Author's Note: OH MY GOD I'M SO SORRY I TOOK OVER A MONTH ON THIS CHAPTER! School, work, and everything just piled on top of me and I guess I ended up letting this story go for a bit. I assure everyone though that I will finish this story. I hate it when I personally would get invested like 50 chapters in- spending pretty much every waking moment reading a story- to only have it never be concluded, so I swear that will not happen here. So I caught myself by surprise by falling in love with a new pairing. What do you guys think? Should I do a spinoff after this story centered around Arjana's and Alec's ship? Thank you all by the way for amazing reviews! Seriously when I hit this slump, the reviews really helped me pull it together. I hope this chapter was worth the wait, and I will try to ensure that you guys don't have to wait another month before the next chapter lol. Please fav and review!
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Amaryllis' P.O.V
I woke up in the most comfortable bed ever, surrounded by a bunch of plush blankets that were colored purples, burgundies, and browns, with a couple that were black. I was in heaven. The next thing I realized was that there was a slender form under the sheets with me. When she noticed me stirring, I heard an excited gasp and in the next second Arjana's face was merely centimeters from mine.
"About time!" she yelled out in glee while giving me a bone cracking hug. I smiled and laughed.
"How long was I out?"
"Way too long. It has been nearly two and a half weeks," She scolded. "I'm sorry you had to hear me snoring for that long," I joked. I pushed her back slightly and looked into her face. Arjana was no longer the little girl I knew, but she didn't sprout up as fast as I worried she might. She looked to be a full on teenager now- her hair had grown out so now it was resting on her shoulders while her features were becoming more defined. She was still short though- only growing a couple inches since I last saw her- but her figure was no longer child-like. My eyes rested on those cat like eyes that seemed to glitter like gold before I hugged her again.
"Oh, we have so much to catch up on!" I exclaimed. She giggled and backed away again. I finally took the time to survey my surroundings and my jaw dropped. It was a beautiful room and this bed was freaking enormous. Everything was so refined and classical, but I noted that there were plenty of warm elements that made the room feel homely. Still, the bed with the burgundy canopy that was accompanied by golden sheer fabric, and the fact that everything in here looked handcrafted, made me feel like I was a commoner who snuck in here or something.
"So where's your brother?" I asked trying not to choke on my words as I let my eyes dance around the room.
"He went to drop off the new recruits. He linked with me a couple days ago and said that everything went smoothly and that he would be returning for me soon. There is something I have to tell you," She cleared her throat and did her best attempt at speaking in Maxum's voice, "You better take good care of her or I'm gonna slam your face into a piss filled toilet." I laughed.
"Wow, he said that?" Arjana shrugged her small shoulders.
"I added a couple colorful elements, but essentially that's what he means."
"So I take it I'm in the castle now," I tested. My stomach was doing backflips that I was back here. She nodded. "Have you been treated well?" Again she nodded. There was a gleam in her eyes that had me tilt my head in question.
"Well, I still feel kind of weird around people and it was hard for me to be surrounded by umm these kind of people, but they were all nice. I'm afraid to be around Caius though. He seems to be trying to act kind- but he is failing miserably. I don't know if he's just bad at being gentle or if he hates me. Aro is a bit…too much. A little scary actually, but he seems to be trying his best. I met this boy though, Alec, and I really like him. At first he hated me because vampires hate my kind, but one day he came over and handed me a flower," She looked super flustered at the admittance and looked away in remembrance at the memory which made me wanted to squeal 'AWWEE' at the top of my lungs. Instead I settled for a shit eating grin.
She then snapped her eyes back at me and tripped over her words in her rush to cover up what she just said, "Oh and I really like Marcus! I don't quite understand his love for reading, but he's very gentle and quiet. I don't feel overwhelmed by him or anything. Look he even got me this book!" She scampered off the monster bed and quickly returned with a fancily designed book with a dark blue cover.
"I usually don't care to sit and read, but this one so far has been really enjoyable! He also ordered to get me a lot of tea." I chuckled. "Aw man he's feeding your addiction. I thought you'd be sick of tea by now. You drink that stuff by the gallons." She slapped my arm and laughed with me.
Soon after we heard doors being thrown open and in the next moment all three kings were standing in the bedroom's entry way. They all were wearing fancy dark colored suits with their pendants hanging off their necks. I wouldn't say they looked disheveled, but their eyes suggested that they were. Horrid memories and insecurities blew up in my mind.
"Umm, could you do me a favor Arjana and see what human food is around? My stomach is going to start eating my other organs if it's not appeased soon." She smiled, kissed my cheek, and then slipped past the kings to leave the room.
