AN: We did it! Thank you so much, you really are the best readers in the world. With your support Yours Eternally won first place in Plot of Choice and Heroine of Choice and second place in Best Romance. Due to your wonderful support my muse has really been given a forcible kick up the rear and so here you are; a chapter for you, my wonderful audience.
Seattle was loud and suffocating, it's streets were full with traffic and people, and its buildings stretched so high it seemed as though they were trying to reach out to touch the heavens. The city was illuminated with different artificial lights and they stained the dark sky with a rainbow colored halo, the stars were suffocated by such light and so had disappeared the closer we had come to the centre of this bustling place. I missed the stars.
I had travelled with Alice, separate to the other Volturi even though I could see the lines of disapproval and disappointment around Aro's mouth. I had needed the time and space with my friend to truly contemplate what I was doing.
Alice had always been the most supportive of me, even though she knew what my future held she had never tried to influence my decisions. Even now when I felt as though I stood on the precipice of hell she was there, supporting me whatever the outcome. Her gentle guidance and nurturing spirit was what I needed in this moment when I felt even my own mother had betrayed me.
I knew 'betrayed' was a strong word to use, after all she had only done what she had deemed best for me at the time. My mother who often made me feel as though I were the parent. Speaking to her would have to wait, at least for now.
The drive had taken around four hours, and Alice had informed me the only reason we were driving rather than flying was Aro's proclivity for engineering more ways to spend time with me, unfortunately for him I had thwarted that plan by requesting Alice as my only traveling companion. According to Alice he hadn't been best pleased by my decision.
"But why would he want to spend time alone with me?" I asked for what I knew must have been the fiftieth time, Alice smiled patiently not once bearing the look of someone who was loosing their patience with repeating themselves.
"Because you fascinate him Bella. I've never seen Aro so captivated by anyone, especially a human." Her golden eyes held me whole as Seattle flew by and I tried to dampen the panic I still felt at her lack of attention to the road.
The car came to a stop and the door was being opened for me before I had even had time to reach for my seatbelt. My movements must have been painstakingly slow to them, whoever it was that had opened the door for me. After releasing the seatbelt I looked up to see a strong, pale hand extending toward me in offering, I grasped it and let him help me from my seat.
I felt as though I had to offer him something after denying him the four hour journey in my presence. I needed the time to calm and think and with him around me that seemed impossible. He scrambled my thoughts and emotions even more so than Edward had ever done.
His grip was strong and yet not bruising, he lingered far longer than was necessary or proper and I tried to ignore the feeling that swept through my lower abdomen as he turned me to face a building that seemed to go on forever; climbing toward the heavens. Emblazoned on the front was a large V and I sighed a small disbelieving laugh.
"V?" I asked him, turning my head only slightly so my eyes could sweep over the building in all its glory.
"Mm, I know to you it must seem terribly obvious. Try to think outside the box, not alphabetically, but numerically. Specifically, Roman." He breathed close to my ear and I felt the cool air brush against my neck. I struggled not to shiver. Now I looked more closely I could see it was indeed the Roman numeral, the slight slant to the edge of the V wasn't just a particular typeface.
"Clever." I mumbled, bowing my head as he led me through the front doors, the rest of the Volturi flanked out behind him naturally. He practically radiated power and commanded respect, as was obvious from the bowed heads of the receptionists. Human, I noted.
No one approached or acknowledged us and it seemed wildly surreal that we were allowed to just waltz into such a place and into the private elevator. As the gleaming silver doors came to a close my eyes met his burning gaze in the buffed metal surface, his eyes were a strange maroon color now; having been altered by the contact lenses he wore. They didn't quite look normal, but at least at a passing glance you would only be struck by the intensity of his gaze and not their abnormal coloring.
"What is it you actually do here?" I asked hesitantly, not entirely sure if I wanted to know the answer.
He smirked in a predatory manner, his teeth flashing at me in the metallic surface. "Many things Isabella, none of which are Illegal, I assure you."
I merely nodded my head meekly, feeling completely out of place in this world of sophistication and snobbery. The elevator came to a halt so smoothly I hadn't even realized it had stopped moving until the doors began sliding open. I fought to keep my jaw closed as I beheld the impressive office and living space that occupied the penthouse.
It couldn't be further away from the living arrangement in Volterra. It was modern and sleek where Volterra was ancient and crumbling, it's colors were a well matched metallic and monotone theme where their castle had been an amalgamation of terra-cotta and stone. It was full to the brim with the latest technology, a total contrast to the castle that forbade even electric lighting in its deepest levels.
