Twilight 1. Chapter 1

This is blatant wish fulfilling plot bunny that has been hopping around in my head and giving me no rest for months. It deals with difficult themes, such as prolonged abuse and sexual assault, and recovery from that. There won't be any explicit scenes of that nature but I hope that if you know these things easily trigger you, you will not read it as it isn't my intention to upset anyone. I do write for myself first and foremost and draw upon my own experiences and feelings because that's what I find most fulfilling about writing.

The Marcus in my story was changed in his late 20's, rather than the old guy in the movie. The Volturi don't have papery skin or milky eyes because I don't find the thought of that attractive, however they will be slightly different from your average vampire…

A lot of the plot is inspired by other stories I have read on here, as well as from the Twilight saga itself, since that's just how the story played out in my head. I don't mean any copyright infringement and am not making any money off of this.

For any readers of No Rest for the Wicked - have no fear, I have not abandoned it but I'm trying to work out where it's going right now. Without further ado – read on, my friends!

* * *

As she lay in a puddle of her own blood, she knew she was dying. How many times before had she been covered in blood, both her own and that of others? She had lost count. But this time was different. She could tell by the coldness settling deeply inside of her while her warmth leaked out through the wounds covering her body. This was the end. She didn't know she had the capacity to feel anything anymore, but suddenly was awash in ambivalence.

Her suffering would finally be over. Years and years of suffering she had endured and wished for any sort of reprieve from and now it was granted. But at the same time, it felt so wrong that it should end like this in such ugliness. Should there not have been more beauty? She had seen this world, had tasted it, smelled it, loved it, and she had been so sure that there was goodness left - that perhaps there was something better destined for her.

It was a hope she had kept harbored deep inside of her, only drawing upon it when she was most desperate. It was a dangerous hope, capable of ripping away everything she had carefully preserved. But it was hers. The last part of her no one had been able to steal or defile.

Her lungs were rattling with every breath from the pneumonia that had set in days ago. She was quite certain a few ribs were broken as well, and almost certainly a fractured skull and leg… this was her undoing. The grand finale her entire life led up to. It was almost anticlimactic, really – she had avoided being shot numerous times, lived in war torn countries, surrounded herself with infectious diseases and poverty, lost her entire family, endured too many injuries inflicted on her to remember – many of which were worse than this. She had survived it all. And this was it… a few well placed fists and a quick trip down the stairs.

She heard the door to the apartment swing open and slam against the wall but couldn't bring herself to care. If he was back, she was already too far-gone. It was too late; there was no saving her now, and any more pain inflicted on her would be fleeting. Her vision was already fading around the edges and the last thing she saw before it all went dark was an angel crouching above her and cradling her face between two large hands. As soon as she met his black eyes, she knew she had been waiting for him her entire life.

* * *

He had been walking with Felix and Demitri down a side street of Rome at twilight, having finished conducting some business for the family when he smelled it. In all his years, he could not recall feeling such a thing before. It was immediate, visceral, and somehow even more compelling than the blood lust he remembered in his newborn years. But rather than craving destruction and satiation, he needed to find and protect her – this female, his mate, whoever she was - at all costs. He was compelled toward her like a magnet, helpless against the poles of the earth that drew upon the very essence of his being.

He saw a bond spring from her and imbed itself in him as firmly as he saw in the mate bonds between his brothers and sisters, although at the time he paid no mind to it. He was too focused on the rage and terror the scent of her blood had sparked in him. He had followed it mindlessly. Looking back, he could not recall how he had even found the building she was in. But it took him mere fractions of seconds to find the emergency stairwell and race up the floors to the very top where he could smell her scent the strongest.

The scent of her anguish and suffering permeated the hall outside the lone apartment on the penthouse floor. He forced the door open and was suddenly standing in front of her. She was lying in a puddle of her own blood in front of a staircase which she had obviously fallen down by the blood smeared on the stairs and walls. Her beauty momentarily dazed him as they locked eyes, but then, too soon, they fluttered closed and the terror once again ripped through his chest. He had to save her. He heard Felix and Demitri behind him and snarled at them in warning, acting entirely on instincts and not wanting either near his fragile mate. They stopped where they were immediately, moving slowly toward the door.

"Master," he heard one say hesitantly, although he did not bother to notice which one. "She needs a doctor."

He snarled again in aggravation, before carefully picking up his unconscious mate. "Send for my brothers immediately."

* * *

"What is the meaning of this," Caius snarled while staring at the human in his brother's bed. She was covered in bruises and attached to many machines monitoring every paltry human function. A blood transfusion and other fluids attached to one fragile vein, making his nose wrinkle in disgust.

"Calmly, brother," Aro chided and held out his hand toward his other brother who was still drenched in the blood of the human and standing at her bedside, looking awestruck. "Marcus, may I?"

Marcus obligingly held out his hand toward Aro, not bothering to break eye contact with the female in front of him. A few moments later a grin overtook Aro's face in response to what he saw.

"Well, this is marvelous! After all this time, you have finally found your mate!"

Caius gaped at both of them. "Surely you are joking!"

"Not at all, Caius. This human is my mate. I am certain of it," Marcus responded with a weight in his voice, the likes of which none had heard in millennia.

"This is excellent news! It calls for a celebration," Aro clapped his hands together in delight. Despite her state of unconsciousness, the girl in the bed whimpered and flinched in on herself in response to the sudden loud noise. She was prevented from turning on her side the way she seemed to want to do by the machines she was attached to.

Marcus snapped his head back to his brother and snarled at him, making her flinch once again. "Be quiet! Do not disturb her."

At the sound of his raised voice, she seemed to relax, turning her face toward him, as if unconsciously seeking him out. Both Caius and Aro watched, speculating, as their brother shifted closer to her in response, hesitantly seeking out her hand. She calmed even further at his touch, once again falling back into a peaceful, undisturbed slumber.

"My apologies, brother. I did not mean any harm."

He did not respond, and Aro continued.

"I wonder whether you would permit me to take her hand," he asked cautiously. Marcus growled quietly in response.

"You may ask her when she wakes. After I explain everything to her."

Aro nodded in understanding. Although Marcus knew he was disappointed, he also knew he would respect his request.

"Of course. Have you any idea how you will tell her? Humans these days do not believe in the supernatural anymore."

Marcus frowned, staring at her face. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen and he did not want to frighten or upset her. He shook his head slightly in response.

* * *

Anna awoke to warm, unfamiliar light and voices. She blinked blearily, trying to process where she was, but her thoughts were sluggish and slow. Wherever it was, it looked to be very old. Everything was dated, almost ancient - the room had oak paneling on the walls and the dark four-poster bed she was in was very large and had red velvet drapes surrounding it. And yet she was attached to an IV and ECG machine and had a cannula for oxygen in her nose. Her leg also seemed to be in a cast and her ribs were bound tightly to prevent movement.

Before she could examine further, her attention was diverted to where she heard the voices coming from. There was a group of three men and two women standing near an ornate stone fireplace on the other end of the room, seemingly arguing about something. She could not make out what they were saying, other than a few words that took her mind a few moments to realize were Latin.

"_Ubi ego sum_?" (Where am I?)

Her voice was hoarse and barely louder than a whisper from misuse and she was positive her tenses were all over the place, however they seemed to hear and understand her. Quicker than should be possible, they were suddenly grouped around her bedside. She could tell she must have sustained a head injury, as they also seemed to be almost glowing in the soft light.

A gasp was ripped from her throat as once again, quicker than her eyes could make out, one of them knelt in front of her. It took her another moment to realize it was the angel she thought she had seen from before. His beauty and the graceful fluidity of his movements stunned her. She felt inexplicably drawn to him. Surely this creature could not be real…. she must be dead. But if she was dead, why did everything hurt so much? Before she could continue on this train of thought, he spoke. His voice was the smoothest, deepest, most calming thing she had ever heard and he had a rich accent she couldn't place.

"_Tu loquerisne Latine, amica_?" (Do you speak Latin, darling?)

"_Paucum_," (A little bit) she whispered in response, confusion and fear obvious in her tone. "Although I haven't had any conversational practice in a very long time… where am I? And who are you?"

"You are in Volturra, dear one," the other dark haired male answered from behind the angel in front of her.

"What am I doing here? Where is Vincenzo?"

Her angel's face darkened and he started growling in response to the fear obvious in his mate's tone, a feral inhuman sound, and she felt a shiver of primal fear travel up her spine. But as soon as she felt it, suddenly he stopped and reached for her hand.

"Please, piccola. Do not fear. I will tell you all you need to know, but you need to sleep now. Rest and allow your body the rest it needs to heal from your injuries."

She wasn't sure whether it was his soothing voice or if the movement she saw out of the corner of her eye was someone fiddling with her IV, but she felt herself being pulled back into her slumber.

Marcus watched her eyes flutter back closed and wished desperately he could see them again. They were the most beautiful things he had ever seen in his entire existence. He knew they would awe mere humans, but he knew better. His eyesight allowed him to see the yellow-gold flecks in the green, darker toward the outside and lighter toward her iris. They were a galaxy of colour and pattern and they almost completely distracted him from the distress he felt at seeing his mate so damaged and in such pain.

He had checked his bond sight and hers were all a mess, apart from the one connecting her to him. Some seemed to have been severed and healed badly, but one looked as if it were almost a noose around her, extending from another that was tinged with pain and hatred. What had happened to his little mate?

Caius kept quiet after the exchange he had witnessed. He could not deny that this human intrigued him. It was not his impression that most of them these days took the time to learn dead languages and her accent was obviously from a Western country, which only intrigued him further. However she was still human, which made him naturally averse. She was their natural food source, after all. Why had his brother not changed her by now? When he had found his mate she had been changed almost immediately, and she wasn't even nearly damaged as this human was. He frowned.

Aro noticed both of his brother's different expressions and held his hand toward his Caius with a quirk of his eyebrow. When he took it and saw his thought processes, he nodded sagely. "You have a point, brother."

"What is it, my love," Sulpicia questioned, laying her hand on his arm.

"Caius is merely wondering why Marcus has not changed her yet."

"Nor will I do so until I have her permission," Marcus replied, almost sharply.

Aro understood this perspective as well; after all, he had not changed his Sulpicia until he had her permission either. It would be an invasion to do so without. He understood that, however neither him nor Marcus were nearly as adverse toward humans as Caius was; he was endlessly intrigued whereas Marcus was more indifferent.

"Marcus," Sulpicia addressed him softly. "If you are to wait, I would advise you to move more slowly as to not frighten her with your strength. She will likely be frightened enough when learning of your nature," she advised him. "You have not spent much time around humans in many years. It may take practice."

"Thank you for your advice, sister. You are correct, as always," he said with a twitch of his lips.

She smiled. "Anything for you, Marcus. I, too, remember the fear I felt as a human when faced with our kind. I will do anything I can to help her. She is my sister now as well."

She slowly leaned down as to not upset Marcus and lightly kissed the girl on the forehead before leaving. The rest following, leaving Marcus with his mate.

* * *

The next time Anna awoke her head was slightly clearer and she only had an IV in her arm. The light was still dim and she noticed there were heavy red velvet drapes covering the windows. The only light in the room came from a fire and candles, making her unable to discern whether it was night or day.

The handsome dark haired man she presumed was the one who brought her here was the only one in the room this time. He was sitting beside the bed in an antique looking straight back wooden chair with a large, old book in his hands and she was once again stunned by how handsome he was. He seemed to sense she was awake and looked up.

"Ah, you're awake. I'm glad. You have been asleep a long time."

She swallowed, suddenly aware by her lack of saliva. Her throat contracted uncomfortably with the dry tightness.

"Water," was all she could croak out. He immediately got up and she noticed he moved at a normal pace to get her a glass of water from a pitcher on a dressing table, reassuring her that all the strange things she remembered about unnatural speed to be a figment of her fever and concussion. Although he still moved more gracefully than she thought to be fair for a man of his size.

She had not seen many men taller or broader than he was, and he carried himself in a way that made his strength obvious. For some reason it only made him more attractive to her, rather than more of a danger as she knew it should have. He would certainly be more than capable to do her a lot of damage.

As soon as he came back with the water she eagerly reached for it, drinking the entire glass quickly.

Once she was done, she looked back to find him back sitting in the chair, watching her as if she was the most interesting thing in the world. She shifted uncomfortably at the scrutiny and attempted to sit up, taking a deep breath against the pain she knew would follow. As soon as she started moving, however, he reached out to stop her. She immediately settled back down, partially wanting to appease him but mostly acting on instinct, not wanting him to touch her because she knew pain always followed touching.

"You are still healing. Please don't distress your injuries, cara mia," he said gently.

She eyed him wearily; suddenly very aware of the vulnerable position she was in. Despite feeling so at ease with this man, which was uncomfortable in itself for her, she was also all too aware of the dangers of letting her guard down around others. She had spent the last 2 years learning that particular lesson.

He seemed to realize she was suddenly suspicious and leaned back in his chair, a look of something akin to hurt crossing over his face so quickly she almost didn't catch it.

"Why am I here? What do you want with me? Where is Vincenzo?"

She knew she was being rude, demanding these things of this man who had been nothing but gracious to her so far, but she was uncomfortably aware of the peculiarity of this situation, as well as the danger of it. He saw a look of horror pass over her face suddenly and all the blood drained from it as she asked, "And how long have I been here?"

He easily answered that question, whereas the other left him eying her speculatively.

"You have been here for six days."

She coughed in surprise. "_Six days?_"

He raised one perfect eyebrow. "Indeed. You were very ill. The doctor kept you in a coma for a few days to allow your brain injuries time to heal."

"A coma? Shouldn't I be in an ICU? Where am I?"

"The doctor assured me you would be cared for here. This is my home."

"Your home? Why am I here? Do you work with Vincenzo? What is the meaning of this? Where is he?"

Her wariness suddenly escalated and she was now petrified, bordering on full-blown panic. If Vincenzo found out she was in another man's home without him, he would kill both of them.

"Cara mia, please. I do not know this Vincenzo but do not get yourself worked up. You are safe. Do not fear me," he seemed to be pleading with her. Everything in her wanted to trust him for reasons she couldn't fathom, however she couldn't allow herself that. She needed to get out of here. She didn't know where she would go that Vincenzo wouldn't find her, or if he had found her already and was just biding his time. But she knew she couldn't stay here.

Oh god, what if he had sold her to someone else as he had threatened to do so many times? Or what if he was testing her and wanted to see what she would do with another man? Dear God almighty. A slight strangled whimper came from her throat as she saw the man reach for her again and, without a second thought, slipped into the warm, sheltered place within her mind as she had done so many times before.

He watched his beautiful mate suddenly become panicked and didn't know what to do to calm her, nor what had caused it. She had gone from confused and worried to pure fear almost instantly as soon as he told her she was in his home. And then as quickly as it had started, it stopped when he had reached out to touch her hand to try and sooth her, as his instincts demanded him to do.

"Piccola?" he asked softly. She didn't respond, however she didn't smell or look asleep. Her eyes were open, but they were unfocussed, staring straight ahead at the ceiling. He could not smell any emotions coming off of her, nor see any expression on her blank face.

He was utterly confounded and scared for his small mate. Had the injuries to her brain damaged it without the doctor knowing?

"Aro," he called out softly, loud enough that he would hear him, but just under the human hearing range. His brother was at his side almost instantly.

"I don't know what happened. She was asking questions and as soon as I told her she was in our home, this happened. She is unresponsive. I am unsure about what to do. Is it possible her injuries damaged her brain?"

Aro frowned. "I am not sure…" He seemed to be contemplating something. "I know you requested I wait until I have her permission but perhaps you would allow me to read her now? Perhaps it will shed some light on this mysterious situation."

Marcus didn't want to invade his mate's privacy, however he desperately needed answers, so he nodded once, uncertainly, at his brother. Aro slowly made his way forward, not wanting to cause offence to what he knew was a volatile vampire protecting it's injured mate.

He lightly grasped her hand, closing his eyes for a moment. Marcus watched his face. Usually it took Aro no more than a second to absorb and see all the information he needed; however after a second, his brow furrowed and he took on a look of concentration. After five seconds, which felt like an eternity to Marcus, he opened he eyes back to his brother.

"She is gifted," he said in awe. "I've never seen anything like this before. It's as if she has screened what I see, showing only trivial things clearly. The rest is out of focus and jumbled together."

Marcus was shocked, and looked back at the unassuming girl in the bed. "What were you able to make out?"

"Her name is Anna and has only been in Italy for a few years, from what I can tell. The rest I cannot understand without clarification."

Marcus frowned, his concern for his mate growing even more insistent. He was thankful he had many millennia of practice keeping his face devoid of emotion. "Do you think we should summon the doctor?"

Aro considered. "She does not seem ill. This seems to be more of a fear response. Bringing more strangers to her bedside would likely make her even more frightened."

Marcus nodded in understanding.

"I will find more of what I can about your mate Marcus, with your permission. I know you requested we wait until she awakened, as to not invade her privacy, however I believe it would be beneficial to better understand what is going on."

Marcus sighed and acquiesced. "Perhaps you may be correct."

* * *

Aro frowned in front of the computer. He was still not comfortable with it, though Sulpicia made sure they were kept up to date with the latest technologies. However that was not what was making him agitated this time. Rather, he did not like what he was finding on it.

The Volturi, of course, had access to much more information than the general public so finding the origins of their mysterious guest was not too difficult. As they had deduced by her accent she was born in upstate New York, however her family was all reported dead. She was a doctor – a child prodigy, apparently. Head of her class in one of the highest ranking schools in the world. And yet she had chosen to do her residency in Nigeria of all places. And that was where the paper trail ended. It was reported she was kidnapped. Human trafficking was suspected, but she was never found. And all this time she had been in an apartment in Rome? Something was not adding up.


	2. Chapter 2

Let us delve further into this mess I've gotten us into...

* * *

Aro sat in his office and considered the information he had discovered. He was unsure of what to do. This entire situation was delicate and needed to be handled with the utmost care, lest he upset his newly bonded brother or his fragile new sister. However if they were going to help her, they needed more answers about her past. He could hear her heart beat beginning to increase back up to a normal rhythm in the other room and headed toward his brother's chambers.

He really would need to talk to Marcus about updating them. He hadn't done so in a few hundred years and it was painfully obvious. That bed could not be comfortable for the girl, and a few modern conveniences would likely make her life much more comfortable as well… at least until she was also one of them and no longer in need of such human trifles.

He stopped outside the door in his brother's office and listened to what was happening inside; he did not want to interrupt if she were more cognizant again, or intrude on their privacy. Although her heartbeat was not as slow as it had been, he could not hear any voices or other movement and decided his discussion could wait until she was more comfortable… a delicate situation indeed.

* * *

Anna felt herself crawling out of the warm, safe place she had sought refuge in. She slowly took inventory of her extremities. Nothing seemed to hurt, other than the aching feeling after one hadn't moved in a long time and the remaining pain in her leg and ribs. She listened for noises around her and heard only the crackling of a fire; she couldn't hear anyone breathing or moving near her so she slowly allowed the disconnect from her body to fade and she blinked, adjusting and focusing her eyes once again.

She saw out of the corner of her eye that the beautiful, terrifying man was still sitting there, staring at her again. She flinched a little, trying not to let it show, but she suspected he caught it. She felt her stomach sink and hoped he wouldn't punish her for showing resistance or fear.

Although, she admitted to herself, he didn't seem inclined to do so, and something inside of her reminded her that not all people wanted to hurt her… especially this one. For some reason, she wanted to trust him, rather than fear him, and that terrified her. That sort of desire got you killed.

She knew she was eying him wearily and she also knew she shouldn't allow herself to let him know how she was feeling or thinking. Showing fear had only ever caused more hardship for her, however he hadn't hurt her yet and she couldn't help feeling safe enough around him to do so… she concluded that she must have really hurt her head to be thinking this way.

To his credit, though, he only looked worried. However she couldn't be certain. He was quite good at keeping his face void of emotion and that made her uncomfortable. It was always worse when you didn't know what was coming.

He could see her conflicted emotions; he watched them fly across her face at an alarming rate and decided to distract her, if at all possible, for the time being. He knew as a human, she would need to eat soon. She had been fed intravenously for a few days but the doctor had told him as soon as she woke, she should drink and eat lightly and then call for him immediately.

"Are you hungry?"

Her stomach chose that moment to let out an embarrassingly loud growl and she realized she was famished. She blushed and he smiled at her. "I'll send for some food for you."

He got up and his movement transfixed her again as he disappeared through a massive, old-looking, elaborately carved door that he opened with no difficulty. She took the moment to calm herself in privacy. This situation was too strange, even for her.

He was back very quickly, once again opening the huge solid wood door as if it were nothing. "The food should be here momentarily," he told her.

She thanked him quietly and took the time to actually study him. She hadn't noticed before, had been too distracted with fear and stunned by this strange man, but his clothing looked as dated as this room. He wore a full three-piece suit with what looked to be some sort of regal robe over top; it contrasted heavily against his skin that was so pale it was almost white. His eyes, too, were black, almost as if the pupils blended into the iris entirely. And the way he held himself - confidently, almost arrogantly, even when sitting in a chair beside her sickbed – indicated that this was a very powerful man. He commanded the room just by entering it.

He seemed to be watching her as well, equally interested, although she wasn't sure what should be so interesting about her or why he was still there with her. Did he not have anything better to do than sit with his injured guest all day? The reason she was even there he still hadn't told her, but she opted to try questioning him again after she ate. She would have more strength then, and maybe he would allow her to leave… she almost laughed at the thought. When had she ever been allowed to leave before? She shouldn't allow herself to have foolish hopes. All men were the same…. a small voice in her head disagreed, though she tried to ignore it

That small voice reminded her that if he were going to hurt her, he probably would have done so already. He was offering to feed her, and had clearly gotten her medical attention, which Vincenzo had never done. But maybe he wanted to lull her into a false sense of security? Or maybe he had no interest in a toy that was already broken and starved? But he did not seem like the sort who hurt women. Those types had surrounded her for years, but she did remember times before then… times when she lived her life without it being controlled, when people reached out to touch her with love and did not seek only to cause pain.

"I believe your food is here, Tesoro. Allow me to fetch it for you," he got up once again – she was beginning to think that door must be fake wood – and brought back a tray with broth, juice, and water on it. It was the second most beautiful thing she had ever seen in her life. She didn't allow herself to consider that _he _maybe the first.

He watched her eyes glaze over with pleasure from the first bite and hoped it would be gentle enough on her stomach. He did not want his sweet mate to be ill again.

She ate it slowly and seemed to be uncomfortable with his observation so he brought the book he had been pretending to read back out and instead listened to her and watched her out of the corner of his eye. When she was finished, he put it down and addressed her once again.

"The Doctor would also like to see you and I thought you might enjoy a bath. A nurse can assist you in that."

She brightened considerably at the mention of a bath and readily agreed.

* * *

He was waiting in his office as the doctor was with his mate, listening to the check up. He heard her slight whimper as her catheter and IV were removed and had braced himself against barging in there and comforting her. Afterward, he listened to the doctor questioning her about how she was feeling.

The doctor had been stunned when her pneumonia, the swelling in her brain, and the broken bones healed quicker than he thought they should have. He had told Marcus it was a miracle, as most other patients in that condition would have taken weeks to heal, especially considering how malnourished she was. He and his brothers had discussed it and suspected that his presence may have been a factor in it, which only made Marcus even more determined not to leave that room for the entirety of the six days she had been unconscious.

After the doctor was finished he came into Marcus' office where he waiting and debriefed him on her condition. She was still healing at a rate the doctor found alarming and he clearly had many questions about it, but knew better than to ask. He had been paid an exorbitant amount of money to do his job without uncomfortable inquiries. He suspected the break in her leg would need to stay in a cast for another week and he would continue to monitor it. The breaks in her ribs had healed enough that she should be able to move around carefully if assisted, and if she did not strain herself.

