"She's marvelous isn't she?" Aro commented as he watched his mate destroy one of the Volturi's many training rooms. It had been several centuries since a newborn resided in the coven and the shredded equipment all but confirmed that. While some of the equipment had been reinforced to try and handle some of a vampire's power, it was useless against a newborn's power.
Marcus hummed in agreement, "Brave of Caius to play with her". The blonde leader was currently engaged in a game of cat and mouse with a very pissed off newborn. Aro and Marcus watched on silently as Caius only just managed to dodge another of Charlotte's fist.
"Sloppy form," Caius taunted. Charlotte screamed in rage and lunged at him again.
Aro smiled in amusement, "I fear we may lose a brother".
"What will you do about Sulpicia and Athenodora?" Marcus asked, making sure to keep his voice quiet enough that their mate could not hear.
"They both knew the agreement. If our mate should ever come, they either join the guards or be dealt with," Aro replied in a monotone voice.
Marcus turned his attention away from the brawling vampires and looked at Aro, "You don't fool me brother, I can see the connection you have with Sulpicia. Such a bond is not easy to destroy".
"I value the pull I feel towards our little swan more. I would do anything to make her happy. I can't imagine Sulpicia's constant presence would make her very happy," Aro reasoned, his gaze never leaving Caius or Charlotte.
Marcus didn't reply for several moments, "Ask i kardiá mou (my heart). Her response may surprise you".
"Greek brother?" Aro looked at Marcus with a teasing expression, "My it's been a while since I've lasted heard you speak that. What made you settle on i kardiá mou (my heart)?".
"After Didyme, the knowledge that she would eventually come kept me going," Marcus smiled slightly.
"Is that a smile brother? Should I be worried about the end of times?" Aro furthered teased.
Marcus ignored his brother's jab, "It would be best we address the issue of wives sooner rather then later".
I wanted to scream in frustration. Caius had once again avoided another one of my attacks.
"Little swan! Brother! Why don't we have a rest? There is still much to discuss," Aro called out as Caius evaded another one of my kicks. I snarled in anger at the smug look on Caius' face and crouched down ready to attack once more.
"Wonderful suggestion brother," Caius replied, his gaze never leaving. Almost as if he could sense that I would attack him if he turned his back on me.
Marcus watched us in amusement, "I imagine this is quite overwhelming for you i kardiá mou (my heart). Let us return to the library to discuss in private".
"We should vasílissa mou (my queen). Best leave some of the training room undamaged," Caius teased. It was only then that I surveyed the room and if I could, I would have blushed in embarrassment. Holes, craters and broken pieces of equipment laid scattered across the ground.
I was mortified, "Sorry!".
"Don't worry little swan, all can be fixed. As a newborn, your emotions can be quite…intense…and difficult to manage. Rest assured though, over time you will gain control over your impulses," Aro assured me before he and Marcus left.
"Shall we?" Caius held his hand out to me. I eyed him wearily because last time he offered his hand, I was promptly thrown into the nearby wall.
'You must be ready for anything!' Caius had tried to justify to me.
Almost as if Caius could read my mind, he said, "That was because we were training. I promise that I won't throw you…this time". I very reluctantly placed my hand in his and he pulled me up from my crouching position…much to my surprise as I expected to go flying through the air again. Caius and I quickly caught up with Aro and Marcus before the four of us made our way back to the library and took our seats once again.
"I'm sorry about the training room," I apologised once more, "I still don't quite understand my own strength".
Aro chuckled, "Fear not little swan. As I said, all can be easily replaced. Our dear Caius, maybe not so much".
"She came nowhere near me for that to be a risk-," Caius replied confidently before Marcus interrupted, "Towards the end brother, she came very close. I feared we would only have two leaders and the vampire world would discover that the third leader died from a very annoyed mate".
