Chapter six:
Decisions, Decisions
The time had came to face Aro personally about Bethany and Alec knew that negotiations was never truly in favor of the other person when it came to Aro, Caius and Marcus. Stepping into the meeting room once again, Alec spotted the three leaders sitting in their chairs, briefly discussing the situation that they had within their coven. Once Alec stopped in the middle of the room, a few feet away from the front steps where the leaders sat, Aro turned to place his focus onto Alec. "Alec..." Aro addressed in a soft tone a moment before he stepped slowly down the steps and became face to face with Alec. Of course the situation they had now in the coven was a little tense due to the fact they were to be an example for every vampire individual that were on earth. This was something that Aro, Caius and Marcus would want to keep under wraps as much as possible, but even so, their rules still applied even to themselves regarding humans.
"My dear, sweet Alec...let us discuss the future of your human love. Shall we?" Aro asked, keeping his red eyes on the twin. Alec gave him a firm nod in response, awaiting the time to answer any questions that was required, wanting to be careful as usual to not disobey the leaders of his coven. "Wonderful. What sets this peculiar human apart from the rest?" Aro asked curiously. Alec knew this situation was quite the shock for Aro, especially after having turned down many of his offers for other female vampires or humans around Italy to turn. Alec simply didn't connect with the ones offered and it surprised himself to have found someone like Bethany while doing a mission.
"Bethany is smart, kind and open minded to different cultures...even of our kind. She is also soft spoken with being able to form a firm opinion." Alec explained smoothly. Aro remained attentive to the words and detail that Alec spoke, attempting to find any fault that he could work with to sway Alec to his own ways. "If this...Bethany...is quite smart how positive are you that she will take up the offer of immortality to be your mate? How certain are you that she will not risk exposure of our kind? Follow our rules?" Aro pressed. Alec couldn't promise any of this, not knowing for certain if Bethany would turn or not and if she would accidentally slip up of their kind. But he knew that she was kind and smart to not intentionally do so.
"I'm not certain she will take up your offer to become immortal but I can assure she will not intentionally expose our kind, knowing the seriousness of it." Alec explained. Aro wasn't entirely convinced by his words and knew that it would be a certain dead end if she were to not become a vampire - it was their rules. This thought Aro had convinced him to perhaps, allow Alec to experience turning a human into a vampire instead of only feeding on one or killing one. Through all the centuries they had lived, the twins - Alec and Jane - have yet to turn a human. Aro clasped his hands together in deep though, Alec knowing this meant Aro was thinking deeply about the subject as the room was filled with silence.
Alec felt his cold heart pound lightly, nervous about the decision Aro would make from his explanation of his choice to be with a human, though he knew that this wasn't the same case as it was with the Cullens - Alec wanted to have Bethany turn to prevent not only exposure of their kind but also to prevent any future injury being around vampires. Aro dropped his hands, flashing a rather pleased expression upon his face at the decision he had made, though it was precisely a training session for Alec in Aro's mind - if the human were to successfully turn and be valuable to them, it would be a benefit to Aro and Alec. "I have decided to allow you to continue with Bethany, but you must be the one to turn her into a vampire. I will explain how to do so, but if you are successful, we will allow her to become your mate." Aro explained.
Alec as surprised to hear the decision that Aro had made, making him even more anxious at the thought of now being the one to turn Bethany if she would chose to become a vampire, worried if he would do it correctly or risk physically harming her. Another thought had crossed Alec's mind, wondering what was in it for Aro but pushed that thought to the back of his mind, knowing this was a chance given to him to be able to choose Bethany to be his mate. "I will do so. Thank you." Alec simply replied in a calm tone. Aro read Alec's expression after stating his decision, knowing this would, perhaps, be a challenge for the younger vampire but knew the challenge would be accepted in order to be with her. "We are all excited at the possibility to welcome a new member to our coven. You may go, assist, Miss Bethany now, Alec." Aro urged.
