Impressions of Three Men in Black - A Poly!Volturi Kings tale
Chapter Seventeen
Talk to me, dammit!
Celeste and the Volturi are back home in Volterra. With Aro, Marcus, and Caius busy playing catch up with trials and the usual meetings with city officials, she feels a bit ignored. Realizing at the villa and on the yacht, there weren't any of the distractions from necessary duties. She had been their one distraction in Sicily. So Celeste seeks out the advice of her friend Felix. Knowledge, they say, is power.
*Alert for rough dream smut and mate smut too*
oooooooooooooooooooo
They had been back two days, and the three vampire masters were spending their time catching up on important issues they had missed while away, or so Celeste assumed. She was feeling ignored and confused. Her needs were attended to, her meals brought by a different vampire each day. When she asked to speak with her mates, she was informed they were currently busy, but would come see her soon. Come see her soon? Was she a prisoner here?
Admittedly, that wasn't entirely true. She was free to go about the castle as long as she was careful, and didn't go into areas she'd not been before, without a trustworthy guard with her.
Celeste opened the door and stepped out into the hall, looking down the corridor in one direction, then the other. The place was a maze of corridors, and Celeste hadn't learned the layout yet. She didn't really feel like wandering aimlessly around the castle. The only place she absolutely knew how to get to was the garden, having accompanied Marcus there a few times.
After sitting alone in her room for two hours, Celeste found she wanted to speak with Felix. She knew he had known the Volturi leaders for a long time, and could possibly answer her questions about them. In as much as he seemed the friendliest towards her since her surprise arrival here, perhaps the guard would be willing to give her some advice.
She noticed him crossing an intersection toward the far end of the corridor her room was located, and ran after him, calling his name. When he stopped, Celeste reached out to gently grab his arm. "Felix, I need to speak with you, if you have the time."
"I'm sorry, Celeste. I have to start training a few new arrivals in about five minutes. Part of which is how to control one's thirst when around humans." He gave her a playful wink. "But I'll be done in an hour and a half. We can meet in the garden gazebo then?"
Her face lit up. "Yes, please, Felix. I really need to talk with you. I trust you the most among all the Guard."
He smiled at the human who was mate to his masters. "Don't worry, I'll be there. See you then." He turned and sped off.
Celeste turned in the opposite direction, heading for Aro's rooms. She stopped herself. Why Aro's rooms? Why not Marcus' or Caius'? This was absurd. She headed in the direction of her own room, closing the door once she entered and plopped herself on her bed and falling backwards. Lying there, she stared up at the ceiling. Now what, she asked aloud. Throwing an arm over her eyes, she steadied her breathing...and soon fell asleep.
Aro stood before her, dressed in a fine robe of satin and fur. He held his hand out to her, which she took. "Where are we going, Aro?"
He said nothing, only leading her down a long half-darkened corridor until they came to a set of beautifully carved wooden doors. The doors opened by themselves, and Celeste stepped through them as she followed Aro. Inside she saw Marcus and Caius, also dressed in satin dressing gowns. Caius took her other hand while he and Aro led her to a large bed covered in soft velvet blankets. She felt Marcus behind her, pulling aside her long hair and kissing the back of her neck.
Aro reached up and slipped her own robe off her shoulders, letting it fall to the tiled floor. Celeste found herself naked, and suddenly chilled. She reached up to cover her breasts, but Caius took her hands and brought them down at her side, leaning in to kiss her. Aro pulled her toward the bed, asking her without words to stand at its side. His hands cupped her cheeks while he kissed her lips, then slid his mouth up her jawline to plant a kiss below her ear.
Celeste felt cold hands behind her slide down her arms from her shoulders to her wrists. They then moved up to cup her breasts from behind, the nipples hardening from the frigid temperature of...were they Marcus' or Caius' hands. She leaned back into the gentle massaging, teeth playfully nipping along her neck.
Aro was kneeling on the bed, his robe having fallen open and exposing his arousal. His hands pulled her up onto the bed, kneeling before him. Her eyes took in the sight of his very erect cock, and she inconsciously licked her lips in anticipation. Her legs were parted as she knelt. She could smell her own wet arousal, her body hot with desire.
Caius and Marcus joined them on the bed, each vampire kissing Celeste, their cool hands caressing her back, her buttocks and finally, to her relief, her wet cunt. She writhed in pleasure, whispering their names.