"I knew we shouldn't have all gone at once. Of course she would wake up on one of Arjana's shifts," Caius growled. Instantly I was transported back to that doctor's room, watching as Caius jumped into a group of well over 5 enemies alone.
"What the hell were you thinking?" I snapped. I wasn't that intimidating since I was swaying a little but I still held the edge in my voice. I really needed some food here. It also probably doesn't help that I looked swallowed up by the bed. Caius snapped his attention from Aro to me. He was fuming.
"What do you mean by that?" He asked terrifyingly calm. It made my heart jump a bit but I didn't cower.
"You went into an extremely dangerous area with little guards around you! I was losing my damn mind watching you fight against all those creatures. You could've died!" I glanced over at Marcus and Aro, "Same with you two! I was so scared to lose you. I thought you three were smarter than to just delve into a horde of enemies like that. Instead you each acted like insulant fools just begging to get murdered!" They all clenched their jaws and their fists. Great Amaryllis, awake 5 minutes and you manage to thoroughly piss off your mates. What a champ. Caius took a threatening step forwards.
"Woman, you will not scrutinize me nor treat me like a weak human. You better get it through your thick skull that even if I wanted too, I would never be able to just allow you to be hurt like that. And how dare you insult my skills in battle! I handled myself well and took several of those monstrosities down…."
"What about when that slime ball that almost snagged you!" I interjected, crossing my arms.
"I dodged him as easily as I dodged the rest!" he yelled, "Than I snapped its disgusting neck. I killed over 10 of those things with no help, yet you sit there and insinuate that I am weak? I may not have your ability but I am powerful so don't you dare insult my fighting capabilities again woman or I will pull you over my knees and spank you till you're reduced to nothing but tears." I saw no warmth in Caius' eyes. Looking from him to the others I noticed that Aro had his eyes narrowed at me and Marcus had a distinct frown. Unconsciously I did shrink back a bit, but I was still glowering at them.
In the back of my mind I did admit that I was wrong for my words. The bond had me so worked up at the time, I barely paid attention to how well they each handled themselves in battle. No, they were not as powerful as Felix, but they each were pretty damn close. No wonder they were the kings. Each went through a crap ton of the creatures with practically no help. Still, that bond was flaring up my anger at the fact they put themselves in danger, even if rationally they would've been okay.
"If you wish to discuss the concept of insolence than let's mention your neglect to mention anything specific about your enemy," Aro chimed in with a mocking tone, "If we knew what you were up against you would have never been kidnapped in the first place because you would've been here with us- heavily protected. Some of our men died because of your negligence. Even if you didn't trust me enough to say anything, you still were more aware of the situation than any of us. You should have moved in with us much sooner or at least sought out protection from us that you thought was adequate." I bit my lip- my anger slipping away as quickly as it had roared to life.
"She already made it quite clear how she truly views us. We would've been too weak in her mind to protect her," Marcus concluded. His voice seemed empty, but there was a hint of anger in there that really hurt to hear.
"I…I," I stuttered dumbly, "I'm sorry," tears were now threatening to spill over, "I was so worried. I couldn't bear the thought of losing you. I don't know why I got angry all of the sudden. Just the memories of you fighting scared me because I couldn't be there for you. I know your each extremely powerful and that you didn't need my protection but…" Instantly their cold looks disintegrated and all three rushed over to comfort me.
"I know. It was just the bond getting the best of you and making you angry. We get that way too," Marcus rumbled. My back molded against his chest as he held me and started purring while Caius and Aro caressed my sides gently.
"…and I haven't given you much reason to trust me," Aro added with a sorrowful look in his eyes.
"Still. I should've trusted you more. I'm sorry Caius, I don't think you're weak. You were kicking ass out there but I still got over protective." Caius's frown deepened.
"You should know better than to patronize me, but I understand. I would have reacted the same way if the roles were reversed." Before I could get too comfortable, my mind decided to chastise me with the insecurities I had towards everything that happened.
"Soo… now you three know everything about me," I chewed on my lip nervously and fidgeted. I couldn't bring myself to look at them so I stared at my legs. I noted that someone had changed me into my loose shorts and tank top. "I'm worried that you think less of me now or that you are disgusted. I'm a pretty fucked up creature." Caius growled.
"You will not speak about yourself this way," He stated angrily.
"Is that why you seemed to shy away from me?" Marcus asked. I reluctantly nodded. I felt Marcus's arms tighten their grips around my waist. I felt a little less ashamed around the other two because I've seen and heard about their demons and they could rival mine. Marcus on the other hand was nothing but sweet to me, and didn't seem outright evil to the others. Out of the three of them, it was his opinion I held dearest to my heart.
