Part 1

We were waiting for our next train when Alec got the call.

He answered in English, but whatever the person on the other line said sent his eyes directly to mine. So, he switched to a language I didn't recognize and turned to Prosper.

I tried to look at Prosper for answers, but his laugh had also disappeared. He was watching Alec intently, a soldier waiting for an order. Prosper's command came in the form of a black credit card and brief instructions before he hurried away from us.

I groaned, frustrated with Alec's deliberate attempt to keep me in the dark. His eyes returned to mine through the dark sunglasses and he knew I wasn't pleased. He offered neither an apology nor an excuse, simply shoving the phone back into his pocket and returning to me. "Get your bag," he told me before reaching down and throwing it over his own shoulder anyways.

"What's going on?"

"Your ticket," he requested. I reached into my pocket and handed over the bent, stamped slip of paper. He placed it over his and discarded them in the bin a few steps away.

My jaw dropped. "Why would you—"

Alec took my hand, and when I tried to pull it away, he held it tighter. "Stay close and keep your head down." He didn't wait for me to agree, just pulled me into the throng of people. The dominant language around us had changed from Italian to French. I'd missed being able to understand at least half of what people were saying, rather than none of it. In our haste, however, none of it registered.

We passed the front desk kiosks, heading against the crowd to a less occupied end of the station that was roped off. A single security guard stood in front of it, a woman scanning a couple's tickets. As we approached, I wanted to tell Alec what a shame it was he ripped up our tickets. Because there was no way this lady was letting us through.

That is, until she let us through with a giggle after only a sentence from him. Right. I'd forgotten who I was with.

Alec's hand had switched to my lower back as soon as we left the guard behind us. The platform behind the roped guard was identical to the other, only fewer people waited for their trains. Though I wasn't able to take much more in at the pace Alec was going. He glared around the platform as if they were all potential threats and finally stopped us off at a bench at the furthest end.

His hand left my body and he placed the bag on a bench behind me. Immediately, he pulled the phone back out and began dialling another number. As he placed the phone to his ear, I questioned him again.

"Alec, who are you calling? What's going on?"

He responded in Italian before I realized he was speaking to whoever he had just called, and ignoring me. I glared at him, growing increasingly miffed. I waved my hand to smack him lightly in the chest as a response. Without looking at me, he caught my hand and brought it to his lips before I managed to pull it away. My chest fluttered. Prat.

Prosper joined us a minute after. He passed Alec two newly purchased tickets, holding his own in his other hand as he returned a black platinum card to his inside jacket pocket. I frowned at the exchange. Prosper then said something in Italian, but Alec didn't respond to him either. I looked at Prosper, assuming he would offer me the answers Alec was too distracted to give. "Where are we going?"

Prosper's focus switched to me. "Croatia." I frowned in confusion. We'd only just arrived in France. Alec's phone call was obviously the game-changer, but I wanted to know why we were suddenly turning around to head in the opposite direction.

"I thought the Cullens were American?"

Alec spoke up, blocking the speaker on his phone and commenting snidely, "did you previously assume we were taking a train to America?"

To be honest, I hadn't considered the geographical impossibility and as a result, I had no idea of our previous final destination. Though we'd just crossed into the French border, they had given me the impression that we still had quite a journey ahead of us. It was astounding to me how easily I relinquished control to the two men, considering my usual response to similar attempts.

"Why Croatia?" Prosper hesitated. Immediately after making eye contact with me, his eyes flickered to Alec in an all too familiar pattern.

My jaw dropped and I turned a disdainful glare onto the nuisance of the hour. "Seriously?"

Alec drawled lazily, snapping his phone closed. "It is not a secret, Saffiya."

"Then, why does Prosper need your permission to tell me?"

"He was given no such direction." Alec corrected, turning around to grab my bag from the bench. "Time to go."

They took only two steps until they realized I was not following them. I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Saffiya. Now."

"No."

Alec's jaw set and nerves started to bubble in my stomach. He turned back to Prosper, practically tossing my rucksack at him. Prosper retreated towards the train without even glancing at me. I briefly reconsidered changing my mind, thinking that of all the times to challenge Alec, this might not be the best one. But, I was already committed.

"Tell me what's going on."