Pleasure turned to pain, their hands pulling roughly on her arms and legs, forcing her down, flat on the bed. She felt as if she were being mauled.
"Aro, stop, please." She pulled away from Marcus, his fingers now digging into her heated core until she cried out in pain. "No...Marcus! You wouldn't do this!" She felt teeth nibble on her earlobe, then something dripped red. Sharp teeth kissed along her limbs, then began to bite. Celeste gasped, then she tried to squirm away from the pain and the hands holding her. She heard Aro whisper in her uninjured ear as he now hovered over her. "Non combattere, amore. Tu appartieni a tutti noi." His teeth attacked her neck as he suddenly thrust deeply into her.
Celeste sat up, her eyes wide but seeing no one else in the room. She ran her hand over her damp forehead, then reached up to feel her ears and neck, but finding them undamaged. It was just another nightmare.
Getting up from the bed, Celeste went to the bathroom to rinse her face off with cool water. She hated nightmares. And why would she dream of her mates being cruel to her. They had never behaved that way during the entire vacation. It was as if her brain, her subconscious, was trying to instill fear of her mates into her. Or was it trying to warn her.
After Celeste cleaned up and dressed, she began to pace in her room, waiting for the 90 minutes to pass. Her mates were still busy, and never once bothered her.
Looking at her watch, Celeste saw it was still twenty minutes until Felix would be done training the new guards. She decided to go outside anyway. Anything was better than sitting inside, waiting. She took the known corridor that led to a door that took her into the garden. She noticed Marcus's area looking beautiful as always. She bent to smell the scented blooms. After that, she walked over to the gazebo, sat on the shade-cooled marble bench, and waited for Felix.
Celeste looked down at the ring her mates had given her. Running a fingertip over the large tanzanite, she wondered about her future. Aro and the others expected her to name the day she would accept the transformation they intended for her. She needed to speak with them first. That conversation wasn't one she was looking forward to. Talking about becoming a vampire and actually going through with it, two different animals, she decided. She desperately needed some reassurance.
"Hello, Celeste." It was Felix, standing at the bottom of the steps leading into the gazebo. "I finished a few minutes early so came right out. How are you doing?"
Celeste rose from her seat and gave Felix an impulsive hug when he came to her side.
"Whoa, what's this all about?" he asked, surprised. He led her back to the bench and sat beside her. "Tell me, has anything happened. Have the masters done something you don't approve of?"
"It's not like that, Felix. I'm not sure what's going on. You've known Aro and the others a lot longer than I have."
"Yes, that's true. But I can see you're upset, so tell me what you're feeling."
"Felix, I've had two nightmares now. Both dreams were about Aro, Marcus, and Caius. They...uh..."
"Yes?" He took her hand and held it, his own dwarfing hers in size.
"In the dreams, they act like...vampires." Her expression was almost one of pain.
"But Celeste, they are vampires. We all are."
"I know that, Felix, and I accept that. But this was like the dark side of being one. They scared me. In reality, I know they'd never hurt me, so why is my mind trying to tell me they will. They will hurt me."
"Celeste, Master Aro suffered a great deal when the Lady Sulpicia was destroyed. The fact that he did not end up as Master Marcus only shows he's stronger than most of our kind. He was still able to rule the coven and see to his duties. I believe when I brought you here that day, something inside Master Aro came to life again. He looked at you as he never looked at anyone else. He would fall into a reverie where I'm sure he was thinking about you. The decision to keep you here was not a difficult one for him."
Celeste smiled, looking up at a few passing clouds in the sky, then at Felix "You really think so?"
"If he acts overly jealous, it's obviously because he wants you for himself." Felix looked down at his hand. One cloud had moved from in front of the sun, letting the natural light make his skin sparkle.
Celeste reached over and caressed the unusual reaction of Felix's skin to the sunlight.
"Oh, I know, Felix. He just confuses me. He can be loving and attentive one minute, then ignore me the next. He was jealous of the chef on the yacht, just because he and I talked about his delicious meals. He expresses jealousy of Marcus and Caius, his own brothers, when this polyamory relationship is supposedly pre-ordained. It's as if he'd be happy if both voluntarily stepped back."