Marcus thanked him for his services and the doctor left to fetch the nurse who would help her with her bath, which the doctor had approved. Marcus tried not to think of his little mate naked and being bathed, as the mere thought made him more aroused than he had been any time with Didyme. She had been a good wife to him, but was certainly no mate. They had both known it and he mourned her death, however he had always been waiting for her… this sweet, beautiful, mysterious human with startling eyes.

As he was waiting, he called one of the Guard to come and change the sheets in his room. He assumed his mate would like clean ones, and the ones on the bed were permeated with the scent of her illness. One of the younger ones did it quickly and efficiently, seemingly eager to prove herself and increase her ranking from one of the lower guard. While she was doing so, Aro came into his office to talk with him. Marcus had heard him there earlier before she had regained consciousness but he had left them in peace, thankfully.

"She seems to be recovering well," Aro commented.

"Indeed," Marcus agreed.

Aro then looked a little concerned about what he was about to say, which put Marcus on edge. "I have looked into her history…"

"Yes," Marcus prompted him. "What did you discover, brother?"

"It is peculiar, to say the least. Records say she was born in the United States and she is only 24 years old; however she completed her medical doctorate at age 20 and was doing her residency in Nigeria where it is reported she had been kidnapped. That is all the information I could find. I wonder whether you have any more information about where she was found? Perhaps that will shed more light on this situation."

Marcus frowned at this news. His mate had a troubling past. He wanted to ask her about it, however he did not want to upset anymore than he already had. He gave Aro the address, hoping he might get more answers that way.

One Aro had left, he heard the nurse leading his mate back into his bedroom in the wheelchair and asked in halting English whether she needed anything else, and then walked back toward his office. She struggled with the door and then emerged smiling and told him she was finished. He thanked her politely and forced himself not to run back to his mate, as he knew that would end up scaring both her and the nurse. He walked as slowly as he could, which was probably still a little too quick to be a normal human pace.

"How do you feel?" he inquired. She looked much better now, he could tell. Her long hair was damp, but clean, and had been braided by the nurse. It fell heavily down her back and he saw the colour more clearly now – a deep red that he believed humans called auburn. But that colour was much more than just auburn. He could see lighter pieces – almost blonde that reflected the light and deep browns that contrasted with it. Her skin looked healthier as well, almost glowing now that it was cleaner. If he thought she had been the most radiant thing he had seen before, she surpassed it now.

"Much better, thank you," she said politely, almost demurely. She stifled a yawn afterward, not wanting to be rude.

"Would you like to sleep now? The doctor recommended you rest often, whenever you feel like it."

She realized how exhausted she was and agreed hesitantly, unsure about whether this was a trick or if he had ulterior motives. He did not seem to have malicious intent so she allowed herself to be settled back into the bed, noticing that he had had the sheets changed. It felt so good sliding between them and feeling clean once again. She wanted to ask him to leave so she could sleep in peace, however she knew he likely wouldn't. And a large portion didn't want him to anyways. She chose not to think on that and instead allowed her exhaustion to overtake her.

* * *

She wasn't sure what woke her, but years of hyper vigilance ensured that she was wide-awake in response to whatever it was. The fire seemed to have dimmed to only light glowing embers and only a few candles were lit. In the dim light she could see the huge door was open. That was when she realized that right next to her bed, the most beautiful woman she had ever seen in her entire life was standing, watching her. She was eerily still and had pale skin that looked even fainter in the glowing light, and blood red eyes that peered at her in an unnatural manner in the dark. Everything in Anna's head screamed predator.

She looked around frantically, however her angel was not sitting beside her anymore. With a rush of adrenaline she tried to climb out of the bed, not wanting to be in such a vulnerable position – and fell against the bedside table, knocking over the glass of water that had been sitting there. In her haste and clumsiness, she fell off the bed and into the broken glass, cutting her arm. She paid it no mind and continued scrambling back, trying desperately to put more space between her and that feral looking woman.

Except before she could move an inch, the beautiful woman was suddenly crouched above her, snarling, with her unnerving eyes fixated on her bleeding arm. Anna had no idea how she had come to be there so quickly, however her panic was rising and she did not have time to think on it. Instead, she screamed. Her screams became even more hysterical when, faster than she could blink, her angel was suddenly there as well, snarling like a wild animal, and the woman's head was no longer attached her body. And then she passed out.

* * *

The entire family was in his room in an instant. Sulpicia immediately went to the girl on the floor, lifting her gently and placing her back in the bed. He had seen that she had bonded to their newest sister from the moment she saw her. It eased some of his worry as she tended to her arm and he turned to his brothers and remaining sister, who looked torn between standing with her mate and joining Sulpicia.

"What happened?" Caius questioned.

Marcus was still growling, his words barely audible over the sound. "Bianca was standing guard over my mate as I changed my clothing. I returned when I heard her scream, and found her crouching over my mate, her arm injured, about drain her." The last words were barely audible over his snarl.

Sulpicia began growling as well, and Athenodora and Sulpicia both sent a glare to the dismembered vampire on the ground. Athenodora finally made her decision and moved to the bed. She carefully took Anna's hand in her own while Sulpicia stroked hair off her forehead.

"She will be executed. She should have exercised better control over herself around your delicate mate," Aro told him, anger clear on his features.

Marcus snarled even louder in response. "She should not have had to find out like this. Her life should not be threatened in my very rooms."

Caius was scowling, which was not unusual, however he did not offer his thoughts on the matter, which made Marcus even angrier. He should be defending his sister as his mate was doing. He took a deep, unnecessary breath to calm himself and glared at the dismembered body on the floor.

"I will take care of it myself. Now get her out of my sight," he finally snarled.

Aro nodded and called for Felix who quickly removed the body and left.

Afterward, the rest of his family left as well, leaving him alone with his mate. He returned to her bedside and let out a sigh. She had not been awake for a full day yet and already she had been shocked into unconsciousness twice and almost killed. He would need to learn how to take better care of her.

It only took a few minutes for her to wake this time, however this time her reaction to him was even worse. The previous time when she had still been partially awake, as soon as she had seen him she only flinched a little, hiding the rest of her fear and shock very well for a human.

This time, however, she whimpered in the way that made his long dead heart ache, and cowered into the bed as her heart rate elevated to a concerning level.

"Please do not fear me, tesoro. I will not hurt you, I swear to you." He tried to make his body language as unthreatening as possible, which was difficult for a predator of his size. He desperately needed his mate not to fear him for it was causing pain like he had not experienced since his own change.

She didn't respond, however neither did she become unresponsive again, which he was thankful for. "I am sure you have many questions. I will try to explain to you as best as I can."

He was uncertain of where or how to start and desperately tried to find words to make her understand. He realized then that she did not even know his name. "My name is Marcus," he said, and almost cringed. He had not felt this uncertain, this uncomfortable, for as long as he could remember. He tried again. "I was born long ago in Greece. I understand humans these days do not hold as much value in legends and mythology as they used to..."

He paused there, unsure of how to phrase the rest without scaring her. "When I was born, it was not so. My society was rife with myths and legends they did not doubt to be true. When I was changed, the creature I became was no stranger to me. Now I am one of three brothers who govern a world humans no longer believe exist, and we ensure it stays that way. It is better for all this way."

He could tell she was torn. She wanted desperately to understand what had just happened, while at the same time, he knew she desperately didn't want to know either.

"I am sincerely sorry you had to learn the way you did. My kind are much faster than humans, and stronger. We are attracted to your blood and some find the lure of it difficult to resist at times. I am sure it is very frightening."

She finally seemed to find her words. "What _are _you?"

She couldn't understand the look he gave her. It looked almost pained, however he told her, "I am a vampire, piccola."

"And that woman-"

"She is also a vampire. She was a part of our coven."

"But you killed her!"

His face darkened. "No, I merely incapacitated her. She will be executed, though, for what she did to you."

He could not decipher the look on her face or what she was thinking. He wasn't sure whether he actually wanted to know. He was terrified – something he had not felt in a very long time – that his mate would reject him. He was not sure he would survive that. 3000 years was a very long time to wait for his mate, however he would gladly live that lonely existence again if his other option were being given the other half of his soul only to have it torn away.

"Why am I here," she asked very quietly, looking at her hands. He could smell the fear on her.

He was silent for a long time, long enough that she finally looked up to see the look on his face again - the one she couldn't read, but spoke only of pain. "A vampire is given only one mate, tesoro; the only other being to make a very long existence bearable and give them companionship. You, cara mia, are my mate."

She tore her eyes from where they had been intently studying her hands and gaped at him in disbelief. "Is this supposed to be some sort of joke?"

He blinked at her and shook his head. "I assure you, I do not joke of this."

"How do you know? How can that even be possible? I'm not a vampire."

"Yes, I was quite shocked as well. However, I assure you, I do not lie. I knew from the moment I saw you that you were my mate."

She suddenly looked skeptical, "Are you some kind of crazy person?"

He let out a short laugh. "No, I am not. Although I am sure some would disagree."

She eyed him warily. If he was crazy, she didn't want to reject him and make him violent. But there was no way she was his… mate. Whatever that meant. No matter how attracted to him she was, or how safe she felt with him or what sort of stories he told her. She tried to keep her voice gentle and unthreatening, "I can't be your mate. I don't even know you."

He smiled softly, more in his eyes than anything, and said, "I will wait for you to know me, then. I have waited 3000 years for you, a few more will not hurt."

"3000 years? You're 3000 years old?"

"Approximately, yes."

"So you're telling me you're older than Jesus?"

His lips twitched as if he were trying to hold back a laugh. "Yes."

"The trial of Socrates?"

"It was regretful, of course, but yes."

"The library of Alexandria?"

"Even more regretful… although we did manage to salvage a few of the scrolls."

She let out a little whimper at that. "You have scrolls from the _library of Alexandria? _C-could I see them?"

He finally chuckled, allowing his smile to light up his entire face. "As soon as the doctor says you are able, I would be glad to show you our library."

She had a dazed look on her face at that and he allowed himself to revel in his mate's enjoyment. She was even more beautiful, somehow, when her face was not twisted in fear or shock or apprehension. He wanted nothing more than to make her happy and see her smile for the rest of their days.

"Would you like to eat now? More food has been brought up."

She looked almost reluctant, however he had heard her stomach growl a few times and knew she was hungry again. "Alright."

He got up, slowly as to not startle her, and retrieved the food Felix had left in his office for her. It looked to be more broth with tea and a bottle of water on the side. He was grateful for the foresight and made a note to thank him for thinking of it. Suplicia had cleaned up the glass and bandaged her arm, assuring him she did not need stitches, however he was not inclined to allow his mate near any more glass any time soon.

She ate it quicker this time, and he pretended to read again. Once she was finished, she started looking drowsy. He dimmed the lights again before returning to her bedside. She was already asleep when he returned.


	3. Chapter 3

It looks like Tuesday will be the update day for this story, although school is getting a little busy for me so it may be a little less frequent in the coming weeks. Hope you're all having a lovely day xxxx

* * *

Anna awoke to the same nurse as had bathed her the last time. She was fussing with yet another tray of food and what looked to be a few syringes.

"_Buongiorno_," she said when she saw she was awake. "I have…" she seemed to be searching for the word, "breakfast and medicine for you. How do you feeling?"

"_Mi sento bene,_" (I feel good)

"_Parli Italiano?_" (You speak Italian?), she asked in surprise. "Eccelente, my English no good."

Anna smiled at her, a little shocked by how refreshing it felt to be around someone who was obviously human. Her experience with that woman that night had shaken her, although if she was honest, not as much as she felt it should have. She supposed she was used to people trying to kill her and for some reason she did feel as if this Marcus would protect her…

While the nurse checked her vitals she ate the banana from the tray, revelling in having fresh fruit again, and watched the notes being recorded. They confirmed her theory that she was healing way too quickly for only having been here a week, but said nothing and decided to ask about it later.

After the nurse was finished administering the injections she offered her another bath, which Anna readily accepted. She loved baths; they were a luxury she had been denied for a very long time and had been dearly missed. Despite trying not to flinch every time the nurse had to touch her and having to keep her leg out of the water, it made her feel infinitely better.

She decided to try her best not to think on anything the strange dark haired… well, she couldn't call him her angel anymore, if what he said was true. She supposed he would be more of a demon? But that would be foolish. There is no such thing as a vampire or angel or demon or – she caught herself. Come on Anna stop thinking about this. Obsessing was not going to help her situation.

As the nurse was helping her dry off, Anna did allow herself to consider what her improving health meant. Perhaps she could escape? Although she figured this Marcus person wouldn't let her leave if he was still going on this vampire mate nonsense, but it wouldn't stop her from trying. He hadn't hurt her yet, despite _decapitating _that beautiful woman in front of her. And he did make her feel safer than she could ever remember feeling; being around him felt like she was wearing a bulletproof vest wrapped in a duvet on Christmas morning. She would have to make an effort not to allow herself to be vulnerable to him, as she was still not completely convinced this wasn't a trap. She really should find some way to leave…

But if he _was _a vampire maybe Vincenzo wouldn't be able to kill him. And he did say he was powerful, some sort of ruling family or something, right? Maybe they could protect her? No, stop. She couldn't allow herself that sort of hope. She had to take care of herself. And even still, there was no such thing as vampires.

But… that didn't mean she couldn't see those supposed scrolls from the library of Alexandria, right? Just in case he was telling the truth and they were real, she had to see to be sure. Although maybe that would be a trap too… but no, Vincenzo probably didn't even know where Alexandria was… fuck. She was going to give herself a panic attack or a headache if she continued this. She needed to get herself under control.

* * *

Marcus waited as patiently as he could while his mate finished in the bathroom, suddenly very thankful that his sisters had insisted on installing plumbing and a functional bathroom as soon as they were available – had it really already been 100 years? It must be very dated; he would need to update it for her. He decided to ask her once she was finished what she wanted for it. He did not know what sorts of things humans these days needed. His entire rooms would need it, come to think of it. He had not noticed, but he was sure she would. Perhaps that would be something else that would make her happy. At the very least he was certain the libraries would, if her reaction had been any indicator.

He was overjoyed he had found something that made her clearly very excited. The look she had on her face when he told her of their library warmed his long-dead heart. She would probably need to rest after as well, come to think of it. It had been so long since he had been human or spent any length of time with one, but he was sure that sort of strenuous activity would be exhausting for a human recovering from those sorts of injuries.

When they were finished in the washroom and the nurse departed again, he returned to his rooms to see her, being sure to knock on the door first. She seemed hesitant as she called for him to come in. Not wanting to startle her, he entered the room slowly, making sure to make noise with his footsteps loud enough for her to hear. She was still in the wheelchair, seemingly rubbing some lotion on her hands. Such strange human habits made her all the more charming to him.

He saw a blush colour her cheeks and heard her heartbeat increase when she saw him. He wasn't sure what the cause was and was hoping she was not frightened of him again, although she didn't smell it. She just smelled clean, her sweetness only enhanced by the soaps his sisters had bought for her. He would have to thank them later. His family was being exceedingly helpful.

For now, though, he desperately wanted to do something to make his mate happy, and asked her, "Would you like to see the library now? Or would you prefer to rest?"

He could better see the deep circles of exhaustion under her eyes now, as well as the fading bruises that were still left behind to mar her beautiful skin, and he wanted to be sure she felt well enough for it.

She looked uncertain about the question and he wanted very badly to ease all her insecurities, but to his delight, she responded positively - if a little hesitantly, "If it wouldn't be too much trouble, I would love to see it."

"Not at all, cara mia. However the doctor insists you use the wheelchair. Or, if you would prefer, I could carry you." He hoped she would allow him to carry her. He wanted to feel her in his arms, close to him.

She looked a little offended at having to use the wheelchair, however it certainly was not going to keep her from this library. And it was a lesser evil than having him carry her as well, despite the way her heart skipped a little at the thought of being held by him, and not out of fear, either. She ignored it, chastising herself and instructing her mind to stop misbehaving and playing tricks on her.

"The wheelchair is fine," she told him, missing his look of disappointment but without missing a beat, he wheeled her out of his rooms. She finally got a look at the rest of the place, as well, after having been confined only to his bed for so long. There was an office of sorts, with a wall full of books, a desk and a small sitting area in front of another fireplace on the other side of the bedroom. Outside of his apartments was a large hallway lined with two other sets of ornate double doors, one taking up the end and the other directly across from his.

He led her out of that section and down another large hall. She figured this place had to be a castle as it was so huge. The walls were lined with paintings, most of which looked to be very old, and some so large they took up almost the entirety of the wall, floor to ceiling, which soared above her head.

Her breath caught in her chest when she thought she saw what looked to be an original Botticelli. She had never seen it before, but it was certainly his style.

Marcus seemed to know what had gotten her attention and stopped so she could get a better look at it. It featured the same beautiful light-haired woman as was found in many of his paintings, but surely …

"We rescued many of his works from the Bonfire of the Vanities," he told her, a slight smile in his voice. "This one, of course, is the same woman as he modelled his Venus after. He took many portraits of her, some even said he was in love with her."

Her jaw dropped and she craned her neck to look at him incredulously. "Do you mean to tell me that in addition to salvaging parts of the library of Alexandria, you also own an original Botticelli painting? You realize most of those are considered to have been lost more than 600 years ago," she questioned, a slight hysterical tone in her voice.

"Indeed," he answered cautiously, unsure of what upset her and not wanting to make it worse. He could hear her heart beat increasing and did not know how to help her. There was a strangled noise coming from her throat and he was suddenly in front of her, once again crouching so he was at her level, trying not to seem threatening to her, though he heard her intake of breath in response to his sudden movement anyhow.

"Are you alright," he questioned. "Do you need me to summon the doctor?"

"No," she squeaked. "Just give me a moment." She had a wild look in her eyes, almost akin to desperation. He watched as she took a few deep breaths and gradually heard her heartbeat slow slightly.

He watched her shake her head as if at something she was thinking, and refocused on the painting in front of her.

"It's so beautiful," she finally said. "When was this one completed?"

"It never was. It was only practice; see how all the angels behind her have the same expression and shape?"

"Oh. Yes, I hadn't noticed that. It is magnificent, nonetheless." It was absolutely stunning, with an almost ethereal quality that enchanted her.

"I suppose," he said. He had to restrain himself from telling her that this painting paled in comparison to her, as he was sure it would make her uncomfortable. "We have a few more in other parts of the castle if you would like to see them as well."

She answered quickly, "Yes, definitely." Then hesitated, not wanting to sound too eager, "If you have time later, that is. I don't want to impose. I'm sure you have better things to do."

He chucked and straightened up, returning to pushing her down the hall. "There is nothing I would enjoy more, piccola."

The hall ended at a small alcove with an artfully lit marble bust in it, where they turned right. This hall had more doors down it; however there were also a few paintings interspersed between them, as well as a tapestry that looked as if it had real gold threads in it that glittered as they walked past.

They turned down another hallway, and then another – there was no way she would remember how to get back at this point – which finally opened up into a magnificent white marble hall with an arched ceiling.

It was perfectly round, three stories high, and lined on every wall with books. There were massive windows letting in the sunlight, making the room seem even bigger and brighter. It hurt her eyes slightly after being without natural light for so long and took her breath away.

She saw a small sitting area with red velvet chairs around a fireplace across from her and a smaller arched doorway to her right that seemed to lead to another room.

"Welcome to the Volturi library, cara mia," he said, smiling at her reaction as he walked from behind the chair in front of her to gesture to the walls. She seemed transfixed by him again and he realized she must have been seeing his skin in the sunlight for the first time. It glowed slightly, not nearly as blinding as a newborn's but still slightly discernibly different to the human eye. He decided to ignore her reaction and distract her, not wanting to bring up another subject that might upset her again.

"The first level is our most recent additions, organized by language and then alphabetically. The second floor is a continuation, mainly predating the 20th century. The third floor is our collection of first editions, as well as our other earliest volumes. Athenodora reorganizes every few decades or so, though. And through that door is our scroll room, which you are welcome to as well."

He masterfully redirected her, turning her attention turning back to the books; she didn't know where to start and struggled to get out of the wheelchair to get a better look. He restrained her again, something she was becoming very aggravated with. Her reaction took her by surprise; she didn't know where it was coming from, but at least anger was easier to deal with than fear. For some reason, it seemed almost easy to be annoyed with him.

"You do not have to use the wheelchair for much longer, but please just humour me until then. I do not want to compromise your healing."

She huffed but the pleading look he was giving her melted her resolve. She didn't know how or why, but she decided to allow it. Especially when faced with all these books. Seriously, how could one be upset when there were so many books to read and so little time?

"Fine, but I really want to see the scrolls," she said. She recognized she sounded like a sullen child but he didn't seem to mind; he happily obliged her and pushed her that way. They had to go through two sets of automatic sliding glass doors similar to an isolation chamber in a hospital, which she suspected was to keep the moisture out. He didn't put any special clothing or mask on, though, which confused her. Should he not be more careful with the precious delicate materials?

She was distracted from her worries when they finally entered the chamber. It was quite large, with cubes covering the walls with scrolls and parchment in them and a large table in the middle. Similarly to the library behind them, it was brightly lit, although it had harsher artificial lighting.

"What are all of these," she asked in wonder. Her thirst for knowledge delighted him and he basked in the glow of her enjoyment, vowing to find something every day to please her as much as this did.

He gestured to one wall. "These are very early copies of the Torah. They range from approximately the 500th century to the 4th century BCE. We believe we have one of the oldest editions of Song of Solomon."

He gestured to another few. "These were rescued from the library of Alexandria. They are mainly on the subjects of astronomy and physics. The Egyptians favoured papyrus, of course, and there are many languages represented. Unfortunately some of them are lost, even to us."

He could see she was becoming overwhelmed and he was unsure of what was going on in her head, so he asked her if she wanted to see any, quickly learning that distraction worked well on her when she seemed to be becoming panicked. She nodded vigorously and he smiled, selecting one on the subject of astronomy. He had always found the subject fascinating and was sure she would as well.

"Wait-", she called. He turned and looked at her inquisitively. "Shouldn't you be wearing protective gloves?"

"That is not a concern, as my skin does not produce any oils that would be harmful to the materials. And I assure you, I am very careful with them," he resisted smiling at her concern.

"O-oh," she replied, a little shocked. God help her, she was starting to believe these outrageous claims he was making.

Unless this was some elaborate ruse with duplicates of hundreds of paintings and maybe a rented castle and clearly tons of money and – but that still wouldn't explain how quickly they move, or how strong he must be to open those massive doors so easily when she had seen the very obviously human nurse struggle with them… or her unnatural reaction to him, although that was the part that scared her most. And she wasn't stupid, she _was _a doctor after all, so if the timeline he had given her was true, she should not be feeling this much better. She knew she was in very poor shape before he found her. Perhaps his supernatural capabilities had something to do with it?

When he returned to her he saw and smelled that her mood had changed. She looked resigned, although still apprehensive. "What is it, cara mia?" he inquired.

"You're not lying, are you? You're really some sort of vampire?"

"I have not lied to you about anything, nor will I ever," he told her firmly.

"So if you're a vampire do you like, eat people?"

He looked shocked at her question. He hadn't expected her to be so blunt about a subject that would leave most humans uncomfortable. "I do not eat humans, but I feed from them, yes."

"Why aren't your eyes red like that other woman's were?"

"Our eyes turn black when we have not fed recently. When we have, they are red," he was becoming very uncomfortable with the topic of conversation. He didn't want to upset his mate with the subject, though admittedly she did not look or smell so.

"Do you sleep in a coffin?"

He laughed at that, a rich, full-bellied sound that made her tighten in places she had tried to forget existed. He did not miss the smell of her arousal but forced himself to ignore it, even though it made him instantly hard, craving something much more alluring than blood. "No, I have not slept in 3000 years, piccola."

"Never? At all?" Finally she was shocked, which, in his estimation, should have been her initial reaction.

"No, I do not need to sleep, eat, drink, or breathe as humans do."

"And your skin?"

"Yes, I noticed you caught that. Our skin is different than a human's. It is much harder, near indestructible. A newborn vampire's skin reacts with the sunlight differently as well; it is much brighter. However as we age, our eye colour and skin's reaction become less noticeable. We believe in another thousand years it will not be at all noticeable to humans."