I smiled in amusement. This was the distraction I needed from my problems. From the loss of my family and the loss of my old life. I had only been with my mates for a short period of time but I had never felt so whole before in my entire life. I could feel the bonds strengthening the more time I spent with them. However, I wanted more. I wanted to know them.
"I want to know all three of you better," I blurted out, "I know you're my mates and that should be it but I want to know who you are. Not just relay on a connection".
Aro smiled brightly, "Ask away little swan".
And so I did.
We started on light topics first. Hobbies, interests, the fascinating tales of their lives, safe topics. Conversation flowed easily…it was nice…but I had found out the hard way that there were monsters in this world. I couldn't be naïve. I started answering the harder questions. More information about the Volturi coven and the members who made it up, the thirst I had that didn't seem to lessen, vampires having powers, Aro's power, Marcus' power and my unknown power…which lead to the conversation of their roles as leaders and the rules they enforce.
"You said that no human can know of our existence…what…what does this mean for my sister? She shouldn't be punished for Edward's action of exposing that vampires are real," I reasoned.
Aro hummed and placed his hand on mine, "Your loyalty to your family is truly admirable my little swan. As we mentioned earlier, Alice Cullen has the gift of seeing into the future. When your sister and the Cullen's were here last, Alice showed me that Bella would become one of them…of her own free will".
I was rendered speechless as I stared at Aro in disbelief, "She…voluntary wants to be a vampire?".
'Surely not,' I thought, 'Does she truly understand what she is giving up? Surely she mustn't. No children, leaving our family. There's no way she would do such a thing!'.
It was almost like Marcus was the mind reader in the trio, "Do not burden yourself with your sister's actions".
"I didn't…I didn't get a choice," I whispered, my gaze fixed on Aro's hand that was still curled around mine.
"Speaking of family relations," Marcus began, "There is a pressing issue we must discuss". I looked at Marcus in confusion as no one said anything.
Caius eventually broke the silence, "We've discussed the members of the coven. Athenodora and Sulpicia have a more…personal role with myself and Aro. They were our wives-".
"Wait," I interrupted Caius, "Does that mean your still married?".
Caius frowned slightly, "Not in a traditional human sense that requires divorce papers. More of a known fact. But rest assured vasílissa mou (my queen), both Athenodora and Sulpicia knew the arrangement would only last until our mate came. We would burn the world down for you, you only have to ask and it would be done". I slowly nodded in understanding...maybe not the burning down the world part but my mates had been alive for a very long time. Who was I to judge them for seeking comfort?
"And are they okay with me?" I asked in concern. Last thing I wanted was to cause issues within the coven they ruled. As Marcus had stated during our conversation, anything that I did would be a reflection on them. High school drama over boys was definitely not appropriate.
"We wanted to discuss that with you little swan," Aro began, "Your happiness is the most important thing for us. The agreement with our wives was that when our mate did come along, they could join the guard".
"And if they refused?" I hesitantly asked as I'm pretty sure I already knew the answer.
Aro smiled, "Nothing for you to be concerned with my little swan".
I looked at each of my mates, "You've been alive for many years. I can't imagine it would have been easy over all these years being alone…and the fact that they've been by your side for many years. I don't want your wives being chased out of their home for centuries because I came here. It would be hard for them to sudden have their entire life changed. Maybe give them some time? Let them leave for a few years and come back once wounds have healed?".
'And this,' Marcus thought to himself, 'Is why she is our mate. She balances the cruelty we deal'.
Aro suddenly appeared in front of me and pulled me into his arms, "What a fantastic idea! Your kindness is so touching my little swan". If my heart could pound, it would be beating a million miles per minute. I stared into his red eyes and watched as a small smile appeared on Aro's face. He leaned in slowly for a kiss.
"As long as you don't kill her, do whatever want".
I flinched violently and reared back out of Aro's arms.
"Sorry," I whispered in despair as I stumbled over my words, "I-I-It's too…It's too".