Alec gave a firm nod before leaving the meeting room, heading into the elevator to go back down to the lower level in order to pay a visit to Bethany. Aro watched as he left before turning around to Caius and Marcus, in which Caius seemed to give a slight judgemental look at Aro due to his decision. "Do you assume that was a wise decision? The risk that could be taken with a human--" Caius spewed before his complaints were interrupted by Marcus, while Aro slowly took steps back up to the chairs. "I can only presume... that Aro has something...up his sleeve..." Marcus speculated, noticing Aro's pleased expression as he took his chair once again. Caius curiously looked over, arching a brow at the speculation that Marcus had expressed.
"That I do. This is why I need to speak to an old friend of ours...Eleazar." Aro explained, causing the interest of now both of his co-leaders. Eleazar could determine if a vampire, and even a human if he focused hard enough, would have a special ability or not. "Of course." Marcus remarked, knowing Aro too well to not pass up an opportunity to add an another vampire with a rare ability to the coven. "I surely hope this human is worth our effort." Caius complained. Aro turned to Caius and formed a rather devious smirk upon his pale expression to show his certainty. "We will see, Caius." Aro replied as he waited for Eleazar to arrive.
Alec stepped off of the elevator and headed to the guest bedroom. Alec wanted to mention true fact that he didn't like Felix guarding the hallway of the bedrooms but he didn't want to push Aro to change his mind regarding Bethany. As Alec approached the door, he glanced down the hallway to spot Felix just turn the corner before eavesdropping to listen in on Bethany through the door. There was a lot of sighing and movement in the bedroom which caused Alec to be a little concerned on whether she had thought about the decision.
Placing his pale hand on the doorknob of the bedroom door, Alec brought his other hand and knocked three times against it gently. "Yes?" Bethany asked, voice was of uncertainty. Alec smiled lightly at the tone of her voice and turned the knob, opening the door to step inside the room. "It's just me...just talked to Aro. Have you thought about the possibility of becoming a vampire, like myself?" Alec asked, closing the bedroom door. Bethany watched as Alec stepped inside the room and studied his features, noting his pale skin but also his red eyes like the rest of the Volturi she had noticed. "Uh, a little. Still trying to have this all sink in. Who is Aro anyway? Is he your dad?" Bethany replied, curious on who the person Alec was speaking about.
Alec let out a soft, low chuckle at the term she used to describe Aro - being his dad. "Not necessarily. Aro is the leader of the coven I'm in. He found my sister, Jane and myself in quite the predicament. Caius and Marcus are also our leaders but Aro is the main one who makes the final decisions." Alec explained, walking slowly to one of the chairs before Bethany decided to tap on the empty spot on the bed where she sat, to Alec's surprise. "Oh okay...so this is where you live...where you're from?" Bethany asked, she was wanting to know more about Alec. Alec took a seat on the empty spot of the bed, being careful as he was trying his best to resist the urge to feed as he got closer to her.
Being alone with her being a human worried Alec, he didn't want to accidentally attack her. "Yes and no. I'm not originally from Italy in the sense of my human life..." Alec trailed off. The mix of this blood urge and diving back into his past made it hard to explain, hoping it also wouldn't change her mind about him either. "Tell me about you. Your human life and now, I want know." Bethany pressed, wanting to get to know the vampire. Alec hesitated for a moment, concentrating on gathering his memory and blocking out the sound of her heartbeats echoing in his ears.
"In my human life, I was born and raised in England, 800 A.D. until age of thirteen... the age I'm frozen at physically. My sister Jane and I were known as the 'witch twins' in our village. They suspected we were witches and had harmed three boys in our village. It was a lie but we were outnumbered by those in the village. They tied my sister and I to a stake and planned to burn us alive. Our mother was murdered trying to save us. Jane got so angry at the villagers that it overwhelmed her and I basically suppressed my emotions under a complacent smile before Aro had shown up. Aro killed everyone in the village and took us away from the burning stake, only to turn us into what we are now, vampires." Alec explained, pausing for a moment.