"You're behaving like a child," he snapped. His shoulders tensed but he was gentle as he took my hand again, "On the train—"

I shook my head. "That's not good enough." I tugged my hand back but Alec's returned to grip my elbow. The gentler approach having failed, he had me trapped. He fixed me with a hard stare and I did my best to send back one just as intimidating. I came up with the best threat I could. "I'll scream."

He leaned in, his voice low as he delivered his warning. He hadn't looked at me the way he was now since the night we'd met. I thought he was going to drag me to the train to make a point. "Unless you would like to be responsible for the lives of every human on this platform, you will not dare." Alec's voice was lethal and familiar eyes burned into mine. I'd seen him do far worse for much less. And no matter how much of a hurry we were in, I was sure he'd make time for it just for me. I felt my resolve falter as I accepted that he wasn't lying. Alec saw this and I could feel a spark of fire in my veins at the smug look he adopted.

He released my arm and turned away, expecting me to follow as if he'd tamed me. I had nothing but spite running through me. I took a deep breath and opened my mouth to fulfil my threat. The growing scream was thwarted before it had a chance to break into the world. Alec's hand was against my mouth, stifling the sound. I stumbled back and his other hand caught me at my waist. I was pulled flush against him and I gasped at the impact, the sound still blocked. My eyes widened as he stared me down with a snarl.

"Must you always challenge me?"

I was in over my head. That was all I could think as I was reminded of the reason I had first believed him to be cruel. This was Alec. An Alec I was well-versed in and that I had grown to accept despite his worst qualities. He responded to me with misplaced, defensive anger, as if my defiance were hurting him. But, he couldn't intimidate me into getting what he wanted anymore. I was prepared to fight back.

I did my best to hold my ground, and convince him that I was solid on it. As his hand fell, I took advantage, "tell me."

He growled lowly at me, but relented. "Carlisle Cullen's residence is no longer safe." My lips parted. I expected him to have forced me onto the train before I received a complete answer on my terms. I was not prepared for a resolute willingness to answer the question he had refused to acknowledge only seconds ago.

Alec searched my eyes for recognition of the potential calamities of what he disclosed. "I know you have questions, but I need you to trust me."

I nodded slowly.

Alec's arm remained around my waist as he hurried us to join Prosper at the train. Prosper was speaking with the conductor, who quickly ushered us on board the train. Alec entered first, helping me up the stairs behind him as Prosper followed. There was no luggage cart at the entrance and the only direction for us to go was through a tiny hallway. There were only two doors along the wall as far as I could tell. Alec stopped in front of the second one, quickly sliding it open.

We'd only just purchased the tickets, and yet the Volturi name was scrawled elegantly on a matte black card in the slot under the compartment number. I'd never been on a train that had assigned seating like this, and as soon as I stepped inside, I knew why.

"Are we in the right place?"

Prosper frowned at me in confusion, sliding the door shut. "You didn't think we'd be sitting among the humans, did you?"

"I thought we'd be in a compartment, like the last trains."

"Technically," Prosper corrected me with a light humour, "it's a suite."

The 'suite' was the epitome of luxury and wasted wealth.

When my father happened to be conning a wealthy widow, I'd had the opportunity to stay in penthouses, a duke's manor, and a castle. (That is, if Cinderella's castle at the Disney theme park qualified). Even with these experiences, I had yet to encounter a room that was almost too grand. And yet, the suite was roughly the size of three normal compartments, complete with a full bath, a tea cupboard, and an entire bed.

To the right of the entrance, an L-shaped couch was built into the walls. Clothed in velvet, this lounge area was distinguished from the other side by the placement of a small dining table built into the wall. With two chairs on either side, the top of the table was occupied by two champagne glasses and an ice bucket with a bottle of champagne inside. The sleeping area on the opposite side was dominated by the lavish four poster double bed. The area was designated by an archway of hand crafted wood. It was likely to remain untouched for the better part of our journey.

"You guys really are the mob. Immortal mobsters."

Prosper laughed, "I've never thought of it that way."

"Seriously…champagne? You guys can't even drink it."

"It's unlimited — and free."

I rolled my eyes, mocking the amenity. "Shame."

"Prosper." Both Prosper and I spun our heads to Alec. He was leaning back against the table, looking a way I could only describe as sober. "I must to speak with my mate." My eyes snapped to his with the title.

I didn't argue against Alec's request, letting Prosper pass by me. I watched him leave and my eyes stared into the empty space left behind him as the sliding door shut.

The lighthearted mood Prosper and I had started to initiate left with him.

