Six

Chapter Six

I slept peacefully, free from nightmares this time around, waking up fresh and more rejuvenated than I had in a long while.  Stretching like a cat my fist was caught by icy cold fingers and my eyes opened wide.  Timidly craning my neck, I looked behind me and what a sight to behold.  Caius was grinning at me like a cat that ate the entire pet store.

“Did you sleep well, ma petit fille?”

I nodded, astutely.  No hick-ups, stuttered nonsense or blushing.

“Where are we?”  I asked starting to rise.  His arms incased me firmly, his cool nose inhaling another deep pull at my neck.  My body went rigid, still not quite understanding what fascination my scent held with the vampire community and even then no one had been quite so content just to sniff at me before.  From what I understood it was quite painful for vampires to breath in my scent, or maybe that was just the Cullens?  Marble lips placed a single kiss to the flesh of my neck, that was neither chaste nor passionate when I heard several gasps, two within the room and one not.  My eyes shot open and it was only then that I realized that I had closed them at some point in my fit of Caius driven lust.  My cheeks burned anew as Felix and Rosalie stared back at me with widened eyes and mouths agape.

“Yes, Felix?”  Caius called with slight irritation tinting his voice.

It took him a minute, poor guy, to finally close his mouth and shake his head but Rosalie stared on unable to remove her stare from the spectacle that Caius was making of me.  “Abbiamo iniziato la nostra decente.  Le vetture saranno attesa al gancio.”

I knew that Felix spoke very little English but it was beyond frustrating to not understand anything, anyone said.  It was bad enough that everyone surround me were vampires and were able to speak at rapid speeds but when I couldn’t understand what they said when they were speaking normally was just irksome.  I promised myself that when we arrived in Volterra I was going to have Alice go out and buy me several books on learning, Italian and French straight away.

“Anything else, Felix?”  Caius asked as the bulking man continued to stare unabashedly from me to Caius and back again.

“No Mio Signore.”   Felix replied, still looking a little on edge as Caius’s hands splayed possessively around my shoulders.

“Dismissed.”  And Felix, as if his ass was caught on fire buzzed from the room leaving Rosalie to stand there awkwardly a designer dress-bag in hand.  

“Yes, Mrs. Cullen?”  Caius asked, and his voice was not kind.

“May I speak to Bella.”

It seemed to be a stare-down between the two before Caius huffed loud enough for me to hear him and gently pulled out from underneath my pillow.  He smirked at me once before grabbing some papers from the nearby nightstand and telling me point blank that he’d see me later.

Rosalie as it were seemed more than happy to see him go, as I thought back I don’t ever remember Rosalie being so on edge around anyone before.  She took one last fleeting glance through the still ripped doorframe before hanging the dress-bag in a small storage closet and sitting down next to me.

I eyed her warily. 

“Hello, Bella.”  She all but whispered, delicately crossing her legs.  And I couldn’t help but think ‘Will the real Rosalie please stand up’.

“Hi, Rosalie.”

I waited for a moment and still she said nothing.  I was getting more irritated by the second and just as was ready to burst she jumped in head long.

“Look Bella, I know we’ve never got along very well, and you know why.  But I know now that nothing I can do or bitch about that is going to stop you from becoming one of us now.  The decision has been made and I don’t want you to go through the burn thinking I hate you, because I don’t.”

“So what are you’re saying is, you want to date.”  I replied, surprising myself with my own sarcasm.

I heard Emmett laughing from somewhere in the front cabin and others slowly joining him, along with Rosalie.

“You’re kind of a bitch, Bella.  I like that.”  

And that was that. The ice bitch and the mouse made nice. 

Hanging the bed linens across the gaping hole in the door that Caius had created the night before, Rosalie helped me change.  I was kind of shocked at first at her choice outfit, but when she informed me that she, Alice and Esme would all be wearing something similar, I agreed. 

Dresses weren’t really my thing, but it was most due to the fact that I could hardly walk in them.  After a clean set of underclothes was on she unzipped the linen-bag and I was pleasantly surprised at what I saw.  It was simple yet very elegant.  A soft pewter color strapless gown, form fitted to my bust, but flared enough from the empire waist to cover up my matching ballet slippers. 