She snorted. "Like that's fair. You're already clearly stronger and faster and more beautiful than us, but you also need to be indestructible and inconspicuous?"

He smiled again. "Your assessment is accurate."

"And my healing?"

"We have some theories about that. I should have known you would notice that as well. We believe my presence has something to do with it. Mates often cause the other's powers to strengthen and it is logical that it would make you stronger and give your body swifter healing capabilities as well."

She looked troubled by this and then, not wanting to dwell on the subject any longer, he placed the scroll in front of her and unrolled it. "Now, the Egyptians were very advanced in their understanding of astronomy…"

An hour later, she was fast asleep in one of the chairs in the library. Athenodora had come by a few minutes before to check on them and offered her services in any languages he was not adept in. She had always been the one who kept them fluent in all the dialects with the passing time, as well as remembering the ones of times past.

She smiled when she saw Anna curled up in the seat, a copy of Pride and Prejudice in her hand, although she had refused to touch their first edition copy, which was something he found troubling, as she apparently didn't want to ruin it. She didn't seem to understand that her delight in it was worth more to him than all the first edition copies of any book in the world.

He was planning on waking her up to feed her again, and he would also need to talk with Aro at some point to see if he had uncovered any more information about her mysterious past. His mate was so very young, but it was clear she had seen more than she ever should have had to.

* * *

She was dreaming of light and warmth and alluring smells when she felt something caressing her arm. She batted it away and heard a chuckle in response; she smiled as well, loving the sound. It sounded of safety and belonging and made it's home in that deep place inside of her that had always been empty, always waiting and wanting.

It started caressing her again and she made a whining sound, shifting her arm away. But it followed her, cupping her elbow now and using it to straighten her body. She suddenly realized she wasn't dreaming and jolted awake.

It caught him by surprise when she suddenly sat up, her eyes wide and frightened, a very clear difference from the relaxed, sleepy enjoyment from before. Seeing her smile that way had almost made him feel _giddy _inside, as if he were some schoolgirl.

"It's only me, do not be alarmed," he wished he did not have to keep reassuring her not to be afraid. It enraged him that someone had taught her this sort of fear in the first place.

She calmed easier this time. It seemed as if it was becoming easier for her to still her fears. Or perhaps he was just desperately hoping it was and deluding himself.

"You should eat. There is food waiting for you back in our rooms."

It did not pass his notice when he referred to it as _their _rooms, although it did take him by surprise, however she did not seem to catch it. She was likely still too sleepy, he thought.

"That sounds good. I just have to return this," she waved toward the book in her hands.

"Don't bother. Just bring it with you."


	4. Chapter 4

Happy Tuesday! Hope you guys are having a good week! If any of you are interested, I've made a pinterest board for this story which is linked in my profile. Happy reading!

* * *

When they returned, she ate more broth and tea, read more of her novel, and slept some more, which the doctor assured Marcus would be natural. Apparently she would need to rest more often than usual, even now that she was mending, in order for her body to heal. While she slept Aro came into their rooms, his face even more grim than before.

"I am afraid I have more bad news. The situation with your young mate is worse than we had thought. I looked into the information and the apartment you gave me is listed under a high ranking member of the Cosa Nostra, one by the name of Vincenzo de Medici."

Marcus snarled at the name. He had known from the first time she asked about him with such fear in her eyes that he was the one who had harmed her. He was the one who had the disgusting bond possessively wrapped around her.

"It gets worse, brother. They have been trading weapons and moving drugs with a very large crime syndicate in Nigeria. I suspect he is the one who kidnapped her and brought her here. Perhaps they met while she was working but we cannot know for certain unless we ask her. I am almost positive that he is the one responsible for her injuries, though."

Marcus had to restrain his growl, not wanting to wake or upset his mate. "I will find him, Aro, and I will kill him. Slowly."

Aro could hear the vow in his brother's voice and was overjoyed by the change in him, although he wouldn't show it. Marcus had been passive and unconcerned for far too long, although it was truly unfortunate the change had to come in the form of the harm of his mate.

* * *

When she woke up, she was sore all over, although this time she could tell it was from the bed. The décor made more sense now, after learning that the man who the rooms belonged to was older than many great civilizations, however it didn't make sleeping on this mattress any more comfortable. She didn't know how people did it back then. And this looked like an upscale one too.

He saw her wince as she sat up and was reminded of his plans to remodel. He would ask her about it after she ate. He had already ordered her more food when he heard her heartbeat increasing as she slowly regained consciousness. The doctor told him she could start incorporating softly cooked vegetables and lean meat in the broth now that she had not had any problems with the first few bowls and he was pleased to finally be able to give her more desperately needed proteins and vitamins. He had read a volume on human nutrition as she slept and took note of what she would need. He had also permitted her to forgo the wheelchair when she felt able to, as long as she did not strain herself. Marcus was sure she would be pleased about this.

Her sleepy yawns and blinking melted his cold heart as she stretched and tried sitting up in the bed. He was immediately at her side, assisting her and propping her against some pillows and the headboard. She did not look quite so alarmed to see him again, as he seemed to be fast becoming a permanent fixture every time she awoke.

"How are you feeling?" he smiled softly at her.

She was still clearing her mind of the sleep fogging it as she told him she was fine. "Have you been here this entire time?"

"Not the entire time. I spent some time in my office. Does that bother you?"

He could see that it did though she denied it. It bothered him that she did not feel comfortable telling him her wants and needs, however she distracted him from his concern when she asked, "What time and day is it, by the way?"

"It is 0800 hours on the 10th day of December."

He saw her pale and began growing concerned for her again. "How long have I been awake for?"

"You awoke two days ago, cara mia. We visited the library in the early afternoon yesterday. You have slept for 12 hours."

She still looked shocked and he could not resist asking what was wrong.

"It's just – the last time I remember looking at a calendar it was September," she said, frowning now. "I lost the entire fall."

He did not know what she meant by that, however he resisted prying. He did not want to bring up yet another upsetting subject for her and opted to instead change the subject.

"I wondered whether you would like to pick out new furniture for the room," he offered, hoping she would enjoy the activity. His understanding was that women liked those sorts of frivolities.

"You want me to help you pick out furniture?" she asked, confusion obvious in her tone.

"As I do not use this room for anything other than dressing, and I would be happy to allow you to decorate it as would please you. That is, if you would like to continue staying in them," he offered, hoping she would not leave them.

"Wait, this is _your _room?" her tone was clearly shocked, although she had to admit it did make sense. The office outside definitely did not look to be part of a generic guest room, and he did say she was his mate so maybe that's why he wanted her in his room. She still had no idea what that meant, though.

He frowned. "Yes, I thought you were aware of that. Does this bother you?"

"No… I mean, I guess not. I was just shocked, is all."

"My sincerest apologies, tesoro. It was not my intention to mislead you."

"You didn't," she felt compelled to reassure him for some reason. She was not sure she was comfortable sharing his room but she didn't want to upset or offend him, even if he did offer to find her another room… and he still hadn't hurt her yet. In fact, he had treated her very well and had been absolutely obliging to her every whim. It could still be an act, though, and if she angered him it could make him break that act.

And if he was a vampire – which she was quite sure of, as she couldn't think of any other reasonable explanation – she would have no chance against him. He'd probably just eat her.

"I-" she cleared her throat, willing her courage. Be brave, Anna. Be assertive. Tell him what you want. Maybe he won't eat you. "I would like my own room… please." She included the please, hoping it would make her seem more polite, and maybe just submissive enough that he wouldn't punish her, but also respect her wishes. Fuck, she was strategic.

It was almost depressing, actually. Like looking in a mirror for the first time after you've been sick. When she had done that with her first bath she had almost passed out; she had looked emaciated, pretty much a walking corpse. Vincenzo had never allowed her to become that malnourished before. He had starved her sometimes, sure, but he still had to keep up appearances and he seemed to like when she had maintained a fuller figure.

But this, it was like realizing that for years she had been starved emotionally as well. Constantly second guessing every word, choosing them carefully, making herself as small and submissive as possible to avoid his anger. She hadn't even realized it. Hadn't even noticed. Had been too busy trying to stay alive.

She could tell he was disappointed but somehow there was no anger. She had basically flat out rejected him and he wasn't even angry. Unless he was hiding it very well. But no, he did just look genuinely disappointed.

"Of course, I will arrange for one to be prepared for you," he still looked and sounded absolutely cordial. Respectful even. She had the weirdest sense of empowerment surge through her.

"Thank you," she whispered, willing herself not to cry.

He didn't seem to know what to say and looked absolutely puzzled. "… you are… welcome…?"

She realized how stupid she probably sounded, thanking him for showing the most basic sense of human decency by respecting her wishes regarded sleeping arrangements, and was once again overwhelmed by how depressing it was to realize how much she had changed in the years she had been with _him_.

Marcus could see her turmoil. He could see that she seemed to be holding back the tears he smelled and could see welling in her eyes. He crouched beside the bed, hesitantly reaching for one of her hands.

She watched as his slowly made its way toward hers and lightly grasp it, holding it between both of his. She was shocked by the coolness of them and looked back into his eyes. "Anna, I do not know what has happened to you. But I need you to know that I will never harm you. I will always respect your wishes. I would do anything to make you happy. Please believe me."

For a moment, she almost did… but then, shying away from the intensity, she dragged her eyes back away from his and looked at the bed, while avoiding the hand that she could feel so acutely between his, as if every nerve ending in her body was focused on how his skin felt against hers.

"I will send the nurse in to help you dress and arrange for a room. Please excuse me, piccola."

He was quickly replaced by the nurse, who brought more clothes with her – leggings and a sweatshirt once again. She realized she had no idea where all these new clothes were coming from and asked her.

"Signor Volturi, naturalmente," (Mr. Volturi, of course) she replied.

"He bought me all these clothes?"

"Si," she said, and then seemed uncomfortable, as if there was something she wasn't saying.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

Her smile quickly returned, trying to reassure her. "Nothing, dear. Don't worry yourself. Now let us get you some breakfast and antibiotics. The doctor has also permitted the removal of your cast, which I am sure will be a relief for you!"

* * *

Sulpicia was waiting in the hallway when Marcus exited. "We heard what she said and we are arranging for a room in our personal guest quarters. At least this way in the meantime you can update your rooms for when she returns," she smiled at him and he could tell she was trying to reassure him.

He allowed his relief to show. "Thank you, Sulpicia. Are you and Athenodora moving her clothing and things in it?"

"Yes, although we both think we should allow her to choose the rest of her clothing and décor. We only ordered basic necessities so she could decide for herself what she wanted."

"She seemed hesitant about choosing furnishings, but perhaps she will enjoy shopping for clothing," he considered.

"Just give her time. We do not know what she has been through, Marcus. Be patient."

He forced a smile. "I know. I only wish I could make it better for her."

"I know, brother. We are all still very anxious to meet her, please let her know that whenever she is ready."

"Of course," he said, and she turned down the hall toward the guest rooms, likely planning on how to prepare it for her human sister.

He returned to his study, absentmindedly listening to the nurse inside with his mate. They were doing her usual ablutions and feeding, although he had heard the nurse's hesitance over a question she was going to ask. He would have to talk to her about it. She knew better than to question.

She was staring around at the new room he had shown her too. He had been exceedingly courteous… almost too courteous. It made her suspicious. He was either upset – perhaps angry with her? Or disappointed that he would not have such easy access to her? Although this room was right down the hall… barely 50 feet from the door to his rooms. Either that or he had tired of her. The idea stabbed at her heart sharply. It was shocking how averse she was to the thought. She had never been this invested before – ever. Even before _him. _

This room, though, was beautiful. Not as large or elegant as his were, but definitely still impressive. And the furniture all seemed to be from her lifetime as well! Finally an actual mattress with springs and padding instead of feathers! And a shower, rather than an iron claw-foot tub! She sighed happily. 21st century amenities were absolutely marvelous and she vowed to never never be unappreciative of them again.

She had investigated the closet to find it to be a walk-in, almost as large as the one _he _had back in his apartment, although not nearly as large as the one in Marcus' rooms. His seemed comically big, more of a dressing room than a place to store clothes. She did not see why anyone would need that much space just for a closet.

There were clothes in a few of the drawers that she assumed to be hers, as they all looked to be her size. There were a few pairs of jeans, soft tshirts, cardigans, leggings and yoga pants, and a few pajama sets. As well as some sets of underwear, which left her blushing and wondering if he had picked all of this out. She certainly hoped not. The thought of him guessing her bra size was positively mortifying.

All of them were brands that she knew were very high quality and it concerned her that he was spending that much money on her. Vincenzo had already dressed her in designer clothes, although those were more for public appearances than anything. He rarely allowed he to wear them when she was in the apartment. And he dressed her that way because she was his possession, and he always took good care of his _things. _Unless they didn't deserve it, of course, or it did not suit him to do so.

She sighed. She really shouldn't allow herself to ruminate on such depressing things. It would not do her any good to become sad, she just had to avoid ever having to go back to him, or being subjected to that again. She would fight like hell for that.

And maybe… it was possible… that this Marcus would not allow him to steal her back again. Even if only to keep her for himself. And she could live with that, she thought. For now, anyways. He took care of her, fed her, was kind to her, had that massive library that she couldn't even have imagined in her wildest dreams…

Marcus was certainly strong enough to protect her, from what she had seen, and fast enough, and smart enough, and he had plenty of money. She might actually stand a chance. For the first time in a very long time, she allowed herself to hope; it felt strange and tight in her chest and in that moment she was acutely aware of how terribly human she was, with all its fragility and uncertainty. And for once, she did not curse it.

* * *

She was rereading the copy of Pride and Prejudice when there was a knock at the door. She looked up curiously from the chaise she was on that was positioned perfectly in front of the window. She had been basking in the luxury of having sumptuous furniture she was actually allowed to sit on, the natural light bathing her in warmth, and a copy of her favourite book.

She got up and padded across the room to open the door, her leg still stiff from having been immobilized for a week. Marcus stood there, smiling at her happily.

"Good afternoon," she said, ducking her head. She didn't know why she became so shy around him. It wasn't even fear, really, although she was still waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"Good afternoon, tesoro. How has your morning been?"

"It has been very nice, thank you. This room is amazing. I wanted to thank you for allowing me to use it."

"It is my pleasure. Now, it is almost noon and I wondered whether you would like to eat and then meet my family. They are all very anxious to finally meet you."

"Your family?" she asked. She was a little frightened at the thought. What if they were like the terrifying woman with the red eyes? Had that really only been a few days ago?

"There is no need to be frightened. They would never harm you," he assured her, hoping that was what had caused her sudden spike in fear.

She wanted to decline, but hadn't she already caused enough trouble and disappointment for the day? She sighed and agreed, trying not to allow her reluctance to show and offend him.

If he noticed it, he ignored it as he told her the food should be there momentarily. She returned to the chaise and perched on its edge, making certain her posture was perfect from years of practice, as he took the chair across from her, out of the direct sunlight. The knock on the door signaled the food's arrival and Marcus went to retrieve it. She saw another massive man in the doorway holding the tray. He was a little larger than Marcus and had an almost olive complexion under the pale skin. He smiled at her quickly when he saw her looking before Marcus shut the door and brought the tray to her.

There was toast – toast! That made her excited, she had really missed carbs – and an omelet with a banana and bowl of berries on the side. She was ecstatic to have something other than broth and dove into it with gusto, pointedly ignoring the man who was there. She was still not comfortable eating with another person in the room, despite having him there for all of her meals in the past few days. When she was finished, she drank her tea slowly, savoring this as well. She felt incredibly spoiled to have so much good food regularly.

He watched her when she had finished eating as she studied the cup in her hand and sipped at it delicately. He didn't quite understand what could be so appealing about leaf water, but he was happy she enjoyed it. He let her finish, finding pleasure in just watching her own pleasure, before he decided to ask whether she was ready to meet his brothers and sisters.

Before he could even bring it up, she looked at him and beat him to it. "So we're going to meet your family?"

"If you would not be adverse, they would like that."

She sighed and steeled herself against her fear. "Alright, let's do this then."


	5. Chapter 5

I hope you enjoy our latest developments. I would love to hear your feedback on them. Happy Tuesday! :)

* * *

Marcus led her out of her room to Aro's office. He knew the family had heard their conversation and had all convened there. He knocked on the door solely for her benefit and Aro answered it swiftly, smiling cheerfully at both of them. Marcus narrowed his eyes. He would have to tell him not to smile so much, as he knew it made humans uneven sometimes - he knew Aro knew this very well, having used it to his advantage often.

"Good afternoon Marcus, I see you have finally decided to share your lovely guest with us," he motioned them to come inside.

Anna was wide eyed at the sight of him. He had bright red eyes, although his did not frighten her as much as the woman's had. Aside from that, he looked very similar to Marcus. He was also dressed in a formal suit with robes over top of them, as Marcus always was, and he had dark hair that he wore pulled back. He also had similar features – a strong nose and cheekbones, with cushiony lips. Their faces both looked a little strange to her somehow, not exactly what she was used to, which made sense if they were both thousands of years old. Dominant traits and what is considered beautiful had certainly changed in that time.

The room behind Aro appeared to be a very large living area, with a desk in one area surrounded by bookshelves, another workspace with a pristine MacBook on it, and a sitting area surrounding a fire. There were large windows letting in the afternoon light and illuminating the three other people were sitting by the fireplace. They glowed slightly the way Marcus did in the sunlight and she recognized them from her brief period of consciousness when she had first been brought here. There were two exceedingly beautiful women and a man who Anna was immediately wary of. He looked angry, as if he did not want to be there, and she knew she did not want to cross him if she could avoid it.

The dark haired woman stood up and came over to greet them. She was exceedingly graceful, as if she glided across the floor, rather than walking; her movement was as fluid as if she were made by the wind herself. She smiled invitingly, showing her perfect white teeth. It was achingly beautiful and her smile was not malicious whatsoever, but at the same time Anna was acutely aware that this woman was a predator baring her teeth to her. Her instincts were much more alarmed by these creatures than they had ever been from Marcus, though still not as badly as they were with the other woman.

If this woman woman noticed Anna's fear, she did not acknowledge it; instead, she greeted her warmly, "Hello, it is very nice to finally meet you. I have heard much about you. My name is Sulpicia, and this is Aro, my husband." She gestured toward the male who had opened the door.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sulpicia. My name is Anna," she blushed slightly, but reached out her hand to shake Sulpicia's. She seemed pleasantly surprised by the offer, having not expected her human sister to offer to touch her. Sulpicia could tell she very was wary of them. It was only natural as she was still human, after all.

"Anna - what a lovely name. Please, won't you come sit?" She gestured to where the two blonde ones were sitting on the couch. They sat so regally, even when reclining. The man sat with one arm on the couch and the other around the women, watching her exchange with Sulplicia and Aro intently. The woman was leaning into him, her hands folded in her lap and her legs crossed daintily at the ankles. As Anna approached, they both stood and the women smiled happily at her, being sure not to show her teeth, as suspected that had made the poor girl uneasy.

"Hello Anna, my name is Athenodora," she offered. "You may call me Dora, if you wish. This is my mate, Caius," Anna noticed she used the word mate to describe him, while Sulpicia had used "husband." It was curious, however she did not ask about it.

Anna blushed and forced herself not to stare at the ground or crawl up into a ball in a corner somewhere. "I am very pleased to meet you both."

"Please, sit," Dora motioned to the couch across from them. Anna sat on it carefully, very self-conscious of her lack of grace compared to them, as well as her inappropriate attire. They all seemed as if they came straight from the pages of an upscale fashion spread, whereas she was just wearing leggings and an oversized sweater. It was functional, but it left her feeling even more inadequate when confronted with their perfection.

Marcus sat next to her, although at a comfortable distance away at least. She wasn't sure her nerves could take his close proximity at that moment. Sulpicia and Aro arranged themselves on the couch next to them.

"So," Sulpicia began. "How are you feeling? I understand you are recovering from some injuries."

Anna adjusted her sleeves self consciously, making sure the healing scrapes were covered. Her ribs barely bothered her anymore and the nurse had taken the cast off this morning. "Oh, I'm fine. It wasn't that bad."

Suplicia frowned a little at her trying to downplay it, "And you are healing well? Do you have any residual pain?"

Anna forced a smile and looked down at her lap uncomfortably, "The doctor assures me I am healing very well. I am not in too much pain."

"I am pleased to hear that," she smiled at her, dropping the subject.

"I heard you visited the library," Dora spoke up. "How did you enjoy that?"

Anna brightened considerably to the surprise of the others and they were all thrilled that they had found a subject that didn't leave the poor girl cringing into the couch and smelling of embarrassment.

"Yes, it was incredible! I have never even heard of a privately owned library that was anything like it before. In fact, I'm not sure there are many public libraries that could rival it either. Your collection of first editions is astonishing – I mean, how on earth did you get a first edition of Nostradamus? And the copy of Bram Stoker's Dracula? The irony was not lost on me," she laughed in delight. "And your scroll collection! From the library of Alexandria, no less! I never would have dreamed of such a thing. I certainly wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes."

They were all stunned by her speech. Even in her conversations with Marcus she had never been that vocal. She realized they were all gaping for her and with a sinking feeling she realized she had likely overstepped. Stupid Anna. She should've known better than to talk. They likely thought she were some stupid silly girl – and making a joke about their species? She cursed herself and only hoped they were not going to kill her.

Dora was the first to recover and smiled reassuringly at her. "I am happy to finally have found kindred soul who shares my enthusiasm for the library," she said. "If you ever need help finding a book or with a translation, please do not hesitate to ask me. I am always happy to find another enquiring mind."

"Thank you," she was back to blushing and staring at her hands in mortification.

"Would you like some tea?" Sulpicia asked. She knew some humans found the drink calming, and she very much wanted to comfort the girl who was clearly very self-conscious.

"No, no, don't worry about me. I'm fine, but thank you," she was fidgeting uncomfortably under their scrutiny.

"Is there anything else you need? We hope you enjoy your new room, although you must want to redecorate. It is so plain! I could help you with that, if you wish," Sulpicia offered, a little more enthusiastically than Anna thought she should have been. "Interior design is one of my hobbies. I have decorated most of the castle."

"We could also help you buy some more clothes," Dora added, similarly seeming very excited about the offer. "We got you the basics, but you definitely need some more. We can shop online for now, and go on a trip when you're recovered!" She seemed very excited at the notion, though it only made Anna more frightened. Outside where Vincenzo could find her? Not likely.

"Oh, really I'm okay with what I have. It's more than enough, actually. You've been so very gracious. I couldn't think to ask anything more of you."

"But of course, we are offering! We both do like a new project!"

"I-"

They were both smiling at her so hopefully and Anna knew she was outnumbered. "I-I suppose if _you _want."

"Yes, we certainly do! I will stop by your room later with some designs, how does that sound? You can tell me what you like and oooh- I saw the most perfect Guy de Rougement side tables the other day."

Anna could see Sulpicia was already planning and was happy to have made her happy, despite her reluctance for having them expend any more money or energy on her.

"I will bring my laptop as well," Dora said. "We will get you your own, of course, but for now you can just use mine."

The men sat by and watched their wives work the girl over, succumbing to their lovely charms as everyone else did. Caius was only managing to withhold his distaste for her because of his wife's fondness. He did not want to upset her, or Marcus, so he kept his opinions to himself and did not say anything.

She was just so frail, graceless, and her heartbeat and the sounds her body made were terribly distracting. He did not understand why the rest of his family seemed so taken with her.

He was thankfully relieved of needing to act _human_ as to not frighten her when Marcus said she should likely rest after yawning a few times and led her back to their rooms. He sighed. What a little inconvenience.

* * *

Anna found herself trying to recover a lot lately and this was another one of those times. Those – could she call them people? – had been so intimidating. And they wanted to help her redecorate and buy some clothes? This was a curious situation. But she couldn't deny she felt a modicum safer knowing there were women around. Women had always meant safety to her. Perhaps it was instinctual safety in numbers, or perhaps it was because women had never hurt her, she wasn't sure.