Aro took several steps back to give me some space, "Apologise for nothing little swan". I was both mortified and terrified at the same time. Mortified that I had shunned my mate and terrified because those memories of my hell felt so real. The world felt like it was closing in on me. Was it even possible for a vampire to get a panic attack?
"C-Can I go lie down?" I asked breathlessly as I hugged myself, "I-I-I'm going lie down". I watched my three mates share a look before turning back to me.
"Do you remember the way back to the room Jane took you too?" Marcus asked kindly, "We can escort you-".
"It's fine," I interrupted before I bolted from the library.
I stared out the window, admiring how the garden seemed to come even more alive underneath the moonlight. My room was truly fit for a queen. It was huge. At least the size of a small apartment and it was obvious that no expense had been spared. The room was carpeted with the softest material I had ever felt and there was a massive bed that could easily fit four people. I just about fainted after seeing my wardrobe and the very expensive looking clothes it housed. I didn't even want to know how they knew my size…or how much they had spent. My room had a balcony that overlooked the garden with a small table and chairs in order to enjoy the outside. The ensuite was just as spectacular and looked like something from Ancient Rome with all the marble fixtures and the massive stone bathtub. I couldn't appreciate the luxuries around me though.
My mind plagued with a million thoughts. The knowledge that I could never see my family, my friends, the boys…my new life as a vampire…what had just happened with Aro, I couldn't seem to switch all the thoughts off. I didn't mean too but I had rejected Aro and it had hurt him. He may have thought he hid it but I caught the flash of hurt before he concealed it.
'All that over a simple kiss', I thought in despair and doubt entered my thoughts, 'What if Aro now changes his mind and wants to stay married to Sulpicia. Not that I blame him after I rejected his advances'. My heart clenched at the thought. Having to cope with the grief that I would never be able to see my loved ones again and the fear that I had ruined things with my mate was gut wrenching. Getting to know my mates had taken my mind off the true consequences of being a vampire and the loss of my old life. Now, sitting in my room with my own thoughts, it had all started to really hit me. The true extent as to what I had lost.
'And Bella wants this voluntary,' I thought bitterly.
"So," a voice said, "This is Caius' mate". I closed my eyes momentary to gather my thoughts.
"Anything you do i kardiá mou (my heart) will be a reflection on us".
I opened my eyes and turned to look at my intruder. Standing at my doorway was a fair-haired waifish looking female who appeared to be in her thirties when she was turned. Her red eyes seemed to almost glow in the moonlight. I did my best to pull on a smile, one Aro would be proud of, "I'm sorry, I don't believe we've met".
The female studied me, "Your poker face will need much more work". I did my best to keep my irritation at bay. My behaviour was a reflection of my mates and I refused to let them down by letting my annoyance get the better of me. They weren't kidding that managing my emotions as a newborn would be difficult.
"Oh yes," she chuckled, "Much work indeed".
She entered my room and smiled when she saw the view of the garden, "Despite all my years wondering the earth, that garden has to be my favourite". That was so far my favourite part of my room as well. The incredible view of the huge garden below. Earlier in the evening, I had been lounging on the balcony outside my bedroom and it had been wonderful being able to enjoy the fresh air again. Not that I needed it to survive but I had forgotten how much I missed it blowing on my face. It reminded me of my days when I drove to La Push with the window down.
"Forgive me," I apologised, "Who are you?".
"Lesson one," the female looked at me, "A queen never apologises". She stepped closer to me and I had to resist the urge to step back as she invaded my personal space. I was not going to be intimidated by her.
My refusal to back away seemed to amuse her, "At least you have a backbone".
"Again," I said politely through I very much wanted to snap at her, "You are?".
The female smiled as she stepped back out of my personal space, "Athenodora". My eyes widened in surprise.
'Caius' wife?' I thought, 'Oh this won't go down well'.
"I would introduce myself but you seem to already know me," I said as I did my best to stay calm. Was she going to lash out at me for taking away her husband? Was she here to fight me?
