17th chapter
The two vampires walked side by side through the forest on that cloudy day in April. Minna couldn't tell when Vladimir took the lead of their walk. She listened to the chirping birds and breathed calmly. Her hand stroke over the trees she passed and a smile appeared on her face. Vladimir's posture was straightened as usual, he held his hands firmly behind his back as he watched the woman out of the corner of his eyes. A small smile formed on his lips, when he saw how carefree and relaxed she acted. A few moments later, Minna noticed the look on his face and she quickly looked away. She felt caught. A small laugh escaped his throat at her actions.
"It's good to see you smile," he said and turned his attention completely to her. Minna looked back at him; the smile slowly reappeared on her face. She knew that he was indicating the time in America, where she was mostly fearful or at the loss of words. She quickly widened her eyes in realization. "Oh, I still have to thank you," she said with a bright smile on her face. "For showing me how to hunt and encouraging me." He nodded in silence and turned his face in the direction they were walking.
"So," Minna started again after a while, "where are we going?" She ducked under a tall branch and looked at him inquiringly. "Curious, aren't we?" It was the first time that Minna heard such a mocking tone in his voice and she wondered how many more characteristic traits she could unravel. "I assumed you would want to see an old castle?" A smirk crept on his face as he watched her reaction. Her eyes lit with every word and a wave of excitement and nervousness washed over her. "Shouldn't we hurry then?" She sounded eager to leave, truth be told, she always wanted to see those castles, since he mentioned them.
"Do you have an appointment, I need to know about?" The sarcasm in his voice could hardly been overheard. She scoffed at his statement, but she wouldn't deny the fact that she enjoyed his playful nature. They continued their walk in silence, they listened to the sounds of nature and the rustling of the leaves under their feet. "How was your life in those last centuries?" Minna looked at the man once more, curiosity got the better of her. "Nothing special, we spent most of the time waiting, reading and planning. Except for the times we have to throw Aro's hunting dog off," his voice was low but Minna could perfectly hear the emphasizing of the Volturi and how his venom began to pour in his mouth. She furrowed her brows slightly, after all this time the Volturi were still toying with them?
"Their tracker," Vladimir continued, "and some others hunt after us at least once a century. After a few days they would crawl back to their master." A dark chuckle escaped his lips at the thought.
The silence that fell over the two vampires was filled with deep thoughts on both sides. Minna didn't know what to say. Some might think, they deserved that for their harsh rule all those years ago, but Minna wasn't so sure herself.
The Romanian looked at her inquiringly. "What about you?" Minna looked at the already dark grey sky. "Well, mostly sitting on a tree, letting the time pass by. Since I met my friends, we meet every five years." She tilted her head slightly, reminiscing the last few times they spent together. "But you never joined them," Vladimir mused trying to understand her actions. Minna shook her head and sighed deeply. "No, it never felt right. My mind told me to, but I was afraid of my past. I was afraid I would hurt them like I hurt André and Olga," with each word her voice got lower.
The woman stopped in her tracks, she tried to breath calmly and closed her eyes in the process. Images of her old friends arose before her gaze once more. Suddenly she felt his presence close beside her which calmed her down a bit. She opened her eyes again and was met with a pair of burgundy red eyes. Vladimir didn't say a word and Minna appreciated it more than she imagined. He would listen and for the first time in years she felt heard, she felt seen.
"Like I said, André and Olga brought me into this world by accident. I knew they were vampires, but there was no intent on changing me. One evening, I visited them and I slipped in a small stream. I cut my skin several times and André couldn't control himself any longer," Minna breathed for a moment. "If Olga hadn't arrived shortly after, I would have been dead. They taught me the rules and how to behave, but my childish newborn mind wanted to see my mother again. Against my friend's begs and pleas I left into town," she scoffed lightly at her own thoughts. A well-known sadness spread through her. "Naturally I couldn't control myself. André and Olga came after me to stop me and get me out of town, but it was too late. I was in a frenzy. I killed my parents and my friends that night. I realized what I did only minutes after. I fled the scene and lived alone from that moment on."
Vladimir remained silent, he let her time to process her thoughts. He could understand her fear. She was still young und not experienced at all, she had no one to teach her anything. For several minutes, the vampires stood in perfect silence under the clear night sky. The stars above them shone brightly and the moon was high up watching the world. Slowly a smile formed on Minna's lips, a genuine and thankful one. She looked at the man next to her, her eyes full of gratitude and relief. "Thank you," her voice sounded refreshed and calm. "Thank you for listening. It feels great to get that finally off my mind."