"And what if they did, Celeste. I don't see them doing that, though, at least not Master Caius. The death of the Lady Athenadora affected him too, if not as badly as Marcus. Think of it. You are in the unenviable position of having three very broken-hearted men who love you. They want...no, they need this to work. And I don't think you will be unhappy in the end, but it is your choice."
"Choice, Felix? I was told I would accept the change or be killed." She sighed, then continued. "I love all of them, in different ways, it's true, but I could not choose between them. And I certainly won't ask Marcus or Caius to go away just to make Aro happy."
Leaning forward, Celeste stared down at the ground. She noticed an ant running across the concrete floor of the gazebo, racing for its nest mates. Did ants have relationships and recognize one another? Did they know when their queen died and mourn for her? Or did they act on instinct alone? If vampires lose their humanity, do they act on instinct instead?
Felix saw the ant and was about to crush it with his shoe.
"Felix, no! Please don't. It's done nothing to you." Celeste looked up at the guard. "Are we humans just creatures your kind can crush when we serve you no purpose but to keep you fed?"
"Celeste, I'm sorry." He didn't know how to respond to her question, so pretended it was rhetorical. "Now, Celeste, tell me about your nightmares," Felix asked tentatively, not sure if Celeste wanted to share. When he saw her blush, he leaned back. "Oh, I see."
"Felix, it was just that they went from being loving mates to violent...vampires." She knew of no other to explain things when she told her friend about the dreams. When she was done, she waited to hear what Felix had to say about it.
"I'm no dream reader, but have you ever thought it might be your fears about the change itself and not the masters? What I mean is, you were seeing in your dreams your fears about vampirism. The second dream seems like your subconscious created in your mind what you feel might happen, if you let all three masters initiate the change, observed in a more terrifying way, of course."
"We have talked about what happens briefly. I wanted to discuss it more with them later. It's not easy deciding who will have that privilege."
"It's really only important to whomever you choose. And even then, you're here with us, not wandering the world with only your sire to guide and teach you. I'm sure all of your mates will help you."
"Why does that even matter, Felix? The sire bit, I mean."
"You sire is basically responsible for you. As a newborn, your thirst will be uncontrollable for a while, so being around humans..."
"I get it. Thanks for the warning."
"Celeste, just understand that the masters all look at you as their mate. As rare as that is, it can be satisfying. Have no expectations, show them you care as they will likely show you."
Celeste smiled at Felix. "If you're so smart about this, why are you not mated to someone?"
The tall vampire laughed. "It's because I'm smart that I'm not mated."
Hitting his arm, then holding her slightly aching hand, Celeste laughed. "Typical male! When it hits you, vampire, you won't be able to fight it anymore than I could."
"We'd better go in before they think it has."
Celeste didn't want Felix to get into any trouble with Aro, so took his hand when he offered it to her.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO
Celeste returned to her room to find Aro waiting.
"Where have you been, my love?" Aro asked, giving Celeste a kiss.
"I was just speaking in the garden with Felix."
"Felix. About what?" Aro felt that twinge he'd been trying to control. Why would his Celeste go to a guard when she could come to him or one of his brothers.
Reading his expression, Celeste scolded her mate. "Felix is my friend, Aro. No jealousy, please. I trust him."
"You can trust me, cara."
"Not when you're the topic of conversation." She sensed Aro's mind whirling. She held out her hand to him. "You may read me, if you wish. See everything we talked about."
Aro peered down at her extended hand, considered her offer briefly, before smiling, "Not necessary, my dear."
"Aro, may I ask you a question."
His eyes narrowed, but he didn't want to feel suspicious, so gave his mate the benefit of the doubt. "Of course you may."
"Can you love?"
The ancient vampire gave his mate a look that fully expressed his confusion at the inquiry.
"It's just a question, Aro. Can you love? Or do you simply possess the things you want and call it love?"
"What? I don't understand why you're questioning me this way."
"It's simple...jealousy and possession versus love, Aro. It should be easy for an intellectual like yourself to understand." Celeste left Aro in her room while she went in search of Marcus. He always knew just what to say to her when she was upset.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO
Upon reaching Marcus' rooms, Celeste knocked hard and loud. In seconds, Marcus had opened his doors.
"Celeste, what's wrong?" She didn't answer him right away, but slipped her arms around his body, hugging him closely.
