(16) "There Was Nothing More To Say For The Moment."

Odessa clenched and unclenched her fist, moved her arm this way and that to make sure it was still in working order. It had been a rather simple yet tedious process to reattach her arm. A lot of venom was needed, and because she was not venomous, they had to use venom from other vampires. The problem thereafter was that her body would not accept the venom outright. They had to mix a good amount of her blood into the venom first to utilize it. It was a confusing, painful, and taxing process that Odessa wished to never repeat. There was a distinct line right where her shoulder and arm met, indicating her time spent with only one arm. She rubbed her shoulder and stared at it before she looked up and met Aro's eyes.

Standing in the throne room, Odessa couldn't help but feel like she was standing in a lion's den. Every time she stood in front of the leaders, she was in trouble or being ridiculed for having such strong opinions. Any time she talked in that same exact spot, she was shouted at with malice and disagreement. After everything she had gone through being in the castle, she knew not to open her mouth in front of them in the throne room. She had spent too much time contemplating things in her imprisonment to be stupid now.

She knew she hadn't taken as much time as she should have to contemplate her decision in letting Vera stay with her - had been too fast in confiding in her. Sometimes she felt like she had been too slow. If she had opened up quicker, would Vera have told her about her plans sooner? Odessa was confused. How should she approach living with the Volturi now? Was she being too careful? Not careful enough? Should she use her time with Vera as a lesson, or should she write it off as a fluke? She knew that when she joined the Volturi she had been cautious of the prospect of living with others, yet she had also been as open as she could allow herself to be. She had been up front with her feelings on certain matters, and while their response had been none too pleasing, they were up front with their feelings as well. That was a good sign, right?

Her mission had been deemed a success, and now she was awaiting further orders. She wished she was granted time to rest, considering she just got her arm back and it was still rather sore, but she knew no such thing would happen. She was on thin ice with the leaders, and she had been put aside for far too long. If there was something to be done, she knew she would be assigned to it.

"I am glad to see you so complete, my dear," Aro said gleefully. "All is working well, I presume?"

"It is sore, but it is in working condition," she replied with a grunt.

"Wonderful! With the successful completion of your mission, I am afraid there is nothing to do at the moment," Aro told her. "However, I'm sure you will appreciate the rest."

"Thank you," Odessa thanked him stiffly.

"There is something we need to discuss later, but it is not important at this moment," Aro told her. She made her way out of the throne room and into the training room where she met up with Santiago and Felix. They were sparring; Santiago was winning. When he pinned Felix to the ground, he stood and greeted Odessa with a smile.

"Nice of you to finally join us again," Santiago said with a toothy grin. "I'm in need of someone else to defeat."

Felix scoffed and grumbled, "You haven't beaten me every time."

"I've missed you, too," Odessa said. "I can finally start sparring again now that I have my arm back."

"We would have sparred with you regardless if you had both arms or not. The real problem was your imprisonment," Santiago declared. "You must watch what you say around here, Odessa. This isn't a place to stomp around. Tread lightly."

"I know," she said somberly.

"So, you up for a little spar?" Felix asked with a grin. Odessa grinned back and immediately got into a ready position. Felix was easier to handle than the first time she had sparred against him. It was easy to maneuver around him to get in a few hits and evade his. The worst thing about sparring with him, though, were his punches. He was strong and he used his strength to hit hard. Every time he connected with her flesh, she winced and let out a small huff of pain. The spar ended in favor of Felix and a multitude of bruises on Odessa. Felix held out a hand for Odessa to grasp and hoisted her up.

"You're a little rusty, but you've definitely improved since our first session," Felix admitted.

"Thank you," Odessa said. "I do imagine that one day I will defeat you in a fight."

"Keep imagining," Felix said.

Odessa shoved him playfully and rolled her eyes. She was happy she was able to spend time with Santaigao and Felix again. They were not the people she thought they were and were surprisingly pleasant to be around. Out of everyone in the Volturi, they had to be her favorite.

"You should visit Alec now that you're healed," Santiago said. "He's been moping a lot lately due to your absence."

"Alec can wait," Odessa said. "There are more important matters I have to take care of."

"Such as?" Felix asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Such as napping," Odessa said strongly.

"You know, you act quite human," Santiago observed.

"Well, I am technically still human," she answered.

"True," Santiago said, trailing off as he contemplated her human nature.

"Be off, then," Felix said suddenly as he grabbed his dark cloak from a corner chair and swung it around his shoulders. "I have some other business to attend to."