The brief silence had seemed deafening from the depressing story of how Alec and Jane came to be vampires, something he normally didn't want to try to think about. "I wanted no pain, to go numb and Jane wanted to inflict that pain on others. The event of being burned at the stake had only intensified our abilities that we how have as vampires." Alec pointed out. Bethany had found herself interested in the story Alec was telling her and found the idea of a special ability to be intriguing. "I'm sorry that happened to you and your sister.i couldn't imagine going through that." Bethany comforted. Bethany was also surprised to hear how old Alec and Jane were, she had guessed one hundred as a vampire but it was actually twelve times that number.
Alec nodded as he turned his attention onto the portrait of fruit that laid above the fireplace, his mind was on blocking out her heartbeat while eavesdropping on the hallway to make sure nobody was heading to their room. "What abilities? Does everyone get one as a vampire?" Bethany asked curiously. Would this be something that would intrigue Bethany into choosing to be a vampire to be with Alec? It wasn't Alec's intent to sway her mind by telling her about vampiric abilities and special abilities but to show her what his life has been like for centuries. "Every vampire has the basics such as enhanced speed, heightened hearing and increased strength, but not every vampire gets a special ability. It varies on the vampire and their traits when they were human." Alec explained, turning his red eyes back onto Bethany.
The more Bethany listened on, she had gotten curious about the abilities that vampires had, having always thought through the myths that vampires only never aged and drank blood, of course being killed by a wooden stake. "Oh, I see. So do you have a special ability?" Bethany curiously asked. Alec wouldn't mind telling her what his was, but has to think whether or not to reveal the abilities of the others in his coven. "Yes. I have Sensory Deprivation." Alec replied. Alec knew that his ability was rare and that it was feared by most vampires that knew about it, which kept him confident and kept Aro equipped. "What is that exactly? I know that it's depriving something but what?" Bethany asked.
Alec knew there was no way around to sugar coating the details of his ability, but at least there was only one other ability that was just as threatening in his coven, which happened to belong to his sister, Jane. "It's the ability to deprive one of their senses. I can take their hearing, sight, smell and touch, useful in battle if it occurs." Alec explained. Bethany was a little intimidated by the fact that Alec was able to do such a thing as rob someone of their senses - this alone caused Bethany to question what the other vampires in the coven had as abilities, especially Aro. "That's pretty intimidating, but it's also pretty neat to have...does your sister have the same ability or does she not have one?" Bethany asked, brushing some of her dark blond hair behind her ear.
"My sister does, she has Pain Illusion...she can cause one to have a mental illusion of burning pain, which feels very real. Nobody wants to mess with Jane, trust me." Alec explained, forming a light smile although his words were quite serious. Bethany was slightly taken back by finding out about Jane's special ability and how she could've experienced it at any time during the trip from Seattle, but luckily she didn't get to. Knowing only two abilities of the entire vampire world had both scared and intrigued Bethany, something she had begun thinking if she would've gotten a special ability if she became a vampire, but there was also a chance she would be just an ordinary vampire.
"Can you show me yours?" Bethany asked curiously. Alec had worried about having to show her what he can do with his ability but he had also feared more on exposing the rest of the coven of their abilities in which he didn't want to do until she would become a vampire at least. "I can...but I have to use it on a living being. I rather not risk using you as a target." Alec explained. Bethany wasn't sure what harm it could do to her for only a mere minute, as long as her senses would come back after. "I don't mind. As long as my senses will come back, unless you prefer to use it on the guard out in the hall?" Bethany suggested.
Of course, Bethany was only teasing but Alec knew it was a high chance for retaliation against him if he misused his ability which caused him to widen his eyes for only a second being caught off guard by the suggestion before easing back to normal. "No, no I cannot do that." Alec implied. Bethany let out a soft laugh at his reaction before ending it with a brief sigh and a smile on her expression. "I'm kidding. I know you can't. But seriously,I want to see - or rather - feel your ability. I'm curious." Bethany replied. Alec figured that she wouldn't drop the topic until he would show her how his ability worked. Caving in, Alec stood up from the bed and faced her, keeping his red eyes on Bethany.
