Chapter 6 – Impulsive
On this trip, we went to India. Heidi took us on her private jet, while she went to seek new prey in Sri Lanka. This country was greatly overpopulated and Felix was happy with that. His eyes whirled taking in the prospective prey, "So many humans to choose from." His eyes were wild as he walked through the crowded streets with Heidi. "You're right, Felix. It's all too easy to collect people here." Like them, I was intrigued by how many people lived in this country. Before Heidi left, the three of us needed to feed.
We listened out for possible prey as we walked through the streets. There were the distant sounds of a woman screaming. My head snapped at the sounds of the woman pleading. Without thinking, I sped away to the sounds of her cries. Felix and Heidi were close behind me as I left. The cries were coming from inside a house that stood on a private beach. The woman's voice pleaded as she made her way downstairs. Felix found me standing on the beach, "Bella, we can't interfere." Ignoring him, I walked towards the house. His hand pulled at my arm, "Bella."
I dismissed his warnings as I entered the house. The woman cowered in the living room. Before she could see me, I went up the stairs and found the man she was running from. There were sprays of blood on the wall. He came out into the hall, seeing me. Before he could say one word, my teeth sank into his neck; feeding on the real monster. I hated men that beat up on women because they were weaker. His heart pounded frantically, pumping adrenaline into his blood, altering the taste. Adrenaline added a sweet flavor to the blood, making me pulled harder at the blood. His body hung limply in my arms when I was done with him.
I didn't want the woman to know what I did, so I had to dispose of the body. Moving silently, I went downstairs to check where the woman was. Heidi and Felix were in the house, feeding on her. "No!" The woman's eyes flickered open and close as she was being used for sustenance. Heidi looked up with her blood-coated teeth. She licked away at the liquid, "Bella, I know it's difficult, but we cannot get involved in human squabbles."
Felix pulled his teeth away from the woman's arm, seeing the sadness coming across my face. My body slumped down onto the stairs. I wanted to help this woman, but instead, I condemned her. Heidi walked across the room, flipping a switch. The flames were started in the fireplace. Felix went past me and came back with the body I left upstairs.
The fireplace was long enough to burn an entire log. One was already in place. I jumped up, realizing their plan, "Don't! Please don't burn them." Heidi's mouth mashed into a thin line, "We have to get rid of the bodies." She and Felix looked at each other. Felix nodded, "The stench would attract too much attention." He glanced out the window, "I'll dump them in the ocean."
Outside the house, there was a dock with a speedboat floating next to it. Heidi and Felix took the corpses out to the boat. My body was unable to move. Guilt riddled through me, knowing at everything. I only wanted to help. To help her escape the abuse she was facing and now, the woman was dead. The Guard members were judge, jury and executioner in one movement.
Felix came up the steps, "I tried to warn you, little one." I looked away from him, scoffing at his nickname. It seemed condescending now. He was experienced in our ways and I was naïve. I honestly thought no one would get hurt. He lightly kissed my forehead, "But you did us a favor." My eyes looked up, "What?" My voice was heavy with disappointment.
He sat with me on my step, wrapping his arm around my shoulders, "We have a place to stay." I wanted to be mortified, angry for his nonchalance at the death of an innocent life, but my wall was built in my mind and all I did was laugh. "You're such a monster." His hand held the side of my face while we shared a kiss, "I'm a monster," he taunted. He lifted me into his lap, "I'm a monster?" His kisses trailed down my neck, making me giggle. A groan made me look up, but it wasn't enough to distract Felix. Heidi shook her head silently and left. The sounds of the motor boat faded into the distance as she completed the disturbing deed.
The beach house was perfect for us. It was best for Felix and me to be near the water, in case we had to make a quick escape to the ocean. The couple that lived here hadn't been heard from in weeks, but no one came to inspect the house. The beach was very remote so we could walk in the sun without anyone seeing us. The heat was so strong here; you could see it coming off the sands in waves. The beach was too beautiful to resist.
