Annalise POV
Even after the night Carlisle and I gave into our desires our relationship stayed the same. Well except the fact that each night we gave into those said desires until the sun showed its face and we had to go about our days as normal. You know how it is.
We fell into a peaceful routine, one that we enjoyed simply for the comfort we found with it. Carlisle had his job helping others from our home with medical needs and I would stay in the library or my own room and read during these sessions. Sometimes I would go into the city to make appearances, pick up groceries, and always a new book. Before I returned home I would quickly drop off the food at shelters and to houses that I knew could use them. Sometimes Carlisle would go with me and on those days it seemed as if we were a normal couple, even if we could only go when the sun had set.
Then when the need arose we would go out and hunt, always making sure that we were far from the city most of the time crossing the Canada border. It was peaceful.
And it was so for a long time.
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I knew I was falling in love with Carlisle. It was years after we first consummated our relationship. Close to a decade I believe. Time passed strangely when you were immortal.
I'm going on a tangent. As I was saying, it wasn't one of those moments that I read in my books where the thought hits you like a train or you get the wind knocked out of you. It was just the opposite really.
We were in the library organizing books, seeing which ones we could rid ourselves of and those that we wanted to keep. I was in the middle of handing Carlisle, who was sitting with his legs crossed on the floor, a book but he didn't grab it. So I looked down at him to ask him if anything was wrong. But he was just holding two anatomy books in his hands and a look of deep concentration was on his plastered on his face, causing a perfect little crease to form on his brow.
I felt something warm in my chest and before I realized was happening the words slipped from my mouth. "Carlisle, I love you."
In shock I brought the book I was holding to up to my chest and turned away from our attempt at organization. I closed my eyes and even though it wasn't needed I steadied myself with a deep breath. How could I have said that to him? I was a fool and this would change everything.
He wasn't ready for this, Carlisle would think I'm trying to push something on him and now he probably wouldn't want to see me again.
I was in the middle of this internal debate when I felt his arms wrap around me and kiss my shoulder right where he knew I was sensitive. "Annalise, stop over-thinking it." He turned me around so we could see each other. "Darling, I know right now you're probably beating yourself up over this but you don't have to." He smiled, "I love you too." His smiled became brighter.
"It felt really good to say that out loud. I wasn't expecting it to feel so good." He bent down and kissed me, erasing my swirling thoughts.
We didn't get much sorting done after that.
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Moments passed. Years going by in what felt like minutes. And with Carlisle by my side anything was possible. In the words of one of my favorite authors, "We loved with a love that was more than love." This went through my mind on more than one occasion with how it perfectly described how I felt for the man who saved my life.
I loved him more than I thought I would and it made my life that much better. Carlisle had it in his head to show me everything. And he did. He took me to all corners of the earth. I saw cities sprawled out in the night lit by oil and gas lamps and as time passed we saw the same cities lit up with the new electric lights.
I saw the depths of jungles and the darkest parts of the forest. I saw little towns with populations under a hundred and saw cities that even we had gotten lost in. I saw paintings, sculptures, and architecture that stayed in my mind for days afterwards.
Through it all Carlisle was there. A constant part of the new world that he was introducing me to.
There was a bump sometime in the late 1860s. Carlisle and I were roaming the Italian country sides, taking smells of wildflowers. We weren't doing anything that I thought was illegal, but some men in dark cloaks even in the sunset approached us as we were talking.
Carlisle tensed, I immediately went to his side and waited to see how this would turn out. I noticed a little late that these men were like us. But when they stopped in front of us I saw that there eyes were a rich burgundy color that would have been beautiful if not for the fact they were irises.
"Carlisle, what a pleasure it is to see you again." The taller of the two said. Carlisle's hand grabbed mine and squeezed.
"Same with you Demetri, Aro sent you?" The lines of Carlisle's back tensed and I ached to smooth the tension from his shoulders.
"I can see that you aren't one to beat around the bush, so I'll tell you like it is. Just come with us, they want to see your new companion. Nothing too extreme you'll be in and out in less than a few hours."
It took a moment for Carlisle to respond but he did, not looking happy but compliant. Sometimes I forgot how strong and vital he was and to see him like this was not sitting right with me. He pulled me with him his arm circling my waist as if to soak comfort from me. I rubbed soothing circles on his back as we followed the hooded men through obviously well hidden spots in the village.
It only took a few minutes and we ended up in a round stone room with three elaborate chairs in the middle. Three vampires were sitting there, they radiated age and even though they looked as if they were in their mid to late 30s they were undoubtedly older.
"Carlisle!" The one in the middle sat up and walked over to were we stopped. The man reached out for a handshake and with very noticeable reluctance he grasped the other vampire's hand. The handshake lasted for longer than normal, and when they were finished Carlisle explained it to me.
"Annalise, this is Aro. He has the ability to read every thought a person has ever had. Every single thought." I knew I probably looked like a fool but he could read minds?! How many other vampires could do that. Why couldn't I do that?
"Darling, he wants to shake your hand." Carlisle pulled me from my thoughts. Aro reached forward and even thought I didn't really think I wanted to do this I let him touch my hands.
It didn't last as long as with Carlisle but when he released my hand everyone in the room seemed to lose a little of their tension. I grabbed Carlisle's hand after that for assurance.
"Carlisle, she is as beautiful as her name and smart as well. You found yourself a wonderful mate." Aro sat back down. "As for you Annalise, you and Carlisle fit together like you are two pieces of the same person. He is just right for a vampire like you."
Carlisle smiled, "Is there anything else you would like from us. We were in the middle of a very nice vacation."
"Awh, Carlisle, do you not want to spend time with your old friends for just a while." As politely as possible he declined the offer.
"Aro we really should be going, but at some other time I would love to spend some time here."
With a smile that would haunt me for a while, Aro waved goodbye as we left the castle.
That was the first time I met the Volturi. And I was hoping that it would be the last time.