She looked around the room. She was actually a little sad to see it change – especially the chaise near the window. It was so classic, not exactly warm or anything, but at least it wasn't the ultra-modern furniture that was in Vincenzo's apartment. His was all so sterile, no feeling whatsoever, no comfort… it was exactly like his personality.

She sat in the chaise and considered her situation. She wasn't actually sure she wanted to leave, despite her instincts pricking at her about danger, as well as her logical mind reminding her about how much it sucked to be someone's prisoner. But the food – that omelet this morning tasted like it had been made by a 5 star chef. She didn't even know eggs could taste that good. And the bread… she almost started salivating in remembrance, as she was certain it was homemade sourdough.

And she had never had such nice clothes before…ever. The ones she had been forced to wear had always been uncomfortable, gaudy, and certainly nothing she found attractive. And before him she had been a poor student, barely scrounging enough money together to make the month's rent, let alone buying pretty clothing…

And _him. _He was hot. She couldn't deny it. No one could deny it. He was Adonis, if Adonis had better style and a voice that could explode ovaries. And apparently he wanted _her_? Clumsy and untrusting and broken as she may be? Is that what mate meant? And maybe he even wanted her in a way that didn't inevitably result in pain? Was that possible?

There was a knock at the door, which she assumed to be Sulpicia and Athenodora. She answered it and let them in, once again overcome by how inadequate she felt in their presence. If the library and swiftness of her recovery hadn't convinced her there was something strange going on here, their otherworldly beauty would have.

"Good afternoon," Sulpicia began, looking around. "I have always enjoyed this room. It gets very nice morning light and has lots of potential. Tell me, how do you feel about French country style?"

"Errr…"

"I've been thinking we need to really play up the light, and there is so much we could do with the space. Perhaps keep the bed where it is, but a different bedframe… maybe something like this," she showed her pictures of bedframes that all looked stunning to Anna.

"Whatever you think will look best, I'm sure I will love it," she said.

"And egg shell blue definitely…"

"Let's leave her to that. I brought you some websites to browse from. Pick whatever you like," Dora said encouragingly.

"What's the budget?"

"No budget, just get whatever you want," Sulpicia offered without looking up from what she was sketching.

"But-"

Dora laughed. "You have seen enough of our home by now to know money is no object, no?"

Anna felt uncomfortable at the prospect and told herself that she would only get absolute necessities. She would only need a few more pairs of jeans, maybe a few more shirts and some comfortable dresses-

"And just make sure you look at some formal dresses, for when we entertain."

"Entertain?"

"Oh, yes. We have many friends and visitors! The Elie Saab spring line would look marvelous on you! We can pick them up next time we go on a shopping trip."

"O-okay"

An hour later, Anna had gotten distracted from the clothing websites and was browsing knitting patterns. It had been so long since she was permitted an enjoyable past time. Sometimes, when she was being punished in the room, she would design patterns in her head. It was a strange coping mechanism, she was sure, but it had worked. She didn't completely lose her mind.

"What is that?" Dora asked curiously. Anna jumped, having not heard her come up behind her.

"It's nothing! Sorry!" she quickly closed it, hoping they wouldn't be angry.

Dora slowly walked around to sit beside her on the chaise. "There is no need to apologize. We are not angry. Was that a pattern of some kind?"

Sulpicia also looked up from her computer and came over curiously.

"It was… err-" she awkwardly looked over at them. "It was a knitting pattern. I used to knit, that's all."

"Would you like to start again? We could buy… err-" she paused, trying to think of what was needed for knitting. "Some sheep?"

A laugh escaped Anna before she could stop it. "Actually you can buy yarn but um… I guess sheep would work too?"

"Well, how about we buy some yarn then! That would be fun! I am sure Marcus would like for you to have something you enjoy!"

"He certainly would! You should buy what you need for it," Sulpicia agreed before returning to her seat.

Anna seemed much more enthusiastic about this, finding a website and admiring all the yarn on it. She still asked them whether each thing was okay, which did not annoy them but they didn't want her to feel the need to do so. She was their sister, after all.

Marcus returned shortly after. Even though he had been listening the entire time, he missed being close to her and could not wait any longer to be with her again. It had only been one day and he was already beginning to curse having her in separate rooms…

He brought food with him. He knew he might be pushing her a little on the matter, but we wanted her to put more weight on. She looked much too thin to him - he wanted her to be healthy. She seemed happy to see it, though, and a part of him hoped she was also happy to see him… even a little.

"Did you enjoy your time with Athenodora and Sulpicia?" he asked as she ate.

"Yes, they're very nice. It's very kind of all of you to do this for me. I don't know how I'll ever repay you."

"You don't ever have to repay us. We only want you to be happy. That is enough payment for us," he told her. He could tell she did not believe him. And why should she? Clearly she had been made to believe she was not deserving of happiness.

She didn't respond and focused on her food instead. He reached for the copy of Pride and Prejudice she had been reading to give her privacy. It was quite a good story, in his estimation. For a romantic work, anyhow. He was halfway through it when she finished and he placed the book back down on the table.

"Have you read it before," she asked him, nodding at the book.

"I have, yes. Do you enjoy Austen's work?"

"Yes, she's probably one of my favourite authors. And the Bronte sisters, of course; Jane Eyre is probably my absolute favourite book."

"What do you like about it?" he queried curiously. These sorts of things were always telling about a person, and he wanted to know everything about her.

"I guess… it is the passion. And the way she describes it, it is almost palpable," she said, and he could hear the sincerity in her voice. "I have always wanted to experience something like it for myself," her cheeks immediately coloured bright red and he assumed she hadn't meant to say as much. Her reaction was terribly adorable to him.

"Who is your favourite author," she asked very quickly, likely trying to divert his attention.

He considered the question. He hadn't really thought of it before. "I quite enjoyed watching the performances of Euripides. Humans are fascinating creatures, and the ones in theatre were even more so. You see, the Greeks thought that humanity needed an outlet in which to emote, and that is what their theatre was used for. It was amusing seeing grown men weeping over a character on a stage."

She giggled at the thought and was reminded of the way modern movies frequently reduced people into a puddle of tears. "I suppose our theatre has been heavily influenced by yours."

"It has been, yes."

"You must have many stories," she mused absentmindedly.

"Indeed, and I will tell you them all, in time," he said, smiling.

She couldn't help smiling in response. He made her feel so… light. As if her heart was not weighed down with grief and fear. It was refreshing, even if it was worrying. How could she trust this? How could she trust that it wouldn't turn sour just like everything else did? She yawned, and realized how exhausted she was, but fought it.

"Would you tell me one now?"

He smiled, seemingly happy at the request. "If you would like. Let's see… how about the time that Sulpicia impersonated Calliope and accidentally inspired the Illiad?"

She laughed, delighted at the thought, "Yes, please do tell!"

The story was, of course, hilarious. Sulpicia apparently had quite the cheeky streak. She must have fallen asleep part way through as the next thing she knew, Marcus was lifting her and carrying her to the bed. When he carefully laid her down, she sighed happily and nuzzled into the covers.

She could feel him withdrawing his arms though and she desperately didn't want him to leave. She grabbed a hand and held onto it and in her sleepy haze she heard herself ask, almost begging, "Please don't leave me."

She felt him sit on the bed and responded in a near whisper, "Never."

And then she drifted back into unconsciousness.


	6. Chapter 6

Gather round, my friends, as we take a trip back in time…

* * *

"Anna that man is looking at you again!" Miette exclaimed, her French accent even more pronounced with her excitement. They were sitting in a small American coffee shop in the middle of a busy Lagos market. The sounds of business surrounded them as merchants advertised their wares and struck deals.

The man in question was handsome. He had dark hair, a chiseled jaw, and lips that curved wickedly. But he always made her uncomfortable, despite how much Miette seemed to like him. There was just something about him that put her on edge, and she was quite certain he was not as harmless as he might seem. Call it a gut instinct, woman's intuition, whatever, but she didn't trust him.

She had seen him a few times when she had been in the market in the months she had been there. He always stared directly at her, his gaze smoldering and unwavering. Like all the other times this had happened before, she refused to acknowledge it, not wanting to encourage him. Instead, she ignored him in favour of the tea she was sipping. "Ignore it, Miette," she said warningly.

"But he is so handsome! Why don't you talk to him?"

"I didn't come here to date!"

"The Italians though," she said, and kissed her fingers. "They are magnifico!"

"You are insatiable, my friend. Now come on, let's get back to the hospital. I'm working the night shift tonight."

Miette sighed. "Fine, but you Americans are no fun."

* * *

"Paging Dr. Rogers! Dr. Rogers to room 312."

She sighed and looked longingly at her half-finished sandwich. "I guess it's true. There is no rest for the wicked," she said to herself.

It was the middle of the afternoon and the hospital was bustling with activity. There was no telling who or what would be in room 312 and she had to trample down the unprofessional excitement that threatened to bloom. There was always an opportunity to learn here and she had to remind herself that it probably wasn't polite to seem excited about someone's injury or illness.

A nurse was at the bedside of the dark haired man from the market, taking blood and giggling at something he had said. He didn't appear injured and as soon as she walked in the door, he turned to look at her and his eyes bored into hers.

The nurse turned as well and looked a little flustered. "Ah, hello Dr. Rogers! I'll just be one more minute with this blood."

Anna smiled at her and nodded and she took the time to look at his chart. He was listed as a Mr. Morelli, 32-year-old male, came in with chest pains 15 minutes ago. Apparently an elite client who was fast tracked. The nurse finished and rushed to leave the room, apparently embarrassed she'd been caught flirting with the patient.

She forced a smile at him once she was gone and closed the door. "Good afternoon, Mr. Morelli. How are you feeling?"

"I am well, thank you." He gave her what she thought should have been a winning smile to anyone else. "And yourself?"

"I'm fine, thanks," then, not wanting to make small talk or spend any longer than she had to with this man, she got to the point, "So your chart says you're having chest pains. How long have you been having them?"

"That is correct. It's been a few hours now, I suppose."

He seemed shockingly blasé to her for someone in an emergency room with chest pains. "I'll just have a listen to your heart, then, and we should run a few more tests as well. Your blood pressure seems fine but I want to err on the side of caution."

She approached the bed cautiously, for some reason her instincts were on high alert around him. "This will be a little cold," she said and reached to place the stethoscope against his chest.

He let out a gust of breath at the feel of it, with a bit of a moan that she was certain was intentional. She could feel his eyes on her face as she concentrated on the steady beating of his heart. Nothing seemed amiss here either.

"Perhaps your pulse too," she said, her smile a little strained. She continued avoiding his eyes as she placed her hands on his wrist to feel his pulse, choosing to focus on her watch and count instead.

"I don't hear anything wrong with your heart, but I would like to rule out heart attack to be on the safe side. I'm going to order an ECG to be sure. It shouldn't be more than a few minutes."

He didn't say anything, just continued to watch her in a way that unnerved her. "I'll be back to read the results as soon as it's finished," she said as she slipped out of the room.

As she suspected, the results came back negative. She headed back to his room, a little grudgingly if she was being honest. "Well, there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with your heart, Mr. Morelli. It could just be heartburn. You can try taking some antacids to see if that helps but you should be free to go. Please come back if the pains come back or worsen."

"Of course." He didn't seem at all bothered that he had just wasted an hour in the emergency room for nothing. "Thank you for your time, doctor," he told her and got up. Everything he did appeared to be sinuous, smooth, as if he were trying to seduce her. The thought made her a little nauseous.

That was the last time she saw him, before it happened.

* * *

She woke with a gasp. Her eyes desperately searched around her, seeking danger, expecting to be in that same fucking white room with walls that were constantly closing in on her. It took her a moment to realize she wasn't there. She was safe now… or as safe as she ever would be. The idea of safety was almost laughable, really. It took her another moment to realize that there were arms wrapped around her middle with her back pressed against someone. At the same time as she turned to look behind her, she heard Marcus tell her, "It is only me. Don't be afraid."

She squirmed out of his grasp as she tried to catch her breath and quell her panic. It was only Marcus, she reminded herself. He had not hurt her yet. He had only been kind to her. He had not given her any impression that he meant her harm.

He backed away slowly, clearly trying to show her he meant no harm or make sudden movements to startle her, although still with that damned grace he always had. She saw that his suit was rumpled as if he had been lying there that entire time.

Her head was spinning. It had seemed so real. She had worked so hard to forget those memories, to forget everything except staying alive in that moment, never thinking beyond or behind it. It had made it almost bearable, at least. The clinical part of her brain reminded her that this made sense. She was finally in a place where she felt almost safe. That was when the brain would begin processing everything, and when the nightmares would come.

It was one of the cruel ironies of survival. She had seen it too many times before. Someone who survived horrifying ordeals and had seemed strong, resilient, almost unbreakable only to become haunted and live in fear of their own shadows for the rest of their lives.

She shook her head, trying to clear her mind of those thoughts. It would not do her any good to dwell on them now. She looked back over at him and saw him watching her almost sadly.

"Sorry," she whispered, looking down in shame. "I didn't mean to force you to stay here all night. I'm so sorry to have disturbed you."

"That is not a bother to me, tesoro. I would stay with you all night for as long as you want me to."

She was still whispering, unable to look at him again but needing to know. Needing to ask. Needing reassurance in some way, "But why would you want to do that?"

He was silent for a while and she peeked her head up to look at him. He was considering her with his held tilted, as if contemplating what he wanted to say. When he saw he had her attention, he began slowly, "I have told you, you are my mate. You are the other half of my soul. I would do anything for you."

"But why me?"

"I am 3000 years old, piccola. I am an immortal who has likely seen more than most anyone else, including my brothers and sisters. And yet I still do not deign myself worthy to question the will of the gods. I do not ask why, I only accept what they have ordained for me. You are my mate, there is no why."

Her eyes burned and her lip trembled as if she wanted to cry and she bit it punishingly, relishing in the pain. Pain was so much easier to deal with than this uncertainty. She knew how to work with it, how to mold it into something productive. Faster than she could discern, his hands were on her face, dragging her lip from her teeth. She flinched at the sudden movement and touch and let it go on instinct. Again, quicker than she could see his hands were back at his sides.

Her heart sunk and her head swam. She felt so conflicted – terrified, sad, hopeful, apprehensive, tangled. She felt as if she were falling off a cliff too quickly to catch herself but even worse was that she felt as if she allowed herself to fall, he would catch her and she would be home. It felt like she would burst with the intensity. Why? How? Why was she chosen for this beautiful creature? And if she was meant to be his, why had Vincenzo stolen her and ruined her? She didn't have any answers.

Her mind was reeling. She did not even realize she had spoken out loud when she whispered softly, brokenly, "why?" She wasn't even entirely sure what she was asking, and her voice cracked. A lone voice in her head reminded her that this was unsafe; she should not allow vulnerability in front of this man. But she ignored it, giving into the instincts that compelled her to trust him, to show him the blackest, most rancid parts of her soul and seek relief from it. It cooed to her that he could fix it if she would only let him…

There were no tears when she broke, only sobs that racked through her body like a vice. She crumpled and felt his arms around her, his soothing voice telling her words she could not make out. They sounded like Latin, ancient Greek, Italian, a jumble of sounds that did not make any sense to her ears. She was flooded, unable to wade through the intensity of the emotion, and finally surrendered to it. It overtook her and she lost herself in it.

She didn't know how much time had passed while she wept. He did not shy away at all during that time, though. He held her across his lap, her head buried in his shoulder and a hand rubbing her back comfortingly. It brought her back to her childhood, before the world had become such a terrifying stranger, when her mother had done something similar to comfort her.

She finally exhausted herself, eventually drifting back into an uneasy sleep. He did not let her go once that night.

While she slept, Marcus replayed every moment with her in his head. The times when she had been unconscious, just lying in that damned bed like a corpse with the machines doing the work for her at times to breath, feed her, empty her bladder, all the things that she could not do in that moment that kept her alive. He could not even find it in him to be bothered by the noises they made or when they made her smell off with the blood transfusions. They kept her there with him. How could he resent that?

She had still been the most beautiful thing he had ever laid his eyes on, even covered in bruises with matted hair and her eyes closed. When she awoke, he had not ever even realized something could feel this way. As if his heart had grown, changed even, yielded to her. Something he thought to be impossible for something made of stone that had not altered even infinitesimally in 3000 years. And yet, here she was. So soft and delicate and commanding his very existence with just a look, bending him to fit her.

And when she cried as she did, he did not know something could hurt that much, as if he were sharing her pain. It echoed through him. It haunted him. How could his mate feel such things? How could he have allowed it to happen? How could he put her back together again?

He adjusted her so they were lying again with her back tucked securely against him. She felt so small in his arms, so incredibly precious and breakable. He buried his face in her hair and inhaled her scent. It was perfect. He had controlled his bloodlust centuries ago, but even if he had not he did not think he would find her scent appealing in that way. It was alluring, but it did not enflame his hunger. It smelled like home to him, a place where he was finally at peace.

He realized then that he was purring, something his brothers and sisters had always been able to do when they were most content with their mates. He had never accomplished it himself, had never felt a need to. Until her. She sighed a little at the sound, burrowing further into his embrace. She always seemed to be much more affectionate in her sleep, less restrained by her suspicion and fear. He only hoped that soon she would feel more comfortable being that way when she was conscious as well.

* * *

When she awoke in the morning, she stretched sleepily and startled more awake when she realized she was being held again. She squeaked in surprise and he reluctantly withdrew his arms so she could turn to face him. Her heartbeat was racing and he could smell the scent of her fear.

"Oh," she breathed. Oh god, last night wasn't a dream. Her face coloured a deep red and she felt a rush of shame. What had she done? Oh god, why had she thought that was a good idea? He must think her some stupid blubbering girl now. And she had practically flung herself at him, forcing him to take care of her. In that moment, she hated herself.

"Piccola, whatever you are thinking, it is not true," he told her, his deep voice bit through all her worries. She dared to look at him and saw that his face did not seem angry or upset. It looked… hopeful.

"I'm just so sorry for inconveniencing you," she said.

"You did no such thing. I hope one day you will believe me when I tell you that you are not a bother to me."

Her heart threatened to explode at that, but her stomach beat her to it, rumbling its dissatisfaction. She blushed even deeper and she saw that he smiled. But not in a mocking or cruel way, he seemed… charmed. Was that the word when someone found another interesting or attractive, even when their bodies made embarrassing noises?

"I will go find you some breakfast."

She allowed herself to watch him as he went, blushing when she realized she waschecking him out. She couldn't help it, though. He was perfect. It made sense that he was not human, as she did not think any human could be quite so beautiful or graceful or tempting.

She took the time in his absence to get out of bed and attend to her human needs in the washroom. She wasn't sure what his hearing range was like but she certainly didn't want him hearing that.

When she returned to the room he still wasn't back so she went to the closet to find something to wear for the day. She wasn't sure what was on the agenda and went for a simple long sleeved shirt, jeans, and the moccasin slippers she had been wearing to keep her feet warm. And to think it would likely only get colder in winter… her poor feet. Seriously, how did people live like this before? And without modern medicine when they inevitable got sick? It was a miracle their species had lasted as long as it did.

Once she was finished dressing she heard a knock on the door and went to answer it. She couldn't deny that she appreciated that everyone always knocked before entering a room. Privacy was something she had also missed dearly in the last few years.

It was Marcus, he seemed to have changed into a fresh suit and was holding a tray that looked to be frittata. Her stomach growled again at the sight and she briefly wondered who was making all this delicious food but was overshadowed with how excited she actually was to eat it.

As she was eating at the small sitting area, having mostly gotten used eating in Marcus' presence in the last few days, she eyed the newspaper in his hands. It was in Italian but she could make out the headlines. Her conversational Italian was really much better than written…

He noticed her looking at it and laid it out in front of her without a word. She looked at him for a moment before turning her attention back to it. In the long hours alone in the room she often wondered what was going on in the world. She almost made a game out of it, thinking about the different areas and their current events and how they were all interconnected. She had tried so hard to keep her sanity in there.

When she was finished eating he gathered the tray once again and carried it out of the room. She was beginning to feel a little guilty about it. She was his guest; he should not have to wait on her like a servant.

"You don't have to do that," she said when he sat back down.

"Do what?"

"Bring me food, take the tray away, all those things… I can take care of myself. I don't want to be a nuisance."

"Then you have nothing to worry about. It is no nuisance."

She felt herself blushing, though she wasn't sure whether it was out of embarrassment or something else.

He was looking at her speculatively with a small smile on his face but he did not comment on it, instead he told her, "I have business I must attend to this morning, however Athenodora and Sulpicia have offered to take you to the library if you like. I believe they are expecting the clothing you ordered to be delivered this morning as well. I will see you again at your noontime meal, though."

"O-oh, okay. That would be very nice," she said. She didn't know why she felt almost saddened by the thought of being separated him. She barely knew him… why were her emotions toying with her this way? This was this whole mating thing again, wasn't it? It really was a bit of a nuisance. Although deep down she knew it was not true. Despite how frightened she was by this sudden shift in her emotions, she really couldn't muster up the energy to fight it. She allowed herself to enjoy having him affect her so thoroughly… for now.

He was growing on her and his presence was a source of comfort. Even if she wasn't unnaturally attached to him she thought she would have enjoyed being around him. He was well spoken, without being invasive or bothersome. He was exceedingly attentive and always made her feel as if he was genuinely interested in her and her company. And he smelled and looked _really _good.

She was distracted when he got up, knelt beside her, and slowly, lightly, took her hand and pressed his lips to it. She felt a tingle travel from the tips of her toes up her spine at the sensation. All the nerve endings in her hand seemed to come alive at that moment and buzzed at her.

"Until then, Tesoro," he said, and left.

* * *

I think this may have been my favourite chapter so far. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did :) Lots of Marcus kisses for those who review! I love to hear how you're liking it.


	7. Chapter 7

Happy tuesday! Lets turn the heat up a few degrees...

* * *

There was another knock on the door a few minutes after he had left. She was tidying up the room; making the bed and clearing the surfaces and just trying to keep it generally presentable for her hosts. They were always immaculate and she couldn't help feeling a little inadequate in comparison. She didn't want them to think she was a slob on top of being obviously inferior in appearances.

She answered it and found a cheerful looking Dora and Sulpicia who she ushered in and invited to sit in the living room area together. Anna watched as the two sisters glided down into the chairs gracefully, as if the chairs had been placed exactly there to catch their immaculate presence.

"Good morning, Anna," Sulpicia said, and folded her hands in her lap. And yet despite their grace and poise, they all managed to make everything look so natural and relaxed. Their perfection was almost frustrating. "How did you sleep?"

Their manners were always perfect too. Seriously, how did they do it? "I slept very well, thank you. How was – er – your night?"

"It was pleasant, thank you." She smiled warmly, "I'm sure Marcus has told you that we only have you for the morning, so we really should not linger for too long. I have completed the blueprint for your room, if you would like to look it over and approve it. I do hope you like it! And we are expecting your clothing to be delivered today as well, which you should try on to be sure it fits!"

Athenodora cut in, "And Marcus said you might enjoy going to the library? Perhaps you would like a new book, rather than just reading that one over again." She nodded toward the copy of Pride and Prejudice on the table. "I can certainly give you some recommendations if you like! The doctor would also like to see you to see how you are feeling."

"That all sounds nice, thank you for taking the time to do this. But if you have something better to do, I'll understand."

The way she always seemed to think she was a bother unsettled the sisters. What could have happened to this girl to make her self-esteem so depleted?

"We'll hear nothing of the sort! You are our priority today," Dora said firmly. "Should we start in the library?"

The walk to the library was much longer than she remembered, as her stamina seemed to have disappeared with all the weight she had lost. She tried to focus on the beautiful paintings around her again in order to distract her from how tired she was.

"Marcus said you were quite enamored with our Botticelli,"

Anna welcomed the distraction and tried not to sound out of breath as she answered, "Yes, it truly is exquisite. I have always wanted to visit the Uffizi and see the Birth of Venus myself but I never dreamed I would get such a close look at an original Botticelli."