"Darling, I was worried that you might lose yourself, but at no point did I feel disgust when I looked at you. You're a powerful magnificent creature." His tone held a finality that was comforting.
"Never would I have thought that you were that powerful! Don't you realize? This situation, as terrible as it is, worked out in your favor. All our guards saw how powerful you truly are and will no longer question your part in our coven. Even my dear Jane followed your orders with no hesitation! Along with that, there is no doubt in my mind that word will spread, which will deter some of the starting rebellions," Aro gleamed. I groaned and put my head in my hands.
"But you all saw me so vulnerable. Then they all saw me being freaking crazy," I groaned again, "Ohh this is terrible. Definitely not how I wanted my first impression to go. They're going to think I'm always that psychopathic." Aro chuckled.
"Well, those who have not seen how you normally are will be tiptoeing around you for a while. They think you're as terrifying as Caius when he's in his worst of moods- if not more."
"Oh no, I'm as bad as Caius!?" I looked to Aro with horror written on my features. Marcus and Aro laughed while Caius pouted a little.
"It is better to have them fear you," he grumbled. I rolled my eyes and snickered.
"Well anyways, they're probably going to figure out sooner or later that the power I had then was a fluke," Worry started to overcome me again, "I can't control that ability. It's difficult to access it, and had you three not been there, I would not have been able to wield it. This ability also comes with a cost. After the ability fades I pass out, which is the first part of it, but now even using my base abilities will be difficult and I'm going to feel weaker than usual for a while. The amount of time is always dependent on how long I used my power. My guess is I'm going to be weaker for at least a couple more weeks," I frowned at my admittance, "Hopefully no rebellions occur during this time."
Aro nodded and kissed my cheek. "You have all eternity to master that power, and you know we will always be there to protect you regardless. We will not fret over the little rebellions that are forming until you are back to your old self. Our best guards can handle them for now. I do suggest however, that you refrain from divulging what you just said to us, to others. Let our guard and the rest of the world think that you are just as powerful now as you were then." We all seemed to agree on that point. After I nodded, Aro continued with that insane gleam in his eyes.
"Anyways, all that matters right now is that you are home with us." He seemed to be bursting with joy and he purposefully drew out the word 'home' like he was relishing a sip of fine wine. I kissed him with a smile. Marcus turned me so he could kiss me next. Caius shook his head with a small grin and pulled me to him so he could have his turn. Afterwards they each purred and caressed me while I was humming with bliss. A knock on the door was quickly followed by Arjana and a chef with a cart of food entering the room.
"Ah, Arjana! Thank you so much for helping," Aro grinned like a Cheshire cat at her and she gave an uncomfortable smile. I quickly realized that she walked into to me being surrounded by three men sitting on the bed caressing me. Of course she was feeling awkward. I wiggled out of the cuddle session and sat at the foot of the bed. My stomach rumbled and I was nearly jumping with excitement for food. These cooks were top notch.
"Well…I'm going to give you some space for a while so you can get settled in," Arjana shyly smiled. "Ah, enjoy your little dinner date," Aro stated in his child-like tone. Arjana blushed and became fidgety. Her mouth was trying to form words but it failed miserably so instead she opted for nodding and fleeing the room.
I did a little dance with my shoulders as I dug into the vast amounts of foods before me. Raising my eyebrows I looked to Aro with confusion while I ate. He chuckled.
"It's really an adorable story, although the concept is a bit…unorthodoxed. Alec and Arjana are mated. Arjana apparently doesn't feel the imprinting, as they call it, as much as a normal shifter would, but she can tell that something is there. At least that's what I heard from Marcus's memories. She's not a fan of me getting near her," Aro pouted a little but continued on, "Oh you should've seen Alec's thoughts! When he first saw her, he believed she was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. He became hateful towards himself since she is part wolf, but is trying to overcome that. We all are trying to get used to the idea that a vampire is mated that way to be quite honest with you dear." I shrugged.
"Well my quote unquote parents were vampire wolf mixes sooo, yeah. We really don't have prejudices one side or the other, aside from casual scent complaints." Aro's smile widened.
"How intriguing," he hummed and then continued on with his gossip before he could get too hung up on what I said, "Anyways, so Alec was watching her from the shadows the first few days she was here. Everyone could tell that he was following her around and plenty of our guards have poked fun at him for being a creep. Finally though, our young Alec found the courage to show his interest by giving her a rose! They have been talking since and seem to be, as you say, hitting it off quite well. They've been having these little dinner dates for a few days now and Alec has been showing her around our city," suddenly Aro put his hand on my leg, "Don't worry though dear, Arjana is in good hands. I've seen every thought through that boy's head, and I know he won't do anything against her will."
