CHAPTER 2
After feeding in a less than desirable portion of the city, I returned to the hotel, very satiated with the knowledge that my control would be more than sufficient to continue mingling with humans. I had, however, proceeded to chastise myself for even momentarily allowing my thoughts to dwell on the possibility of becoming familiar with Olivia. I chose to force myself away from the café, insisting that I not allow her to see me again. While I appeared much older than my mortal years, I knew that humans nevertheless found my kind fascinating, attractive even, regardless of the number of years we existed and I could not permit Olivia to become even remotely interested in me.
As I approached the hotel my feet halted as my nostrils flared. I had been diligent in my efforts to not follow Olivia's scent – but was she truly in THIS hotel of all possible locales in Frankfurt or was my mind deceiving me? Perhaps I finally was losing my mental faculties as I had suspected on more than one occasion. I backed away from my path, forcing myself in the opposite direction as hurriedly as humanly possible. I knew I absolutely must refrain from seeing Olivia again, but was it even remotely conceivable?
I retreated from the hotel in an effort to put as much distance between Olivia's scent and myself. I endeavored to follow any putrid odor that filled my nostrils in the attempt to rid my mind of her intoxicating aroma, but it was all for naught. It seemed as if every step I took brought me closer to, rather than farther away from, Olivia. The day was overcast, cloudy at best, so in one last effort to maintain what small amount of sanity that remained, I decided to visit a museum. I did not care which one as my feet slowly led me up a cement staircase and, upon entering the glass doors, I paid my entrance fee. A tour would be commencing shortly, but as I turned the wind blew through the opened door and I was once again completely consumed by the provocative fragrance I had spent a great deal of time attempting to evade.
My eyes immediately looked in the direction of the alluring aroma and there before me stood Olivia. Venom pooled in the back of my throat as a low growl escaped my chest. I would not harm her - no. Olivia was much too precious for that so I forced myself to smile a bit and nodded at her, acknowledging her presence as I waited with the group of mortals who would begin touring momentarily. Would Olivia join this gathering or perhaps wait for the next? I held my breath, turning my head, unsure of which choice I longed for Olivia to make.
As the group of humans I had decided to remain with began its tour, I turned slightly to see that Olivia was apparently remaining behind. There was a portion of me that was relieved, pleased even and yet another part that was dismayed beyond belief. I was truly confused at my feelings and thoughts, having not ever felt these particular emotions toward a woman other than Didyme and the urges that I was experiencing when I was near Olivia were bewildering to say the least. I followed the human guide as we made our way through the museum and upon approaching the location from where we began I decided to remain in the gift shop, full of anticipation, looking forward to the possibility of having the opportunity to speak with Olivia. I heard Aro's voice in my head, mocking me viciously; yet I could not prevent myself from remaining, regardless of how foolish my desire was.
I remained hidden behind some racks containing post cards and printed materials of all sorts and varieties. There were also shelves holding miniature statues and faux artifacts. I longed to see Olivia once again, even if our paths never officially crossed when a voice in my head sounded off loud and clear.
"So, Marcus…you're going to stalk Olivia forever? What will you tell Aro when he demands your return to Volterra? How will you evade him? And if you return, what pathetic excuse will you use to depart once again?"
I shook my head attempting to rid myself of the sneers and taunts which filled my thoughts.
"You will not stop until you have taken Olivia for your own."
Those words caused me to shudder in disgust. I could not request that Olivia give up her mortality for me. I could never ask her to join me in the existence I abhorred.
"But would you loathe it still, if Olivia was at your side?"
As I observed the multitudes of humans meandering about, some making purchases while others merely picked up items before returning them to the shelving, I found I was unable to respond to that particular question. What would I do if afforded the opportunity to change Olivia so that she could remain with me for eternity?
After a brief period of time, I detected once again the glorious scent of Olivia only mere moments before my gaze fell upon her stunning face. Olivia seemed entranced in her thoughts and briefly I wondered if she would turn my way, but my desires were fulfilled when Olivia made her way to the gift shop. I skirted about, attempting to remain out of her line of sight until, as I moved around a man, he leaned forward and inadvertently pressed himself into a stack of books which tumbled to the carpet below. He huffed in annoyance, but I – as quickly as humanly possible – ducked down to retrieve the fallen items, pretending to simply be of assistance, but in truth I simply wished to remain unseen by Olivia.
The man grunted his thanks as I meticulously returned the books to their former location and stood once again only to find Olivia eyes meeting mine. I nodded, smiling slightly at her, desiring for her to remain, but she quickly – for a human – turned and exited the gift shop promptly. I longed to follow, but prevented myself from making such a horrendous mistake. If Olivia wished to speak with me, she could have remained, but instead, she departed. And not only had Olivia left the store, but the museum and my presence in haste. I shook my head, deciding to return to the hotel.
I, more than humanly slow, meandered back to the hotel. I had, over the years, grown accustomed to feeling morose, apathetic…but Olivia had stirred feelings in me that I seemed unable to deny. I longed to forget the alluring scent of her blood, but my kind was not able to forget. The best I could do was attempt to place those memories in the far recesses of my mind, but even that effort was met with complete failure.
Olivia held some magical aura over me and in truth I did not wish to be released from her bewitching grasp. Instead of gaining relief upon reaching the hotel lobby, Olivia's scent filled my nostrils. I nodded slightly to myself. There was no doubt Olivia was here. Under normal circumstances, meaning if I were yet human, there would not have been a way for me to gain this information, but I knew even I could gain knowledge from a mere mortal. Mustering all the suave sophistication and charm I could in my current state, I requested the room number of Olivia.