"We will have to take you there sometime. It is a beautiful gallery that houses many great works. It is a favourite of mine."

"I would enjoy that a lot," Anna said, being mindful to breathe through her nose and out through her mouth steadily, lest she hyperventilate and humiliate herself.

Sulpicia and Dora both stopped then, and glanced at one another before looking back at her. Anna stopped as well and looked at them with confusion at their pause.

"Do you need to rest for a moment," Sulpicia asked cautiously, knowing their young sister had a fierce independent streak, as well as overwhelming self-doubt. She seemed to accept their assistance more when it was offered, though, at least.

Anna was about to decline but realized they would be able to tell she needed it anyways and nodded gratefully. "I guess being sick for so long has really depleted my energy reserves," she said, and smiled weakly.

"That's alright, Anna. If you would like, one of us could carry you," Dora offered.

"No!" she said too quickly. "I mean, I'll be fine walking on my own. It's okay," She forced another smile and started back in the direction they had been headed again. They trailed after her reluctantly, unsure of whether they should press the issue, lest she injure herself. They would certainly face Marcus' ire if they allowed her to be harmed in their care.

To their relief, she was fine, if a bit out of breath when they finally reached the library. They knew the effort was worth it, though as they finally saw first hand just how alive their sister could look. It was such an acute difference from how she usually was. Her breathing seemed less strained, her eyes animated and her scent sweetened.

She ended up borrowing their entire collection of Harry Potter novels, which Sulpicia had eyed a little suspiciously but didn't comment on. Literature these days had certainly changed and it seemed quite different from the classics Anna had seemed to enjoy reading beforehand, but she was not one to judge.

Once they managed to extract her from the library, Sulpicia lit up and grinned at her. "And now it's my turn! Time to try on those clothes! I'm sure they're going to look marvelous on you!"

Anna paled a little at her enthusiasm and the topic, but she tried not to show it as she could see how happy it made her and did truly want to please the beautiful woman.

"Of course." She refused to let them carry her again, although she did gratefully allow them to carry her books and stop for many rests on the way. They made a detour into Anna's room and left the books before continuing to Sulpicia and Aro's rooms, which were empty, thankfully, except for a tray of food sitting on the table.

Her response to the smell of food was still utterly visceral. Even if she was being held prisoner in a dungeon somewhere, if they kept feeding her like this, she didn't think she would even find anything to complain about.

As they watched her eating, the sisters couldn't deny that the human food was quite unappealing. Despite this, they knew their youngest was unhealthily underweight and needed to eat often in order to regain the strength that had been stolen from her and so they could not find fault in it for that reason alone. When they noticed she was uncomfortable with their scrutiny they both occupied themselves elsewhere – Sulpicia going to the laptop on the table and Athenodora picking up the book Aro had been reading earlier.

One she was finished, Sulpicia called for Demitri. He was the one Marcus had chosen to keep watch over her after Bianca had proven her complete incompetence and had made him reluctant to trust any other but their oldest, most loyal guards. Demitri was the head of the guard and they knew he would protect her with his life, and he would never succumb to his bloodlust the way a younger vampire would be susceptible to.

When he entered the room to remove the tray, he also brought the boxes containing the clothing. Anna jumped in surprise in response when the door opened and they immediately scented her fear. Demitri immediately stopped, not wanting to alarm her any more but the damage had already been done.

Anna felt her panic building so quickly she couldn't stop it. Her mind forced her back to memories of the night with the red-eyed woman who tried to kill her, to all the times a door opening had brought more pain and degradation, to a room with a door that never opened, only locked her tight inside with only her own thoughts for days, weeks, months…

She felt so stupid. She had gotten weak – something she hadn't allowed in the years she had been with _him _but in only a few days she had gotten so used to the caution the others used around her that something as menial as the door opening unexpectedly sent her reeling so quickly she didn't have time to catch herself before she had slipped into the safe, quiet place in her mind.

* * *

Marcus had been in a meeting with the Italian Minister of Finance when Felix hurried into the room, barely at a human pace and leaned down beside him to tell him something was wrong with his mate. His face immediately went blank as he felt panic in his chest. He hastily left the meeting, barely muttering the pleasantries he knew were necessary to avoid offending him, and ran to his rooms as soon as he was out of the humans sight. He quickly overtook Felix and was there in mere seconds.

She was curled in a ball with her head in her arms on Sulpicia and Aro's couch, the two sisters beside her talking to her softly and looking utterly worried for her and at a loss as to how to help her.

He immediately dismissed them and crouched in front of her, allowing himself to purr in the way he knew she had found calming the night before.

"Piccola?" he kept his voice soft, hoping it would sooth her. "You are safe, everyone is gone now."

His purr continued and he hesitated, wanting to touch her somehow, however not sure whether she would welcome it or not. He was inclined to err on the side of caution but something told him it would help and he slowly allowed his hand to rest on the foot closest to him. He heard as her breath hitched and her toes curled a little, although she did not shift it out of his grasp.

"Come back to me, tesoro. All is well. You are safe. No one will harm you."

He heard her breath begin to increase again, and could smell more of an emotional response coming from her again. After a minute, she slowly began to uncurl, her head peeking out from the cradle of her arms. She looked at him and he saw her lip tremble slightly.

He smiled gently. "There you are. I am going to sit beside you, is that alright?"

She nodded hesitantly, a little stiffly, and slowly uncurled further, allowing her arms to drop from the vice grip they had around her legs and she shifted a little to give him more room on the couch.

He slowly sat beside her, making sure he did not make any sudden movements as he knew her panic was still very close to the surface and he did not want to startle her any further when she was already over-sensitized.

He saw her peeking around, making certain they really were alone, before turning her attention back to him. He saw the blush begin to colour her cheeks again.

"Before you apologize, I will reassure you that you are not being a nuisance."

Her lips twitched and she almost smiled at that. He could tell she wanted to, although was still too upset.

"Would you tell me what happened?"

She flinched a little and looked up at him hesitantly, as if expecting reprimand. He schooled his features to show only his reassurance and care, while he hid his anger at someone frightening his mate and his concern over her. He knew the emotions would upset her, as she would likely ascribe them to herself and find some blame in herself for them. She seemed very skilled at that.

He waited until she sighed and seemed resigned and responded, "It's silly, really. I was just startled when that tall dark-haired man walked in the room, that's all. I'm sorry for making such a fuss."

"No one is angry with you and I will make certain no one startles you again, alright?"

She looked so sad when she told him, "Alright."

It was only then she realized his eyes were a burgundy red of the others, rather than the black she had grown used to in the past few days. "Marcus, your eyes," she said in awe.

He knew his eyes widened and he almost flinched. He had forgotten that he had fed before his meeting and realized they likely frightened her… although she didn't smell frightened, oddly enough.

"They're beautiful," her whisper was so low even he could barely make out the words and she shifted closer to look. They were a whirlwind of mahogany, deep red, and black… constantly shifting infinitesimally. Like everything else about him, they enchanted her.

She suddenly realized how close they were. She could smell the sweet scent of his breath as it brushed over her lips in a soft caress. She could almost taste him… and she wanted to… God help her, she wanted to so badly. She unconsciously leaned in closer, almost drunk on the scent of him… her mate. In one fell swoop, he had completely obliterated all he inhibitions.

She gasped when their lips met and then moaned, a strangled sound wrenched from the back of her throat. His lips were cold, smooth, and they tasted like hazy dreams that visited her when she was half asleep. She threw herself into the feel of him against her, moving her lips with a frenzied desperation. She whimpered a little when she felt him respond.

His movements were as precise and mastered as the rest of him. They seemed to know exactly how she wanted them to kiss her and she found herself scrambling closer, her hands resting on his shoulders and sliding into his hair as she knelt beside him and pressed her upper body into his. It wasn't until his hands reciprocated and came to her waist that they broke apart and she realized what she had done.

The majority of her blood seemed to constantly be in her cheeks lately, at least when he was around. She couldn't bear to look him in his beautiful eyes any longer and quickly scrambled back to where she had previously been sitting on the couch, refusing to look up from her hands, her cheeks burning hotly.

"I'm so sorr-" her voice broke and she felt tears of mortification welling up in her eyes.

She startled when she felt a cool hand on her chin, tilting her head up to look at him. She allowed it – probably couldn't stop it even if she wanted to – but she still could not look at him. She kept her eyes focused down, trying to show her submission, hoping he would not be angry.

"Anna," he said in his beautiful, deep voice.

That startled her enough to look at him. He had never called her that before. It felt so perfect coming from his mouth, as if she was born for him to say her name, as if his voice was created to say those two syllables.

"There is nothing to be ashamed of, or apologize for, piccola."

"Aren't you-"

"I am nothing but awed that my mate has such a sweet taste to match her sweet temperament."

Somehow her blush deepened at that – something she had not thought possible, as her face was already flaming hot and she was certain she was an unattractive shade of puce. She looked back down at her hands before peeking back up at him.

He grinned then, something she had not seen him do before either, and was enchanted by the way his face lit up and his teeth shone pearly white at her. "And shy too! I am truly a blessed male," he purred.

"Please!" she whispered in giddy embarrassment, and a giggle escaped her. How surreal this felt, giggling with a man… she could not remember the last time she had felt this way. Perhaps she never had. It was certainly an alien feeling to her.

"Tesoro, would you like for me to call your sisters back? They are both concerned for you and would like to ensure you are alright and not upset with them."

"Why would I be upset with them?" she enquired. "I am only worried they are upset with me for always causing so much trouble.

He smiled at her reassuringly, once again struck with the sadness over his mate's damaged self-esteem, "There is no reason for you to worry about that. They are not angry with you in the slightest."

She hesitated then, but agreed. Within seconds there was a knock at the door. Marcus got up to answer it and she tracked his movements, once again in awe of this flawless creature.

She didn't know how their timing was so perfect, but somehow Dora and Suplicia had appeared at exactly the right time. She wondered vaguely whether they heard their conversation… but that was preposterous, wasn't it? Although he did say their senses were much more heightened, did he not?

"Did you guys…" she trailed off, not wanting to sound accusatory, "Did you hear our conversation?"

They all seemed to exchange a look and Sulpicia told her, a little hesitantly, "We did hear some of it, yes."

Her eyebrows went up and she looked almost impressed. "That's… woah. Wait, so how much can you hear?"

Sulpicia laughed a little and said, "These walls have been soundproofed so we can only hear if you talk at a normal volume and we are within close range of the walls. In open distances, however…" she considered for a moment and said, "Likely 100 feet."

"Jesus," she breathed. "Wait – are my walls soundproofed?"

Marcus laughed as well at her concern and said, "Yes, piccola, your walls our soundproofed. No vampires can spy on you."

She seemed relieved at that and moved on, suddenly looking contrite. "I'm really sorry for earlier. I just got a little spooked. I didn't mean to worry either of you."

Dora sat beside her on the couch and placed a hand on her knee gently. "That is alright, Anna. We understand. It may take a while for you to be more comfortable here. We do not fault you for it."

"Thank you," she said quietly, her eyes searching that of her sisters before quickly looking back at her lap.

"Would you still like to try the clothing on?"

"Sure," she said, before her eyes sliding over to Marcus. She wasn't sure she wanted him to see her naked – in fact, she didn't want any of them to see her naked. But definitely not him. What if he didn't like how she looked? What if her body repulsed him as much as it repulsed her?

"Marcus will, of course, give you privacy. We all will, if you like. You can change in my bedroom," Sulpicia told her reassuringly.

"Alright," Anna agreed, and got up. Sulpicia picked up the large box easily, as if it weighed no more than a paperweight, and carried it through a large set of double doors directly across from the doors leading into her rooms.

* * *

Sorry to cut this off here! I had to find a place to stop before it became ridiculously long. See you next week :)


	8. Chapter 8

Canada is frigid right now. I hope the rest of you are staying warm and sitting in front of space heaters turned on full blast like I am!

* * *

Their bedroom was absolutely awe-inspiring and Anna had to take a moment to catch her breath from it. It was all white marble with guilded accents and a vaulted ceiling that featured a mural that appeared to depict her, Aro, Dora, Caius, Marcus, and a few other faces she didn't recognize as the Greek pantheon. The implication was actually a little amusing, she had to admit.

Sulpicia saw where her attention was and smirked, "Yes, I thought you might find that entertaining."

She flitted through the box, easily organizing it into pants, shirts, and dresses for Anna's convenience and laying them out neatly on the bed.

"Try on whatever you like first. There is a mirror there for you to see," she gestured across the room, "Although we would certainly like to see how they look as well. If you are comfortable with it, of course."

"Thank you," Anna said sincerely.

Sulpicia smiled reassuringly. "It is my pleasure."

Once the door closed, Anna reached out hesitantly to touch the fabrics. They were all so beautiful and soft. She fought down the voice in her head that told her she didn't deserve it and instead allowed herself this luxury, if only for a little while. Surely she had earned it, no?

She decided to try the shirt closest to her on first. It was a simple black collared shirt, although it had a slight sheen and the cut looked as if it would be flattering on her shape… as she put it on, she knew she was right. It slid right over her and hugged her in all the right places, showing off her figure. So this is how the other half lived, she thought to herself. No itchy polyester blends or unflattering styles here.

She tried on a pair of the jeans with it and almost sighed. They didn't even bag at her waist or stretch unflatteringly at the hips or leave those little dimples in the thigh area every girl with large hips had been cursed with. She looked… damn. She looked good… powerful, even. Was that even a word that could be used to describe her? But she looked put-together and although there were still dark circles under her eyes and her hair was in a haphazard braid, she looked sleek. Or at the vert least, not a victim or target, which was what she had grown used to.

"Anna?" she heard Dora call at the door. "Are you alright? Do you need any help?"

"N-no! I'll be out in a minute," she called, and realized she had been admiring herself in the mirror for a little too long. She quickly smoothed her hand over everything to be sure there were no wrinkles and opened the door. They were all grouped together in the sitting area again and she blushed when they all turned to look at her in unison. She felt incredibly awkward and wasn't certain whether she should go to them or-

They made her decision for her, thankfully, as Dora and Sulpicia flocked around her, admiring the outfit and telling her how nice it looked, how it accented her waist and emphasized the curve of her hips – all the things she knew she should want. She was still uncomfortable with the thought of being physically attractive and had to fight the urge to cover herself from their admiring glances. Sometimes she had those waves of feelings where she didn't want anyone to ever look at her again, as if she had already been seen too much, in too many horrible ways, and had filled her quota for the rest of her life.

"It needs a little something…" Sulpicia mused, and disappeared into another room for a moment. When she came back, she brought an oversized rose gold chain with her, which she fastened around Anna's neck and took a step back to look.

"There, now it's perfect!" she said, obviously satisfied with the addition.

Marcus hung back, standing in the doorway with his eyes roaming over her figure, not hiding his ogling. She blushed at his blatant appraisal and quickly turned back to the other two women. For some reason, his gaze gave her the complete opposite reaction – she wanted only him to look at her that way. For the rest of their lives… and hopefully very long lives, at that. He smiled when he saw and smelled her reaction. His mate was adorable when she was shy.

As Athenodora was fixing her hair – apparently this had turned into Anna Barbie playtime – Anna reveled in the comfort of her touch, which she decided to allow herself. After spending so much time with them, she did not think they intended her any harm. She had spent long enough with people who did to know the difference, in her estimation.

Having another woman fuss with her hair brought her back to her childhood, when she had enjoyed that sort of feeling and had loved when her sisters would play with her hair and brush it and the times when her mother would run her hands through it while she was sick or upset to sooth her. They were good memories. Memories she had buried so far that she hadn't considered in so long she thought she might have actually forgotten them for good.

Sulpicia's voice broke her out of her reverie and asked, "While you are occupied, would you like to see the plans for your new room? We can begin the renovation this afternoon if you like it!"

"Uh, sure, that sounds good," she said hesitantly. She wasn't even sure what she was worried about, if she were being completely honest, but she was only human and it would take a long time to adjust to the fact that these people might not mean her harm. Although maybe it wouldn't take as long as she would have originally thought. It had only been a few days and already she was allowing these people to touch her and sleep with her and feed her and…

Sulpicia flickered for a moment and Anna realized she had just run and gotten the piece of paper that was suddenly in her hands in the span of a second. She flinched a little in response. Jesus, that was fast.

Sulpicia crouched beside the plush dressing chair Anna was sitting in and held the large blueprint in front of her. It had a few paperclips attached of what appeared to be pictures of pieces of furniture and phone numbers neatly printed next to them, as well as paint chips in beautiful shades of egg shell blue, teal, and cream.

Anna was honestly in awe of it. She didn't know anything about interior design, but the pieces she had chosen and the colours were positively beautiful. Even her untrained eyes could see that clearly. She told her that, sincerity obvious in her tone, and Sulpicia beamed in response.

"I am so glad you like it! We will start immediately!" She disappeared again and Anna flinched once again in response.

She saw Marcus was scowling and Athenodora sighed as well. "Do not let her bother you, Anna. She forgets her manners when she is excited."

Sulpicia was back in another minute and Anna steeled herself against the flinch. She saw her turn toward Marcus and then her eyes widened and she looked back at Anna at human speed.

She walked over to her and knelt down again – something that made Anna uncomfortable, as this beautiful, powerful creature should not be kneeling in front of _her. _

"Oh my sister, please forgive me. I didn't mean to frighten you. I was distracted and forgot myself."

"That's okay," she responded, eyes widening in surprise. "You didn't do anything. Please, it's okay."

"I will make certain to move at speeds you are more comfortable with," she responded, and patted her hand before standing back up. She contemplated Anna for a minute and said, "It is still missing something."

She disappeared into her dressing room once again and returned with a watch this time. When Anna saw it, her breath caught in her throat. All three immortals turned to look at her in response to the sound, not understanding what had upset her. She was staring at the watch fixedly as emotions flashed across her face quickly.

Marcus was there in an instant, kneeling beside her and startling her out of her reverie. "What is it, tesoro?"

She shook her head and forcefully turned away from the jewelry. "It's nothing."

When she saw he didn't seem inclined to believe that, she sighed and acquiesced, "My mother had a watch just like that and reminded me of it. It's nothing, please don't worry about it."

Sulpicia looked down at the watch and frowned, before she, too, knelt beside Anna. She hesitantly placed a perfect, thin hand on her knee as she did when she was trying to comfort her and looked up at her. She warred with herself over whether she should ask this question, but did it anyhow, as it seemed an important subject to address, "What happened to your mother?"

Anna frowned at the question, searching the other woman's face, before quickly averting her eyes and staring at a spot in the distance, her thoughts apparently a mile away.

"She died in a car accident, along with my sisters."

"When?" Dora asked as well, her face full of sympathy for the obvious suffering of the young girl. She had stopped the movement of her hands, although she watched the girl through the mirror.

"Ten years ago. I was 13."

"I'm so, so sorry, Anna."

The girl shook her head; something they were quickly beginning to understand was her way of ridding herself of unwanted thoughts. "It was a long time ago, there is no need to think on it now."

She forced a smile. They all knew it was forced, though they said nothing about it and each of them hoped silently that perhaps they could be her family, and maybe she could be happy again, eventually.

Wanting to distract her from that area of conversation where she was clearly uncomfortable, Dora returned to the braided hairstyle she was doing and asked conversationally, "So how did you learn to speak Latin?"

A ghost of a smile crossed over Anna's face and she answered softly, "My grandfather was an English teacher and he spoke it often to me as a child. I always thought it sounded so beautiful. When I was in university I decided to learn it so I could converse with him. At the time I figured I was crazy as I never thought I'd actually use it apart from that, but I guess as it turns out, it is pretty useful to have around."

She seemed to consider something then asked with a slightly sly look on her fact, "So how is my pronunciation?"

Dora balked at that teasingly, "Absolutely atrocious! You speak it through your nose! And your accent! Bah! Positively vulgar!"

Anna burst into giggles at that, something that had Marcus' ears pricking in enjoyment at the lovely sound.

"How many languages can you speak, Dora?"

"213 at last count, although there is some crossover, of course. And I am constantly in the process of learning new ones, as well as refining the old ones to the dialect currently spoken. Language is such an ever-changing, fluid thing. Even moreso now with all the globalization." She paused her tirade before asking, "How many do you speak, _sorellina (_little sister)?"

Anna tilted her head at the term, however ignored it. She recalled that Marcus had called them her sisters previously as well… as much as she wanted to balk at it, it seemed almost right, somehow. As if her soul already knew they were meant to be sisters. She had learned by now not to question these preternatural instincts, as so far they had turned out to be correct.

"I speak five languages which doesn't sound quite so impressive when compared to 213."

"Well, I have had a few millennia head start! Tell me about these languages you speak!"

She seemed to be placing pins in her hair, so Anna listed them off as she finished, "I can speak Yoruba and Igbo, though I can hardly write in them. I am the same with Italian. I picked them up conversationally. I can both read and write in English and Latin, though, and I could likely get by with my French and German in a pinch."

"That is impressive for one so young! I would be happy to assist you in any practice you need, as I am fluent in all those dialects," Dora took a step back to look at her handy work. "And I'm done. You look marvelous!"

Sulpicia came over from where she and Marcus had been sitting and watching with a mirror so Anna could see the back of her hair. She didn't know how she had done it… it had to be witchcraft, for certain. Her usually long, boring hair was twisted into many braids and piled into an elegant bun.

"That's beautiful, how did you do it?"

Dora winked at her and said saucily, "Skills and charm, my dear."

Sulpicia then pouted at her a little and said, "Well that is all fine and good, Dora, but now she cannot try on the rest of her clothes!"

"I'm sure she can try them on in her own room," came Marcus' voice of reason. "For now she must go see the doctor and then eat lunch."

Both women sighed dramatically before kissing Anna on the cheek before she departed.

"We will see you later, Anna. Enjoy your afternoon," Sulpicia told her. "I will deliver your clothes to your room for you."

"Thank you Sulpicia and Athenodora this was actually…" she tried to find the right word, her brow creased a little, "… fun."

And what a strange feeling it was.

* * *

The meeting with the doctor went as expected - a little uncomfortable, however not overly horrible. He told her he could barely tell she had ever been injured in the first place. If it weren't for the obvious healed break in the xrays, she wouldn't have believed it either. She felt perfectly fine, if a bit tired still.

"Well, Signor Volturi, I do not know that my services will be needed any longer," he said as their meeting came to an end. "This remarkable young lady seems to be the perfect picture of health."

Marcus nodded at him curtly and said, "We will settle this later, then. Thank you for your time, Doctor."

He stood up to see the Doctor out and retrieved a tray of food, which he placed in front of her when he returned. It was a large salad with pieces of steak in it and – oh man, was that goat cheese? She couldn't hold back the little moan that escaped her.

Marcus felt himself harden in response to the pleased noises of his mate and had to contain his own response. He didn't want to frighten her. She had already had enough upset for one day. He frowned a little at the thought and told himself he could not be angry with Demitri. After all, he had exercised a reasonable amount of caution. His instincts told him a different story, however. They told him he should rip him into tiny shreds and burn them as he did with the stupid cow that had tried to kill his mate… it was fortunate for Demitri that he had so many millennia of controlling his instincts. Although this little human had done quite a number on them, forcing responses from him he had never felt in his entire existence.

"I might…" she began, pushing the empty plate away from her. "I mean, if it's okay…" she cleared her throat. "I was thinking I might have a nap."

"Of course that is okay, piccola. Would you like me to stay with you?"

She was overcome with the wave of feeling that seemed to assure her, "Yes, you want him to stay with you. He'll keep you safe, make you comfortable, purr for you…"

"Oh," she squeaked. "I couldn't ask you to do that..."

"Is that what you would like, my mate?" his voice was melded with that purr and it sent delicious shivers down her spine.

"Y-" her voice was barely more than a high pitched squeak. "Y-yes, I would," the last two words were barely audible. Her eyes were wide as she stared at him across from her, half expecting him to deny her what she wanted just on principle.

"Then I will stay with you."

The way he said it, she knew there was no arguing. And not because she would be punished if she did – but because she knew she didn't want to.