"Welcome home." He whispered in my ear, his deep and silky tone caressing the words lovingly.
"It's so different here, compared to Volterra." I voiced my thoughts aloud, not really sure what else I should say as I was led through the huge space.
"Come, I will show you to your room." His hand upon the small of my back led me gently away from the others and I realized just how tired I really was. Being around these immortal creatures at times made me forget my own mortality and fragility. I waved briefly to Alice in farewell as she smiled knowingly at me and I rolled my eyes, I knew the pixie haired Vampire would be listening and watching carefully.
The halls seemed to go on forever and I was grateful at Aro's patience with me, my walk had slowed to a crawl as exhaustion took over and I leant on his offered arm with far more reliance than I would usually have felt comfortable with. His rich, silken voice managed to sneak its way beneath the curtain of fatigue.
"Forgive me Isabella, I should have insisted you travel with me so I could have ensured your rest." I glanced sideways at him and smiled halfheartedly.
"Believe me I'd have got just as little rest no matter who I travelled with. The excitement was too much, it's been such a whirlwind."
"Hm, well I will be just across from you should you need anything. Yours is the room farthest from where we just entered. I wanted you to have as much privacy as I could offer you, which isn't much considering your current company."
I squeezed his arm in thanks. "I'm sure it will be wonderful."
I didn't see much of the room besides the very large, very welcoming looking bed. I felt myself sway towards it, longing to just dive beneath the heavenly looking duvet.
"Goodnight, little bird." I turned to face Aro, feeling like I had to tilt my head back much farther than usual to meet his gaze. His eyes swept across my face and his mouth quirked in an affectionate smile as he leant forward and placed a loving kiss upon my forehead, his lips lingered and my eyes fluttered closed.
"Goodnight, Aro."
The moment seemed to stretch on forever and I could sense his reluctance to leave. The thought of asking him to stay and watch over me passed through my mind, it was a tempting thought but I wasn't sure I wanted Aro to be witness to me in such a deep sleep. I could snore, or drool. Seeing anything like that would surely quickly shatter his delusions about me, no, it was probably best if he stayed outside at least.
As if sensing the moment for me to ask him the question he was waiting for had passed, he sighed and stepped away from me.
"If you need anything, you only need say my name. I will hear you."
I nodded again and watched as he backed out of the room and closed the door behind him.
Finally.
Bed.
When consciousness had first begun creeping into my sleep hazed brain I had felt at ease and blissfully unaware of the chaos that awaited me. As my subconscious fought to cling onto the restful and dreamless sleep I had previously been enjoying; ensconced in oblivion, I felt a prickle of something not quite right seep into my awareness. Later on I would wish I had enjoyed these blissful moments of ignorance and not awoken so quickly to the humiliation that awaited me.
Unfortunately I had, awoken that is. To find a bemused looking Alice staring down at me, her golden eyes hovering very close to my own, if she'd had breath I was certain i'd have felt it upon my face.
"Finally, you're awake. How much sleep do humans need anyway? Don't you feel like you're missing out on so much spending half of your lives unconscious? Though judging by your dreams maybe fantasy is better than reality." She span away and landed a graceful pirouette to be seated at the foot of my bed, I barely felt it move.
"Sorry, i'm awake now-" I broke off mid-sentence as my sleep fogged brain caught up with what Alice had just said. "Wait… What?" Wow Bella, articulate of you. I thought as Alice grinned up at me mischievously from the end of the bed.
"Tell me, do you remember the last thing Aro said to you last night, before he left you to sleep?" She examined her cuticle bed with a nonchalant air I envied, but didn't buy.
"He said…" My eyes widened with realization as I replayed the scene in my mind. "Oh no."
"Can't remember? I'll enlighten you then. He told you to call him if you needed anything." The smirk on her face was infuriating and if I wasn't currently in the midst of a panic attack I might have told her so.
"Tell me I didn't Alice, please. Even if I did. Lie to me." At the anxiety in my voice concern began to show on her face as her smirk lost some of its smug superiority. She shifted forward and took one of my hands in both of hers.
"I'm sorry Bella, but we're done keeping things from each other, remember?" She quoted back at me and I felt my shoulders sag in defeat. "You were asleep, dreaming I think. You called his name."
She paused for a moment, seeming to sense my humiliation and having the good sense to cringe for me before adding to it. "We all heard it."
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