"Fine, I will use my ability on you but please dont..." Alec trailed off in discouragement. Bethany studied Alec with her ice blue eyes, noticing his unease with the action he was about to do. "Don't what?" Bethany asked. Alec kept his arms at his side, glancing down at the floor for only a moment to gather his words before bringing his focus back onto Bethany. "Don't be mad or frightened after experiencing my ability..." Alec explained. Bethany nodded silently, figuring that Alec was more afraid of her opinion of him than the affects of the ability on her. Alec has never been this self conscious before over the centuries as he had been now, perhaps, he never really had a reason to be.
Keeping his red eyes on Bethany, his target, Alec leveled both of his hands just by his waist and stretched open his palms. Alec concentrated on his target, conjuring black mist from the palm of his hands that slowly twisted their way towards Bethany. Bethany saw the must approach her, intrigued by the fact that the most actually came from Alec's hands. The black mist twisted around Bethany before soaking into her, causing her hearing, smell, sight, taste and touch to disappear. Bethany felt numb, as if she had just existed but couldn't go anywhere. Trapped and lost. The only thing she was able to do was speak and breathe without smell. "Okay, stop. Alec!" Bethany alerted, panicking a little to have the vampire remove his debilitating ability off of her.
The moment Alec heard her plea to stop, Alec formed a small curve at the end of his mouth before removing the black mist from Bethany, keeping his firm focus without blinking on Bethany. The mist slowly went the opposite direction, going backwards to return to Alec's open palms. Bethany got her sight, smell, hearing, taste and touch back moments after the most was removed and caught a glimpse of the last bit of mist return to Alec's hands, noticing his never flinching focus. The moment the mist had fully returned to Alec's hands, Alec turned his red eyes onto his hands and then back onto Bethany as he dropped his arms.
"Are you feeling okay?" Alec asked in concern, hoping that he didn't harm her in any way. The ability was more useful towards vampires than humans, knowing how fragile humans were compared to vampires. Bethany nodded softly, putting together what she had just experienced and the fact that Alec wasn't lying about having a special ability, or being a vampire or having a coven. This was beginning to sink in even further for Bethany, having her curiosity grow even more about whether or not she would have an ability of her own. "I'm fine. That's quite something." Bethany stated.
The bedroom door swung open moments later, having Felix march in before coming to a halt after a few steps. "What's with the shouting? Jane was getting rather irritated." Felix questioned. Alec glanced over at Felix with a blank expression while Bethany furrowed her eyebrows. "Nothing. You can go now, Felix." Alec assured. Felix shot a judgemental look towards Alec, suspicious on what was truly going on. "Just turn her or finish her off already, I don't care either way." Felix spewed before leaving swiftly. Alec but his cheek, growing irritated by Felix. It had seemed no one in his coven was truly being supportive in the choice of his mate - except Aro, though he questioned his intentions, knowing it had to do with either keeping him in the coven or having some kind of asset to the coven. Whatever was beneficial for the coven, it was about power and strength.
Bethany noticed Alec kept his stare at the opened door after Felix had left, coming to the conclusion that Alec was possibly underestimated in the family that was called a coven. "Alec...are you okay?" Bethany asked. Was Bethany beginning to care for Alec? Possibly. Alec gave a firm nod before looking back at Bethany, attempting to ignore the confrontation with Felix - he knew how his sister was but the reactions of him courting anyone was new for not only Jane but for the entire coven. "I'm fine. We should get you something to eat." Alec pointed out.
Bethany and Alec exited the guest room and headed towards the elevator. "I must alert Aro on our brief departure first." Alec pointed out as the elevator stopped at the next level where the meeting room was and they stepped out, heading towards the lobby. "Do you have to tell them everywhere you go?" Bethany questioned, finding it odd to have to report to the three leaders of the coven each time you leave. "Yes." Alec simply answered. They turned the corner and passed by the receptionist, Alec giving little to no recognition to the human behind the desk as they passed by her. "Why? Is there no freedom here?" Bethany asked curiously. Alec found it hard to explain, both he and his sister, Jane, had deeply respected Aro and knew that Aro had their best interests at heart.