As I suspected, the attendant initially resisted, but in the end, she was unable to resist my charms and provided me with the information I was seeking. While it was true that I could have moved about the hotel hallways until I had located Olivia's room on my own, this was easier and a bit more delightful and mildly entertaining – opportunities I had not permitted myself to experience in quite some time. Olivia had inexplicably altered me.
I returned to my quarters at the hotel. They were satisfactory should Olivia ever accept an invitation for me to entertain her. The sitting room was acceptable enough, but I was jumping ahead of myself. Olivia had not yet taken to addressing me, although it was true I had not properly introduced myself to her either. I remained in another room, doing nothing but staring listlessly out a window. After a spell I could wait no longer. I made my way to Olivia's quarters.
Most every human was sleeping or otherwise engaged in activities which would keep them occupied for a spell as I hastily found the door which would lead me to Olivia. I listened intently before deciding to attempt the lock. It was, as I anticipated, latched, but that was easily remedied. I was more concerned over whether Olivia had bolted the second closure across the door. While it was true I could easily cause it to break, that was not my intention. I wished to merely stealthily enter Olivia's chamber and gaze upon her beauty as she slept. Lady Luck was apparently on my side this day for the latch which would have caused me to re-think my desires was unfastened.
Quickly I made my way inside, re-fastening the lock behind me. As I gazed about the modest space, I saw trinkets of Olivia's life. Her cellular telephone lay on a side table, the battery appearing to drain. I spied the plug on another table and decided to attach the device so that Olivia would not find herself in a bad spot upon waking. After spying several of Olivia's other belongings and rifling through them, although being careful to return them to the precise locations where I had discovered them, I could no longer prevent myself from walking to where I could hear Olivia sleeping. I pulled open the door and there was my very own sleeping beauty.
As I watched Olivia as she rested peacefully, thoughts of how long I could keep her a secret from Aro played through my mind. The wisest course of action would be to leave - immediately - and preserve the sanctity of Olivia's mortality, but I was unable to force myself to depart from her side. Olivia purred in her sleep and I moved closer to her, tempting fate by allowing myself the privilege of sitting on the edge of the bed where Olivia laid.
I remained a distance away so should she move or roll, her warm, soft body would not come in contact with the cold, firmness of my own, but the urges growing deep inside as the sheet slipped from off Olivia's shoulder, allowing a portion of her breast to become bare, forced a low growl to escape my chest. A voice inside my mind was urging me forward.
"Yes, Marcus," the voice hissed. "Olivia is yours for the taking. What are you waiting for?"
As the venom pooled in the back of my throat, I knew I needed to depart instantly. I quickly stood, removing myself from the room just as I heard Olivia's voice.
"Hello? Is someone there?"
I was out of her quarters entirely before Olivia had even placed her petite feet on the floor at her bedside. I made my way back to my quarters, my head down just on the off chance I passed a human. I was certain my eyes were black as night - not due to thirst but an entirely different sort of hunger. I was angry with myself - I could've harmed or even killed Olivia. There was no doubt. I needed to leave.
Upon returning to my quarters, my thoughts were yet running rampant. I knew the wisest course of action would be to leave Frankfurt entirely before the morning sun arose. I could easily disappear and continue on with my travels. And yet, I was unable to depart. The mere thought of never seeing Olivia again…of never tasting her glorious aroma on the back of my tongue as it wafted through the air…of never laying eyes on Olivia's stunningly beautiful face…it was all too much.
I understood the agony of loss having dealt with it upon Didyme's disappearance, and I could not permit myself to experience such desolation again. My thoughts paused. What was I saying? Had I truly compared Olivia to Didyme?
No, surely not. There could not be a comparison between the love of my existence and a mortal with whom I had, in truth, never met. And yet I had done precisely that. I stood before the large plate-glass window peering out over the city. Much had changed since the last visit I had made to Germany. And it would seem the city was not the only thing that had been altered. It had been said that vampires truly mated but once and yet was it possible that another existed who could truly allow me to love again? And if so, what would I do? Could I endanger Olivia by returning with her to Volterra? No. Aro and Caius would never allow Olivia to remain a mortal and I could not take away her life without her consent.
In addition, at any moment I could be recalled to the castle and if Aro requested my thoughts, he would learn all there was in my mind concerning Olivia and she would be in grave danger without me being near to protect her. Who knew what Aro might do to ensure that I not leave Volterra in order to locate Olivia? The only way to protect Olivia would be to force an introduction and hope that she felt the same longing desire in her being that I was experiencing. Yes, that was what was needed.
After pondering various scenarios on how best to officially introduce myself to Olivia, I decided upon one of the most natural of human tendencies – I would merely 'bump into' Olivia. I would, of course, apologize profusely and then invite her for coffee, an invitation I hoped that she would feel compelled to accept. Such an event – that of 'drinking' coffee – would be simple enough for me to perform and it was effortless to discard an item such as a coffee cup without drawing unwanted attention.
Perhaps afterward I would politely suggest to Olivia that we entertain the idea of a future meeting – possibly attend an opera. Another potential public forum I could possibly suggest to Olivia would be sightseeing, provided the weather was appropriate for my needs. I had requested a room change so that I would be nearer to Olivia and was pleased when I was able to secure a suite adjacent to hers. I listened to the glorious sounds of Olivia as she slept, wishing for nothing other than to hold her in my arms.
Such thoughts and desires alarmed me still, but I knew deep down in my frozen core that I could not allow Olivia to vanish from me as Didyme had. The Fates, apparently for some unknown reason, had taken pity on me and I would not permit harm to come to Olivia, nor would I ever leave her – even if it meant confronting Aro and Caius.