I walked along it, feeling the damp sand beneath my feet. Grains of sand clung to my skin, refusing to be brushed off. Lying in the sun reminded me of my mom, but in a good way. It reminded me of the times she and I would sit in the sun when we lived in Arizona. The heat of the hot sun beat down on the beach, with a gentle breeze. The heat wasn't unbearable for me, as I laid in the sun. My eyes were closed and the streaming colors of the rainbow shone through my eyelids. The surf broke against me, cascading up and wetting my hair in the sand. The water was warm against my skin. The sand washed away beneath me with every flow of the water.
The rainbows continued to dance until they were blocked off. My eyes opened, looking for danger. Felix was stood above me, casting his large shadow over me. He didn't speak as he kneeled down next to me and pressed his lips to mine. His massive arms pulled me up, letting my wet hair falling down my back.
I was pressed into Felix's chest as we lay back on the sand. We didn't move from the surf and water broke off our bodies. Spectrums of colors glinted all around us. Felix rolled our bodies so that I was on him. His hands held my hips, letting his fingers pressed into my skin. Felix raised his torso, allowing me to twist my legs around his waist.
Unlocking my legs, I was able to get to my feet. He tugged at my arm, but I slipped out of his hold. His crimson eyes watched me as I walked into the blue water. As the water was waist high, I pulled off my swimsuit, letting it float away into the tide. Felix's hard chest was against my back. His hands cupped my chest, balancing the weight in his palms. My legs were swept up into his arms, cradling me into his chest. Felix walked across the blazing sand, into the house. The master bedroom held an enormous bed, where he placed me down and laid with me.
The moon was now in the sky. The silver light glistened off the dark rolling water. I sat on the beach again, watching the black and white waves. A few feet away from me, small sand crabs were scuttling away in the opposite direction of me. Felix sat down and pulled me against his chest. "What are you doing out here?" I shrugged, "I love the beach. When I was a kid, I wanted to live on one." He nestled his face into my hair, "That can be arranged."
"Felix," I had to clear my throat, "I have to ask?" "Hmm?" he allowed. His face was buried in my hair, pressed fevered kisses. "Why did you bring me here?" He twisted my face, so he could kiss me, "Because I wanted to be alone with you." I smiled under his kiss, "I know, but why?" He kissed me again, almost making me forget. "Because I care about you and I want to be with you."
He leaned away from me, still keeping me close to his chest, "Bella, I want you. Just let me take care of you." He kissed me again, not letting me respond. Felix cared about me. Something I never thought I would feel again. Felix was never the kind of man I would see myself with. He was an enforcer in the Guard. He enjoyed harming people and feeding on them.
But underneath all that, he was a caring individual. Felix was compassionate, intelligent, understanding and affectionate. He didn't show that sides to the other members. We barely held hands outside of our bedchambers. Felix maintained his unemotional self when he was with others. He's been a vampire for centuries, but in some ways, he was just human.
Well, I was immortal and had plenty time to be in this relationship. Could it work or was this a distraction? The pain I endured from losing Edward, then seeing my parents sit through my funeral; it was all too much. Felix was a great distraction, but I couldn't call him that anymore. He was becoming so much more important to me.
The sunlight was covered by clouds as I swam along the reefs on the ocean floor. Felix waited for me on the beach. My head broke the surface, "Why don't you come with me?" He shrugged, "Seen one reef, you've seen them all." I rolled my eyes annoyed, "Sort of like seeing one European city, you've seen them all." He leaned up on his elbow, "You're learning." His sarcastic response was annoying, making me scoff, "You ancient ones are so boring." His head snapped up, "Ancient?" I nodded and swam further away from the beach, "Yup, you can just bake in the sun, old man." Splashes of water sprayed across me and I was pulled down into the water.