"Knowing where we are only benefits us. If we were in trouble, it would be easier to find us. It's not about freedom, more so protection." Alec explained briefly. Bethany took that into consideration about protection but wouldn't a vampire be strong enough to protect themselves? Were there stronger vampires out there? Bethany wasn't sure. "With the ability you have, I think there's enough protection." Bethany pointed out, placing a light smile on her face as she placed her hand into his cold hand. Alec curved a gentle smile on his lips at her words that boosted his confidence, not to mention her hand in his hand helped a little. "I wish. I have to keep my ability discreet...for battle purposes." Alec explained, keeping the details to a minimum.
Before Bethany could reply to that, they had approached the meeting room and spotted Aro and Marcus having a brief discussion while Caius flipped through an old, dusty book on the table nearby. "What is this?" Caius questioned in a hostile tone, piercing his red eyes at Alec and Bethany, referring to their hand holding precisely. Upon the reaction from Caius, Alec gently dropped Bethany's hand before composing himself. "I wanted to inform Aro that I will be escorting Bethany through the town for dinner." Alec explained in a calm, flat tone. Caius kept his scathing expression as he turned to look at Aro, as if to do something about the situation with the couple. "Now, now...this is quite fine, Caius. Alec told us. Innocent...courtship." Aro stated in a calm tone in attempt to calm Caius down before turning his attention onto Alec.
Caius formed a disappointed expression as he watched the outcome. "However, Alec needs to take precautions...yes, and keep his companion at his side at all times...or consequences will follow. Correct, my dear Alec?" Aro encouraged, directing the rules passively. Alec knew that Aro was trying to keep an open mind with his choice but also sticking to the rules that he made, whether it was beneficial to the coven or not. "Yes, that is correct." Alec acknowledged. Aro clasped his hands together in agreement before parting his lips to speak. "You may go now. Be back within an hour or two?" Aro ordered passively. Alec gave a firm nod before turning to Bethany, taking her hand into his and leaving the meeting room. Caius rolled his crimson, judgmental eyes at the hand holding before going back to inspecting the book.
Exiting the meeting room, Alec and Bethany went back into the elevator to be lifted up to the first level of the palace where the front doors were located. "Why can't I leave your side? Not that I plan to...and why are we going out at night instead of the evening?" Bethany questioned. Alec glanced at Bethany when she asked the question as opera music played in the elevator. "Something else I need to tell you about vampires - we're protective of our mates, or mates to be, hopefully. We also sparkle in the sunlight, that's why we need to go out at night if we want to be uncovered." Alec explained quickly as the elevator stopped and the doors opened. Walking out of the elevator, they walked to the front doors and opened them, spotting the dark night with some people still on the streets, some venues and restaurants opened as well.
"Do you like Italian food? Because we have plenty." Alec asked, lightly teasing. Bethany formed a smirk on her lips at the question that came from Alec, surprised that he was cheeky compared to how stiff and serious he was back at the palace. "I do. I'm curious though on how good the pizza is." Bethany replied. Alec knew of a popular pizzeria in Volterra although he's never tried it due to not eating human food or drinking anything but blood for his diet, but figured it might interest Bethany. Walking further into Volterra, Alec directed them to 'Il Forno Italiano' and stepped into the pizzeria, having the Italian spices and fresh pizza smell greet everyone that walked in.