I wasn't sure whether I was upset with Alec or not. Still a bit put-off by his behaviour, I couldn't help but feel that more important matters were at hand. After all, I'd been waiting for this for a long time. Alec waited until I checked in with him.

"Carlisle and his coven received a visit from two vampires claiming to be soldiers of The Resistance."

Alec had said Razin was recruiting newborns and nomads, but the Cullens were an established coven. One familiar with the Volturi, despite the generally recent events and almost war. It was a bold move, but I struggled to label it as reckless when Razin had previously made moves that dawned similar labels of assumed weakness.

Alec claimed his own seat across from me, turning the chair at the in-suite dining table around to face me. I couldn't help but wish he'd taken a seat beside me instead.

"What did they want from him?"

"Loyalty. Carlisle claimed a stance of neutrality in Razin's so-called 'war'. But, he believes they are still being watched. " I nodded, indicating that I was still listening without interrupting. "Half of his coven will remain in Forks. The others, under the guise of," he rolled his eyes, "'spring breaking', are traveling to their property in Croatia. Where we will join them. This is all I know."

I shifted back into the cushioned back of the pull-out couch behind me. Had these so called 'soldiers' visited Carlisle with the knowledge that we were on our way? Or was it simply a coincidence that the Volturi's newest growing enemy had sought an alliance with the Cullens not a day before our arrival?

"Now you know."

My head snapped up. He was studying me again, unwavering and with a stony expression. Apparently, his courage kicked in before mine as he took the opportunity to address what was our inevitable, but daunting discussion. Now that we were alone, there was no prolonging our unfinished conversation and as eager as I was for answers, a rush of nerves spread throughout my body at his words. I wanted to hear what he had to say, but pushing the what ifs aside was an unexpectedly difficult task. I challenged myself to match his nerve.

Unconsciously, I touched the artery near my collarbone. I knew what he was asking. "I've known for a while now…" The blood singer secret was one of the first I'd learned. I'd completely forgotten that Alec had no idea it had already been spilt.

Alec's eyes flickered to my lips before the bright red returned to hold mine. "What inspired the conversation?"

I thought back, taking my bottom lip between my teeth and avoiding his eyes. "It might have had something to do with the," I cleared my throat. The riotous laughter that had overtaken our friends at the discovery was a distinct difference as I now returned to the topic with Alec. Just thinking the word frightened my nerves. Saying the sentence out loud was mortifying, perhaps even more so than the first time I'd tried to shame him for it. "The hickey you gave me."

The smug grin that had already spread across his face would have made it worse, if not for the roughish spark across his irises. His defence was smooth, with the lilt of a lullaby. "At your request." Technically, I did tell him to bite me. His reminder of this sent the briefest bolt of lightning into my chest before I forced myself to stay on earth.

I scoffed, the memory bringing back the unresolved, harmless irritation I'd hidden the naivety behind. "The topic wouldn't have come up if you'd refrained from giving me a visible mark for anyone to see."

In a tone of apology, Alec crafted his response with a husky descent. "Next time, I will not be so careless."

His words forced my eyes to drop to his lips. My chest tightened at the implication. Next time. I couldn't even sputter a response. My efforts to keep myself together were brushed aside with the ease of a feather in the air. My pulse was racing and the butterflies erupted, fluttering furiously in the pits of my stomach. Their response unbridled, as if they might escape at any second. Like holding your stomach after laughing too hard for too long. Too much. He was too much for me.

I became aware of just how close he actually was, and yet far enough that reaching out would make no difference. Somehow, it was worse without his touch. It was the build up of a desire so strong it became a necessity. I could find no reprieve in it until I found air again. I glanced back up.

That damn smirk.

He paused, no doubt listening to the pounding of my heart that even I was able to track. Not a word was said until my pulse slowed and I could no longer identify it. Nothing was said to acknowledge how he'd driven me to a near heart attack with a single sentence. Honestly, 'heart attack' was too medical. There was no thesaurus sufficient enough to find a word to describe his effect on me. It was unfair, his ability to impact physiological changes in me that I, myself, was physically incapable of managing. Without missing a beat, Alec continued casually,

"I suppose I am grateful to them," he admitted. Though his smile dropped as he clenched his jaw with the reminder that Demetri and Felix had overstepped their bounds. He must not have had a chance to chew the two mischief brewers out for divulging an early secret. Felix really HAD been pushing his luck in the car. "Even now, I am unsure of how to begin."

