I have only been a vampire for a few hours and I already miss the taste of coffee, like I can smell it just fine but tasting and smelling were two different things. My biggest regret was not asking for a cup of the hot liquid before I was turned since it's something I can't enjoy drinking anymore. Alec insisted we return home after he kept glancing down at his watch knowing it was close to sunrise and it wouldn't be wise for us to stay out longer than we intended, especially since none of us exactly brought contact lenses or sunglasses. Instead of speeding our way through the streets, we both walked at a slower pace once we left the sanctuary of the field and his hand never left mine. He gently swung our intertwined hands as I hummed quietly, the scenery around us changed as birds began their morning chorus whilst soft orange and pink fluffy clouds gathered in the sky.
It was rather peaceful and it made my dead heart skip a beat as I thought about the beauty of the world around us. When I was human I was more of a night owl and would stay up until three in the morning just thinking but it also meant I sometimes saw how the night sky changed into the beautiful blue sky of the morning. My track of thoughts halted as I soon realized I will never be able to sleep again, like I can shut my eyes and pretend but I won't physically be able to experience dramatic dreams or horrifying nightmares. However it means I can watch as many sunrises and sunsets as I wanted and that thought made me smile.
"What's going on inside that head of yours?" Clearly my smile caught Alec's attention.
"Just thinking about the sunrise." We had stopped outside an abandoned bar on the outskirts of the town and I glanced around the empty street as Alec pushed open the double doors, he stepped inside and looked back to see I was still standing in the same spot with a confused expression.
"I promise we're not breaking in or committing any crimes. We have numerous access points across the town and this was the closest sewage tunnel." He laughed as I quickly followed him into the bar, there were numerous empty bottles and glasses thrown around the room and the surfaces were thick with dust. We ventured into the back and down a set of stairs that led to the basement, the stench of beer and whiskey hung in the air as my gaze lingered on the wall of wooden barrels.
Alec easily pulled the iron cover off of the tunnel and he signaled for me to go first.
"What a gentleman." I commented and quietly dropped down the hole, these tunnels must be out of use since there was no smell of sewage which made sense considering how far out we were. The scraping of metal filled the dark tunnel as he easily pulled the cover back into place concealing our tracks of ever being there. Apparently the covers to the underground system were so heavy that the humans above ground couldn't even budge them slightly which made it perfect for the Volturi.
"Hope you can keep up, love." Alec stood beside me and laughed softly at my comment.
"Is this a challenge I sense?" He remarked as I neatened out my shirt, double checking to see if I had any blood stained on the material and luckily there was no trace of the substance.
"Maybe." I smirked as I took off running down the tunnel letting my feet guide me in the right direction despite my lack of knowledge of the complex system. It might be due to the fact that I was a newborn but I found myself speeding ahead of Alec and I found myself laughing as I ran. There were numerous corners to maneuver in the never ending maze but I soon found myself at a dead end yet I knew I was in the right place. Alec's footsteps came to a halt next to me and his perfectly sculpted eyebrows rose in surprise as he watched me smiling at him.
"Took you long enough, I thought you got lost along the way." I laughed as he simply sighed.
"Yeah yeah you only won because you're a newborn and you're quicker than me." He pouted slightly and I closed the gap between us, placing a quick kiss on his lips which removed the crestfallen expression from his face. We stayed like that for a few minutes and what I intended to be a quick kiss soon turned into a mini makeout session which we were both reluctant to break from. If I'm being completely honest it was strange not having to regain my breath yet my chest still heaved up and down as if I just ran a mile long marathon.
Alec pulled away and climbed the ladder that led up to the entrance, he effortlessly pulled the cover off and hauled himself up before I followed. The familiar hallway greeted us and I remember it from the day I arrived in Volterra to help Bella with Edward. I frowned at the memories of the Cullens and pushed them back down into the depths of my brain. They treated both me and Bella as if we were just toys for them to play around with and discarded us once they got bored of us.
The familiar receptionist greeted us and I watched in amusement as her face paled, she visibly did a double take once I stepped out from behind Alec. I offered her a sweet smile and bared my pointed teeth at her, it was strange to think that my own teeth were now capable of killing numerous humans yet I found myself liking that thought. An audible sigh was heard as Alec turned to me and dragged me away from the terrified receptionist, I mean she is surrounded by vampires so she technically should be used to this type of behavior. However I remembered my status as a newborn and it suddenly made sense why she was scared of me.
"She was scared of me, wasn't she?" I asked Alec once we were further into the depths of the castle, he had brought us to the library where I had begun to pace back and forth.
"Gianna? No, it's just that she isn't accustomed to seeing newborns. She'll ease up after the year is over." He answered from behind a bookshelf, his eyes scanning the shelves for a book that he hadn't read over a hundred times.
"You say that but I saw the look of terror in her eyes, are all newborns scary like me?" The question piqued his interest as he stuck his head out, his gaze immediately fell upon where I was sitting on a table. I watched as Alec put the book in his hand back on the shelf and he was beside me within a second.
"It has been a while since we have had a newly turned vampire within the Volturi, Aro will only turn people if he sees potential in them or if they're mates with someone within the guard. Luckily for you, you tick both boxes hence why some of the coven are a bit on edge." He explained yet it didn't help the unease I was feeling.