Holy shit this was adorable…but still. I bit my lip; my overprotective mom instincts were kicking in. Dear God, did Maxum or I ever have…that conversation with her? I should talk to her. No, No. She's intelligent and Alec should know damn well not to do anything that would make her uncomfortable. Looking into Aro's gleeful eyes I had to shake my head. I poked his nose which surprised him.
"You got to stop being so nosy. You're acting like such a gossip girl." He laughed.
"After such a long life, it is thanks to my ability and my insatiable curiosity that I'm not completely mad dear. I love oddities and their relationship…is rather odd."
"Yeah, you're only mostly insane at best," I teased, "Anyways, I can figure that you have been wanting to use her power for yourself, and I know that I can't change the part of you that loves the powerful and odd, but you need to stop being so creepy about it. I saw how you looked at her- it was like she was a prize to be won. It's making her extremely uncomfortable so of course she'd choose to talk to Marcus instead. Caius I guess you look constipated or something so stop that constant anger thing you do around her."
"I've been on my best behavior!" Caius defended. I shook my head and kissed him again on his cheek.
"I'm sorry my radiant flower. I do not mean to come across that way towards your friend. I am excited at the prospect of having her ability on our side. We could use a shield like hers," Aro apologized.
"Well if their relationship blossoms, you'll either gain her ability or lose her and Alec's abilities. We've witnessed what a mating bond does and I highly doubt they'll be able to be apart from one another for long," I chided. Aro's voice deepened and he instantly seemed much more callous, although his tone was still pleasant,
"Let us hope for the former."
I shrugged and stretched, reveling the blissful feeling of being full. All of the many dishes were empty now. The cook that stood there patiently in the background emerged to take the cart away. Sleepiness was starting to lay over me like a warm blanket, but excitement battled against it and won. My heart was fluttering, and if I had felt strong enough to, I would be jumping for joy right now. I'm here. In Volterra. In my new forever home. With my mates who cherished me.
"Can you guys show me the bathroom so I can freshen up? I would love to have a tour around my new home." I felt their joy spike when I said 'home.'
"Il mio dolce fiore (my sweet flower) are you sure? Shouldn't you rest longer before we do the tour?" Aro asked with airy concern.
"We don't want you to hurt yourself. You have all the time this earth has to offer us to look around," Marcus added. I shook my head.
"I'm sure I can handle walking around. Could you ask the cooks to prepare me some coffee that has plentiful amounts of sugar and creamer while I shower?" Aro didn't look convinced, but he said 'Of course' with a smile. Caius wasn't happy about me moving so soon but he stayed grumpily quiet- no doubt trying to avoid another fight. Aro stood up and offered me his arm and then all three of them escorted me across this enormous bedroom to one of the few ornate-near black- doors. Inside was, you guessed it, a freaking huge bathroom that could fit an army of men. I gasped in awe.
"We put your toiletries on the countertop over there," Aro gestured, "If you need us for anything at all, we will be right outside."
They left me alone and I absentmindedly surveyed the room. There was a hot tub, a large bath that was practically a pool, and two walk in showers. As expensive and stunning as it all looked, they somehow managed to add enough elements of my taste to make it feel comfortable. I could just imagine myself after a long day of trails and Queen stuff, coming in here to light candles and soak in the hot tub. There were multiple light switches that each allowed me to change the intensity of the lighting in different parts of the room. The walls were a desert sand color, while the floor was held a multitudes of browns. The wall by the hot tub was just a mammoth sized mirror. The place was modern with a touch of Victorian era beauty, and colors that made it feel a little rustic.
"Holy shit this is amazing," I muttered. I heard Aro and Marcus chuckle from outside. On the counter it had my stuff. A lot of it came from my old house. Somber thoughts tried to weasel in my happy daze, but I fought it off. I will not think of my problems right now and I will take this moment to just enjoy everything. I collected my things and freshened up. During the shower, I went over everything that had just happened in my head. Aro had me immobilized by his argument. I a hundred percent could have requested more guards or something to protect myself, and now some of their guards died because of me. Marcus was right too. I guess I have been either too caught up in my own abilities, or lacking in respect to theirs. I didn't trust them enough to even ask for more guards. I even thought that the guards the sent was too much! Oh, I hope the ones that were with me at the house are okay. I saw Felix and Demetri but not the others. Okay, okay. Happy thoughts for now. Although I did note to myself that I would need to really do something special for the kings for a proper apology. They stopped fighting me because their urges to comfort took over, but that didn't mean that fight was over.