"You have to have the worst poker face I've ever seen," Athenodora chuckled, "Calm down dear. I'm not here to do anything…yet".
"Anything you do i kardiá mou (my heart) will be a reflection on us".
I straightened my back and did my best to appear unbothered by her, "What are you here for then?". Athenodora didn't reply but I watched as her unblinking red eyes studied me.
"I haven't decided yet," she replied, "I wanted to personally meet the future Queen and the one who spared myself and Pia. I know that leaving wasn't part of the agreement once Caius' mate was discovered. I believe it was either join or die. Obviously said much nicer and more political but I know for a fact that 'roam around until you want to come back' was definitely not mentioned. I'm curious though, why suggest such a thing?".
I stared back at her, "You and Caius have spent many years together. It would be unfair of me to request him cut ties with such a close friend. I can't even begin to imagine how hard it is for you since everything would have suddenly changed. It was the only thing I could do to help Caius' friend". Best to emphasise that she was only ever going to be a friend to Caius anymore. My inner beast purred in delight at reminding the vampire that Caius was my mate.
"You are right, you can't even begin to imagine how I feel," Athenodora hummed, "I can see why Caius said I would like you. But we will need to do something about your eyes".
My eyes narrowed at her, watching her every move in case she attacked, "What's wrong with my eyes?".
Athenodora strolled onto the balcony and took a seat at the outdoor table, "We have much to discuss". I didn't immediately follow her but curiosity got the best of me.
'Curiosity may have killed the cat but satisfaction brought it back to life,' I reasoned to myself, '…but that cat also didn't face the ex-wife of their mate'. Despite the danger, I was too curious to hear what she had to say.
I walked onto the balcony and sat opposite her, "What is there to discuss?".
"Straight to the point, Marcus would love that. He has grown tired over the years of Aro's cryptic ways," Athenodora said as her gaze once again drifted to the garden below us, "I will be leaving for a few years. I have been here such a long time that I want to see how the world has changed over the last few centuries".
"Why are you telling me this?" I asked in confusion.
"Lesson two," Athenodora looked at me, "Treat every move like a game of chess, let your enemy show their cards first".
"And are you my enemy?" I responded, preparing to flee in case she attacked.
Athenodora smiled softly, "At present, nothing more than a concerned coven member. Who knows, maybe in a few decades we'll become friends and I can share all the juicy secrets about what Caius enjoys".
'And there it is,' I thought, 'The underhanded comment that she knows Caius better than me'.
"But it's because of Caius that I'm doing this. Originally, I came to see the famous vampire who was not only all three leader's mate but showed mercy by letting myself and Pia choose our own fates. After seeing your eyes though, I have some advice to offer," Athenodora began, "Before I was turned, I was a slave to a master who enjoyed reminding his slaves that he was in charge. Nothing was off limits to that pathetic creature".
I didn't say anything. As Athenodora had just said, let the enemy show their cards.
"After I was turned, I got my revenge but it didn't make me feel any better. I thought after killing him, after making him suffer like I had, I would have a whole new outlook and feel free. Unfortunately…that wasn't the case," Athenodora's gaze drifted over to the garden once again, "It took me many years to realise that while he many have destroyed my human life, I was reborn as a vampire. Something untouchable. The only power he had over me was the power I was giving him".
"What did you do?" I whispered, "When the memories…just linger".
Athenodora didn't look away from the garden, "Vampires believe that with time, your human memories fade. Even after all these years, I still vividly remember what he did to me. How I overcame them? I created new ones. Ones so meaningful to me that they consumed the negative ones".
"And when the memories prevent you from doing that?" I confessed. Athenodora looked at me.
"You remember that your human fell victim to them, not your vampire. The transformation process destroyed very piece of skin that they ever touched, every bruise, every mark…it was burned away. You rose from the ashes as a new being," Athenodora eyes continued to drill into mine, "You don't survive, you thrive".