Felix locked my arms around his neck as he swan deep into the water. His bulging arms pulled through the water, moving faster than I did. Getting off his back, I floated away from him, letting the current pull me upward and he chased after me. Our heads broke the surface and his arms pulled me against his stone embrace, "Don't you ever call me an 'ancient one' again." My giggle escaped, "Of course you're not an ancient one. Not compared to Aro and his brothers." Felix extended his arm and tore through the water, to swim us back to the beach.
When it was time for us to leave the private beach house, it was a wonder that the house was still standing. In one sexual act, Felix held me against one of the support beams. His chest rhythmically moved against my back and my fingers wrapped around the thick piece of wood, looking for something sturdy to hold on to. My body felt like it was going to melt away if I didn't find something substantial to hold on to. His forearm curved around me, threating to pull me away from the pillar. My fist went through the thick wood, leaving sprinkles of dust and splinters on the floor.
The destruction in the kitchen was extensive. The porcelain counter was damaged from Felix's fingers digging into the countertop. The kitchen island was demolished and left as a pile of steel, granite and wood. The couches in the living room were broken into unrecognizable pieces and the floors were scratched up beyond repair. Surveying the damage, it made for a more believable scene that they were acts of foul play that claimed the lives of the human owners.
Felix and I began traveling north, further into the country. In the busy cities, the people still managed to watch us. Our pale skin and hypnotic eyes were alluring. Felix understood the languages the people spoke. He kept me close at his side, "Some of them are saying you're the most beautiful woman they've seen." I smiled; it was unusual to have people find me so attractive.
Even in the early hours of the morning, the streets were crowded. Lamps provided the light before the sun began to rise. Felix's arm held me closer, as we walked, glaring at the people. I drifted into several shops, looking over the books in the language I didn't know. The pictures on the covers were interesting and beautiful. "Wouldn't you rather a new dress?" My eyes cut up at Felix's towering figure, "You don't know me that well, do you?" I explained to him that shopping for new clothes never held a real interest for me. He nodded, "That's a first." My elbow nudged into his ribs, "Don't be mean."
"Then sun is coming up soon," he informed me. The sky behind us was becoming a pale blue. We didn't have long before the rays glinted off our skin. Finding a hotel, we checked in for the day. The people below reminded me of watching an ant hill. The people just scurried along through their day. My hand pushed back the curtain, leaving only the lamplights to brighten the room. I sat on the couch next to Felix. He pulled me to lean against him while I read.
Chattering from the next room was catching my attention as they spoke very quickly. Felix looked at me as I watched the wall. He stroked my cheek with his fingers gently, "What is it?" The voices were excited and happy. "They're getting ready for a wedding." I turned my face towards him, "Well, that's nice. So, they're the bridal party?" He nodded, curving his arm around my shoulders, "You know that's something I've never experienced." I leaned into him, "What?" My hand brushed back and forth against his chest, soothingly. He was silent, laying his hand on mine on his chest, "Getting married. I've been to weddings, but I was never married."
"Oh," was all I said. I've never had this discussion with anyone, except the first night Edward spent in my room and I knew he was there. I had to stop thinking about him. "There was never someone in your life you wanted to be with that strongly?" His fingers touched my cheek, pulling me closer to press our lips together, "Not in this life. But during my human life, I was engaged to a girl named Helena." My head tilted back, "Really?" I wanted to know more about Felix. He half-smirked, "She was beautiful, but her father was against our union."
A snarl came under his breath, "Helena's father married her off to my older cousin, Edward." I bit my lip. That explained a bit of why he wants me to get over Edward so quickly. Felix's brow furrowed, "I hated my cousin." His fingers dug into my shoulder, making me flinch. His strength was very strong. My eyes urged him to continue with his story. I wanted to know more about Felix's human life. "He pursued Helena and she did have some affection for him, but she wanted to be with me. My father sent me away to the university in Italy." Felix's fists clinched tightly, this time against the couch, cracking the wooden frame.