I had the unfortunate luck to be in the same position. Although, I wasn't the one that would be doing most of the talking in this conversation. He had answers to questions I wouldn't even know to ask. It was all on him.

Alec took a seat on the L part of the couch, leaving a comfortable amount of space between us. But my knees would just barely touch his if I moved to the edge of my seat. He took in this break, his light hearted demeanour still present but now being driven by a heavy return of his more serious disposition.

"How much do you know?"

I gave the question some thought before responding. "I know it translates to blood singer, that it is a near uncontrollable desire."

I'd equated the definition to the Greek myth of the sirens. Women that had come to be portrayed in the modern era as having the appearance of mermaids. Beautiful women, that sung songs so enchanting that they lured sailors at sea to their deaths. Whether it was included in the tales retold to me as a child or it was merely an idea created by my imagination, I'd always believed the sirens consumed the men. I never questioned what parts of the men were a part of the diet, if they were roasted over a fire or swallowed whole. I only accepted the story as it was. Now, I could see only one possible answer. And the women no longer appeared to me as mermaids.

"They said that every time you're with me, there is an incessant, innate yearning to drink my blood." A phrase I was sure I'd never be comfortable saying out loud. Not a stranger to the phrasing, Alec only nodded, though he swallowed as I continued. Perhaps we should have considered a chaperone for this conversation. Not for my peace-of-mind, but for his. I hesitated, before asking, "just how difficult is it? For you to be near me?"

I knew he supposedly had hundreds of years of practice, but if the want for my blood was really so strong then the guy deserved a medal. After all, we'd spent quite a bit of time together in sequestered rooms, most of which he made the willing decision to enter on his own. Not to mention the times we'd been even closer…

"I could smell it before we'd even entered the city."

It. My blood.

His chest stilled as the memory flooded him, withholding air as a precaution while discussing this specific subject matter and its' accessibility. I wanted nothing more than to ease the stress it brought him, but any attempt to do so at the moment would be more counterproductive than helpful.

"When I threw those men from you it was not to save your life, but to end it." His words had lost their warmth. Alec shifted, eyes scanning me now with the calculated gaze of a jungle cat as he leaned forward. I countered the move, an unanticipated act of self-preservation.

His move was purposeful. Conniving if not for a shimmer of pain in his eyes. A shimmer behind the all too familiar wall he'd built, the return of which was self-sabotage. As if he wanted this admission to taint the way I saw him. Like he was trying to scare me. Of course, this could all be in my head. It was unreasonable to assume he would want to push me away when so much progress had been made. I hadn't been truly terrified by him since the first week we met. Even witnessing the display of his gift on a helpless being provided a fear response to his gift, but not of him. Not that he would know. To him, he and his gift were one and the same.

He blinked and his head turned sharply to the window. The brief glimpse of his predatory nature had vanished, a mere millisecond in time. I must have imagined it.

"Why didn't you?" It was a question I had asked him once before, in a haze of devastation and fury that would have judged any answer he might have given to be worthless. Now, I asked for confirmation.

Yet still, he provided me with no answer and it dawned on me that he may not have one.

Alec had gone quiet, staring out at the countryside racing past us. The darkness of a cloudy night obstructed my vision, but of course did no such disservice for him. It was the first time he had looked out of the window for anything but a quick glance for a threat. As if an attacking vampire would barrel straight through our cabin window as the train sped along the tracks. Unlikely as it was, he had made it clear that we would be taking no chances - giving my curiosity a healthy boost of reality.

I couldn't get a read on him, not in the way I usually could. The glare of crimson reflected off of the window like the flash of a camera. I tilted my head, trying to get a clearer look at him. At the inconsistency in the transitions he was working through. Perhaps he was searching for his words.

I took a breath.

He indulged in another few seconds before tearing his eyes from the passing scenery. I took note of the change in his expression - eyebrows furrowed and lips tightly pressed together, conflicted and reluctant.

"I never wanted a mate." I had to admit, the admission stung. I tried not to acknowledge it, but Alec appeared to observe a reaction in me because his hand twitched forward as if to reach out. He caught himself, resting it on his knee. "I did not think I needed one." I kept my focus on his fist, firmly pressed , against his thigh. His distraction allowed his words go unchecked. Their deliberate annunciation prolonged their reveal, begging me to read them. I gave in. The sincerity in the echo of his voice was unbearable and I could no longer pretend that he had no effect on me. Because he did. He absolutely did. "I was wrong."