I thought of Marcus' gentle nature, Aro's cunningness and Caius' ruthlessness. In chess, the role of the queen is to protect the king at all costs. I had three kings to protect. In my current stage, flinching at a kiss from really one of three vampires I could ever truly trust…I couldn't protect them. I was giving my tormenters more power over my life. I couldn't be the queen they needed in such a state. I had to become the queen that would be by their side as well as protect them at all costs. As Aro said, I was now a butterfly. My human body was nothing but a damaged cocoon. I had emerged stronger from my experience. That scrum had no power over me anymore. I would be the Queen they needed. I would be the mate they needed. I would do this for myself.
"And that," Athenodora watched me in a trance, like she had seen my inner resolve take shape, "Is why you were destined to be their mate".
I quickly made my way through the hallways towards the private library. I don't know how I knew but I knew my mates were still there. During my conversation with Athenodora, we both formed a mutual respect. Whether it be because we had both gone through the same trauma or it be because we were determined to emerge stronger from our experiences, I couldn't say. All I knew was that as a result of our conversation, a friendship had formed. I wished her well on her travels and that the Volturi would always be her home. I even told her I looked forward to her return.
"Who knows?" Athenodora pulled her hood up as she prepared to leave, "I might even find my own mate".
I slammed the doors to our private library open and my three mates looked up from the various papers scattered across the table.
"Little swan?" Aro asked in surprise at my entrance. I entered and made sure the doors were shut behind me before I looked at my mates.
"You said you would burn the world down if I desired it," I stalked towards them, like a lion pursing their prey, "I don't want that". I stood in front of Aro and rested my hands on his face. His eyes drilled into mine, captive to my words. I pulled his face down and our lips crashed together in a heated kiss. His arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me closer to him.
'That scum will have no power over me,' I thought to myself.
I pulled away and my red eyes met his, "I want to be holding the torch by your side that burns it all down". He's eyes darkened in lust and he lips smashed against mine in another passionate kiss. My hands tightened on his face as desire consumed us.
Aro hissed and pulled away, "As much as I want to continue to devour you little swan, you're hurting me". I stared in horror as I watched small cracks appeared on his face from where my fingers drug in during our…very…passionate kiss.
"I'm so sorry!" I quickly pulled my hands away but went to step back but Aro's arms around my waist prevented me from doing so. I could have died in embarrassment as I heard Caius and Marcus chuckle in the background.
Aro also chuckled softly and rested his forehead against mine as the cracks slowly faded away, "Let's light the torch then".
It had been just over a month since my confession to my mates and despite the mourning I was going through over the loss of my humanity and my loved ones, it had been a surprisingly wonderful time.
Marcus and I spent hours reading together in our library and I was obsessed with listening to the tales of his life. He told me about Didyme and had been helping me through my grief. We had talked at length about what he thought my power was and we settled on calling it a mirrorlike ability. I would reflect a power back to the user. Marcus hypothesised that with practice, I could potentially reflect a user's power elsewhere, like a sunlight hitting a mirror at a certain angle and bouncing elsewhere. However, I needed to learn how to control my ability first. Cue Caius. While Marcus was like a steady stream, Caius was a roaring river.
As his mate, he was determined to make sure I could protect myself and develop the use of my powers. Slave driver was an understatement. I thought it was impossible for vampires to get exhausted. I had even joked with Caius about that. He personally took that as a challenge and was determined to push me every second to my limits. The mental exhaustion I felt after very session from learning how to manipulate the invisible mirrorlike bubble that I had come to see around me was not very fun at all. While exhausting, I enjoyed the time I was spending with him. When he took mercy on me and let me relax, he taught me how to draw and paint which I adored dearly.