But what I loved most about it was it took about two seconds for Rosalie to get in on me.  Light makeup and a simple sweeping up-do and I was ready.  Rosalie supplied, when I asked, that she, Alice and Esme would be changing in Volterra.  When I asked the obvious question Alice flitted through the door along with Esme.

“Because are luggage was expressed mailed there yesterday.” 
 
“But then why am I dressed already?”  She just shook her finger at me and flounced away.  Sneaky little pixie, she was up to something.  Esme just shook her head and followed along with her daughter.  

“So,”  Rosalie asked fishing something out of her cave-worthy bag.  “What was all that about earlier?”  

I had an idea of when and what she meant, but I was owning up to anything until she made me.  “Which earlier?” I asked playing dumb.

“Bella, you know damn well what I mean.”

I hung my head.  I wasn’t really ready to discuss this yet.  I for one was just as confused about the whole ’Caius’ thing as she was.  The man was… different and seemed to have a serious issues with personal boundaries.  And as much as I loathed to admit it, I didn’t mind in the slightest. 

“I don’t really know,”  I admitted truthfully.  “He never says much of anything and half the time I can’t understand him when he does.” 

She looked thoughtful for a moment before asking.  “You can’t understand what he’s saying or you don’t know what it means?” 

“Both.”  I blurted out suddenly.  “I don’t even know what I mean.”  I yelled in frustration.  “Sorry, Rose.”

“It’s alright, understandable.”  She said with an ah-ha as she pulled a blue velvet box from the bottom of her endless bag. 

“Carlisle wanted to wait to give this to you until after the wedding, but seeing as that’s not going to happen I think you should have it now.” 

Fingering the velvet box I was almost scared of what could be inside it.  Anything from the Cullens was usually overdone and expensive.  I opened the box a with the hesitancy of a bomb-squad but tears sprung to my eyes as I took in what was nestled in the fine white satin.  A locket, small and silver and absolutely perfect for me, engraved in the top was the Cullen crest. 

“I know you not going to be one of us anymore, not a Cullen, anyway.”  Rosalie stated a little sadly.  “But that doesn’t mean you’re not family.” 

I couldn’t help it, I hugged her.  She seemed just as surprised by the gesture as I was and I couldn’t help but beam inside that she had finally opened up to me.  It was somewhat of a weight lifted from my shoulders.  At first I thought she hated me, then I found out that she was just jealous of my humanity, not that that was pretty much gone we could get down to knowing each other the right way.

A wolf whistled from behind me broke the hug and we turned to see Emmett waggling his brows suggestively.  “Damn, do I get to watch.”

“Shut up, Emmett.”  We both said in unison.

He looked a little taken back as he muttered.  “Scary,” before he beamed at us once again. “The captain said you girls gotta sit down now, he’s landing.”  

It wasn’t long before we were taxiing down the runway and Rosalie was flitting about the room, gathering the things we would need and when it was safe I was told that we could unload.  It was sunny when I stepped of the last step but under the cover of the jet hanger all passengers could move freely to load the two stretch limos with our cargo.  As there were ten of us we had to take two vehicles, Rosalie and Emmett decided that they would be riding with me, Demetri and Jane in the second car.  While Carlisle, Esme and Alice would take the first with Caius and Felix.  

It stunned me more confused that Caius wouldn’t be riding in the car with me, and admittedly it hurt a little too.  On the jet last night he almost seemed like he couldn’t be separated from me, but maybe I had read into the whole thing a little too much.  

The car ride was long, but very enjoyable.  The countryside this time of year was nothing like I expected it to be.  Of course the last time I had seen it was with Alice speeding down the road at a hundred and twenty, so this time I opted to sip my complementary wine and enjoy the beautiful Italian countryside.  

Just as soon as the sun was going down on my third day since this madness started, we were pulling into the streets of the familiar city of Volterra.  In my past visit here I hadn’t really had the time to openly enjoy how beautiful it was, but seeing now without rush, it was beautiful and I could see how tourist were easily lured to their doom.  

I was happy to say that this time no dark tunnels were needed and we could walk freely through the front doors, as visiting hours were officially over, though I had to wonder what others in passing would have thought about a group of stunningly beautiful people in strange garb and a thin girl in an evening gown.  Maybe they thought we were having a private party, though that was a stretch.