The towels provided were soft and they had a black silk robe hanging next to three larger black ones. 'Why is mine silk while they get the softies,' I pouted. After putting it on, I quickly got my answer. The perves. The bathrobe tied snuggly around my waist and showed off my breasts. It was also extremely short. A slight bend was all it took to show off everything. I had to admit I felt sexy, and this silk was wonderful. With a smirk I walked out.
"At this point I might as well be naked," I chuckled. Seeing their faces as they greedily took in my site bolstered my confidence level. I felt like a sex kitten around them, which was odd because before I was more attuned with a clunky sex elephant, but I loved it.
"Ah, ah, ah. No funny business. I won't be able to do the tour if you three take up all of my remaining energy," I scolded playfully.
"Right…," Aro agreed while still eating me up with his eyes, "…we have some clothes that we salvaged and washed for you in your closet." He got up and I blushed and tried not to stare at his evident arousal as he showed me around the room to my closet. It was basically the size of a master bedroom in there and it was mostly empty except for my few belongings. Not much was left…
Sensing my distraught, Aro kissed and nibbled at my neck. "We will have your measurements taken within the next couple days for new clothes." A soft moan escaped my lips and all my problems slipped through the fingers of my mind once again. His face went dark at the sound and he seemed to be fighting to control himself. With a forced smile, he flashed away so I could put on the same flowery dress I wore on my date with Marcus, and came back with a black tie in his hands.
"I've only been here a few minutes and you're already trying to do BDSM with me? Wow you really are my soul mate" I teased. He chuckled and tied it around my head so I couldn't see.
"Not yet darling. That room will come later in the tour." My mouth fell open and my eyes widened. I couldn't tell if he was joking or not. Before I could say anything though, I felt myself being picked up and moved. When I was gently put down on my feet, someone removed the tie and my eyes were immediately greeted with a grand gate leading to the beautiful stone castle.
"This our official main entrance," Aro explained. The three of them stood in front of the entrance and slowly pushed open the gate.
"Welcome home," Aro greeted. All three had smiles on their faces that matched mine as I strolled in.
They showed me the main gardens that even the humans were allowed to walk around in, the two main throne rooms, the regular guest rooms, the special guest rooms, the human's kitchen, the human's chambers, the guards chambers, the training room, the recreational rooms, the pool room, the meeting room, the car garage, and yeah the list goes on. It's going to take me well over a hundred years to navigate my way through this place, and another thousand years before I felt like I belonged here. Every room they showed me was immaculate.
"Now that we have finished with the main tour that nearly every family member receives, it is time to give you the grand tour. Many of these places are restricted for the top guard or to us alone," Aro beamed with excitement. They went back to the hallway next to the special guest rooms and gestured to the row of doors.
"We never had a branching family outside these walls and those few who have left the Volturi, generally stay in the special guest's rooms when they visit. Since you, however, have a large family we figured that we should create royal family chambers." Aro strolled down and stopped in front of one of the doors.
"This is Arjana's room. I'd show you the inside, but we shouldn't enter without her consent. Do feel free to pop your head into any of the other rooms though."
"Wow, look at you Aro. Learning the concept of personal space," I teased while opening the door closest to me. Caius and Marcus smirked while Aro pouted a little. The rooms were the sizes of apartments with two rooms, one bathroom, a family room, and kitchen. I could just imagine having my insane group visiting here- making this place their own. It was heart-warming.
"This is wonderful. Thank you."
"There is still much more to see my flower," Marcus said while giving me a chaste kiss on the lips. They led me through a maze of hallways until we reached a beautiful garden. The green house rested on a hill that overlooked the surrounding mountains. The sun was setting between two of them- staining the surrounding sky with gorgeous reds, pinks, and oranges. Pops of colors were surrounding me everywhere along with wonderful aromas. We walked the main cobble stone walkway that winded through the flowers, statues, and ponds with koi fish until we reached an elegant fountain encircled with metal benches. The benches had whimsical curves that resembled entangled vines and cream cushions. I thought this was the main attraction but they continued onwards, until we reached an area secluded by a wooden gazebo laced with vines, some small trees, and rose bushes. There was a porch swing with dusted rose cushions and brown pillows, a meridienne couch with a bronze outline and mulberry colored cushions with silver pillows, along with a couple metal stands to put stuff on and a small table in the middle. They were facing towards the entrance slightly, and the gazebo was being bombarded by the bushes and flowers around it. Although this section shared the same space, because of the dipping vines with flowers, either side felt sectioned off from one another. It felt like walking into a secret and private place where you could just detach from the world.