The air I'd taken in was cut in half and my individual breaths became short lived. I had the capacity to retain more air, but I didn't have it in me to take it. A side effect of the pounding ache in my chest, the entrance of my ill-prepared heart. Each beat with its' own rhythmic drum. I was sure each one could be visibly counted through my ribcage. The pressure in my ears followed as the blood in my veins caught up, overtaking my senses as they wished. In the past, I'd have rebelled, and did rebel, against any such exhibition of power over me. Twice now, as cluttered as the feeling was, I mourned the day the drum would cease.

Alec pushed back the hair that had fallen just short of his eyelashes. "It is true that I did not handle this revelation with the highest quality of grace." I snorted and he sent me an unarmed glare.

"Your behaviour did not ease the weight of the challenge. You were this little human. Arrogantly unaware of your place in the world. Everything I despised about humans. Fearless…fragile…" He trailed off, until his eyes checked in with mine. "Every dispute, every defiant act you engaged in highlighted your existence and tempted the bloodlust." His jaw clenched indelicately. "Hundreds of years and I lost my temper with the barbarous manner of a newborn."

I'd been told that he'd never let slip even the slightest reaction, no hint of emotion since his newborn stage to anyone but a select few. My arrival disrupted this. Until me, the explanation for this had been calculated by weighing his twin as his opposite. Jane was brash, so of course her brother had to be subtler. As if he and Jane had split a generalised list of personality attributes between them. They made the idea that Jane had gotten all of the feelings the twins could ever have normal. Using it to explain away her fits and tantrums. Emotion, as if it were exclusive.

"I became…" In that moment, my brain plugged in the word it believed he was going to use. Afraid. But he could never admit something like that. Alec Volturi wasn't afraid of anything. "Wary of the consequences if I could not control it."

His eyes flickered to my upper arm, the bruises he'd left far gone and forgotten from my skin as much as they were from my memory. My injury was not what I thought of when I recalled that first night. I'd forgiven him and moved past it, but apparently he had not.

Pieces of the puzzle began to fly into place. "Which is why you avoided me…"

"At first, my sister would watch over you in my place." Which would explain why Jane would show up at my door unannounced, let herself in, and impatiently wait for me to politely offer a game of chess. "When Prosper lost you—"

"When I ran away from Prosper," I corrected him. Alec grunted, trying not to argue back. He chose to focus on his narrative and didn't argue the point.

"I was forced to consider a great deal of factors that endangered your life. Your blood being the most pressing. Until the Masters alerted me to the additional dangers posed to you, as my mate."

"What kind of dangers?"

He seemed to flinch and his eyes became apologetic. "Jane and I have made more enemies than friends in this life…" I knew, of course, of his involvement in the war against the Romanians. But just how many vampires had declared an enemy out of the twins? "I believe Jane also wishes to be a part of that discussion." I nodded, giving him permission to continue with a promise that we would revisit the topic at a later time.

He kept on, "I believed you would be safest if you continued to fear me. If you did not know we were mated, if we were not together, there would be little reason for our enemies to suspect. Even the lower guard had unconfirmed details. With this, you would have been safe from retaliation." He had looked away from me again, and I could feel the weight of the self-inflicted shame he'd drowned himself in. I wanted to touch him, to offer what comfort I could, but I stayed put. "You would be safe from me."

I refrained from reminding him of Zafir, who had spilled the beans about all of this in the first place. Instead, I put a pin in the fact that somehow, the so-called Resistance discovered this well-kept secret before I even suspected. It would have to be a concern for later.

"Only I could not stay away." His face twisted, and he seemed to bite his next words. "And along with this, came the bloodlust.

"To be with you — around you, would require certain precautions to be put into place." It was as if he knew what I was going to ask because he included briefly, "Jane and Heidi made arrangements for additional resources and opportunities for me to hunt outside the city. Before, and often after we were together. Among other, more minor, steps." He didn't go into any more detail.

Their diet was one topic I never had any particular questions on. It wasn't exactly rocket science. Any questions I might have had, were answered within the first ten minutes I met them. You could even say that Alec had offered a demonstration. Which sounded better than saying he drank the life out of some guy so that he wouldn't kill me. The Volturi made no attempt to hide their meal delivery system from me. They did take great care, however, to ensure that I was several floors and locked behind a guarded door whenever they had said meals.