* * *

She ended up falling asleep in a chair in front of the fire, reading a book that pictured a young boy with a scar on his forehead standing in front of a train. He had taken it out of her hands once she was in a deep sleep and read it. It was interesting what humans were interested in nowadays, though it seemed the fascination with witchcraft and magic never went out of style.

He carried her to his newly remodeled bedroom and laid her in the plush bed. It seemed to swallow her as he tucked the covers up to her chin and lit a fire. It occurred to him that it might be considered creepy to watch her sleep, although he was not bothered by it. He only hoped she would not be either… would it be inappropriate to be in bed with her? It would not be the first time and after the initial shock she hadn't seemed adverse to it the previous times.

He considered it for a few minutes and decided to chance it. The opportunity to have her soft body against his was too good for him to pass up. He slid in behind her, wrapping his arms around her small body and pulling her snugly against him so he could feel every inch of her. This was how it was meant to be with a mate. As if you were coming home. A home made just for you, that fit in ways you never could have imagined, even in 2000 years.

She awoke to a feeling she was becoming very accustomed to – and even fond of, if she were being honest, with him wrapped around her… she had to forcefully remind herself that this could – _should _– mean danger. But Marcus was not dangerous. To others, maybe. She didn't think she would ever forget his decapitation of that woman. And she had seen some of the looks he gave people around them when they frightened her. But to her, he was only safety.

A hand trailed through her hair, signaling that he knew she was awake, and she sighed happily at the feeling. He continued it for a few minutes, both of them enjoying the exercise. He asked softly after a little while, "Are you hungry, tesoro? Your dinner should be ready soon."

Her voice was still slightly groggy when she answered, "A little, but I don't want to get out of this bed…"

She looked around at the dim light, not recognizing the room. She pushed herself to sit up slightly, pulling her legs up to her chest as he followed, lounging back against the headboard. "Where are we?"

"We are in my room. Sulpicia had it updated, in the event that you ever wanted to spend time here."

"Sulpicia really has a talent for this whole decorating thing, doesn't she?"

He smiled. "Indeed. Our family is all exceptionally talented. Sulpicia with her design, Athenodora with linguistics, Aro and his… charisma, or leadership, perhaps you could say, and Caius has a mind for business."

"And what about you? What are your exceptional talents?"

"I am highly…" he leaned in closer to her, his eyes melting into hers and his tantalizing scent filling her nostril. The last word was practically purred, "Strategic."

She felt a shiver go through her and she knew he was not only talking about battle or business…

He smiled at her when he saw it and her eyes almost fluttered closed at how thoroughly he was overwhelming her senses without even touching her.

He was eager to repeat that kiss, even though she had been very flustered afterward. He leaned in slowly – even slowly by her standards. He wanted to tease her, as well as letting her know his intentions and giving her every opportunity to say no. He did not want to force her into anything at all.

She didn't stop him, though. Her eyes dilated further as his scent became stronger and finally their lips met in the sweetest, softest brush and she sighed.

It was short and sweet and when they broke apart she felt her heart flutter from the look in his eyes. He ran a hand lightly over the back of hers before smiling at her, the sight of which put her in serious danger of melting from how beautiful it was. His smile was so perfect.

"Come, piccola," he said, climbing out of the bed gracefully. "It is time for you to eat."

She shuffled closer, nowhere near as gracefully, and tried to right herself. Her hair was likely a fright and her clothes were rumpled. Once she was satisfied it was as good as it was going to get, he held out his hand to her. She looked at it, then up at him, and took it, following him to wherever he would lead her.


	9. Chapter 9

Happy Tuesday, comrades! Christmas is coming and I'm hoping that we will get to Christmas by that time... I might have to do some extra chapters between now and then, though, in order for the timeline to get there. Until then, enjoy our latest developments of our fearful heroine!

* * *

The man who had startled her earlier was in Marcus' study, which appeared to have been remodelled as well. It looked as if a few walls had been knocked out, as suddenly there was a kitchenette and small dining area there as well, with the sitting area around the fireplace still in place, albeit with some new furniture. Her attention was swiftly brought back to the man there, and she cursed herself for being so easily distracted.

He was standing in front of the fire, his arms behind his back and his posture straight and intimidating, looking every bit an army general, or something of the sort. He was authority and power, although not nearly as much as Marcus. Still, he was not her mate and as such those traits in anyone but him set her on edge.

He looked up toward Marcus as soon as they appeared through the door, although she noticed he did not once look at her. It was as if she didn't exist at all, and she had to admit that it was comforting, if at the same time unnerving. She had always been stared at like a piece of meat while she was with _him. _The fact that he was paying her what seemed to be a courtesy was... strangely relieving.

She immediately looked to Marcus as well for direction. He gave her a look of encouragement, although he did not smile, and ushered her to sit in front of the fire. She missed how animated he was around her. This Marcus was cold and forbidding and she wanted so badly to breathe the warmth back into him.

Nevertheless, as soon as she was seated, the man immediately bent to one knee in front of her – although she noticed it seemed a safe enough distance, in her estimation, and she knew he probably did that on purpose. She was struck with more feelings of gratefulness for this small act of consideration.

He still did not look up as he told her, "My lady, please forgive me my grievous error. I did not intend to cause any upset and will accept any punishment you wish to bestow upon me. I have failed you and your mate and for that I am eternally sorry."

"I-" She didn't even know where to begin. He was apologizing on bended knee for startling her? Expecting punishment? She had no idea what to do and once again looked to Marcus who was standing slightly behind the chair to her right, looking forbiddingly at the man in front of them.

He looked to her and his eyes softened. "Demitri offers his apologies, piccola. He has wronged you and will accept any retribution for it that would please you."

"It was just an accident, I don't want to _punish _him," she whispered, horrified that someone wanted her to discipline another person. Who was she to discipline? This powerful man should be forcing her to apologize for being so weak and easily startled to begin with!

"It is your right as my mate to do so, or not do so. It is your choice."

Her choice? She hadn't been qualified to make choices, no matter how minute, for years. Why did they think she could or should do so now?

"I-I forgive you, Demitri," she said hesitantly, turning back to the kneeling man who still had not moved one inch or looked up.

He looked then, still seeking out Marcus instead of her. He seemed to find what he was looking for there and finally settled his eyes on her.

"You are merciful, my lady. It is an honourable trait to have. I thank you for your forgiveness and once again, I am truly sorry for any harm I have caused you," he said.

She nodded at him, obviously still baffled with this entire encounter.

He stood up fluidly, rearranging himself back into his imposing stance, and looked to Marcus.

"Thank you, Demitri. That is all. I will meet with you later."

Once he left, Marcus led her over to the table and pushed the tray of food toward her as he picked up a book on the side table and began to write in it. It was her turn to look on curiously. It burned through her as she desperately wanted to know what he could be writing – his hand moved slowly, languidly across the page with a flourish here and there. She was certain his penmanship would be flawless.

She barely noticed the vegetables being piled in her mouth unceremoniously as she watched him. As soon as she was finished, she pushed the plate away and downed the glass of water. As if choreographed, he looked up immediately as she did so and put the book down.

"Sulpicia and Athenodora have asked whether you would like to visit again this evening."

"The entire family?" she asked, her mind immediately going to the beautiful, sullen blonde man who was the lovely Dora's mate.

"Yes," he said, his brow furrowed. He couldn't tell what she was worrying about. "Would you prefer if we stayed here instead? They will understand if you would."

"N-no, of course not. That sounds fine. Are we going now?"

He tilted his head at his mate's curious behavior but did not comment on it, "If you are ready, then yes."

She forced a smile, "Alright, let's go then."

He offered her his hand again and she took it easily, enjoying the heavy, cool, weight of it.

Athenodora was sitting with her equally light haired mate in front of a fire with a magazine balanced between their two legs as they flipped through it. Aro appeared to be on the phone and Sulpicia was sitting with him, leaning against the arm of the couch with her legs over his lap.

They all looked up as they walked in and all but Caius smiled at her.

Marcus led her to the couch with Aro and Sulpicia and sat them on it with him between her and Aro – something she was grateful for, as she was still not entirely comfortable with the man, despite how fond she seemed to have grown of his mate.

He was speaking in Italian almost so swiftly that she couldn't understand the words but understood enough to know it was a business call and busied herself with looking down at her hands so she didn't seem as if she were intruding.

Marcus noticed and reached inside an inside pocket of his jacket to hand her something. She looked on curiously has he held it out to her. It looked to be a phone… an iPhone, if she remembered correctly. They hadn't changed much in shape or design, except to get thinner and longer and more metallic looking.

She looked to his face hesitantly as if making sure it was okay and then reached for it. He placed it in her palm gently.

She looked at it and then back at him, clearly confused.

"I thought you might enjoy something to occupy your time with. We will have to get you your own at some point, but for now you are welcome to mine."

She looked at it in wonder, peeking back up at him again in confirmation, before pushing the home button. "2662,"* he said, when she got to the lock screen.

Athenodora's head perked up immediately and she set the magazine on Caius' lap before coming over and perching on the arm of the couch beside her. "Oooh I have to show you all the best games to download. And there's this app called-"

"Woah," Anna said as she saw the home screen and then looked up. "Technology has changed so much in two years."

Dora cocked her head to one side and said "Two years? It has been two years since you have seen a phone?"

"Well, I mean, I've _seen _phones, I just haven't used one."

Athenodora looked troubled at that and Anna looked around the room to see the others wearing similar expressions, except Caius. She saw him scowl in response and glare at her, although he didn't say anything. Her heart sank. He seemed to hate her - something she was used to, but for some reason made her especially uncomfortable with him.

Oh god. He probably knew she was weak and worthless - definitely not good enough for his beautiful brother. What if he convinced Marcus of that and he hated her too? What if they made her leave? She felt herself to begin to panic a little at the direction her thoughts had taken her.

Everyone turned to her in response – oh my god they must hear every single reaction of her heart… oh god oh god oh god. Breathe, Anna. Deep breathes. It's okay. Nothing has happened so far. It's okay.

But a snide voice in her head that had been so quiet recently spoke up; reminding her that it's only a matter of time though, isn't it? They're vampires – the word she had avoided thinking about thus far but it was true. Didn't they eat people like her? And they were all so old and perfect, what could they see of worth in her? She was nothing impressive. She was broken, and stupid. So fucking stupid.

Marcus manually turned her head toward him from where she had noticed she had been staring at her lap, at the hands clenched together with her nails digging into the flesh of her palm hard enough to leave imprints.

"Anna," he said, "Focus on me. You are safe. It is okay. Listen to my voice. You are safe. I am here. Whatever you are thinking, it is not true. I will not allow anyone to harm you."

She focused on the feeling of his cool, firm, large palms on her face and the beautiful eyes that were staring into hers and tried to block everything else out. Marcus would protect her. It was okay. He was here.

She took a deep shuddering breath and let it out and did it again, and again, and again, until she finally felt her heart start to slow down and the clamping feeling of the fear in her chest relented.

It took her a few moments to realize the room was silent. She broke free of his grasp and looked around to find everyone staring at them with mixed looks of concern and disgust – although the latter was only coming from Caius.

She felt herself blush, the shame rising up from deep within her chest and washing over her with cold. She quickly got up and rushed out of the room, needing to put some distance between these people and herself. Her instincts demanded she find somewhere quiet and dark and alone to hide in, even though the logical part of her brain reminded her they could more than likely see in the dark… and if they couldn't, they would be able to hear her.

Besides, she was in their house. She was at their mercy. And she was weak. So incredibly weak. She hadn't even stood a chance against Vincenzo who was very strong for a human. But these creatures were exponentially stronger, and faster, and fiercer.

Oh god oh god oh god.

Before she could reach the door, someone touched her arm. She jumped and spun around and saw Marcus standing there, looking concerned, before the stress and shock triggered the switch in her brain and she was whisked away into her warm, safe spot in her mind, far away from all the fear and shame that was outside of it.

* * *

Marcus watched as once again his mate's eyes went dead, although this time she did not curl up or stop moving. But he could tell she was no longer there, had hidden somewhere far away from him in her head.

He sighed, wishing his mate was not so fragile. Not because he was tired of taking care of her. He would gladly do it for the rest of his existence. But seeing her pain cut him to his core. He wished he never had to see it again, wished she never had to feel it again.

"Piccola, would you like to return to your room?" he asked hesitantly, not sure if she would respond or not.

She stared at him for a few seconds before slowly nodding her head in response. The life had still not returned to her eyes and they were slightly out of focus and did not look him in his own eyes. Instead, they focused on his chest with her head bowed slightly, the perfect picture of submission.

"Look at me, cara mia. Are you alright?"

She slowly, automatically, dragged her eyes up to his, and nodded once again. Utter obedience. He felt cold wash over him when he realized that was likely exactly what it was. She was so programmed to respond in exactly the way that was demanded of her she did it automatically now.

He didn't know if he wanted to risk her walking in this condition. She certainly wasn't alert enough not to trip, in his estimation.

"I am going to carry you so you do not fall. Is that okay, tesoro?"

She slowly nodded again and he carefully picked her out and ran to her room. His brothers and sisters had not moved or made a sound at all behind him, but he knew his mate was embarrassed by what had happened and if she was even a little conscious he did not want her to feel that way longer than necessary.

He took her back to his room and deliberated… should he lay her in the bed? That would be more comfortable for her, though he didn't want her to feel more vulnerable. Perhaps on a chair in front of the fire? She had seemed comfortable there, so he sat her there and crouched in front of the fireplace to build it up once again. It had burned down to glowing embers while they were gone and he did not want her getting a chill.

Once he was finished he sat in the chair next to hers. His voice and touch seemed to bring her out of this before. That thought caused him to reach between them and take hold of her small hand. It had been held limp in her lap and he felt it twitch slightly when he touched it. He held it securely atop her armrest, lacing their fingers together.

"You are safe, piccola. It is only you and I here…" he paused, unsure of what to say, but his instincts were certain that hearing his voice would help her. He lightly rubbed his thumb over her hand and began, "Have I told you about where I am from, tesoro? Perhaps you have already deduced I am Greek - Athenian, to be exact. Athens was the greatest city in the world when I was human… it was the hub of culture – philosophy, athletics, the arts.

"I am sure you know all about that, dear one. You are exceptionally learned for one so young so I will not tell you of things you already know. But instead, allow me to tell you about the Athens I knew, rather than the one you read about in your books. I was born to a noble family; my father was a general in the King's military, my mother the sister of the Queen…"

He continued his caress of her hand as he went on, "Your history books do not remember them. They write that the King was the son of a nymph, a demigod perhaps, yet he was no god; he was fat and ugly and drank far too much wine. And the city was dirty, overcrowded, and most never had enough food."

He smiled slightly, "The streets may not have been made out of white marble, and our people may not have been the most beautiful or clean, but I still remember the way the sun lit up the stoa in the morning… and the smell of tagenites wafting through… the view of the market from the Acropolis… I thought it was the greatest human civilization to have ever existed."

He chuckled then in memory, "I am certain you know of the Olympics, but you cannot imagine the chaos of them, Tesoro. Hundreds of Greeks and Persians and Romans making pilgrimage into the city, bidding and screaming and drinking, the glistening of the flesh of the athletes… I participated in them one year, when I was a young man before I joined the military. I won in the wrestling against a Spartan, if I recall correctly…

He could hear her heart beat increasing back to a normal pace and heard her small movements as she came back into awareness, however he didn't acknowledge them and went on with his story, "It was a glorious feat for the city. The Spartans were strong, training from when they were small children and killing the weak ones, but I had been training for years, already honing myself into the warrior I would become. We feasted for days afterward.

"I eventually followed my father's legacy, though, as was expected of me as his only son, and enlisted in the King's service. I moved up the ranks quickly, making a name for myself in the battles for my great City-state.

A wry smile crossed his face again, "Aro was a terrible soldier. Always complaining, wanting to be back in his villa in a hot bath with a few women washing him and a warm meal on its way. He managed to convince his father after only two terms to allow him to join politics instead. But I? I revelled in it."

"I cannot imagine Aro enjoying war. He is too much a bureaucrat. But you? I can see you poised in midfight, a sword in one hand ready to put it through the belly of your enemy, the picture of strength and agility…"

Her voice still had a dream-like quality to it, her words made it even more pronounced. He assumed she was not quite grounded yet and turned to look at her, smiling.

"Aro detests that word, but it is entirely accurate in regards to him."

"Did you ever marry?"

That gave Marcus pause and he saw her looking back at him. Her face seemed only curious and he did not detect any anger or jealousy, so he answered, "I married Aro's sister. Her name was Didyme."

"Was she a vampire as well?"

He frowned. "She was, yes."

"But she was not your mate?"

"No, cara mia, she was not my mate," he said softly.

"Did you love her?"

"I did. She was a good wife to me. She died many years ago, though."

"How long?"

He frowned, unsure of why she wanted this information but not willing to deny her anything, "Almost 3000 years ago."

"It's always shocking to be reminded of how old you are," she said, her eyebrows raised. She shifted in the seat to turn and face him, her back against the arm and her legs tucked up in front of her.

"What was it like, seeing the rise of democracy? Athens was the first democratic city-state, no?"

"It was. That was not for many centuries though. It was… enlightening. I will be honest with you, cara mia. My humanity has never been my strength, even when I was, myself, a human. However I have no interest in seeing the suffering of men and that small shift in politics brought on hundreds of thousands of more small changes that have brought us to the present.

"You live in the greatest era for the least suffering thus far, tesoro. I have seen most of the advancements that brought us here - many of them our family invested in and made possible. It is difficult to imagine, I am sure, what it was like before that."

"So… you haven't always been a vampire? You were once human?"

He smiled, "Yes, I was once human, just as you are."

"How did you become a vampire? Will I become a vampire?"

"A human is changed through the bite of a vampire. We are venomous, and if the venom enters your blood, the change begins. And that will be a choice you make for yourself, my mate. I will not presume to decide for you but I do hope to spend the rest of eternity with you by my side."

The look he gave her smouldered and she shuddered a little at the intensity. She wanted to kiss him again. _Really _badly. It frightened her how much she wanted his lips on hers…

Before Vincenzo, she had never kissed anyone and his were always foul, tasting of tobacco and forcing his tongue in her mouth in a way that made her want to gag.

But Marcus… my god, Marcus tasted as divine as he smelled, and the way his mouth felt against hers should be illegal it was so good. Or at the very least, heavily taxed.

She blushed at the direction of her thoughts and broke eye contact.

She heard him begin to purr and the blush deepened at the response it had in her.

"Piccola."

She looked up, blushing when she saw his eyes were almost entirely black. For some reason it didn't disturb or scare her.

"Come here."

Her breath hitched and she slowly got out of the chair and approached his, warring with the conflicting reactions within her. The part that refused to forget all the egregious abuses to her person reminded her of all the times approaching someone meant pain, but the newer and admittedly more powerful part just wanted to be closer to him, and held by him again.

She stood in front of his chair, looking down at her feet, unable to bring herself to look at him again.

"Little one."

She brought her eyes to his at his prompt and almost swooned at the look he was giving her. He reached a hand toward her and pulled her to her lap. She sat straddled over his legs with her hands on the arm of the couch for balance.

She felt the purr then, settling between her legs in a way that made her want to rub herself against him more firmly. She resisted, opting to continue staring into the eyes that seemed to see past all the confusion and brokenness and made her feel almost human again.

She knew what was coming - wanted it, couldn't even muster the fear that had been there previously and she knew should be there. From all her experiences with intimacy before him, she knew it was dangerous… but now all she wanted was his hands and his mouth on her, tasting her and touching her and making her feel _so good. _

When their lips met again, she almost cried at how good it felt to be with him. To be home.

* * *

*Can anyone guess why? :p

I can't resist writing all this fluff… maybe it's because the weather is making me all depressed and I need something feel-good? Who knows… but I'm loving the ride and I hope you are too :)


	10. Chapter 10

Please be aware I changed the timing of this fic a little for my own selfish means. I had written out a Christmas scene ages ago and it feels wrong not to post it around Christmastime so the story now begins around the beginning of December rather than October. It shouldn't change too much.

Also I wanted to tell everyone to watch the music video for Blank Space by Taylor Swift because it's amazing and was a visual re-inspiration for me for this story.

Now, on with our story – I hope you like this chapter. It's pretty silly and pretty dark at points.

* * *

"Anna, how do you feel about this dress?"

Sulpicia turned her computer screen toward the girl curled up in the chair in front of the fire. There was a picture of a dress with a bold geometric print on it with large cut outs on the side. Anna considered it for a minute and said, "I think it would look excellent on you, but I'm not sure I could successfully pull it off."

"Nonsense! You just need more practice walking like you own the place! Confidence is the secret to all success, you know.

"Even still, it wouldn't be my first choice for myself… you understand," she said, giggling shyly and turning back to the knitting in her hands. She was working on a cowl she had seen in a magazine Dora had been flipping through earlier and was trying to recreate it, as Dora had said that she couldn't seem to find it in any stores.

Sulpicia smirked at her and also turned back to the screen just as Dora burst through the door to Sulpicia's rooms. She was talking in rapid Latin on the phone, so Anna assumed it must be to one of the brothers. They had all left on urgent business that morning in a hurry. Although not before Marcus assured her that he would be back that afternoon, and that until then she needed to ensure she stayed with Sulpicia or Dora at all times, and Demitri would also be keeping watch over her.

He seemed insistent she knew she was safe, which she was grateful for. She felt so incredibly empty without him, and her anxiety had been creeping up on her all day with him gone. She found it slightly upsetting that she was so dependent on him, which didn't help her anxiety at all. It just heightened the prickly sensation crawling up her chest.

It had only been 5 days (5 days!) since she had been with them. Or been with them consciously, anyways. And yet, already she was overly attached and reliant on him for her own sense of peace. It wasn't healthy. She knew that.

Dora startled her out of her brooding and said, "Anna, it's Marcus. He would like to talk to you."

She handed her the phone and Anna took it hesitantly and brought it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Piccola," even through the phone his voice was the deepest, most soothing thing she had ever heard. "Rome has just gotten a foot of snow and we cannot fly out this evening. I am terribly sorry, my darling. You may stay with Dora or Sulpicia if you need company, though. They say they do not mind."

"Oh," her heart sank at the thought that she wouldn't see him until tomorrow. She took a deep, soothing breath. "That's okay. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Most certainly, Tesoro. How has your day been?"

"Slow, but good. Sulpicia has been showing me some… errr… very interesting fashion choices and Dora introduced me to her collection of… errr… I believe the museum had them labeled as religious relics but they look a little… phallic to me."

He sighed audibly over the phone and said dryly with amusement clear in his tone, "Yes, she is quite fond of those."

"How is your day? How did the business meetings go?"

"Much slower without you."

She blushed, even over the phone, and he chuckled as if he knew.

"I must go now, piccola. I will be back before you know it. Until then."

"Bye," she said, trying to keep her voice even. She handed the phone back to Dora who was back to talking in swift Latin. She didn't even bother to try and hear what she was saying as the realization sunk in.

She took a deep breath. It's okay, she told herself. It's just a couple hours. Not even a full day. She could do it. She had survived 23 years without him. She could do this…

She thought back to the day before, the kissing and the touching and how much she loved hearing about his life and blushed. She was in way over her head.

"Anna?" it was Sulpicia this time. "Marcus said we should make sure you eat. Are you hungry? Shall we call the kitchens to bring up your dinner?"

"Sure. Thanks Sulpicia," she smiled at her.

Sulpicia got up to speak to someone outside the door and then sat back down. "Now, how about we have a girl's night? Dora and I have never gotten to do a sleepover before! And it's not every day the men are out of the castle! Oh, this is so exciting!"

"You know, I don't think I've ever had a sleepover either," she considered. "I mean, I lived in a dorm while I was doing my residency so I guess that was kind of like one big sleepover."

"But what about when you were a child?" Dora asked, seemingly shocked.

"I didn't really have very many friends."

"Well…" Sulpicia seemed to be trying to lighten the mood and she smiled warmly at Anna, "Now you have us. We shall be your friends!"