"This is our private garden. Only a select few may enter here and you, of course, are now one of them. Marcus had this little section added in because he thought you would appreciate the 'Alice in Wonderland vibe' that comes from it," Aro stated while I walked around inside my little slice of heaven.
"You confided over the phone that you enjoyed when Alice met the flowers, and specifically commented the scene in the movie that showed the white rose that was nearly entirely encased by the greenery so I believed you would like this addition," Marcus added. My smile nearly broke my face as I hugged him.
"Your garden is stunning and I love this part of it so much. It looks so cozy and perfect." He purred slightly and kissed my forehead.
Caius led the way to the next room, and seemed to be a bit antsy. When we reached a door he stopped and glared at the two brothers, before cracking it open enough for me to walk in. I barely paid attention to the fact that he was kicking his brothers out, as I stared at the beauty before me. Paintings upon paintings adorned the walls and piled on the floor. There were also plenty of sketches, chalk works, oil pastels, and essentially just all of the different media you could do in art around, but mainly it was paintings. Every style was shown from abstract to hyper realistic. His stuff depicted war, peaceful sceneries, everyday life (mainly for humans), animals, but a blush crept on my cheeks after seeing how many ones had me in it. I got a bit bashful and directed my attention to the floor paintings.
A few of them were portraits of his wife…I mean EX-wife. In some of them she looked wild, happy, and carefree while in others she looked detained with only a small smile gracing her lips. I couldn't help the spike of jealousy, but mainly I felt pity for the woman. He stepped in front of my line of site and I looked up at him.
"She looks so sad in some," I stated. I should've just let it go, but I couldn't. The unhappiness in that lovely woman's eyes were haunting. His body tensed at my words, but after a couple minutes of silence he spoke.
"As a human woman, she was confined to being inside. Women were better seen, not heard. She told me in the beginning that after she was changed, she discovered a freedom and a chance to be her true self. Athendora wanted a nomadic life, but gave the concept up so we could form the Volturi. No, she was not as…progressive as you are and she understood that I was the head of the household, but she did wish to have her opinion heard and I had always conceded to that. We were happy then…she was happy then," He looked to the wall behind me, "But after Didyme's passing I had to protect her," Caius turned to look at the paintings of her, "It was for her protection." I couldn't tell if he was trying to defend himself or if he was trying to convince himself. My heart broke a bit- seeing the pain so evident in his eyes. Like a flick of a switch he guarded his emotions once again.
"I apologize. I was still trying to decide what to do with these paintings, but with the sudden changes in the plans, I forgot to move them. I could throw them out now if you wish." I looked at him with a mixture of horror and confusion.
"No. Caius, I know apart of you will always love…"
"I don't love her anymore," He interrupted with finality.
"…always care about her and I do not expect you to throw them away. I'm a bit of a jealous asshole….okay a major possessive jealous asshole, but so long as you don't desire her that way anymore, I'm okay with it. You can do what you want with the paintings." In a flash, he grouped them closer together and had them turned away towards the wall.
"I will contend with them later then." I nodded at his response with a smile and looked around at the overwhelming amount of art work.
"You are so talented. I really want to burn my own stuff right now," I chuckled. He glared.
"You haven't had the millennia's of practice that I have had and you show a lot of potential," He commented in his serious tone that made me want to role my eyes and smile. Grabbing my hand he led me up the spiral stair case to a much more spacious place. There was a lot of props and two modern easels that stood a few feet apart. One was surrounded by used art equipment and pictures of me that I had sent to them while the other one was surrounded with a bunch of brand new art equipment. It was brightly lit like the first room was, but the walls were bare except for a couple small windows.
"Is this where you actually paint?" I asked and he nodded in response. Seeing the two easels made it pretty easy to piece everything together.
"I'll be painting here as well?" I smiled. Again he nodded and I felt a spout of nervousness in our bond.
"If you wish for privacy, I have also set up a room next to this with the same equipment. There is also another room for storage for your paintings." Man these assholes were going to make me cry with their sweetness.
"I would love to paint with you…although sometimes I might want privacy. I get nervous when others are around- especially talented people like you, but I don't want to be a room apart from you either." I looked around. "Ah, hah." I snatched some fabric and laid it over a tall rack, then rolled it in between the two easels.
"There! Now I can be close to you without getting nervous about you judging my artwork. I will be making visits to see you work though." I hugged him and did a little shoulder dance.
