Survive For Me

Chapter 7: Prove Yourself

I shot off the bed and whirled around to see the biggest man I have ever seen in my life standing in the doorway wearing a light gray cloak, his red eyes sparkled brightly from the lights in the room, making me cringe in fear.

But I noticed he had a tattered backpack in his left hand. It was mine. The same one that had been stolen by the group of men that had jumped me when I entered the city. How did he find it? Maybe it was best I didn't know...

The big, burly man slowly took a step in the room, then another, and another until he was standing next to the armchair that sat in front of the fireplace.

Without saying a word he placed my backpack on the chair and backed away. He gave me a gentle smile before he walked out of the door, closing it behind me.

Well that was... odd. I was a little surprised he didn't say anything to me before leaving. Maybe the kings ordered him not to.

I stayed absolutely still, straining my ears to listen to his footsteps as he walked away. Once I was sure I was alone, I approached the armchair where my gray backpack laid, in all it's ripped and tattered glory. I quickly searched through it, finding my map, food, drink... and my inhaler.

I practically kissed it in relief. I often didn't have asthma attacks but when I did they came on hard and painful. I was very thankful for the giant retrieving my bag from those thugs.

Sighing, I grabbed my bag and sat down on the bed, taking a swing of the bottled water.

They haven't hurt me so far. They tried their best to heal my broken body. They retrieved my bag for me from those thugs. So far. They were making it really hard to hate them. Not that I was actively trying anymore.

Well... hate was too strong of a word to use. More like I was very weary of them. It's not everyday you find out your supposed saviors that they are blood sucking demons that are supposed to only be in myths and Hollywood movies.

The only thing I can do at the moment is make the best of this.

As soon as I thought that, there was another knock at the door.

I cleared my throat, awkwardly, "Um... enter?" God I felt like an idiot.

You look like one to. My snarky self sneered as I saw my reflection in a mirror, hanging off of the wall. My hair looked tangled and dry, and I had dark circles underneath my eyes. The black silk button shirt I still had on hung around my frame loosely showing off my very thin stick form. I cringed away from it.

The door opened and Aro stepped inside, alone, for once, without his brothers by his side. I nervously swallowed when I heard my heartbeat speed up, but not from fear like I was expecting, but from... attraction?

The corner of his perfect and kissable lips turned up when he saw me staring at him. I coughed awkwardly, desperately wishing the floor would just swallow me whole and be done with it.

"Hello darling," he whispered to me sending shivers down my spine as he stepped into the room, leaving the door open. He gracefully approached me at a leisurely pace, probably moving so slow to make me feel better. I appreciated the effort he made trying to make me feel comfortable around him.

When he was just a foot away from me, he raised his hand, as if to caress my cheek, but he hesitated, his pale hand hovering in the air.

"May I?" he asked politely, his red eyes shining with some emotion I couldn't identify as he stared at me... I had look away from his eyes, thinking if I looked at them any longer I would fall under his spell and never look away again. Not that my heart would mind. My my mind most certainly would.

I frowned in confusion, before realization struck me. With one touch he can read every thought and feeling I had ever had. He would be able to hear everything I had been thinking about in the past few hours. I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding.

Should I let him touch me? Why did that question send a pleasurable thrill through me? I grimaced in thought. It wasn't like I could avoid touching him forever, my heart squeezed painfully in my chest at the thought alone. Stupid heart wanting stupid things. But I didn't like the fact that I had no privacy. I also said I was going to give them a chance. This would be test one. To see how he would react when he heard my very short and discarded plans of escaping him, or at least thinking about it.

A flash of pain flickered through his ruby eyes. He must have mistaken my grimace as a no. He began to lower his hand, much to my relief and pain. Oh would I make up my mind already? Did I want him to touch me or meet and untimely demise? My heart gave a pained thud, as if it was in protest.

Fine, you stupid heart.

Without giving myself a chance to think twice about it, I grabbed his hand and placed it on my over heated cheek, sighing when his cool flesh touched my own. It seemed I was always going to be at war with myself until my heart and my head managed to have a compromise. One of them would give in eventually and I feared it wouldn't be my mind that came out victorious.

He sucked in a sharp breath as he swiftly entered my mind, searching through ever thought I had had in the past few hours that they had left me alone.

I glanced at one of the windows to see the sun just starting to set over the lush green fields of Volterra. My eyes watered when the sun shone directly into my eyes, but despite the pain, I couldn't look away. I had been deprived of the sun for so long. I closed my eyes, letting Aro see every memory I had to offer, while enjoying the heat and light.