Anna smiled back and Dora interrupted. "Alright we're going to need some movies, nail polish, facials, wine, and pizza."

She got to the door too quickly to be human, although still slow enough to be visible to her, which made Anna more comfortable, and disappeared through it.

* * *

*mild gore ahead, please be warned*

Marcus stared down coldly at the cowering human in front of him. He was in that gaudy apartment he had found Anna in two weeks before, although this time it was this miserable excuse for sentient life on the floor in a puddle of blood, rather than his beautiful mate.

"Please… I'm sorry…" it whimpered.

"You are sorry? What for?" he asked, feigning curiosity.

"I don't know… whatever it is… I'm sorry… please don't hurt me..."

"Don't hurt you? Is that what my mate begged before you beat her half to death?"

"What? Your mate?" the worm looked up at him with confusion before realization dawned on him, "_Anna?_"

"Do not speak her name," he snarled and had the man's neck in his grasp and it's back against the wall in less than a millisecond.

It tried to cry out in shock, although it couldn't because of the pressure on its throat.

"You do not deserve to speak her name, you pathetic maggot."

It was turning purple, so Marcus eased his grasp slightly to allow it to breath. It wouldn't be allowed to die that easily. No, it would suffer before it died.

"She's just a stupid cunt. She's nothing," it said, anger replacing where its fear had been earlier. What a pathetically predictable human. Couldn't bear to feel the fear, only able to inflict it. He would teach it – teach it exactly what had been taught to his mate. The fear, the subjugation, the cruelty… It would beg for death. But he would not grant it. He would show it no mercy, just as his mate had been shown none.

"She's nothing? You are mistaken. She is everything – you are nothing. You do not deserve to look at her, let alone touch her."

"What _are _you?"

"I am a nightmare you cannot even imagine and I am the last thing you will ever see."

* * *

"Anna, would you like some more wine?" Dora asked. The girl was obviously already a little tipsy, but a little more wouldn't hurt… she was so much happier and braver when she was drunk, that much was obvious.

The girl giggled and said, "Sure, thanks. This is delicious. I've never dreamed wine could actually taste _good."_

"Welcome to how the other half lives," Dora replied with a wink.

"More like the other 0.0001%"

"Fair enough," she replied with a laugh.

"Alright, Anna," came Sulpicia's voice from in front of the DVD player. "Do you want… bad girl cop or eccentric New Yorker with big hair?" *

"Hmmm… bad girl cop," she slurred a little.

"Angelina Jolie or Sandra Bullock?"

"Angelina!"

"American Angelina working in Europe or European Angelina working in America?"

"European Angelina in America," she replied with an exaggerated southern drawl.

"Salt it is!" Sulpicia declared and put the chosen disk in the player.

Anna got comfy on the couch, a glass of wine in one hand and the other in Dora's hand as she painted them with polish. She had also shaped them so they were all perfect ovals and Anna had to admit they were very pretty.

"This is nice," she said happily. "Thank you."

"Any time," Dora replied. "Sulpicia will never let me paint her nails and Caius will only do it with…" she cleared her throat meaningfully and smirked a little, "Proper incentive."

This sent Anna careening into more giggles, causing the other two to crack up as well.

"You know Dora, I never wanted to have that image in my head. I'm going to need some serious brain bleach after that."

* * *

The pathetic creature had been reduced to a pile of whimpering begging within an hour. It was pitiful. But he had no pity. Only rage, which had not been near quelled enough. Every time it begged, he was reminded of his mate's terror, of her injuries, of her mangled self-esteem… and it fuelled him. He needed to inflict more pain, needed revenge.

Aro and Caius had watched for a while before growing bored and finding something else to occupy their time, but now Aro flitted in the room and looked at the creature on the ground with a troubled expression.

He had not wanted to touch it, and Marcus agreed. Neither wanted its memories in his head. Marcus wanted to save his mate the embarrassment. He was sure this pile of flayed meat remembered things his mate would not want any of them seeing. And Aro just did not want that filth floating around his thoughts.

"The snow has miraculously stopped. A runway can be cleared within the hour, brother."

"Good," Marcus said. "I think it needs a break. We will bring it back to the castle. Felix," he called. The man was there in an instant, also sending a glare to the creature passed out in front of them. "I want you to take this and put it in the deepest dungeon we have. And do make sure it doesn't die on the way there."

"Yes, master," he said, and bowed.

"Begin driving now and burn the car once you are there. I don't want its stench contaminating anything we own."

"Yes master," he said again. "With pleasure."

He picked up the mess of flesh and was gone instantly.

"I will have one of the lower guard clean this up," Aro said contemplatively. "We wouldn't want the police looking for him."

"It does not matter if they do. They will not find him."

"Well no, but it would be a shame to waste valuable resources on a pointless endeavor."

Marcus smirked.

"It's good to have you back, brother," Aro said as he clasped him on the back.

"It's good to be back."

* * *

"Demitri," Sulpicia called at a normal tone. The man immediately opened the door and walked toward where the three queens were seated around a large TV. It looked to be a movie about nuclear weapons and Angelina Jolie as a Russian spy. Classic.

"What can I do for you, my Lady?"

"Anna would like chocolate of some kind," she said. He looked down to the very drunk girl on the couch who was blushing – although it was honestly hard to tell, as her face was so red from the alcohol.

"Right away… and perhaps some water too," he added, looking meaningfully at them. "I'm not sure Master Marcus would like it when his mate is hung over tomorrow morning."

Both Athenodora and Sulpicia laughed at that while Anna just turned redder.

He went down to the kitchen to find a chocolate cake in the fridge. Perfect. He couldn't remember how much humans ate and did the mental calculations… she really couldn't eat more than a few slices without puking, no? Especially considering how inebriated she was… he finally decided to just cut the thing in half and placed it on a plate. She deserved a little indulgence.

He ran back to Sulpicia and Aro's rooms and knocked on the door before entering when he heard Dora call for him.

He saw Anna's face light up at the sight of the cake. She stared at it and gushed, "Oh my god that looks good. I swear you guys are like that witch trying to fatten me up before you can bake me in a cake and eat me."

All three vampires weren't sure whether they should laugh or not and the girl suddenly caught on to what she had just said. She seemed to consider for a moment and then added, "Perhaps a little too accurate."

She didn't seem at all bothered by the conversation, which caused Dora to add in, "Well, we wouldn't bake you in a cake… that's just a waste."

Anna seemed to find this hilarious and burst out laughing. It was a few moments before she tried to calm her breathing, and then said, "Anna cream pie."

She looked over at Sulpicia, and apparently whatever she saw on her face was hilarious as well, as she was sent into more peals of laughter.

"Alright," Sulpicia said. "That's enough wine for the human."

Anna sighed and relinquished her wine to the beautiful woman before her eyes narrowed in on what Demitri was holding and was reminded again of the most beautiful, most magnificent, most wondrous…

"Cake," she said, almost reverently. She didn't break eye contact with it as she reached out for it.

"I'm really not sure if you should-"

"Cake," Anna repeated.

Sulpicia sighed. "Fine," she acquiesced. If she let Marcus' mate go into hypoglycemic shock he would definitely kill her…

But for the time being, she would allow the girl the treat. She deserved it. And she was absolutely hilarious when she was intoxicated.

As soon as the cake was set in front of her, she shovelled a large piece of frosting covered dessert in her mouth and moaned around it. "Oh my god this is the best thing I've ever had in my mouth."

The three vampires smirked at the innuendo, though Anna didn't see it or realize what she had said.

She looked up again and saw Demitri was staring at her with equal parts disgust and amusement on his face.

"Would you like to sit?" Anna asked, her mouth still half full of the chocolatey heaven.

"I-" he looked around and saw that neither Sulpicia nor Athenodora seemed opposed and sat down. "Thank you, my Lady."

"Why do you call me that?"

"Because that is what you are. You are Master Marcus' mate, therefore you are my Queen."

"Your _queen?"_

He looked at the other two in confusion and saw them both shaking their heads slightly.

"…. So, how are you enjoying that cake?" he asked, abruptly changing the subject.

She seemed easily dissuaded when she was drunk and said happily, "It's magnificent. I need to find your chef and hug them because the food here is seriously just…"

She trailed off and seemed to forget about finishing her sentence as she took another bite of chocolate.

She opened her eyes to see Sulpicia and Demitri in some sort of staring contest, their lips twitching a little. With a shock, she realized they must have been having a conversation below her hearing range.

"Are you guys… _talking?"_

They both immediately turned to her and she groaned.

"Ugh, you guys are so cool. Is there anything you _can't _do?"

"Well, I have not yet found a vampire who can fly without assistance," Sulpicia said contemplatively and somewhat apologetically.

"There _was _that Russian kid who could manipulate magnetic poles," Dora said.

"Yes, but he had to be wearing metal of some kind to interact with it which counts as assistance."

"Touché, sister."

"Marcus is just so good at everything. And you guys! How can someone actually be _literally_ perfect?"

"We are certainly not perfect, little sister, we just have a head start at honing ourselves into something nearing it," Dora said.

"And Marcus isn't perfect either, just perfect for _you. _Although he is stronger and has more talents than most others," Sulpicia added.

"What do you mean?" she asked in confusion, pausing with another bite of cake halfway in her mouth.

"Oh, well you know about his gift, I'm sure. And as you can tell, he was a very strong human. That is just amplified as a vampire."

"His gift?" she asked confused.

"He… hasn't told you?"

"No," she said, intrigued suddenly. "What do you mean?"

"Perhaps this is a conversation you should have with him," Sulpicia said cautiously.

She pouted and then turned back to the screen just in time to see Angelina careening from a helicopter into a lake. She snorted and said, "I guess you could say she was really Russian to get out of that helicopter and had no time for Stalin."

A resounding groan from the room responded.

* * *

Marcus walked into Sulpicia's rooms with the rest of his brothers and found his mate asleep on the couch with a blanket tucked over her, his two sisters on the couch, apparently halfway through a movie about Marie Antoinette, if he recognized the period dress and location accurately – which he did.

The room smelled strongly of human food, chemicals from nail polish, and alcohol. The two brothers quickly greeted their mates, each of them distracted from everything else but the other.

He crouched in front of his own mate and ran his hands over her hair, which she was wearing loosely for once. It curled softly, running over her in tangled waves.

She opened her eyes blearily at his touch and shocked more awake when she saw it was him. "Marcus!" she exclaimed, hurling herself into his arms and wrapping hers around his neck tightly. "I didn't think you would be back until tomorrow!"

"It technically is tomorrow," he said softly, smiling at her enthusiasm. He moved them into a more comfortable sitting position on the couch with her across his lap. "And I could not wait to be home with you, piccola."

He could smell the alcohol more strongly now and realized his mate was very clearly very drunk. He cast a look over to wear Dora and Sulpicia were sitting on the couch, looking slightly guilty.

"We only let her have three glasses!"

"It's not their fault," Anna slurred. "I'm a cheap date."

He eyed the remaining quarter of a cake as well and once again looked back at them, giving them another obvious stink eye.

"Yeah, we've got no excuse for that one," Dora said. "She's very demanding when she's drunk."

"I wouldn't be demanding if you wouldn't try and keep me from my delicious cake," Anna replied petulantly.

"You see?" Sulpicia asked teasingly. "Impossible."

"Your face is impossible," Anna grumbled under her breath.

All but Caius smirked at the remark. He was extremely unimpressed with the drunk human's antics, and her complete disrespect for his mate and sister. He had spent more than enough of this day around her kind – first during their business transactions and then during Marcus' retribution. He had been looking forward to a human free evening.

Though the look of happiness and his mate's obvious affection for the brat stilled his tongue.

Anna turned back to the TV and pouted, "Aw man, I missed the good part. Has she started at it with that hot Swede yet?"

"Not yet," Dora laughed. "And hot Swede, huh? Marcus, how do you feel about this?"

He laughed. "And here I hoped you liked Greeks."

"Oh Marcus," Anna said and cupped his face. "I do, but you see… you don't wear nearly enough tight pants. I must get my fix from somewhere."

"Tight pants, you say?" he raised a brow.

She nodded sagely. "Indeed."

"I will take this into consideration."

They settled back into the movie, although Anna and Marcus kept stealing glances at each other throughout it. She felt like a giddy teenager and wanted so badly to fling herself at him. Marie Antoinette had inspired her and she had a sudden need for some thigh high stockings, a feathered hair piece, a large fan and a chaise to lounge on with them.

God, how had she resisted him so far? She was trying to resist her body's reaction as she was certain everyone in the room would be able to smell it and she was not far gone enough to not be bothered by _that. _But it was really hard. Because he looked fucking edible. In a battle between him and that cake, he would win. Hands down. Every time.

As the credits rolled, she was back to staring at his face.

"I wonder if you taste as good as you look," she wondered.

He laughed softly and she realized she must have said it out loud.

"Did I say that out loud?"

"Yes," came Dora's voice across the room.

"I didn't ask you!"

She laughed at that. "Marcus, I think it's bed time for the human."

Marcus raised a brow at the sleepy girl in his arms and said, "Is that true? Should I take you to bed?"

She blushed heavily at the innuendo and nodded slowly.

"As you wish," he said, and stood up with her still cradled in his arms. She was asleep before he even made it out the door.

He debated bringing her to his (their) rooms but decided she would likely be happier in her own and felt a little melancholic at it… not for long, though, as he didn't think it was possible to be too sad with this girl in his arms.

He set her on the bed and fetched a pair of pajamas for her. She moaned and turned on her side, burrowing into the blankets.

"Ah, ah, ah my mate. You must change into your pajamas, brush your teeth, and drink this bottle of water before you can sleep."

"Too late, already asleep," came her muffled reply.

"Shall I dress you, then?"

She didn't respond and he took that as a yes. He slowly took her pants and socks off, slipping the soft flannel ones over top of her instead and doing the same with her top. He kept his eyes on her face and she watched him through glazed, half lidded eyes the entire time.

He made certain not to ogle her as he wanted to do. It was disrespectful. And this was not sexual in nature. He was merely taking care of his mate. He did notice she had gained some weight and was not as emaciated as she had been when she first came though, which pleased him immensely.

He held her head up and held the bottle to her lips. "Drink," he ordered, trying to keep his voice stern so she wouldn't argue.

She did so, although her eyes were closed again and he was certain she was asleep. When he finally tucked her into the covers, she once again grasped his hand before he could pull away.

He took it as her possibly unconscious desire to have him with her and climbed in behind her. Who was he to deny her anything?

He settled in with her in his arms and breathed in her scent. Although tinged with the alcohol, everything was as it should be.

* * *

*If you're wondering about this flow chart of possible chick flicks it goes like this…

**Eccentric New Yorker with big hair:**

-_Classics:_

-Hardcore Brooklyn accent and Nicholas Cage in a sexy sweaty wife beater? _Moonstruck_

-Posh Manhattan accent? _Breakfast at Tiffany's _

-_Modern_:

-Eccentric group of wealthy friends and their sexual escapades? _Sex and the City_

-Features J. Lo's butt? _Maid in Manhattan_

_ -_Princesses? _The Princess Diaries_

**Bad girl cop:**

-_Sandra Bullock_:

-Beauty pageant? _Miss Congeniality_

-Not beauty pageant? _The Heat _

_-Angelina Jolie:_

-American cop in Europe: _The Tourist _

Okay I feel like I should apologize for this chapter or something. I don't know what happened. But Anna _really _wanted that cake and would not rest until I gave it to her. She's a monster when she's drunk (I may or may not have modelled it after my own experiences with alcohol…)

Now what will become of our fearful heroine when she wakes up and realizes the antics she got up to while she was drunk? Only time will tell…


	11. Chapter 11

My apologies for the late upload! Christmas exploded in my world and I've been singlehandedly babysitting 5 dogs... it's madness. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter, it's my longest yet! And as always, I would love to hear what you think of it.

* * *

She moaned as she woke up and tried to turn over onto her back. Her head pounded and the smell of wine seemed to seep out of her every pore… before the memories of the night before came flooding back, bringing on more anguished moaning.

She heard a chuckle behind her and a bottle of water being pushed to her lips.

"Not so nice the next morning, is it, tesoro?"

"My head is going to explode and my throat is on fire. I'm never going to drink again."

"You say that now, but the Volturi have an exceptionally well stocked wine cellar."

She groaned again. "Why are you yelling?"

She felt his body shake as he laughed again and then felt his hand guiding a pill into her mouth and the bottle of water back at her lips.

"This should help with the headache, dear one. Breakfast will help as well."

"No. No food."

"It has been a long time since I was a human but I assure you, cara mia, I do remember hangovers very well. Trust me on this."

She ended up trusting him and he _was _right, though she was loath to admit it. Once she finished the breakfast he had set in front of her, she cautiously asked, "Did I really say those things last night?"

She saw his eyes dance with amusement, though his mouth didn't move and he kept a face of polite neutrality, "Say what things, my mate? You will have to be more specific."

She narrowed her eyes and then sighed and covered her face with her hand. "Well, that's it. I can never see your family again."

He finally laughed then and said, "I assure you, they thought it was very amusing."

"That's what I'm worried about!"

He was still laughing until she threw a napkin at him, which only caused him to laugh harder. After a minute of her glowering, he finally sobered himself and looked at her contritely.

"Please forgive me, Tesoro. It is terribly rude of me to laugh at your plight."

She finally smirked and then giggled as well, "I can only blame myself, really. And Dora. She has a _very _loose hand with that wine."

* * *

They were in the library later, as Anna had taken it upon herself to explore every last inch of it, recalling the first time she had been there and unable to stand up and explore as she wanted to. She had wanted to touch everything, smell everything, read every character in every language that graced the walls… Had it really been less than a week ago?

She had still been battered and bruised and feeling the effects of the pneumonia and now here she was, feeling the best she had ever felt in her life both emotionally and physically. It was surreal. Logically, she could tell it was not natural, but couldn't find it in herself to resist it.

It was just that... it _felt_ natural with him. More natural than anything else had ever felt to her. They just fit together. And somehow, they all fit into this strange family as well. It was as if it was meant to be.

Marcus had spoken about his gods before and she realized she had to admit that this all felt distinctly fate-like. She felt she could better understand his belief now, even if she had denied any sort of faith for most of her life... she had experienced too many terrible things to cast her lot in with an invisible being that was supposedly benevolent, but now...

She was brought back to the present when she felt Marcus' hand on her back and he looked at the book in her hands.

"What language is this in?" she asked curiously. She didn't recognize it, although it looked Middle Eastern to her uneducated eyes.

"It is Persian, from approximately 750 AD. It is a collection of poetry."

"It's so beautiful…"

"It is. The art of calligraphy has been long forgotten, I'm afraid."

"Can you read it to me?"

He smiled, apparently very pleased by this idea. "I would be happy to."

They sat in a cozy nook that overlooked the beautiful property. She didn't think such a place could even exist in real life. The chairs were overstuffed and comfortable and perfect to curl up in and the sun was shining on her face…

She didn't bother actually trying to understand the words she was hearing, she just enjoyed having his voice roll over her, pulling her into a soothing trance as she stared out the window at the snow falling softly over what looked like a large garden, although it was barren and covered in snow right now.

When he was finished, they lapsed in a comfortable silence, both watching the snow.

"You guys don't celebrate Christmas, do you?"

"We have not, no. It has been a fascinating tradition to watch flourish, though."

She smiled. "I'm sure. Now we're just blatantly paying our sacrifices to the consumer god rather than the birth of Christ."

"Well, to be fair, he _was_ born in the fall."

She giggled and looked at him. He was just so perfect. How could such a creature be meant for her? The very newly awakened part of her that had been urging toward him gave her a nudge to be closer to him, to be assured he was very real and very much hers. She followed that desire to get up and looked at him, silently seeking permission. He opened his arms as if to gesture for her to sit in his lap and she did so happily, snuggling into the cozy place beneath his chin and turning back to the window.

"It's so nice to have a window that I can look out any time I want," she sighed happily.

She felt him tense slightly and turned her head to see his face. His eyes were darkened and unforgiving and she shifted a little, still instinctually frightened by that look - certain it could only mean violence and pain for her.

He saw that and immediately his eyes were filled with reassurance. Maybe even affection? God, how strange it was that someone might feel that for her. Or even anything vaguely resembling it. Indifference was the best thing she had had in the past two years and even that seemed a blessing.

"Shhhh," he soothed, seeing her panic. "I am not angry with you, merely with what has been done to you."

Her brow furrowed. "I don't understand why. Most of it was my own fault."

He couldn't hold back the outrage from his face at that. "You are wrong, piccola. There is nothing you could have done that would have made you deserving of that."

"You don't know that," she said, averting her eyes and frowning.

"Then tell me, piccola. What did you do to deserve being beaten and deprived of a window, let alone of food?"

Her frown deepened and she pulled back slightly, as if wanting to put distance between the two of them.

"I was petulant, and ungrateful, and I disobeyed."

"What orders did you disobey?"

She trembled a little at that and he could smell her tears in the air.

"Shhhh Tesoro, do not cry. You do not have to tell me. Please just listen to me. You did not deserve what happened to you. There was nothing you did or said that caused it."

"If I didn't deserve it then why did it happen," she asked softly.

He wished desperately he could give her an answer to that, one that did not involve blaming herself to rationalize the cruelty of the scum rotting in their dungeons. He had the sudden urge to remove the maggot, to burn it somewhere far away from her. It didn't deserve to be in the same building as his sweet mate, breathing the same air.

"There is no why, cara mia. Or none that I can understand or perceive."

He smelled her tears more strongly now, certain they were spilling down her face, rather than being choked back as she often did with them.

He used his arms to guide her more firmly against his chest and held her as she cried, rocking slightly and humming a tune he hadn't realized he'd known. It seemed to work, as in a few minutes she had cried herself out and was sniffling gently and holding on to him so tightly it felt as if she thought she would die if she let go.

* * *

As was becoming the usual routine, they spent the evening in Sulpicia and Aro's rooms. They were becoming much more familiar and comfortable to her now – no longer cavernous and intimidating as they had been at first. The news was playing on the TV on mute and Dora and Aro were watching it as Sulpicia drew something in her lap.

Caius was nowhere to be seen and she felt a little guilty that it relieved her. He was truly terrifying and the fact that he obviously hated her really put her on edge.

She had brought a book with her from the library and was reading it, curled against Marcus' side as his hand lightly played with her hair. She was wearing it down again, something she had not done much since she had been here but enjoyed, especially when he touched it. It was a comforting weight, and she felt more secure knowing she could hide her face in it when she blushed – as it was a fairly common occurrence around them. They seemed to enjoy how flustered she got.

Her instincts pricked at her while she was reading and she looked up from the book to realize Dora was staring at her rather than the TV. She looked back warily, wondering what the beautiful woman was thinking.

"We really should cut your hair," she said.

"What?" Anna squawked, slightly indignantly, putting the book down. "No! I love my hair." She gathered it protectively and whispered to it, "Don't listen to the rude lady, she doesn't understand."

Sulpicia snorted, though she didn't look up from her drawing.

"Just a trim!" Dora reassured. "Just to make it a little healthier and get rid of the split ends!"

Anna eyed her warily. "I don't know…"

Sulpicia finally looked up and said, "You don't _have _to, but it would be fun… and we never did get to do the face masks either! Or the eyebrow plucking!"

"I-" she looked to Marcus for support who shrugged.

"Sisters, don't bully my mate," he said warningly, though even Anna could tell there was no threat behind it.

She sighed resignedly. "Fine, but no more than an inch!"

"Of course, sister. Just the tip," Dora smirked at her innuendo and Sulpicia, Aro, and Marcus burst out in laughter.

Anna stared in confusion before her face lit up and she hid her face in her hands in mortification.

Dora bounced up, apparently very excited about this new activity. "Come on then," she said, and held out her hand as she smiled invitingly. She led her to Sulpicia's room and they sat her around her vanity once again as Sulpicia painstakingly brushed the entire length of hair out. They were left with, quite frankly, a frizzy mess, which any girl with curly hair will tell you happens when you attempt to brush it.