We were led together as a group to an unfamiliar hallway in the tan castle stones, and each couple or singles such as Alice and I were shown to a bedroom.  I didn’t stay in mine, but left my things at the front door so as I was requested. 

The Peacock Room

Alice’s room was beautiful to which I dutifully nicknamed the “Peacock room” and if mine were anything like I would be more than thrilled.  Where mine was at the end of the long hallway, Alice and Jasper’s - when he arrived - was a few doors up from mine of the left.  Easy enough to remember.  It seemed she had just left me when she returned looking stunning as ever in a short black strapless number and not long after our escort knocked on the door to retrieve us.

As soon as we passed Gianna’s spot at the front desk did butterflies begin to creep their way into my stomach.  I thought the wine I had sipped on since leaving the airport would have steeled me for whatever was too come and it wasn’t until a familiar but icy hand met my lower back did I relax.

“Remember,”  he whispered silkily in my ear.  “No one will harm you, ma beauté.”

My inner monologue started doing kart-wheels in my head, not knowing what to make of anything he said when he spoke like that.  Was this some vampiric trait you inherit; the ability to stun helpless women to death with your voice, or was it just me.  I remember once Edward had told me that it was a vampires greatest hunting tool.  ’Everything about us is used to draw you in.  Our looks, our scent, our voice.’  Yeah, and really didn’t help much when you have no since of self-preservation as I have been told I don’t.

As we waited for Gianna to announce us, Caius leaned down, his mouth just a hairsbreadths from my ear as he whispered, “Vous êtes superbe, pu de Bella,” while dragging a lone cool finger from the shell of my ear to the crest of my shoulder.  “Si douce.”  When I said nothing and my cheeks blazed he chuckled.

Daringly I looked around and let out the deep breath I had been holding when I realized that no one was paying attention or maybe they were just nice enough to pretend, either way I didn’t think I could take Emmett’s joking right now. 

The throne room was much as I remember but I was more than a little anxious to see it bare, all save for the few guard with us Marcus and Aro and two stunningly beautiful women who I had never seen before. 

Sulpicia

One small in stature, like me, dark hair and ruby eyes.  She was flawless and if I had to guess I would say she was Aro’s mate.  The other looked oddly familiar, bone white hair and strong features and I audible gulped as to who’s mate she might be.  Trying to unnoticeably shift from Caius’s direction was easier said than done, for every step I took away from him, he took one step closer. 

“Ah, Carlisle, Benevento amico.”  Aro said rising from his throne to meet Carlisle with a hug.  “We have much to discuss, you and I.”  Aro told him pointedly.

“Yes, Aro, of course.”  Carlisle replied. 

Aro’s deep burgundy eyes scanned the room, looking from one person to the next until his wistful gaze landed on me.  “Caius my brother, it is good to see you home,”  he said with a grand smile.  “and with the beautiful Bella at your side.”  

“It is good to be home, brother.”  Caius replied with a courtly bow. 

Taking my hand and kissing it softly, “Bella, it’s so lovely to see you again, I trust your travel went well?”

“It was fine, thank you.”  

As he held my hand he closed his eyes in deep concentration, when they opened they seemed to sparkly in amusement.  “Still totally silent.”  then turning back to Caius he questioned. “Her aroma is so delicious, you can you stand it Caius?”  He asked holding out his hand in silent permission to see into Caius memories.

“It is with no difficulty for me, Aro.”  He replied placing his hand in Aros with out question.  Aro jumped like he had been shocked the moment he touched him and his smile widened to the point of tearing his paper like skin.  “ll semble que nous avons certaines à discuter ainsi, mon frère.”  He whispered as he let go.  

Athenodora

“Well, now that were all here, let me make introductions.”  He looked back in my direction but was looking directly at Caius, who seemed reluctant but finally followed him to the throne.  If I thought I felt upset having him next to me, it was all the more worse when he left my side.  

“Carlisle, I’m sure you and the lovely Esme remember my mate, Sulpicia.”  

“Of course, Aro.  Sulpicia, lovely as ever.”  She nodded graciously back.

Wow, daddy Cullen, way to amp up the charm.

“And of course, Athenodora.”

At the mention of her name, the woman in question glared daggers in my direction.  “Caius, what is the meaning of this?”

Oh shit.