"I'm so happy. Thank you so much Caius." I kissed him passionately and then squeezed his hands.
"I would love to see more of your work. Do you have any sketch pads that I can glance at?"
"Later. The tour is not over." I pouted at his response. Glancing around the room I noticed a sketch pad underneath some paints. In a flash I got it and smiled triumphantly at him.
"Don't look at that one!" He sniped quickly, but it was too late. My mouth was hanging open as I stared at very vivid and realist pictures of me. The pictures were done with all different kinds of dry media. Some were sweet, but there were a lot that were ummm ….yeah. There were a few pictures of me stripping or posed naked, a few pictures of me touching myself, and then there were ones of us in different sexual positions. My jaw hung down further as I stared at one where he was taking me from behind with one hand pulling my hair while the other gripped at my hip.
"Holy shit," I muttered. In the next second the book was snatched from me and thrown on across the floor.
"I said later!" He roared. I didn't give two flying fucks that he was mad. My gaping slowly turned into a shit eating grin.
"I mean I'm pretty fucking happy I looked anyways. If my sketch pad survived, I can show you all of the lewd pictures I drew of you," I laughed, "Although mine aren't nearly as well done." I glanced down at the book.
"It's really arousing that you desire me so much," I muttered while blushing. Quickly I recovered from my admittance with another smile. "But hey, wouldn't it make more sense to have this in your room though. Why is it in here?"
"All of my recent art works have been of you. I have another sketch pad in my study and I had one in my room." I blushed harder.
"Maybe I could pose for you sometime," I said while exiting the room. I quickly veered away from the topic.
"You do me too much justice in those art works. They are all so pretty." I didn't look behind me to see his face, but after a few beats he muttered, "They do no justice because you are far more beautiful than my paintings give you credit for." I reached back and grabbed his hand while we exited to the hallway.
"Caius, you should've done better to hide your more explicit pieces," Aro laughed.
"You had no right to listen through the door. Maybe I should escort her to both of your studies and show her all of the drawing you had me make for you two. I could also tell her Aro, how you covet the picture she sent us of her in that short skirt next to her friend," Caius snidely returned.
"Now, now Caius, that last part isn't fair. You've fought me for that picture before and I know you appreciate how creamy her legs looked as much as I do. Maybe I should tell her how all you kept thinking about was how wonderfully her breasts looked in that tank top the last time you two video chatted."
"Maybe I should go grab that journal of yours and read it to her. I'm sure you've got some interesting content in there that she would love to hear about," Caius remarked with a smirk.
I stepped in before Aro could return fire. "Okay, I am absolutely loving this and now I'm very interested in reading Aro's journal," I slapped Caius' arm excitedly, "Caius! You could read it to me every night like a bedtime story." Caius smiled menacingly at my comment. "A side note though," I added, "oh my gosh I go out of my way to pick pictures that I thought were not suggestive at all, but you guys still made it pervy. I love that you three are obsessed but dang." Shaking my head I grabbed onto Caius' arm.
"My apologies dear, but your legs did look delectable in that picture," Aro stated. While heading to the next location, I decided to push my luck.
"If I'm going to pose for Caius I don't see the harm in posing for you two either. Maybe I'll let you have photos that show more than my delectable legs," I winked. Aro and I laughed while the other two tensed momentarily.
The next room was similar to the new family quarters that the kings showed me. It had a family room, the latest T.V, kitchen, a spiral staircase leading to another floor, and a hallway that no doubt held rooms.
"This will be Lilith's room. It is in close proximity to ours, but it far enough away for privacy on both sides. There is plenty of room to accommodate the father and step mother if they choose to stay in here as well," Aro commented. My cheeks were starting to tire out from how much I was smiling. My eyes watered a bit, but tears refrained from slipping out. I was so touched that they put so much thought into these additions to their castle. They created a space for her here.
"Please tell me this is it. I don't think my heart can take much more kindness." Marcus bend down to kiss my cheek.
"Just one more stop left." A couple turns later and we reached a large sangria door. Inside was a large open space. To the left the dark stained floor dipped down to create a family room section with an enormous flat screen T.V, a DVD player, all the gaming consoles I could want, a large glass table in the middle sitting on top of a fuzzy creamy colored rug that was soft to the touch, and a large couch that followed the curve of the dipped floor. There were shelves lines with old books, old figurines, precious artifacts, and things that were salvaged from my old home all over the living space. Some walls were a bronze like gold, a pretty red, purple, or brown.