"Good luck with your endeavors," Odessa said. She waved goodbye to Santiago and left the room with a pleasant feeling swirling in her chest. She was glad to be back in the groove of things. As she walked through the halls to get to her room, an enticing smell entered her nostrils and warned her of an approaching person. She stiffened and started walking quicker to get to her destination. Fortunately, she ran into Jane and pulled her to her room with an excuse of 'girl time' as soon as Alec rounded the corner. The next day, she was met with the same dilemma, so she pulled Jane aside again, and again, and again. Jane was quick to catch on, and after the fourth time Odessa pulled her away, she had had enough.

"I won't continue to be an out for you as you try to avoid my brother," Jane said casually as Odessa played with her hair and braided two french braids into her hair. Jane's hair was surprisingly long. Odessa had only seen it in a bun before, so when she had unravelled it and found it was longer than hers, she was perplexed at how she could tie up so much hair every day. Odessa's hands froze mid braid and a sheepish smile overtook her face. She finished braiding Jane's hair and held up a handheld mirror so Jane could observe the new hairdo before she addressed Jane's comment.

"I do not know how to talk to him," Odessa confessed.

"My brother isn't hard to please. He knows what he wants and doesn't want, and he wants you. I'm sure he wants you to speak to him, too," Jane told her as she ran her hands down her braids, admiring her reflection. "I quite like this hairstyle. Show me how to do it."

Odessa rolled her eyes at the command and patted the bed so Jane would switch places with her. She sat on the ground and began demonstrating how to do it with her own hair. She undid the braid and allowed Jane to take over.

"He was awfully rude for someone who claims to want me," Odessa mumbled.

"He was." In response to Odessa's confused silence, Jane continued. "He confided in me about your spat. I told him he was wrong for calling your complaints mewling. Even I wouldn't go as far as to suggest you were acting like a mewling quim."

"Wonderful," Odessa said monotonously.

"My point," Jane emphasized as she pulled on Odessa's hair, "is that he knows he did wrong, and I'm sure he has apologized already."

"He has."

"I'm assuming you didn't hear him out, though?"

"Not exactly," Odessa admitted. "I had something on my mind while we talked. I did not want to speak with him about the matter at the time, either."

"Is your mind clear of the issue now?"

"A bit. It is still on my mind," Odessa trailed off as she bit her lip. Jane tapped her on the head and pulled out the handheld mirror so Odessa could see her handiwork. The braids were straight and tight - just the way Odessa liked them. "They are perfect Jane. Thank you."

"Of course they are," Jane said, proud. "Now, go talk to Alec."

"I thought you were hinting towards talking to him when I had a clear mind?" Odessa asked.

"I think the issue is hindering your relationship with my brother. Talk to him about it. Then we can hang out without the excuse of hiding from Alec."

Odessa smiled and agreed to visit Jane after she had a talk with Alec. She decided she would grab something to eat- preferably something with fish - and take a nap before finding him. Unfortunately, she did not approach the kitchen fast enough, and Alec appeared behind her. She knew he was there as his scent enveloped her entire being and enticed her to turn around. She stopped in her spot and took a deep breath before she turned around to meet his eyes.

"I am not ready to talk yet," Odessa said in a calm manner. "I mean, I am, but I would like to eat and take a nap first."

"May I join you?" Alec asked.

"Sure," Odessa said unsurely as she moved to finish her trek to the kitchen. When she entered, the humans sitting around the small kitchen table grew quiet. Odessa watched as they quickly finished their food, washed their plates, and left with a bow to the both of them. Odessa grimaced as she knew why they were so wary in the first place. Ignoring their skittishness, she eyeballed the fridge and opened it to find the ingredients she was looking for to make fish puttanesca. As she got to work, Alec leaned against the counter and watched her move about the kitchen. After a few moments of admiring her, he helped her cook the dish, taking instructions and helping where he was needed. Once it was finished, Odessa plated a portion of it and sat down at the table with Alec right across from her.

"What does it taste like?" Alec asked curiously. "I've never tried it before, but it does smell alright."

"Briny, a bit fishy but that is to be expected. It is very savory, too," Odessa answered. "I like dishes with fish in them."

"That makes sense," Alec said. "Are you enjoying it?"

"I am."

Odessa polished off her meal and put the rest in the fridge for leftovers. She led Alec up to her room, opening the door and pausing once they both made it into the room. She grabbed a pair of pajamas and changed in the bathroom.

"I should be up in a few hours. We can talk then," Odessa said as she came out of the bathroom.

"Perhaps I can stay while you rest," Alec suggested as he shut the door behind him.

"All we would do is lie on the bed."

