Something putrid hissed through the air, making her wrinkle her nose as she listened to the spitting of the industrial strong acid as it destroyed the bloodless corpses down the drain. Alec was motionless beside her, only moving once to readjust his cuffs before he remained silent and motionless once more, his eyes firmly rooted on the raven haired leader as he got up off of his throne, addressing the small crowd of soon to be witnesses that stood silently in the middle of the room.
Aro gestured broadly with his hands. "Dear friends!" He cried enthusiastically, a beaming smile on his face. "I thank you for making the journey. As I am sure you have all heard, we have a rouge coalition of immortals who not only threaten the safety of us as a species, but your livelihoods too." His milky red eyes hardened, a gentle hand curling around his shoulder, the warm red eyes belonging to Ceres sweeping over the clustered group of around twenty immortals anxiously. Her hand was gently patted soothingly, absorbing her thoughts in the process.
The raven haired man was silent for a moment before continuing. "Imagine eternity without your mates. That is what this scourge promises."
A man from within the group spoke up harshly. "Rumours are spreading, Aro, that they seek one of your guards and that if you turn her over, we'll all be spared, the Volturi included." He called loudly, his crimson eyes narrowed, a woman with thick, curly blonde hair tucked to his side. Murmurs began flying around the hall; Olivia found herself routed to the ground, and had she of been human, she would have been having heart palpitations, a speed too fast for even an immortal to count.
The man wasn't finished and he glanced around at the other guards. "Is the life of one really enough to outweigh the others?" He spat.
A ferocious snarl ripped from the dark haired boy next to her, and Olivia turned. Her hand slipped in-between his clenched one, a soothing sound echoing from her lips. "Its alright," she murmured softly, Aro watching the small exchange before he turned back to the man who had spoken out. Caius was less than silent. "You dare tell us how to command our guard?" He hissed angrily, his sentiment echoed by the tall dark haired man who stood by his side, the woman who was in common with them both between them, her hand clasped by her husbands.
Aro hummed in agreement, waving a hand towards the couple to his right. "As you can see, Phillipe, dear Alec has taken the one you speak of as his mate. You must know our laws on such bonds. We simply cannot separate them." He stated simply with a heady sigh before his features hardened. "However, I second my brother. How dare you tell us how to disperse our coven." He murmured dangerously, merely flickering a gaze over to Jane.
The blonde haired girl gave a wicked smirk, one her brother mirrored; screams echoed not even a second later.
Smoothing her hands down her middle, she fought the urge to allow her limbs to tremor. So they were after her... It terrified her. She had escaped barely with her sanity, let alone her body, last time. She couldn't go through that again. A creak from the bedroom behind her reminded her of her companion. His ruby red eyes met hers in the bathroom mirror before he moved away.
The scars that covered her arms would never go away. They marred every inch of her white bone flesh, something she could never erase. Olivia swallowed, letting out a deep, shuddering breath before she inhaled softly.
"Olivia?" Came a soft murmur from behind her and she looked up sharply in the mirror to see red eyes watching her closely. Her eyes glazed over slightly before she let out another shuddering breath.
A soft rush of air and a gentle arm snaked around her waist, lips pressing against her jaw lightly, tenderly. "Ignore him," he murmured gently. "No one will hurt you," he added and she looked down slightly, swallowing once more. "You don't know that." she whispered, turning around in his grasp. "They're looking for me, and we both know why," she murmured, his fingers trailing around her jawline.
Alec gave a grumble and she shushed him softly, a finger gently resting against his lips. "I want you to do something for me," she whispered and he looked at her strangely before he ripped himself away from her, a ferocious snarl leaving his mouth. "I will not!" He thundered before whirling away from her and moving unnaturally fast into the bedroom behind him.
Olivia followed; her hand closed around his wrist. "Alec, please," she stressed, a whimper leaving her lips. "You don't understand, Alec," she cracked. "I can't go through that again, I can't. I can't be raped and tortured again. If we get captured again, I want you to make sure I won't suffer at their hands again," she whispered softly.
The dark haired boy was stiff, frozen, but he moved as soon as he finished speaking. Her hand was removed from his wrist before he angrily turned around. "I will not!" He hissed furiously. Olivia stiffened a little. "I will not kill you, Olivia, and I wouldn't have to because we will crush this opposition! They will be ashes in the ground after we are done with them, and I won't hear anymore of this!" He spat.
Her hands curled. "You don't know that, and I won't sit here and watch the people I love and class as my family and friends be threatened when I could easily remedy the situation by giving myself up!" She exclaimed angrily and his eyes cut to her immediately. "You will not." He weighted each word.
Olivia tipped her chin up, eyes hard. "If it saves everyone else, yourself included, I will." She snapped back and he scowled before moving towards the door. "Then I will go inform Master Aro of your genius plan. He will never allow it, Olivia." He hissed before vanishing from the room, the door slamming shut behind him.
Her legs buckled beneath her and she slid down the corner post of the bed, pressing a shaky hand to her mouth before a silent cry shook her lips, her hands fisting in her hair as she let out a distraught sob, her eyes squeezing tightly shut.
He returned hours later, his posture stiff as he shut the door behind him. She could hear the turning of the lock from where she laid on top of the four poster bed. He didn't say anything, merely took a seat beside her. His hand rested on her shoulder before her arm, gently turning her over.
Her eyes found his; they were hardened, staring down at her. "Master Aro refuses to entertain your foolish request." He clipped briskly. Her eyes closed briefly before reopening and looking back at him. "He also seems to believe their obsession lies with the fact that you were unmated last time and that they believe you to still be so."
Olivia swallowed, the darkness creeping at the edges of her mind. "I want to," she whispered, her eyes closing suddenly. "I want to more than you know, but I am terrified. What if I do something wrong? What if it brings back those memories? What they did is forever etched in my mind," she whispered. "I don't know if I can do it," she confessed, looking away from him.
Alec rested a hand on her shoulder before he laid down beside her, his face beside hers. "We could take it slow," he murmured, the tip of his finger tracing around her lips. Her eyes watched him closely and she swallowed. "And if I panicked?" She whispered softly.
His hand cupped her cheek. His fingers ghosted over her cheek, lightly caressing the cream marble coloured skin that rested beneath their tips. "Then we'll stop, and we won't try again until you think yourself to be ready," he answered simply.
A soft exhale slipped past her lips and she swallowed. "Then we'll try," she whispered, a hand pressed against his chest. "But not yet," she pleaded. "I need time to prepare myself," she murmured and he nodded, a small smile on his lips as his hand brought itself to her hair, gently pushing her head under his as his arms came around her in an embrace.