"We were successful for a time, but we had only prepared for a lapse in my actions." Meaning that every time I went off script, all of his hard work was for naught. I was only now able to grasp the gravity of what my little experiment with Jane had triggered. Not to mention the resulting arguments and my second attempted escape that led to Victor Tima's death. I'd always been impulsive, but never before had my recklessness effected anyone else to such an extent. I'd realized this before now, but it continued to be a prominent theme the more I learned.

"Our protective measures were not enough on their own." Alec was, again, reluctant to continue. As if he were still trying to shield me from events he couldn't change. As if once he said the words out loud, shared them with me, there was no going back. "And when you told me you hated me…"

"And I will spend the next thousand years of my life hating you."

It was my turn to shy away. I'd forgotten the gutless, vengeful anger that had controlled me at the beginning of our story. It hadn't lessened, but it was new then. Ravaging everything in its path for the very first time like a natural disaster. A tsunami that warned of worse to come, yet still devastated the land all on its own. Each new encounter between us spurred emotions higher than the ones before.

This specific memory, however, didn't appear to shake him as much as it did me. He was calm, desensitised to its' intrusions into the forefront of his conscience. The fact that he cared enough to mention it, hinted to me that he was still prone to the weight of the emotions these memories carried. We remembered our history differently.

He cleared his throat, as if he couldn't finish the thought. Guilt enveloped my stomach, but I wasn't about to turn inwards. Not anymore. I had too much guilt for decisions that could've been avoided. The most recent of which may as well have slapped me across the face because I'd repeated this claim to him mere hours ago. Again.

I'd always had a particularly high emotional intelligence, making up for the talent I lacked in more valued fields. My understanding of empathy could be challenged when it came to physical pain, though I could fake it well enough. Perhaps it wasn't empathy, but an awareness of it that had made me hyper focused on the experiences of others. I'd never believed I could become so selfishly overwhelmed by my own world, that I forced others to carry my grievances. That I would be known for emotional outbursts of aggression to the point where they had to freaking super glue antique vases down. Had I truly become so awful of a person in such a short amount of time? But more importantly, could I be good again after all of this?

Alec was watching me carefully, as if he could see the thoughts that raced through my mind. "It was the following morning that Carlisle invited me to return with him. In order to seek counsel from his son."

My lips parted as more puzzles pieces were discovered. "And you left…to visit the Cullens."

Alec nodded. I'd put this all together a while ago, but knowing the why made it feel like the truth had truly been uncovered. He had been particularly adamant against sharing this one, which made more sense now. I couldn't particularly blame him for it when considering how it conflicted with everything else we were discussing.

When Alec didn't continue, I realized that we'd come full circle. Back at the castle, he had tried to start with his visit to the Cullens. Edward's theory, he'd said. Which meant that there was more. Everything he'd told me had only been the backstory to what he knew about our greatest obstacle. And I wasn't sure if I was ready to hear it.

"What does this have to do with Edward's theory?"

"La tua cantante is only half of it, tesorina." He let this sink in for me, as if still in fear of my response to everything he had shared so far. After a moment, he spoke again. "You should eat." I shook my head fervently, fearing that if we stopped now the topic would be lost.

"I'm fine."

"An intermission, then?"

"I don't need a break."

He paused, before admitting, "I do." I examined his form, sitting with excellent posture in the chair across from me. Once again, I hadn't helped his maintenance of a controlled exterior attitude. Alec seemed exhausted, the wear and tear prominent only in his eyes. His eyes that revealed far more than he was willing. Far more even than he believed himself capable of.

I blinked before I realized I'd been staring into them, and my heart shivered because he was staring right back. I wet my lips nervously, agreeing to his request.

I nodded. "Alright."

Immediately, Alec stood, returning the chair to its' proper place. He picked up his previously discarded sunglasses from the table.

"Err…where are you going?"

"You have not eaten."

"I'm not hungry." I groaned in annoyance and he shot me a look. We'd had this conversation before.

He shut me down with, "how would you know?" I made sure he'd turned his back before I stuck my tongue out in response. I hate when he's right.

At the Abbey, I relied on the structured schedule of the sisters to remember the tedious tasks. Without hunger pains to distract me, pausing my day to eat was nothing more than an inconvenience. The same went for other natural, everyday behaviours. Now, I loved food as much as the next person. A side effect of hopping from country to country as a child was exposure to various cultural foods. I would eat almost anything you'd put in front of me. That is, if it weren't such a monotonous occasion in the first place.

