowly setting her down.
She stood still on her legs allowing herself to be accustomed to standing again. She held on to him for fear of falling. Caius looked down at her exposed neck and was tempted to lean down and place a kiss there, so he did. Amara released a soft moan from the touch of his lips on her skin, not fighting his advance.
He growled at her reaction grabbing her hands that fisted within his jacket. She turned her head to the side to give him better access to her neck. Caius groaned, "Amara, I need to leave before I do something we'll both regret in the morning."
With the liquid courage pumping through her veins, she looked up at him with sultry eyes and answered, "I won't regret it. Don't leave."
He held her hands before gently forcing them off his jacket. Continuing to hold them he looked her in the eye and stated, "You do not know what you ask for."
"Yes I do. I want you to stay with me tonight. I want to feel you again," she spoke with determination.
Caius bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from pouncing on her in her inebriated state. He tilted her head up a little more before bending down. He whispered an inch from her lips, "You are drunk. I would be taking advantage of you in this state."
"I'm not drunk. Tipsy maybe, but not drunk," she countered.
He was quickly loosing his battle over himself with her. "Amarantha, I will not sleep with you when alcohol is involved. Please don't ask me to do it."
She pouted, but understood why. She just didn't give up easily though. She stared from his lips to his eyes, "May I have a kiss before you leave then?"
Caius felt a wave of venom pour into his mouth at the question. 'What harm came from a simple kiss,' he asked himself. He wouldn't hold back how he felt. Hesitating only a second before crashing his lips to hers in a passionate kiss, Caius began to back her up. What he didn't expect was the intensity of the kiss was returned to him. He released a groan when he felt her bite his bottom lip. He opened his mouth to allow their tongues to tangle with each other. When the back of her legs met with the back of her bed she almost fell backwards onto it if it weren't for the grip he had on her hands.
He gently released her lips from their kiss and looked at her. Her eyes were closed and her lips were red and pouty from the kiss. He released her hands and brought one of his up to trace those sinful lips. Amara turned her head and kissed his palm causing him to smile. He let his hand fall down to her chest and rest where her heart was racing.
"You know friends don't tend to kiss friends," he whispered in her ear with a smirk now on his lips.
"They also don't tend to have sex before becoming friends," she said not missing a beat.
"True," he stated and they both laughed.
"I really did enjoy myself tonight," Amara said while her eyes remained half lidded from desire.
"So did I," Caius said, dipping down and capturing her lips for one final kiss before pulling back, "Now I must leave before I throw you on this bed and have my way with you."
"Don't be a tease," she pouted.
Another laugh rumbled from his chest, "I am not the tease in this situation, cara mia. You are."
She shook her head, "Nope you are. You kissed me first."
"You're the one who offered for me to fuck you," he replied in a deep sultry voice.
She bit her lip and whimpered before saying a simple, "Please."
"No, Amarantha, not tonight. I promise we will have many more nights for you to try to seduce me."
She shook her head with a smile on her face, "It is you who has seduced me, Caius. Not the other way around."
"We'll agree to disagree then," he took a step away from her only for her to take one back toward him. He stopped her before shaking his head no. "Don't be a naughty girl, Amara. You need to sleep off the wine and if you feel the same in the morning we'll discuss this further."
She blushed before caving, "Fine, but no promises on not being bad."
He began to walk slowly away from her, each footstep becoming harder and harder to take away from his mate. "Wait," she called out, causing him to stop and turn to her.
"What about my book," she asked, clearly not having forgotten he had taken it from her.
"I'll bring it back to you tomorrow if you're willing to spend more time together," Caius suggested.
She nodded, "I expect you to be here bright and early then."
He gave a nod of his head before heading out the door. They both sighed once the other was out of sight. Caius zoomed off to his office while Amara plopped herself on her bed. She couldn't believe she just had a pleasantly good night with the brooding vampire. She touched her lips and smiled at the ghost of his lips still there. Could she possibly be over the way he had acted toward her? Maybe, she would have to find out when the alcohol no longer coursed through her body.
Releasing another sigh she stood from the bed and made her way to the bathroom. She prepared for bed before putting on a song that helped lull her busy mind to sleep. The lyrics helped calm her beating heart down.
'Come up to meet you, tell you I'm sorry
You don't know how lovely you are
I had to find you, tell you I need you
Tell you I set you apart
Tell me your secrets and ask me your questions
Oh, let's go back to the start'
Was the very last thing she heard before drifting off.