After a few moments of blissful silence, I felt his hand slowly creep down from the apple of my cheek to the base of my neck. He took one step forward and our chests were almost touching. I sucked in a shaky breath as I felt his own cool breath swirl around my neck. I let my head fall back as Aro's lips ghosted over my neck, barely touching the skin, enough to send sparks of pleasure to shoot through me, but not enough to satisfy my sudden need for him.

I turned my brain off and let my heart lead me as I felt his cool lips dance across my neck, before finally, finally, placing them firmly against the base of my neck. I whimpered as I felt his tongue slip out from between his lips, gently tracing my skin, traveling from the bottom all the way to my jawline.

My breathing sped up dangerously and my heart started pounding even more ferociously, in sync with his deliciously sinful kisses.

I couldn't help myself from pulling away from him and pulling his face towards mine. I pressed my lips against his firmly. Tasting him. Being with him. Kissing him. Our lips sealed together as he gently grasped my hips and pulled me even closer to him. I stiffened when I felt a very hard, and enormous bulge press into my stomach.

My mind flew back on in a hurry and I immediately shut my heart off again. I pushed away from him gasping for breath. I backed away still breathing heavily until my knees hit the back of the bed and I fell, very ungracefully on it.

Aro looked just as breathless as me, though he managed to compose himself after a few seconds, much to my envy. And I also realized, with a heated blush, that his erection still stood proud and tall, straining against his black slacks.

"I-I... uh... I didn't mean-" I started stumbling out a weird sort of apology just as he started speaking as well.

"No, uh... I'm sorry... I apologize for pushing you..." he actually stuttered and stumbled as he took a step back.

"It's fine... I just... uh well,"

"I'm gonna..." he backed away towards the front door, "Yeah,"

He cleared his throat before straightening up, trying his best to not look as flustered as I felt.

"I apologize for my rude behavior, Leonora. I did not mean to offend you or push you too far," I opened my mouth to say something but he continued on, "I had just come by to see if you wanted your dinner," he finished, looking more composed now. I wish I could say the same thing.

"Uh, yeah..." I coughed, trying to get rid of the lump in my throat, "Yeah that's fine. As long as it isn't a bother-"

"Not at all," he smiled at me hesitantly, "I'll have Felix bring it up to your quarters right away,"

Without another word he fled the room, leaving me to die in absolute embarrassment.

I covered my still blushing face with my hands, so ashamed of myself. God I couldn't believe I had just fucking kissed him like that! I also couldn't believe that I had just had my first kiss with a vampire that was over 3,000 years old.

Way to go Leonora! You have officially earned the reward of stupidest fucking thing you could've done in a situation like this!

I said I would give them a chance... not fucking jump them as soon as they touch me! I honestly don't know what the hell came over me but I was fucking glad it had ended before I actually managed to drag his ass to the bed and... sleep with him.

I'm just going to have to keep my distance from them so this doesn't happen again. My heart screamed at me to run out the door, find Aro and jump his bones; while my mind told me I was doing the right thing by keeping my distance, that they weren't to be trusted. Guilty until proven innocent. My mother and I lived by that motto. We had to assume everyone was the enemy if we were going to survive. It worked well for a few years and then dad killed her.

I sighed. Now that I had come to a decision I had another obstacle to face.

How could I ever face him again?

~SFM~

How could I ever face her again?

Aro thought mournfully as he let his head fall onto the stone wall of the corridor with a thwack!

How could he have been so stupid as to kiss her and then practically assault her with his arousal?

He would never be able to face her again. Would she even let him explain to her? What would he even say? That something came over him and he had to kiss her and bed her right then and there? He could see that going well.

She must be so angry at him right now, not that he could possibly blame her in anyway for his inexcusable actions.

She was going to give them one chance to prove themselves and he immediately screwed it up for himself and pushed her too far too quickly. For heaven's sake, her mother only died a few weeks ago. She was still in mourning. She needed to have her peace with her mother's death, not being bedded by him or his brothers.

He just ruined his one chance to prove to her he would treat her with the respect and care she deserved. Of course shoving his arousal in her stomach was the perfect way to go.

It would be completely heartless of him to go back now and ask for another chance when she had already graciously allowed him and his brothers one.

He buried his face in his hands before he straightened up and walked off towards the kitchen they had never used since it was built. He had to make sure Felix would bring Leonora her dinner. She was already so thin, he worried that if she missed one meal she would keel over from starvation.

He just desperately hope he hadn't messed up his one chance with her, he was sure he was going to die if that was the case. 3,000 years... and he messed it up in just five minutes. Wonderful.

A/N: O_o I have no words. I honestly had no idea where that came from and I decided to hell with it and keep it in the story. So yeah, Aro and Leo are in quite a pickle, are they not?

Thank you guys so much for your reviews, they really cheer me up. So if you see any mistakes please do me a favor and point them out. See you next time guys!