Aro had given me free reign over the kitchen and would spend hours watching me bake. Baking was something I couldn't bear to let go of quite yet. It had always something that bought me joy and I was still disappeared that my mates would never be able to taste my cooking. Aro answered all my many questions and educated me about the vampire world. I had even managed to convince Aro to let me donate my cooking to a local charity to distribute to the homeless so the food wouldn't go to waste. If I wasn't in the kitchen, Aro and I would spend hours just playing board games. Aro had a brilliant strategic mind and I was determined that I would beat him one day. Chess was normally our go to game and I was starting to lose slightly less bad which I was incredibly proud of.
My favourite moments though had been when the three of us spent time together. It wasn't often due to their leader duties but when we did, I don't think I have ever been happier. They would teach me different languages or we would lounge around while one of my mate would play an instrument…or even just the three of us talking was therapeutic. It during this down time that I discovered the means behind all the nicknames I hadn't understood. Marcus, my heart. Caius, my queen. Aro, little swan. I teased Aro about not having a more romantic name…right until he said little swan in Italian.
'That…that was probably the most sexy thing I've ever heard Aro say,' I vividly remember thinking. My face has obviously given it away as a smug smile appeared on Aro's face asking if I wanted a new nickname…the answer was a very quick 'no'.
I had started becoming closer to my mates and I could feel my bonds strengthening with each of them. I was starting to learn how to control my bloodlust and my mates were helping me learn how to feed properly. My only concern was Sulpicia. After Aro had broken the news to her, she just disappeared. No one knew where she had gone. Aro wasn't worried and told me several times not too but Marcus had confirmed to me one night that the bond between Aro and Sulpicia, while not a mate bond, had been very close to it…and that gave me concern. I had no doubt over Aro's love for me but I was concerned about the potential issues from Sulpicia. While Athenodora and Caius had a strong bond full of love, it was no where near as intense. Before she left, Athenodora had made it very clear to me that she just wanted Caius to be happy. Only time would tell with Sulpicia I suppose.
We had decided to not disclose to the rest of the Volturi guard that I was the leader's mate until my powers and bloodlust were under better control. Only the close entire circle of their personal guards did; Alec, Demetri, Felix and Jane. They were the four who most commonly guarded us, particularly when we were feeding. Which is where I was now, feeding with my mates in a private room.
Ba-dum. Ba-dum.
My heard snapped up at the sound of a heartbeat. Venom filled my mouth and my eyes became glued to the door where the sound was coming from. The half-drained body in my arms all but forgotten.
"Don't waste food," Aro chastised when he saw my attention had drifted elsewhere. I glared at him half-heartedly but brought the neck of the corpse back to my lips and continued to drink. My grip tightened on the body as the scent of flowers filled my scenes.
Knock, Knock
The large ornament handle banged several on the wood door before it opened. I watched as a young woman, who looked like a model from a fashion magazine, walk in. Her brunette hair was pulled back into a bun, exposing the veins in her neck. I watched with fascination as I could practically see the blood being pumped through. Her coffee eyes met mine and I watched as the blood in her veins started pumping quicker, signalling her fear. Her blood was sing to me! Demetri and Felix quickly blocked the human's view of us.
"Piccolo cigno (Little swan)," Aro sighed in disappointment, "Eat". I blinked a few times. I didn't even realise I had put the corpse down. I felt a presence crouch down next to me. A hand ran down my cheek and pulled some of my fallen hair behind my ear.
"Tell me vasílissa mou (my queen)," I heard Caius whisper into my ear, "What's going through your mind?". I didn't answer. My eyes never left the human. There was so much happening inside me that I didn't even know where to begin. The human's cheap flower perfume burning my nostrils, the constant drumming of her heart, my mouth practically watering or my inner animal begging to hunt the human down. It wasn't until Caius placed a hand underneath my chin and forcefully guided my gaze to his that I regained some bearing.
"Vasílissa mou (my queen)?" Caius asked as his red eyes drilled into mine.
"There's so much," I admitted, "I don't know, I don't know where to start".
He eyes seemed to light up at my admission, "Let's break it down then". He released my chin and my head automatically snapped back to the human.
"What do you hear?" Caius asked, his lips right near my ear.