She looked up at the taller of her mates. "I need a respite, Marcus."
"Then stay, my love. Talk to me if you feel the need to. Or say nothing at all." He led her to his sofa and sat with her, his hand never letting go of hers.
Now that she was with Marcus, she didn't know what to say. She nestled against his body, letting it cool hers. She had actually left Aro in her room without so much as a good bye. Was he going to be angry at her for her behavior?
Marcus was concerned now, his arm moved to embrace his mate.
Celeste reached up to trace a finger over his lips. When Marcus responded instantly, kissing her, she leaned into him. This was what she needed.
Marcus unentwined himself from his mate and stood. He bent to pick her up and carry her to the bed. When she raised her arms to invite him to lie next to her, he did. They kissed tetatively, then with a deeper passion both wanted. His hair fell over Celeste's face, tickling her cheek. Marcus unbuttoned her blouse and kissed the tops of her breasts.
Celeste needed more. She sat up and removed her shirt and bra, tossing them to the floor. Her breathing deepened when she felt his cool lips take in one nipple, then the other.
When he saw he had her wimpering for him, he rose from the bed and undressed. Celeste had her arms out to him.
"Lie with me, Marcus. Be with me."
He moved into those extended arms, feeling them wrap around him. He reveled in being with someone again. Her touches, her kisses. Marcus groaned deeply when her warm fingers wrapped around his hard length. His hips shifted into them while he nuzzled her neck, inhaling her fragrance. He lowered his own hand to her hot core, his middle finger feeling her already wet for him. For a brief second, he felt Celeste freeze.
He pulled back. "Amore mio?"
Celeste pushed her dream to the back of her mind. Marcus was not the hurtful animal in her nightmare. She smiled up at him, saying, "It's nothing, my love. Please...don't stop now."
Marcus continued to light a fire within his human mate. Her responses sent him over the edge, taking her, filling her. Her legs held him against her as he plunged into her again and again. They both reached the culmination of their need, only the sound of Celeste's breathing in the room.
Celeste assumed Marcus had absolute control over his body and had waited for her pleasure to peak. Then he allowed himself to enjoy his orgasm.
They lay in each other's arms afterward, Marcus kissing Celeste's forehead.
"I love you, Marcus," Celeste whispered as her hand brushed over Marcus' bare chest.
"Ti amo, mia carissima," Marcus replied, a discernible smile on his face.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO
Celeste barely awake from a deep sleep, turned over in bed. She yawned and opened her eyes to see Aro, lying beside her, staring at her. "Aro, what are you doing in Marcus' rooms?"
"We're not in his rooms."
Celeste looked around to see it was true. She was back in her own room. Marcus must have carried her back here to let her sleep.
"You were with Marcus?" Aro asked his expression bland.
"Yes, can't you smell him all over me?" she responded sarcastically.
Aro knew he was treading on thin ice and instantly apologised. "Mi dispiace, cara mia. Non ho regnato nella mia gelosia. I need to control my jeaolusy better."
"If you must know, I asked Marcus to dispel my nightmare by replacing it with a pleasant reality." Celeste didn't fully understand everything Aro had said, but his tone gave her what she needed to know. She rose from the bed, and went onto the bathroom to brush her hair. She wondered why Marcus had brought her to her own room, instead of just letting her sleep in his. She had just left the bathroom when Aro flashed over to block her way.
"Cara, understand me when I say I don't understand my own feelings. I have been alone for so long, and it reached the point where I did not care if I ever found a suitable mate. Sulpicia was my creation. I found her as a human and groomed her, turning her myself. She always obeyed me even as she loved me. When I lost her, my only desire was to make the coven strong. I've been searching all over for potentials, human and vampire. I want this coven to be the strongest in the world. It has to be."
"Aro, I understand that need. I truly do. Without your vampires keeping watch, the world could fall into chaos."
The ancient vampire had lived to see empires rise and fall. They were human empires and of no interest to him. But he knew his own people could be the most destructive force in the world if left unrestrained. If the humans fought back, it would be mayhem worse than any world war.
Satisfied Celeste understood the importance of their existence, he relaxed. His eyes darkened as he gazed at his mate. His hand grazed her cheek, his thumb brushing over her full lips. Aro didn't care about the day of the week or turns. He wanted his mate now.