"Il Forno Italiano? What does that translate to? Smells good in here." Bethany asked. Alec walked over to an empty table that had a dark green table cloth, plate and utensils set up already, taking a seat across from Bethany as she did the same. "The Italian Oven. It's quite popular here in Volterra." Alec explained. The waitress walked over, looking at the couple before handing them the menu and taking out her notepad. "ti darò qualche minuto per ritirare il tuo ordine." the waitress stated, adding "perché i tuoi occhi sono rossi?" the waitress asked why his eyes were red. Alec took his menu, not needing it really and Bethany took hers. "Grazie...ho delle allergie gravi." Alec replied, stating he had bad allergies before looking over to Bethany who seemed perplexed at the language, not knowing Italian. "She's giving us a few minutes to look over the menu." Alec added, setting his menu on the table.
Bethany nodded as she opened up the menu, looking at the pizza options. "I may need you to translate." Bethany hinted. They both scanned the menu, Alec going over each item she pointed until she decided on her order. "I'll have the pepperoni pizza. What about you?" Bethany asked. That was another thing Alec didn't plan to tell her until after she would turn, if she chose to. "I don't eat...I mean, we don't." Alec stated in a lower tone before the waitress approached. "hai deciso cosa ti piacerebbe?" the waitress asked, pen ready in hand. Alec was doing well at keeping himself controlled around humans, although the constant sound of blood pumping in their veins was tempting. "Sì, pizza al salame piccante e acque ghiacciate." Alec replied to the waitress. The waitress wrote it down and walked away with the order while Alec looked back at Bethany.
"So, you don't eat or drink? Ever?" Bethany questioned. Alec nodded briefly, keeping an open ear for any suspicion from the humans at the restaurant due to his eyes or eavesdropping. "No. Except the one thing we do drink." Alec replied hesitantly. The thing. Blood. Bethany was slightly nervous at the words but had a feeling that Alec wouldn't harm her. "Oh. Right. Must be hard to be around others with that kind of temptation, I bet." Bethany mentioned. Only if she knew, Alec was taught to control his bloodlust within his first year of being a vampire, something that Aro made sure of when turning him and Jane in order to keep their rules and reputation among the vampire world. "It can be. We can talk more about this when we get back." Alec suggested.
Bethany figured that Alec wanted to remain obscure while among humans and she didn't blame him. She began wondering what it would be like to be a vampire and what it would be like to be bitten, even fed on - besides the pain obviously. "Okay, got it. But, be aware, I have a ton of questions." Bethany clarified. Alec let out a soft chuckle at the warning, not surprised about there being questions. "I look forward to answering them to the best of my ability." Alec flashed a crooked smile. The pizza arrived and Alec watched Bethany enjoy the pizza while he pretended to sip water but didn't let the water touch his lips before putting the glass back down, having small talk with her until paying the bill and leaving the pizzeria, heading back to the palace.
When returning to the palace, Alec passed by Felix while heading to the guest room from the elevator with Bethany, which alerted him to inform Aro of their return from town. Walking back into the bedroom, Bethany turned to Alec and took a seat in one of the black velvet chairs. "Tonight was nice...I enjoyed it." Bethany pointed out. Alec was pleased that Bethany enjoyed the night but hoped that she would make her decision by the following day, he didn't want her to be killed and if she were to, he would have to live with the guilt forever knowing it was his fault for pursuing her. "I did too. But, I believe you need the rest of the night to think of your decision, Aro is quite serious regarding the rules that are implemented." Alec reminded.
Bethany sighed, feeling the pressure of something she never thought of having to decide on - whether to be a vampire or not. As Alec turned to leave, Bethany stood up from the chair and parted her lips to speak. "I never got to ask more questions about...being a vampire." Bethany pointed out. Alec paused at th door, thinking if he answered more questions perhaps it could sway her mind before turning around to face her. "Which questions?" Alec asked curiously. Bethany took a few steps towards the vampire and stopped in front of him, looking into his red eyes. "First, you only drink blood, right? No food or other drinks?" Bethany asked. Alec took in her scent at an even closer encounter, still having the strength to control himself even though he felt a small burning senation at the tip of his throat. "Yes." Alec answered.