A few feet from where the floor dipped, was a double sliding door covered by a gold curtain which led to a stretch of land. There was a spacious modern style kitchen that led into an ornate dining room. One room was like the collective recreational space that had a bunch of different types of games from all genera's and ages. Then there was couple spacious rooms. One held a grand piano and several other musical instruments, and the other was a personal library filled to the brim with books and a couple seats and couches. Another room looked to be just for relaxing for all it had was a couch that framed a fireplace. I blushed when I saw that the picture over the fireplace was a delicately done picture of me. That would need changed. I couldn't relax with a picture of me staring me down. I didn't mention it though. Caius made me look so beautiful- he must have really taken his time on it. There was a room that had some animal equipment which got me excited, but Aro shook his head and said, "Tomorrow." There was another room that was solely dedicated to Aro's favorite collections from over the years. I was too nervous to touch any of it. I didn't want to spend my first day with him getting murdered for breaking his things. I noticed that Caius and Marcus also had little collections, but they weren't nearly as grand as Aro's.
They had me look around their respective studies and each really seemed to fit their personalities. Old, surrounded by books, and refined applied to all, but Caius' study had more archaic elements and things to do with bloodshed and war, Aro had some of his favorite artifacts and books that he had written, while Marcus' study also had books he had written and some surprisingly archaic elements like a picture that depicted war. After noting that all three had their computers, Aro went on about how I would have to try and get the others to see the advantages of understanding technology and I chuckled while Caius glared.
Aro was beaming with excitement before we entered the next room. He went in first and acted like a servant by the way he gestured to everything. "My beautiful flower- welcome to your personal study." Inside was basically a female nerd version of a man cave. There was a large T.V with all the games and movies I loved, shelves full of my favorite books and comics, cool freaking swords, a huge cushy black couch for me to sink into, and other shelves full of figurines and things from my favorite shows, movies, and games. My mouth has already been gaping this whole time, but now my jaw was on the floor. Towards the back of the room in a corner, there was an empty doorway that led to a more serious study. It had a fancy computer, mostly empty shelves and filing cabinets, a lovely desk with a comfortable chair behind it and three seats in front, a couch with a coffee table in front, and a new painting of my cats that made me tear up. Salvaged pictures from items packed away in my boxes filled my heart with warmth. My mates had put them up here and there in most rooms, but here it was full of them. There was also a large window behind my desk that gave me a beautiful view of the outdoors. While glancing around, I noticed 5 or so unpacked boxes against a corner of the study.
"We didn't feel comfortable unpacking everything, so we left these boxes for you to do. Feel free to put those objects were you see fit," Marcus said while placing a comforting hand at the middle of my back. I smiled and leaned back into him.
"I know you probably have a lot of concerns with your old place, but I would like to rest assure you now that everything is taken care of. We made contact with your 'parents' and I worked with them to ensure there was no loose ends. Your cat Sputnik survived, but we let Arjana take him in for the time being. Please don't fret my dear. I hate seeing the sadness in your eyes," Aro frowned while nuzzling into me. I kissed him gently and then we continued the tour.
"She's already been shown the bedroom," Caius rolled his eyes. "Yes, but she should know where it is in relation to everything Caius," Marcus chastised. I grabbed Caius' hand and they showed me the two ways to get upstairs. There was a cool spiral stair case in the first main room and another stair case towards the back. Upstairs had a large balcony, and just a shit ton of space. Like what the hell will we ever need this much space for? Still- I absolutely loved it. There were a lot more windows that really made me feel open and free. It was like at the Cullen's place, but I appreciate that they only did this up here so I could still feel like we had privacy downstairs.
By the end, my body was starting to protest my sudden want from sleeping for over two weeks to essentially walking freaking 2 miles. Caius seemed to notice and shook his head with a gruff attitude.
"I told you that you should've stayed in bed," He mumbled while picking me up bridal style. I giggled and hit him softly in mock protest.
"Hey that's not fair. I got through the whole tour before wobbling so shush," I pouted. He walked us to the bedroom and took off my clothes- being very mindful not to stare- and handed me some pajamas. When I was all nice and tucked in, all three of them crawled around and snuggled against me. Without thinking I clung to the shirt of Marcus as tears started to pour out. Before they voiced their concern I mumbled,
"This is all so heavenly, and I'm so touched and happy- it's almost too good to be true. I will never be able to repay you three for all that you did. Thank you. Thank you so much. I love you."
"Hush darling, you do plenty for us," Aro chided gently against my ear.
"There is no need for thanks either so don't start thanking our damn ears off. I much preferred your awed silence," Caius added.
"Relax my love and sleep. We will be here with you when you wake," Marcus cooed. My sniffling slowly retreated as I started to get lost in their purrs.