They continued their walk and Minna felt lighthearted. She couldn't believe how soothing it was to tell her past. She was just surprised how easy it flew from her lips in his presence. Suddenly she felt courage burst through her, where it came from, she couldn't tell, but a smirk appeared on her lips as she turned slightly to the Romanian. "I am so sorry, that I bothered you with my story." She glimpsed at him as he turned his attention to her. A playful smirk was on his lips at her words. "You are really testing my patience, dragă." He let his accent grew stronger again and her grin got a little wider. She longed for his touch and she knew that her apologies provoked something inside of him. "I'm sorry." He turned to her completely, his posture changed and all of a sudden, he appeared more intimidating than ever before. To her it felt again, as if he towered above her. Her intentions were clear to him. Regarding that, he could read her like a book. But she still needed to learn, that the world was cruel. If she wanted something, she had to voice it.
Without a word, he made a step in her direction, the power and confidence radiating off him was enough for Minna to make a step back. He quickly followed and step after step he guided her, where he wanted her to be. When Minna bumped backwards into a tree, her eyes widened. She didn't realize that she moved that far. Her confidence was gone in an instant, while his' seemed to reach a new high. She wanted to take a look behind her but all her movement was cut short as she noticed how close he actually was. His right hand laid on the tree next to Minna's head and her eyes darted back to the man in front of her. The feeling in her stomach was back once again.
"What do you want?", his voice was low but commanding. Minna gulped, in a nervous manner she started to play with a knob on her jacket. "I," she stuttered in a low voice, "I longed for your touch." Her voice was so low, that if he stood a little further away, he wouldn't have heard it. A knowing smirk spread on his face, while she felt embarrassed at her own words. She couldn't help it; it was like their first conversation. She just had to be honest.
"So," his voice was dark, "you crave for this?" In a quick motion, his right hand moved from the tree to her cheek, cupping it slightly. Minna instantly relaxed and moved into his touch, which resulted in an amused chuckle from the Romanian. He moved closer ever so lightly that their bodies almost touched. Vladimir removed his hand and leaned slightly over, his lips almost touching her ear. "If you want something, name it and if it's in my power, it will be done." His words weren't more than a low whisper, a dark promise and Minna widened her eyes. His actions surprised her, she could hardly breath and she didn't dare to move a muscle. Her mind raced, asking herself what it was she really wanted right now.
She couldn't tell him, that she wanted to feel his lips on hers or that she wanted to be seen as a woman, even in the most intimate part of the meaning. She saw his eyes, glistening in a much darker shade than a few hours ago. She took all her courage and laid a hand on his chest, leaning closer to him in the process. "Why did you look for me? Be honest please," she whispered. She shivered slightly, she wasn't sure what would happen, she let him take control, not that she had it once, but she didn't mind as well.
A dark growl rumbled through his chest at her words, his hand slammed on the tree once more. He seemed to be fighting for self-control, but Minna didn't move. He needed time to process as well. "You are mine," his words weren't more than another low growl. He didn't leave her time to react in any way. He pressed his body against her, pinning her to the tree and burying his face in her neck. Without hesitation, his lips eagerly explored every centimetre of her exposed skin. His left hand rested on her waist and gave her no chance at escape.
To say Minna was surprised at his actions was an understatement. As soon as she felt his lips on her neck, she thought her legs would break away any moment. She closed her eyes, letting the feeling consume her. She completely lost control over her body and her mind, so she let out a quiet relieved moan and let herself sink into his touch.
Minna was lost, she had no idea how long they shared that strange but welcoming intimacy. She blinked a few times, when he pulled back a little. Just enough to look into her eyes, the knowing smirk on his face present again. "Was that what you longed for?" The mocking tone in his voice made Minna grin. Whatever happened there, she knew she would never leave. For the first time, her heart and her mind had synchronized on a decision. "I am yours!" Before she could make another sound, his lips crashed on hers. There was nothing soft and tender about his way of doing, but Minna wouldn't want it any other way. Neither of them would change all colors for the other one.
Their kiss didn't last long and when they parted, both shared a smile. Minna felt relieved and excited, she felt like a teenager once again. After all, that was her very first kiss, but she didn't need to tell him that. It would only boost his ego much more. Vladimir finally acknowledged his feelings, though still not perfectly sure what kind of bond they shared; he was ready to start anew. He spoke with Stefan about all of this before he left to look for her. They both knew, they should move on until another opportunity would emerge.
He made a step back and held out his hand, which she gratefully took. He kissed the back of her hand slightly. "Shall we, dragă mea?" In silence, both vampires left in the direction of Romania.