Bethany noted that and went on to her next question. "800 A.D. was when you were born? So you're approximately...one thousand, two hundred years old?" Bethany calculated. Alec studied Bethany's body language curiously before parting his lips to speak. "Yes. Does that repel you?" Alec asked, a small smile formed on his lips. Bethany smirked at the question before folding her arms. "No. It just makes me think how much history you may have witnessed. What's it like to bite someone or feed on someone?" Bethany questioned. Was this a trick question? Alec was tempted by her heartbeat as it was, nonetheless, talking about feeding made it worse. "I have seen plenty of history. Much I could go into vast detail." Alec stated, pausing for a moment to regain control of his impulse for blood - Alec had not been fed since Seattle.
"I can only attest to my experience being turned into a vampire. Pain at first, the venom making it painful for the first few days. It feels like you're being burned alive, if I can compare the feeling to another. Takes two or three days to fully transition into a vampire. I can imagine the rush of adrenaline on the receiving end though, by their expression." Alec explained. Bethany didn't like the painful parts mentioned and having to be practically unconscious for three days, but she was quite curious on the feeding aspect. Alec's eyes were a shade darker red than when she saw them in Seattle, which made her think he hasn't had blood in a day or two. "If you are able to control yourself...I would like to know what it feels like." Bethany stated.
Alec furrowed his eyebrows at Bethany's suggestion, immediately knowing what she was referring to but was unsure whether it was a good idea or not. "Know how what feels like?" Alec questioned. Bethany sighed, spreading her right arm out to expose her bare arm and veins. "The feeling of being fed on, the so called adrenaline." Bethany explained. It was what Alec had thought, she wanted to be fed on which he worried it could get carried away since he had only fed on humans like the rest of his coven, having no reason to control themselves while inside the palace. "I have control but I'm not sure it's a good idea." Alec pointed out, keeping his full attention on Bethany's ice blue eyes.
Bethany knew the risk of tempting a vampire with blood, that it could cause severe consequences like tempting a vicious tiger with a rare steak, but she wanted to experience something new, something she could experience with Alec forever if she chose to turn into a vampire instead of death. She couldn't imagine the heartbreak of her parents either if she were to die, she could visit them as a vampire still, right? "Please, it could help sway my mind and cure my curiosity. Besides, looks like you need some blood anyway." Bethany insisted. Alec brought his dark red eyes onto her exposed arm, eyeing the visible vein on her wrist as he contemplated the idea.
"I could always get my blood intake on someone else if need be..." Alec suggested, trying one last attempt to have Bethany step back from the gesture she made. "It's fine, Alec. I trust you to have control." Bethany replied, lifting her arm up a little higher for Alec to take. Temptation grew stronger and stronger for Alec before deciding to cave in and walked Bethany over to the bed. When they took a seat, Alec sat near the pillows as his legs hung over the side of the bed and he gently pulled Bethany over to lay her across his lap on her back. Bethany rested her head on Alec's lap while Alec placed his cold, pale hands on her right arm, directing it up to his mouth.
"You're positive you still want to do this?" Alec asked once more, already feeling his fangs wanting to set in at the scent that was not far from his nostrils. "Yes, Alec." Bethany confirmed, keeping her eyes on Alec. Having a close up glance at Alec made Bethany notice just how unique his features were, the perfectly shaped red eyes, thick dark eyebrows that matched his dark hair and finally noticed some of the glimmering pigments of his skin - Alec was attractive. Bethany suddenly felt a sharp pain in her wrist, noticing Alec had dug into her wrist with his fangs, causing Bethany to squeeze her eyes shut. Alec dug his fangs into her wrist, feeling the warm gush of blood hit his tongue as he cradled her arm to his lips.
The craving that burned in his throat was beginning to be quenched while at the same time, Alec reminded himself when he needed to stop and to suck out the venom that may have slipped through in his bite into her blood. Bethany felt the adrenaline that Alec had mentioned hit her, causing the pain she felt in the beginning to fade. Opening her eyes, Bethany noticed Alec had dropped her arm and had a line of her blood on the side of his mouth. "Bethany... Beth-- are you alright?" Alec asked in concern and light panic, noticing her slightly relaxed expression before he wiped the side of his mouth. It was right then when Bethany found herself falling for Alec, the adrenaline had kicked it up a notch as well. The concern in Alec's voice, his features close up, his caring and chivalry.