"I heard Caius mention that I'm rather tame, am I supposed to be angry or something?" I had a few questions and it looked as though he was willing to answer all of them.
"Typical newborns are plagued with a thirst they can't control no matter how much they feed. It's so maddening within the first twelve months that they are usually more animalistic and feral compared to the likes of me or Aro." Alec was also rather confused about his mate's behavior but wasn't going to complain.
"That genuinely sounds terrifying yet I don't know why I'm acting like this.." I frowned and tugged at the hem of my blouse, an old habit of mine that clearly transferred over to my immortal life.
"If it makes you feel any better, Jane was completely different in her first year. She used her gift on some of the lower guard to let her anger out and Caius seemed to cheer her on from the sidelines. It seems that me and you are more similar than I thought considering how I spent the majority of my time either here or training." He smiled slightly at the memory of Jane bringing half of the coven to its knees within the first two months since she was still adjusting to her new life.
"Wait, do you think I can still use my gift?" If I'm being completely honest I completely forgot about my abilities and curiosity grew as I pondered about the things I could do.
"There's nothing to say that you lost it during the transformation process, in fact you may find that it'll be more enhanced and powerful now that you're a vampire nevertheless a newborn." I raised a brow in curiosity and focused on my surroundings, I could sense Demetri's scent coming towards the library and pictured the doors opening once he was close enough. Soon enough the heavy wooden double doors opened on their own to reveal a rather confused looking Demetri.
"Should I be concerned that you probably have the strength to lift me with ease?" Demetri commented as he entered through the open doors causing my eyes to open. He took a few steps but in the short span of time I had jumped off of the table and sped over to him, essentially barrelling into his chest. My hug must have caught him off guard as he had to visibly take a step back and I heard him gasp.
"It's nice to see you too Charlotte but could you please let go?" He spoke in a strained voice and I pulled away with an embarrassed grin.
"Sorry, I keep forgetting I'm stronger than I used to be and clearly stronger than the other residents." Alec had joined us and stood at my side, I watched as the two bumped fists causing me to roll my eyes.
"Wait until training, I have been looking forward to the day someone finally beats Felix in a fight." The tracker chuckled and the thought of training with the rest of the guard piqued my interest.
"When can I start training? Please say it's soon!" The two males exchanged a look and Demetri smirked, clearly happy at my eagerness.
"It won't hurt to start a bit earlier, come on I'll show you around." I glanced over to Alec who seemed conflicted at the thought of fighting causing me to stop in my tracks.
"It's only a bit of fun, besides I know you're interested to see how I hold up." He sighed and took my hand before joining Demetri who was already a few feet ahead of us. We ended up going down a hallway I didn't recognise and the sound of other guards moving around made me pick my pace up. I was eager I'll admit, taking self defense classes back in London had helped me out a lot during my time as a human but I didn't have the opportunity to show those skills I had gained.
The training room was just like the one I was used to except it was bigger, it was simple with training mats piled up in one corner and even heavy looking weights in another corner. There was a circular mat in the middle and there stood Felix in all his glory, his brows raised at our entry.
"It's a bit early wouldn't you say so?" He directed towards Demetri who rolled his eyes before pointing towards where I was standing besides Alec.
"I'm just here to watch you get beat for once." Demetri advanced further into the room and leant against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. Alec kissed me swiftly on the cheek and squeezed my hand before joining Demetri which left just me and Felix who evidently stared me up and down.
"Eyes up here Lix, now come on I wanna see what you're like." I had made my way over to the middle and stretched my limbs, it felt weird getting ready to train like this after not doing it for a while but it won't take long for me to fall back into routine. Soon enough Felix came charging towards me which I easily sidestepped causing him to huff in annoyance.
"Go easy on her Felix, I don't know if she is used to your tricks." Demetri called and I felt rage boil in my veins, who was he to say I can't handle a simple fight. Blinded by rage, I let my arms swing on their own and my fist collided with his cheek, he raised his brows but proceeded to send a few punches towards me. I was able to block his attacks with ease and caught his fist with my palm causing Demetri to whistle loudly.
Without thinking I twisted his arm roughly as I maneuvered around him and kicked the backs of his knees, causing him to fall to the ground. I kept my foot on his back as I held his arm at an uncomfortable angle, a rather wide yet sinister smile on my face.
"What was that about me not knowing a few tricks?" I bent down and whispered in his ear, Felix didn't seem too happy about his defeat but I let go of him before extending a hand to help him up. I could see the look of defeat on his face as Demetri began to laugh loudly behind us.
"Damn Felix, how long has it been since you were beaten? Must be centuries at this point." Demetri patted his friend on the back whilst Alec walked over to where I was standing looking around the rest of the room.
"I didn't know you knew how to fight, my love. If you know how to beat Felix then you would beat me and Jane rather quickly, although Jane is known for playing dirty." He wrapped his arms around my waist and gently kissed me on the forehead.
"I know how to physically fight but I genuinely need to train my gift so I can use it in a fight. I feel like you and your sister are the perfect teachers for it as well." I watched as he nodded at my idea, not only would I be training my gift but also strengthening my bonds with the siblings.
If I was told a few months ago that my peaceful life would be flipped upside down for me to become a vampire and live with my newfound family in Italy, I genuinely would have laughed. This was my home now and I felt more content here compared to the time I spent in Forks around Bella and the Cullens.