Of the three vampires, Aro was the least predictable. "I don't know what it is about you, but I can't read you like you can read me. I was never intentionally freezing you out, Aro." While his hand caressed her face, Celeste reached up to ghost her fingertips over the cold skin of his mouth. She couldn't help breathing a bit heavier, her body lit afire by Aro's touches. She had not yet come down from the sexual high Marcus had given her. Would Aro care?
The quiet sounds she made increased Aro's desire to pull more from her. In all the centuries of his solitude, his greed for strength within the coven, and the slightest fear humanity would learn of vampires and work to destroy them, he never assumed this day would come when his own heart would be re-ignited into life by one woman. And as luck would have it, she had to be shared. He did not want to share her with anyone.
Aro picked up Celeste and carried her to her bed. He lay her on it, then removed his black jacket.
"Aro, what are you doing?"
"Anticipate, my love." He removed the silk black tie tossing it on a nearby chair, then unbuttoned the black dress shirt. He moved to the side of the bed and looked down at his waiting mate.
Celeste knew Aro wanted her, but she had ever seen such passion when he took her. She wondered what had brought on this behavior. When she saw his bared chest, she reached up to run her warm fingers over his pale skin. This was not her nightmare. This was real.
Aro's hand clasped Celeste's hand, pulling it up to his lips. He kissed the palm, then bent over her, kissing her deeply, slowly tasting her.
Celeste sat up, tugging at his shirt until it came off and fell to the floor. While gazing up at him, she undid his pants, opening them. Her hand ran over the front, squeezing when she felt his arousal.
Aro closed his eyes, enjoying her touch.
Celeste lay on her side on the bed, patting the spot next to her. She wanted to worship him, in essence reassure him of her love and desire for him. When Aro had stripped himself of his clothing, he lay down next to Celeste and waited for her to touch him. She rose onto her knees and hovered over him, kissing him. Her lips moved down to his neck, kissing him again. She continued down over his chest, feathering kisses teasingly over his belly until she reached her goal.
He raised his head while his eyes followed her, until she pushed him down onto his back. "Move again, and I stop," she threatened.
Aro smiled and complied. Once her warm mouth enveloped his manhood, her tongue swirling around the head, Aro sighed in delight. His hips jerked upward, prompting Celeste to suck and stroke his cock, her mouth and hand in sync.
The ancient vampire grabbed the bed cover, his hands tearing it as he pulled. The combination of his mate's warm body and her ministrations were almost too much for him. His black eyes looked up at the ceiling, then closed when his hips twisted and jerked until he came into that mouth's warmth. "Cara!" he shouted. When he finished, he reminded himself to have the comforter replaced.
Celeste was not quite done with her mate. She climbed up Aro's body until she sat lightly upon his hips. Her hands rested on his chest, as she lowered herself to kiss him deeply, tasting him, her lips running over his. Then she raised herself up to gradually lower her body, taking Aro's cock inside her.
She rode him, slowly at first, then faster until she was near orgasm. Aro's hands held her hips, guiding them while he thrust into her, her soft cries filling his ears.
"Cara, come for me now. Take what I have to give." He thrust upward, each time harder than the last, until Celeste cried out. Aro felt her inner muscles grip his cock, milking it of his cold emission. He flipped her off him, then lay his leg over hers while he kissed her deeply, his lips traveling from her mouth to her neck, his teeth teasing her warm flesh until he tasted blood. He lapped at the oozing fluid, his need changing. Realizing what he had done, Aro pulled back.
Celeste was in a stupor of sheer pleasure. She gazed at her mate and saw blood on his lip. She reached up to touch her neck, seeing her finger bloodied. "Aro..."
"Mi dispiace tanto, cara mia. I'm so sorry." He held her kissing her brow.
"It's alright, Aro. I don't mind, No real harm done." She wiped the blood from his mouth and let him lap at her finger. "I love you anyway."
Aro smiled with relief. "As I love you, my own heart."
Sitting up on the bed, Celeste decided now was the time for decisions to be made. "Aro, we need to talk. All four of us. Please find Marcus and Caius."
A/N : THE conversation comes at last. And Caius feels left out now that his brothers have been with their mate today. Celeste will lay down the rules about her change, and then give Caius his due. Three mates in one day. Oh my.