Bethany felt the stinging pain from her wound again as the adrenaline faded, causing her to look at her arm to notice the bite marks. "I'm okay, just a little dizzy." Bethany replied. Alec was relieved that she was okay, not wanting to be the one to hurt her but luckily managed to feed on her long enough without either killing her or injecting his venom, though it was a close call. "I'll...get something to fix that up." Alec stated, sliding off the bed and exiting the bedroom. The moment he closed the door, Alec sped off to the pantry they had in the castle, grabbing the only first aid kit they had since no one truly needed it unless their human receptionist would ever need one. When Alec sped off towards the guest room, he was immediately brought to a halt when he was stopped by Jane.
Jane noticed the first aid kit immediately before looking up to her brother. "I smell blood. Is that what the first aid kit is for, brother?" Jane questioned. Alec kept a placid expression as he parted his lips to speak. "Perhaps, sister." Alec simply replied, walking around her, causing Jane to turn around. "Don't make a mistake, brother. The Volturi makes no excuses..." Jane stated. Alec continued to walk, simply attempting to ignore his sister but before he could turn the corner, the words she spoke lastly caused him to pause in his steps. "I wanted to inform you that Aro has requested Eleazar's assistance." Jane informed. Alec knew that Eleazar used to be in the Volturi and had the ability to see if a vampire - and even a human - has a special ability.
Alec knew then that his previous suspicion was right about their leader, Aro. That Aro wanted to see if Bethany would be beneficial to the coven or not. Alec couldn't lie, he was curious also if Bethany would have a special ability too or not, so this news wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Alec turned to his sister and gave her a firm nod before leaving the hall to the guest room. Entering the room, Alec spotted Bethany sitting up on the bed, looking at her wrist before turning her eyes onto him with a smile. Bethany now saw Alec in a different way, different than how he seemed to present himself back in Seattle at the library.
Alec walked over to the bed and set the kit down on top of the bed, opening it to dig through for the antibiotic ointment and a large band-aid before taking her arm to examine the wound. "Vampire doctor, who knew?" Bethany teased. Alec formed a light smirk onto his lips for a moment on the comment before dropping it slowly as he applied the ointment and the band-aid. "Surprise. Living in my sister's shadow, there's a lot many do not know about me." Alec mentioned, closing the first aid kit. Bethany watched him curiously as he fixed her up, noticing his red eyes were back to being lighter like when she first met him before looking to her wrist.
"Did you turn me into a vampire?" Bethany asked. Alec looked over at her, slightly amused before shaking his head. "No. I sucked out any of my venom that might've went into your blood stream." Alec explained. Deep down, Bethany wished he left the venom in and she would've turned now but at the same time, she appreciated that he gave her respect to decide for herself. "Oh okay." Bethany simply replied. Alec took the kit into his hand and set it on the table in the room for in case she needed it later before approaching closer to Bethany. "I'll see you in the morning, you need to rest and think. But, I'll be up, only down the hall if you need anything, just ask from here and I'll hear it from my room." Alec informed.
"You don't sleep either?" Bethany asked with an arched brow. Alec knew she wasn't finished with all the questions but figured it would never end until she experienced it herself. "No." Alec replied. Alec could remember himself having so many questions about the life of a vampire when he was first turned alongside Jane by Aro. "Never?" Bethany questioned again in surprise. "Never. Sleep well, Bethany." Alec encouraged before exiting the room. Bethany had to make a decision by the morning whether she wanted to be a vampire or end up dying, but something she didn't know - Eleazar would be soon arriving to detect whether she would have a special ability or not. Bethany kept herself up the entire night, thinking over things - the decision, her schooling, her family and of course, Alec. Coming to a decision, Bethany fell asleep and will soon tell Alec in the morning when he greets her.