Seeing him so tense, my hand rested on his cheek, hoping to soothe him. "He thought I wasn't responsible enough to take on a wife. In his eyes, Edward was much more responsible. At the university, my courses didn't interest me. I used my father's money on liquor, women and gambling." He glanced at me, brushing his lips at my temple, "Demetri found me at the university in a drunken stupor." A large hand held the side of my head, holding me against his body.
Felix continued with his story, "Demetri brought me to Aro, in a rare act of pity." He chuckled, "That's how drunk I was. I thought actually Aro was the headmaster of the university. Aro took pity on my plight. The venom burned through the alcohol and I was well aware of the burning." I cringed remembering my own burning and the feeling of steel like teeth tearing into my skin.
"Three years late, I found my cousin again and he had fathered two children with Helena. He gloated about winning, but Helena wasn't happy. She spoke to her mother about how Edward was constantly hitting her and she wanted to leave him. She feared for their children more than herself. That was my kindness to her. I killed my cousin and left a single rose for Helena. It was my way of saying goodbye to her."
My fingers combed through his hair as he told the story. It was interesting learning something about Felix's past. I thought we lose our humans memories as we lived longer in this life. I had to make it an effort to remember my human memories, so I wouldn't lose them. "That's awful. I'm sorry, Felix."
Felix turned his head, "Bella," my eyes looked into his, "What I wanted to talk to you about was…. I want to marry you." My eyes widened as I leaned away from him, "What?" He couldn't be serious? This had to be a joke. He pulled me into his lap, placing my knees on either side of his body, "I want to get married and it can only be to you." My mouth opened to answer, but his lips were on mine. "Please, Bella, it can only be you."
We stared at each other for a long time. Thoughts flooded my mind, some saying I shouldn't, while other argued why I should. Youdon'tlovehim,buthecaresaboutyou. Youdon'tknowhim,butyouhavetimetogettoknowhim. The conflicting thoughts raged on, leaving me motionless. If I married Felix, this would be the most reckless thing I would have ever done in my life, but this was my eternity. What was I thinking? I don't know this man, immortal or human, this would be irresponsible.
I could share eternity with him. What I did know was that Felix was kind, caring and that was the man I wanted to be with. Not letting my argument come to the forefront of my mind, I answered him, "Yes." His arms held me close as we kissed. In a moment of sheer excitement, Felix pulled me out of the hotel suite, but I stopped him, planting my feet into the floor, "Can we wait until tonight? The secret." He nodded, realizing that he was forgetting himself. "Right," he leered at me for a moment, "then let's work on our wedding night now." I was up back in his arms and falling on the bed.
"Finally," Felix was looking out the window. The sun was setting in the horizon. The tattered remains of our clothes were scattered around the room. I picked up one of the remains of my jeans, "We have got to get back to Volterra." Felix's hands pulled me into his chest, "And why is that?" "Because we're almost out of clothes," I snickered. He chuckled and nestled his face into my hair, "Are you ready?" Without focusing too much on his question, I shook my head, "Is this one of the questions you wanted to ask me, that you couldn't talk to me about in Volterra?"
His eyes narrowed minutely, "Maybe. Let's go." Felix and I made our way to find the entrance of a church. "Wait here," he whispered against my temple. Felix went through the sanctuary. "Please don't kill anyone," I whispered, knowing he would hear me. Finding the right person, Felix informed the minister that we wanted to get married, while gesturing to me. Felix spoke fluently in their language and the middle aged man bowed his head and responded. The elderly man began the ceremony, guiding us to the altar.
I didn't understand a word that was said. Felix translated everything to me under his breath and he squeezed my hand when it was time for me to speak my part, telling me who to say it. The minister held out two gold bands in the palm of his hand. Felix slipped the smaller band on my third finger and I placed the other band on his. The minister said the last words, ending the ceremony. Felix gently took my face in his two big hands and kissed his bride.