Alec went to unlock the door, when I saw him move his sunglasses over his eyes.

"You can't wear sunglasses around the train." He raised an eyebrow at me, unconvinced. "You'll look pretentious — and attract attention."

Alec's face scrunched up, and the childlike expression of distaste was incredibly endearing. He huffed, not wanting to give in.

I reminded him, "Prosper's wearing contacts."

Immediately, he let out a low hum that sounded suspiciously like a growl. The comment was a 50/50 gamble. A successful one, I congratulated myself, as he tossed his sunglasses carelessly back onto the table. He slipped past me to pull my backpack from the cubby above us.

He unzipped it and the contents inside was not what I had assumed. I had expected it to be filled with clothing, but it was clear it was Jane who had packed rather than Heidi. The case agent's journal was slipped between two other books. A small sealed bag which I assumed would be toiletries and a few other little things. I found myself hoping she'd slipped my watercolour pencils in, not that I knew if I'd have time or not while we were gone. Some manner of clothing did seem to be packed on the bottom of the bag. But I couldn't make out much more as Alec pulled out a small black case and returned the backpack to its' place.

He mumbled something incoherent to me, eyes bright red. It hadn't been long since he'd had them off, but I still cherished the snapshots of emotion revealed in his off-duty time. I remembered Prosper putting his contacts in with ease in the backseat of the car at the exact moment Alec turned a sharp corner. However, Alec moved past me, shoulders slumped dramatically as he made his way to the bathroom mirror.

I leaned against the bathroom door, watching him use the mirror to guide his movements. I kept quiet, as it took him only a moment before he stood in front of the sliding door again.

"Content?" He wouldn't look at me, but I nodded, observing the murky brown colour of his eyes. I frowned, the recurring desire to know the colour of his eyes when he was human hit me once more. It was such a minuscule detail, but even I knew that was too intrusive a question.

I'd never seen him with contacts in, I realized, even in the club. But then, that didn't seem right. I found it hard to believe his sister would have allowed him to walk among humans without them. The colour of his eyes had been darker, but under the lights I distinctly remembered red. Not that it mattered, anymore.

He'd been so upset that night. While it had ended well enough, my mind dragged me back to our last meeting before it, the one that he had just reminded me of.

"And I will spend the next thousand years of my life hating you."

A thousand years was a long time. As if reading my mind, Alec closed his eyes and turned his head away from me. He slid the door to the side, stepping aside to allow me to pass through first. I didn't move, sharing the doorway space with him instead.

"Alec?" He wouldn't meet my eyes. "I—"

That second, his hand brushed the palm of mine before grasping it in his. The act in itself prepping my heart. With a small tug, he gently encouraged me to take the step that bridged the small gap between us. My breath caught in my throat. Our bodies were inches from each other and I followed his gaze down to my hand cupped in his. His thumb moved slowly back and forth across my palm, but he didn't say anything.

My eyes moved back to his face. A blank expression covered it, either deep in thought or ready to close off. I prayed that it wasn't the latter. When he continued to say nothing, I opened my mouth to try an apology once more.

He dropped my hand suddenly, as if he could sense this. I could feel the breath of his words on my cheek before he slid the door open once more. Alec hummed.

"Not yet, Tesoro."

•~•~•~•

It's been far too long, my friends!

I hope everyone is well and safe. I know Covid numbers are starting to spike again or still haven't come down in many places. Please stay safe. Get vaccinated if you can. We'll get through this.

I had to put this chapter into two parts. I really was loathe to do so, but if anything is confusing or doesn't make sense, hopefully it is due to this. I'm really worried this is a mess of words so please let me know if that's the case. There is certainly a lot going on in this and the next chapter, so hopefully splitting them helps comprehension and reflection.

Otherwise, how y'all feeling?

Thank you all for reading and reviewing and following. I hope this chapter satisfies the need for more updates for the time being! As always, I hope to post soon. Like, really soon for this one. Feel free to ask questions and etc. in a review and I'll answer them at the end of the next chapter! And to let me know what you'd like to see!

I am absolutely positive I had a few important things to include here, but I just want to get this out to you all so badly, I'm blanking. If I remember anything important, I'll post it to my profile!

All's Well,

Ro