"Ah," Aro hummed, "Valentina has bought us something". He signalled for the human to approach. Demetri and Felix parted and allowed the human to walk closer to us.
"Her heartbeat," I replied softly, "It's like a drum. It's a drilling noise in my head. It's getting quicker".
Caius hummed in delight at my response before he turned his attention to Aro, "She should not have interrupted".
"She's new," Aro responded in pity.
That comment brought a small smile to Marcus' face, "Aren't they all?".
Caius turned his attention back to me, "What can you smell?".
"Her perfume is burning my nose," I muttered in annoyance.
Caius hummed in agreement once again and pressed his lips against my cheek, "What does your hunting instinct tell you?".
"As a wise old man once told me," I turned my head and pressed my lips lightly against his, "Go for the jugular".
"Good vasílissa mou (my queen)," he smirked against my lips, "I will ignore that jab". Aro's excited Italian drew Caius' and my attention.
"Tesoro (darling)?" I asked in Italian. Aro's favourite language was Italian and with his lessons, I was being to speak more confidently. Marcus' favourite language was Greece while Caius' was French. More importantly though, I had taken it upon myself to learn as much of the three languages as I could so I could designate pet names. My mates had pet names for me and I wanted to return the favour. I had been tossing up with Tesoro, darling in Italian, for Aro but it didn't quite fit him.
Aro looked at me, "Bella and Edward are to be married".
"This is the Cullen's way of announcing her transformation. They mock us with their delays," Caius growled in annoyance as he flashed to Aro's side and read the invitation.
I still love my sister dearly but I did not respect her decision. It was early one morning that Marcus had confessed that he was the reason the search for me was delayed. He knew when I entered this world but resisted the urge to find me. He had wanted me to live a normal life before becoming a vampire. Give me the opportunity to have children which I could not with them. Create memories with my loved ones before I would leave them forever. Marcus had already loved me that much that he was willing to forsake his happiness for a few more years. According to Marcus, while confused at first, a vampire would know the tug of a soul bond. I had spent a good several hours smashing anything in my sight when I heard that. Edward knew Bella was his soul mate and yet he chose to involve himself with her while she was still a very young, impressionable human and rob her of her life. I don't think I could ever forgive him for that.
Ba-dum. Ba-dum.
I was pulled from my thoughts as I heard the human's heart start to beat quicker from fear. It was during one of my cooking session that I had my whole 'I can't drink people' crisis moments. It had taken a very long decision with Aro to coax me into believing that as a vampire, it was a natural thing to drink human blood. We were an apex predator. As a vampire, I needed to push the human side of me away and embrace the beast to truly thrive. It was then I discovered that the Cullen's only drunk animal blood, hence, their golden eyes. This decision continued for many, many hours before I eventually came around to the idea.
"Patience brother," Aro chirped before he turned his attention to the human, "Although you do have a point…the human did interrupt".
"Tesoro (darling)?" I purred as my mouth curled into a smile. As horrible as it sounded, the best tasting blood was straight from a live source.
Aro turned to me, "I can never say no to you my little swan".
That was all I needed.
I pounced and latched onto the human's throat before she even realised what was happening.
Hello my friends!
Thank you so much for your support! I am continuously blown away every time I get an email notification!
I apologise for the delay on this chapter! I re-wrote it several times because I just wasn't happy with the flow and the content. I finally settled on this version so I do hope it meets everyone's expectations!
I decided to change things up a bit and have Athenodora be a supportive character. I figure after being alive for so long, she would probably be over high school like drama and just want Caius to be happy. Doesn't mean that she wouldn't be catty about it though!
I'm so excited for the next chapter (also the reason for the delay in this chapter, I may or may not have started writing chapter 6 before this was completed due to my excitement). As such, I had to re-hash this chapter several times for everything to make sense for future events.
Lottie's nicknames for the leaders will be in the next chapter. I'm interested to hear what you think they will be
Stay safe xxx