"I would not mind," Alec said with a lewd smile. Odessa rolled her eyes and gave a small huff of amusement. Alec's smile took on a softer tone as he gazed upon her with adoration. Odessa sighed and beckoned for him to follow her. She sunk down into the covers and snuggled herself into the blankets. Alec opted to lay over the covers but still threw his arms around her the best he could. Odessa laid her head over Alec's chest and breathed in. At that moment, she let all her worries wash away. She decided to focus on basking in the tight embrace Alec held her in. He smoothed a hand repeatedly over her hair and pressed a kiss to the top of her head before resuming his hand movement. Lulled by how peaceful and safe she felt, she promptly fell asleep.

She woke up feeling refreshed. She moved to get up and lec immediately let her go. She stretched her arms above her head and let out a content hum. Alec sat up and rubbed her back before pulling her into his side and hugging her. He hummed and placed a chaste kiss on the side of her neck. Odessa smiled and gave him a kiss on the lips before she pulled away so they could talk.

She truly did not know how to talk with Alec about the entire situation. Alec was a good significant other despite his outburst while she was in the cell. He was patient and caring, and he tended to her needs as much as she tried to tend to his. She had no idea why he behaved so cruel while she was imprisoned, leaving her no such luck on what to say. How should she approach her relationship with Alec? Perhaps she should talk to him about how upset she was with his words, or perhaps she should tell him how much she missed being around him? She knew she needed to tell him about what happened with Vera. Something he said while they were arguing bothered her, and she knew why.

"I want to apologize again for my words and actions," Alec said first. "I can tell they upset you greatly, and I apologize."

"I accept your apology, Alec. To be honest, I have missed you this past week. I was upset with you, but I understand that I have not been the most cooperative during my stay here," Odessa admitted. "There is one thing I am still upset about, but to be fair, there was no way for you to know it would hurt me so much."

"Please," Alec said, begging her to continue.

"You told me that I dismiss those with differing opinions, that I needed to act like I was part of something to actually be a part of it."

"Odessa, I-"

She held up a hand for him to stop, and said, "I know. Just let me explain." She sat on the bed and Alec sat next to her. She bumped her knee with his. "I used to live with a vampire named Vera. After living on my own for decades, I met Vera while I was feeding. She followed me home, and I decided to allow her to live with me. We became friends, and in time I viewed her as family. I confided in her and began to feel like I was part of a family, even if it was just us two. Something happened one night and she grew angry. She wanted to do something drastic, and when I told her no, she revealed that she only befriended me because of her own agenda."

"You must have been devastated," Alec whispered.

"I was. I felt like I had not weighed the pros and cons of her living with me when we first met. I did not question everything I should have, did not think about it for as long as I should have, and did not use enough caution," Odessa said quietly. "I do not want to make the same mistake again."

"Is that why you were so wary when you first arrived?"

"Yes, among other things. That is why I wanted to know if I had an out or not when I joined. I met a man while I was witnessing with the Cullens. His name was Eleazer."

"Yes, I do remember him."

"He was able to leave. Carlisle was, too. I bargained the rest of my life on the possibility of leaving. But I was wrong, and I felt fear at the prospect of not finding my place here. With you, it felt better. I thought that even if I could not find a place here, I could find a place beside you."

"And I ruined it," Alec said with self-loathing.

"Just a bit," Odessa said with a laugh. "However, I think I can give you another chance."

"I sincerely hope you do," Alec said hopefully. He grabbed her hands in his and dropped to the floor on his knees. He looked deeply into her eyes and said, "I promise to do my best to be the best mate I can be. I promise I will not hurt you again."

Odessa sighed and stood up, pulling him with her into a standing position. She kissed him, relishing in the feel of his mouth against hers. She allowed him to slip his tongue in her mouth and they fought for dominance. She won and loved that he let her take the lead. Alec pulled away from her and kissed her face - first her cheek, then her forehead, her other cheek, her chin, her nose, and finally her lips. He held her in his arms, happy that they had made up.

"There is one more thing I would like to apologize for," Alec said suddenly. "I want to apologize for going overboard and killing your sister. I understand how big of a wedge I have put between you and your living family, so I apologize for letting my temper get the better of me."

"And I apologize for acting out so much," Odessa apologized in return. "I should not have pushed it during our visit at the Cullen's house and during our visit at my brother's house. I should have thought about how my actions would affect the group rather than how they affected me."

"It is alright, Odessa. I know this is new to you - being a part of a coven, that is - so I don't hold it against you. Let us just appreciate the fact that we are here together. The Masters want to talk to the guard later on about something, so let's just focus on us for now."

Odessa hummed in agreement. She would worry about everything later. For now, she was just glad to be with Alec.