Dora walked around and inspected it contemplatively. "How do you feel about bangs? Not a full fringe, of course, just some facial framing."

"Okay I guess…"

"I think it would look quite lovely," Sulpicia added, also contemplating the girl in the mirror. "Side swept, but not too short, of course."

Dora hummed and hawed for another few moments before brandishing the shiny scissors like a sword.

"Are you ready for this, sorellina?"

Anna took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Okay, do it."

She felt a snip here and there, and a tug as Dora measured ends and then stepped back and looked at it, then stepped forward again and snipped some more. She didn't open her eyes for it at all, though, unable to bear watching her precious hair fall to the floor.

"Alright, I'm done," Dora said finally. "But no peeking, let me re-curl it."

She heard someone pull something out of a drawer and set it on the vanity and within a minute she felt a curling wand being wrapped around her hair before she heard Dora take a final step back.

"Damn, I'm good. Open your eyes."

Anna did so and was immediately stunned. The girl in the mirror couldn't posibly be her… she blinked a few times and sure enough, so did the pretty creature staring back at her with a slightly stunned expression on her face.

"Wow."

The length was still all there, falling heavily past her waist in waves, although rather than her usual slightly haphazard natural curls, perfect waves framed her, shining prettily. The bangs Dora had cut weren't exactly bangs, but the hair framed her face just so, making it less circular and more…

"Wow," she said again.

Dora preened and smiled happily. "I am so glad you like it!"

Anna reached up to pet the pretty red curtain falling around her and turned to smile back at her. "You are a hair wizard."

"Yes, yes, I know, I know. Now!" She clapped her hands and Anna immediately looked suspicious. "The eyebrows!"

* * *

When Anna finally returned to Marcus she felt 2 pounds lighter and about 20 degrees more angular in the brow area. Although, once again, she had to admit that Dora had done an exceedingly good job on both.

He nodded approvingly at her and said, "You look lovely, my darling."

She blushed and smiled at him. As she settled back against his side, he spoke up to the rest of the family.

"Anna would like to celebrate Christmas."

Anna immediately sat up again and looked alarmed, "I didn't say that!"

He looked confused and said, "But you asked if we celebrated it and looked very sad when I said we did not."

"Yeah but that doesn't mean you guys have to celebrate it! I mean, I'm not even religious!"

"We've never done Christmas before," Aro said contemplatively. "Aside from that one time at the Schonbrunn-"

"Aro," Sulpicia hissed, and glared at him.

"Right, we don't speak of that," he said, looking slightly contrite.

"It might be fun," Dora said, ignoring them and also seeming to consider the idea. "Lets do it!"

"Humans these days like to hang lights and put up a large tree and exchange gifts, correct?" Aro directed the question towards her.

"Well yes but…"

"Ooooh!" Sulpicia squealed. "Let me fetch Demitri! This is so exciting! I _never _get to decorate the castle after that one St. Marcus feast day-"

"Sulpicia," it was Marcus' turn to hiss. She turned to look at him questioningly and then understanding covered her features. "Oops. Sorry Marcus."

Anna looked at him and said, "St. Marcus feast day?"

He sighed and frowned and said, "The legend goes that the brave Saint Marcus drove all the vampires out of the city. Of course, we know that is quite untrue but it doesn't stop them from persistently celebrating it."

She giggled maniacally. She had to admit, the idea tickled her. "You're _sainted?"_

He raised a brow at her, mocking sternness.

"_Holy _cow."

There was another resounding groan throughout the room in response.

* * *

Anna awoke the next morning to the smell of bacon and immediately scrambled out of the covers. Marcus was setting it on the table and looked up at her in surprise.

"That's all it takes to get you out of bed? Bacon?"

She didn't respond, was too busy shoving the delicious crispy meat in her mouth at an alarming speed.

When she had finally cleared her plate in way too quick a time, she sighed happily, "That was delicious. Thank you."

"You are welcome, Tesoro. And when you are dressed and ready Sulpicia has a few things to ask you about American Christmas customs."

"Err, alright. Can you tell her I'll be ready in about half an hour?"

"Of course, I will come back for you in half an hour."

Once he was gone and a safe distance away in her estimation, she wandered into the bathroom. She put her hair in a bun to keep it out of the water, as she didn't want to ruin the perfect curls Dora had given her the day before, and luxuriated in the beautiful shower. There was pretty much every kind of bathing products she could want and endlessly enjoyed taking the time to select one for the day.

After she had pruned herself sufficiently, she got out, dried herself off with a towel from the heated rack, and wandered into the connected closet to figure out what to wear for the day. She ended up choosing more leggings, an oversized knit sweater, and the moccasins she had come to love.

She was rubbing hand cream on her hands as she walked out to find that Marcus had not yet returned, so she cozied up in front of the fire with a book. Not a minute later, there was a knock at the door and she smiled to herself. How strange that she was happier to see him than to read a book…

She skipped to open it and smiled even more broadly when she saw him standing there. She was a little startled when she looked behind him and saw the hallway was now lined with small potted evergreens with twinkling lights and tinsel on them.

"Oh my god," she muttered.

"You have not even seen half of it yet, piccola… she's been at it all night."

As they walked down the hall, Anna saw more of the decorations… garland wrapped around curtain rods, fairy lights lining doorways, massive evergreens standing in the corner and covered in beautiful decorations…

"She really doesn't do anything halfway, does she?"

He led her into a part of the castle she had not been in yet. It seemed more formal, less like the living quarters she was used to. The hall they were taking eventually led to a massive grand staircase – the bannister had more garland wrapped around it with golden pinecones and sprigs of holly in it, as well as more beautiful lights interwoven through it. The staircase led into a great hall, which looked as if Christmas elves had puked all over it.

Sulpicia was directing a few men who were holding an evergreen that had to be at least 50 feet tall.

"A little to the right… hmmmm no. A little to the back… Demitri, fix the branches close to you they seem a little too sparse… There we are! Perfect! Ah, Anna! Here you are. I wanted to ask you whether Americans still place an angel on the tree. I had the guard go and find a few, however I thought perhaps some stars might be preferable so I acquired some of those too."

"Er- well, both are used…"

"Excellent! I do like variety!"

She turned back to the tree and said, "I think this one needs more ribbon…"

Anna looked back at Marcus who looked very amused, "Let her have her fun, piccola. She never gets to decorate the castle."

She eyed him warily and said, "You don't think it's a bit much?"

He smirked and said, "Of course it is, but you will find the Volturi family does not do anything modestly, as you pointed out."

She laughed and all of a sudden her face went still with dread and she said, "Oh god, she hadn't gotten to the library, has she?"

Anna had to check on her beloved library, only to find that Sulpicia had decorated that as well - although she was relieved to find it was a little more modest. She had only added another grand tree decorated in lights, tinsel, and a ribbon and some garland circling the bannisters around the staircases to the other levels and… much to Anna's embarrassment… a sprig of mistletoe in the reading nook where she and Marcus usually sat.

He had smiled mischievously as he pointed it out. She burned bright red but leaned up to kiss him quickly and lightly.

They sat and read for a few hours – or, Anna read and Marcus alternated between looking at her and looking back at his own book. She was the perfect picture of beauty sitting there, illuminated by the light from the window, her pale skin glowing lightly and her hair ghosting over her breasts and casting a red shadow over her, a book in her hands and her eyes downcast…

"Wait here, Tesoro. I will not be a minute."

She looked up, slightly startled, but nodded. He walked at a human pace toward the door, but from there ran to his own rooms. He retrieved a book of heavy paper and a stick of charcoal and ran back, returning to her within 2 minutes.

He forced himself to slow to a pace she would not find alarming and sat back down. She had not moved much, was back to looking out the window and fiddling with a corner of the book in her lap. She smiled when she saw him again and looked curiously at his hands.

"I would like to draw you in this light, Tesoro, if you do not mind."

"I- well – alright. Where would you like me? Or how should I sit? Or-"

"Just as you are – just read your book as you were before."

"O-okay," she was blushing now, could feel him scrutinizing her. She tried to focus on her book but found that she could not, as she could feel his eyes on her.

She peeked up and saw him smiling softly at her and blushed further. He pointedly turned his head toward the window, not looking at her anymore.

She watched him for a few minutes and realized he wasn't going to draw her until she was comfortable again and not feeling like a bug under a microscope. She sighed and smiled at him before returning to her book.

When he heard her heartbeat return to its normal rhythm and the scent of her embarrassment faded, he looked back toward her, his exquisite little mate…

* * *

She had been fully engrossed in her book once again when he cleared his throat. She automatically looked up, wide eyed and distracted and saw the book in his hands.

"Oh! Have you finished?"

"Yes, I have."

"Could I… see it?"

He held the book out toward her and she looked down at it. His drawing was flawless, the lines all fluid and perfect, the blending immaculate… but surely that could not be her. The girl in the picture was beautiful; her hair curled in ways hers never could and her face was lovely and serene. She sat curled in a chair with a book on her lap and her hand on her arm, a large sweater draped over her but didn't hide the curve of a breast…

"Is this... how you see me?"

"Yes, and I do have exceptional eyesight. It is very accurate, although not near as lovely as the real thing."

She blushed at his words but forced herself to look into his eyes.

He looked at her peculiarly then, tilting his head to the side. He got up and crouched in front of her, a hand on either armrest, effectively trapping her in. But rather than frightening her or making her want to escape, she felt protected – comforted.

"You are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen, piccola. Believe me. I do not lie to you. And I have seen a great deal."

She blushed, but held his gaze. She had tears in her eyes when she said, "When I first saw you, I thought you were an angel. I have never felt… anything… like I do when I am with you… I can't help but think I was made for you."

"And I for you, cara mia."

* * *

From the corner, Anna, Marcus, and Demitri were watching Aro and Dora argue about whether the angel on top of the tree should have a gold bow, or only be dressed in pure white. It was getting quite heated, with Sulpicia and Caius off to the side also watching the spectacle with amusement.

Dora had started growling lowly as she snarled, "She is an _angel of the_ _Lord. _She must only wear pure white! The angels did not care for such human fripperies! Have you even _read _the original Greek, you loathsome sycophant?"

Aro had narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms in front of his chest petulantly. "It is _tradition _to honour the angels this way or do you not remember the renaissance because you and Caius were too busy _INSPIRING DANTE'S INFERNO?"_

"No one _died, _if your recall and _it made him famous! _The ends justify the means!" she growled.

"How very Machiavellian of you, _Melpomene."_

"_First of all, how dare-"_

Anna looked back at Marcus with a slight smile on her face, "It's possible I shouldn't have brought up Christmas at all."

"Hmmmm, so it seems," he said, similarly with a smile on his face.

She turned back to the chessboard in front of them where she and Demitri had been playing before the whole angelic debacle with Marcus spectating. She took a sip of the wine in front of her and glowered slightly at the board.

Demitri made a move. "You really would make an atrocious war general. Your troops would be dead within minutes," he told her dryly.

She countered it with another move. "Yes, but they would be well fed. I have my priorities."

"Well, I suppose that just makes it all better if you go to your death with a full belly."

Marcus' phone rang suddenly and she jumped a little and looked over toward him. He was looking at it, sighed slightly, and said, "I must take this. I will be but a moment, piccola."

She smiled at him and nodded before turning back to the board.

Demitri moved a pawn and she looked at the board and pouted. "What?! No fair, you can't checkmate me with a pawn. Aren't I supposed to be your _queen_ or something?"

He brought a hand to his chest dramatically and immediately got down to one knee with a flourish, his face the picture of contrition. "My queen, my great and holy leader, how right you are!"

He continued to clutch his chest as if it pained him, "My deepest and most sincerest apologies, Your Greatness. I have wronged you – Oh so grievously, have I wronged you! Am I but an adder to your Cleopatra? The poisoned tunic to your Heracles? The kryptonite to your Superman? Oh, woe is me. Please, my liege put me out of my misery. I have failed you, and have therefore failed myself. I do not deserve the venom in my veins. My life is forfeit."

"Bah! So melodramatic. And it was an asp that killed Cleopatra, _as you well know." _

"You know best, my fair Queen…" he trailed off, then suddenly his face transformed from repentant to sly. He smirked and continued; "You know best that there is no hope for your king now. Surrender and we will be merciful and spare his life."

She balked, raising a hand to her chest in offence. "Well, I never! Off with his head!"

She glared and turned toward her mate who was just placing his phone back in his pocket, "Marcus!"

He was there in an instant, standing beside the table and looking at the board intently. "My love, this is appalling. How could you allow him to best you with a pawn?"

"I didn't mean to!"

He sighed, "We cannot behead the guard because you cannot play chess. It would incite a riot and then who would put up the lights around the castle?"

She pouted, looking strikingly similar to Aro's previous stance. "Well, what are you gonna give me in return?"

"As you are my mate, it is my duty to avenge you, of course. Demitri, another game?"

"Of course, my Lord!"

Marcus beat him in 6 moves as she watched in astonishment.

Demitri sighed. "I have never yet won a game against you, my Lord, and I'm not sure I still harbour much hope that I ever will."

"Let's try again next century, shall we?"

"Best tracker in the world, and still can't win a game of chess…" he muttered.

Anna picked up on it. "Tracker?"

"Yes, that is my gift," he said absentmindedly, still staring at the board.

"Everyone keeps saying that but I don't quite understand what it means…"

Marcus looked at her, considering. "You have seen that vampires have heightened strength and senses, but some… talented humans also bring their talents into this life as well which, too, are amplified. Demitri can pick up on the… flavor, of someone's thoughts, for lack of better word, and find them where ever they are across the globe. I can see relationships between people, and Aro can read every thought one has ever had just by touching them."

Her eyes widened and she realized… oh god, she had touched Aro… oh my god he knew everything.

Marcus smiled gently at her, "I know what you are thinking and… well, we have never seen this before, but Aro cannot read you."

She was even further stunned and asked, "What do you mean?"

The room had gone silent and she hadn't realized it. "Just as he said, my dear," Aro said. "When I touched you, it was all a blur. I couldn't make out anything clearly."

"And… that's never happened before?"

"Never. Some humans are already gifted, as it seems you are… it means when you are reborn into this life, your gifts will be unrivalled," he sounded so excited about it.

"Well… that's very… interesting." She was still stunned from this news.

Marcus interrupted her thoughts when he said, "Would you like to go to bed now, picolla? It is getting late."

"Sure," she said, absentmindedly, and followed him back to her room.

* * *

I'm hoping to get another chapter in soon... we will see! It's almost finished. Happy Tuesday and Merry Christmas to those celebrating :)


	12. Chapter 12

Things got a little out of hand in this chapter… the M rating is starting to make itself known so if that sort of content is offensive to you, you might want to consider reading another story.

* * *

Anna woke up and realized there was only two days until Christmas and panicked. It had all turned into such a huge event so suddenly that she didn't have any gifts at all – or money to buy gifts, and somehow she didn't think they were lacking in anything she could afford to give, anyways.

What would she do? Oh god. Panic welled up in her chest.

She felt hands pushing hair back from her face and Marcus' concerned voice asking her, "What is wrong, piccola?"

She turned to face him and said, "I just realized I don't have any presents for anyone!"

He chuckled and smiled at her reassuringly, "No one expects you to. Don't worry on it, cara mia."

"But-"

"If you would really like to get gifts for us, give us the gift of your own peace. That is all we want."

She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"We would all very much like you to be happy, tesoro, without your fear and doubt and sadness lording over you."

"I-" she was at a loss for words. A small voice piped up, wondering why they would care. Another joined in – saying her feelings were none of their concern and how dare they try and tell her not to have them after everything she had been through… but the strongest voice… it felt protected. This family wanted her to be happy, they wanted to help her be happy and safe and assured and they seemed like the type to always get what they wanted.

"We should get up, I am hungry," she said lowly, her mind still preoccupied thinking on this. It was still such a foreign feeling to realize that people didn't want to hurt her – or quite the opposite, wanted to help her.

Marcus had food waiting for her as usual and she ate it absentmindedly, barely noticing what she was eating. She was going in circles in her mind, obsessing over this idea, when suddenly his phone rang. He looked at it, frowned, and dismissed himself quickly.

She looked at him curiously, but did not say anything. He was getting a lot of phone calls lately. Or maybe he had just refused to take them at first when she was still recovering? The thought that he would devote all his attentions to her sent a massive flood of warmth through her…

She finished eating and decided to get herself ready for whatever they had planned for this day so at least she wouldn't keep him waiting when he got back. She sighed happily when she walked into the heated tiles of the bathroom. It was always a shock how much luxury she had been blessed with here. Like, an actual towel heating rack? And a shower that had extra spouts aimed directly at her body so there was warm pleasant water shooting at her from every direction and every kind of nice smelling toiletry known to man? Who knew people actually lived like this?

When he wasn't back after she had finished her shower and getting ready she sat down on the chaise, looking around the room. She had left her book in Sulpicia and Aro's living room last night so she didn't even have that distraction. She tidied up her room, trying to busy herself.

She had become so spoiled lately, so used to having something to occupy her time with and someone to be with her constantly that being alone for five minutes suddenly sounded like an impossible length of time without him.

She considered. Maybe she could find her way to the library? He would almost certainly know to find her there – it was practically one of the only three places she ever went and she didn't want to bother Sulpicia by showing up there unannounced.

Decided, she set out of the room, thankful that the doors down this hallway were a much more manageable size and weight than the ones in Marcus' rooms, and set off down the hall of tiny potted evergreens. Upon closer inspection, they all seemed to be covered in decorations from Tiffany's… good lord, how much did Sulpicia spend on this?

She remembered the first few turns easily and the halls were familiar to her so she was certain she was heading in the right direction. She recognized the Botticelli painting, a small greenery that was bathed in tons of light and covered in all sorts of plants everywhere, and a forked hallway that was always pitch black down one end and always sent a chill down her spine. It was so strange. The other hallway was cheerful and bright just as the rest of the castle was, but this hallway… it had no lights and it seemed to swallow all the light from the main hall as well, not allowing it to penetrate it whatsoever.

However sometime after that, as she was distracted considering what might be down that creepy hallway, she must have taken a wrong turn and gotten lost. She didn't recognize where she was at all. There were fewer doorways and there seemed to be at least 10 hallways leading off from this one. There wasn't any art on the walls either and she couldn't even remember which hall she had come from. With a sigh, she decided to stop and look around her to see if she could figure out her way from here back to more familiar territory.

With a sudden sinking feeling, she realized this was, in all likelihood, a castle full of vampires… like the one who had tried to kill her… oh god what had she gotten herself into? Why had she thought this was a good idea? This was one of the most stupid decisions she had ever made, and that was a pretty impressive feat…

Okay, she told herself. No panicking now. Just have to get yourself out of this. Everything will be fine. Demitri said he was a tracker right? Well, he could almost certainly find her. Although they had said Aro's gift didn't work on her because her mind blocked it. Did that mean Demitri's wouldn't work either?

Well… someone would have to find her… and maybe if they knew she was Marcus' mate they wouldn't eat her?

She decided to give it one last chance and went down the hall she thought she might have come from. She couldn't even tell that it wasn't the right one until she had gotten to the end, turned a corner, and found herself in the coziest little nook ever. It was perfectly rounded and looked like it must jut off from the castle as there was an almost fishbowl-like row of windows around it from which she could see for miles.

She could see a small picturesque town below her with Christmas lights on the perfect cookie cutter houses and a large square in the middle. It was absolutely beautiful. Someone else seemed to think so as well, as there was a day bed type seat below the windows, covered in throw pillows and a cozy blanket.

This seemed as good a place as any to wait out someone finding her… She settled herself on the seat and wrapped the blanket around herself before she resumed looking out the window. She could see tiny people moving around the centre square and after a few minutes, snow began to fall in fat, heavy drops. It all seemed so surreal, so picturesque…

She didn't know how long she sat there but suddenly she heard a voice from right beside her that made her jump. She hadn't heard anyone walking down the hall and she had grown so used to Marcus, Sulpicia and Athenodora being sure to walk at a pace she could see and making noise as to not startle her.

"You shouldn't be here," the girl said. She was beautiful, with pin straight blonde that fell slightly past her shoulders and a cherubic face that had the same unsettling bright red eyes of the first woman, rather than the mahogany of Sulpicia and Dora and Marcus that she had grown accustomed to.

She looked so young, though, perhaps barely out of childhood, and yet she wore a sophisticated black dress, black tights, and black heels that were likely to make her seem taller.

"I kind of got lost on my way to the library," she told the girl. "Could you tell me how to get there?"

"I will take you to Lord Marcus myself," she said. "It's not safe for you to wander alone here."

She seemed so… stern. Her demeanor was nowhere near her lovely youthful exterior.

"Oh, okay," she said, quickly getting up and righting the pillows and refolding the blanket. "Thank you."

The girl bowed her head and said, "You are welcome, my queen."

Anna didn't say anything after that; she just followed the girl who walked at a pace a little too quickly for Anna's liking. They wound through the halls until Anna was back in familiar territory. She didn't dare tell this strange child that, though. The girl looked more likely to scold her as if _she _were the child.

When they reached Marcus' rooms, Demitri was standing out in the hall and looked very surprised to see them.

"Jane," Demitri said cautiously, speaking to the girl. "What are you doing here?"

"I found Master Marcus' mate in the East wing," she said, her face still blank and her voice devoid of emotion.

He raised an eyebrow at her and said, "Thank you, you have done well. I will take her from here."

The girl nodded and disappeared. Anna jumped a little when she suddenly wasn't standing beside her anymore but said nothing.

"I kind of got lost looking for the library when Marcus didn't return," she said sheepishly, looking at the ground and hoping she wouldn't get in trouble.

"He got detained on the phone with some business, I will take you to see Lady Sulpicia if you would like."

"Er- sure, okay," she said. At least she wouldn't be bored.

Sulpicia had been worried when Anna told her she had gotten lost on the way to the library.

"This place is just so big, and I didn't want to bother you guys," she explained, sinking into more self-doubt.

The older woman saw her concern and opted to leave that subject be for the rest of their visit, trying to distract her with another area of conversation. When Marcus burst into her room less than an hour later, Sulpicia was relieved, as despite steering away from that area of conversation, she had seen Anna become more and more worried with every minute, likely obsessing over it in her overly busy head.

Anna jumped at the sudden intrusion and when she saw it was Marcus she looked both relieved and more nervous.

He came over to where she sat and kneeled in front of her as he often did so their faces were on the same level.

"I am very sorry for being gone for so long piccola. There was urgent business I had to attend to."

"That's okay," she squeaked, fiddling with the hem of her shirt nervously.

"Next time I will leave someone with you. You cannot wander the castle alone. It is not safe."

"I'm so sorry," she said, her eyes welling up with tears. "I shouldn't have gone off without asking permission. It was such a stupid decision… I just didn't want to bother the others and I thought I knew my way to the library…"

"Hush Tesoro, do not cry," he said as he sat on the couch and pulled her into his lap. He took her beautiful fragile face in his hands and tilted it toward him. When she resolutely focused her eyes downward and refused to look him in the eye, he said firmly, "Look at me."

She did so, her lovely eyes full of tears, until one escaped and ran down her face and her bottom lip quivered slightly. He watched it, his brow furrowed, and focused his own eyes on hers, "I am not angry and you do not need to ask permission to do things, I am only concerned for your safety. There are many things in this castle that would upset you, and although I have faith in the guard, there is always a possibility of an accident and I cannot risk that with you. Do you understand what I am saying?"

Her lip still trembled, but she nodded.

He pressed a kiss to her forehead, reveling in the feel of her on his lap. She sighed and closed her eyes at the feeling. It was so childish, wasn't it? Kissing someone on the forehead? That's what people do to children… but from him it felt so good. Not childish at all… he could kiss her anywhere, she thought, and automatically blushed at where her mind had gone.

He smelled her embarrassment and the slight smell of her arousal and almost smiled before she suddenly jumped and then looked all around the room, as if looking for someone.

"Sulpicia left a while ago, Tesoro, to give us privacy."

"Oh," she blushed.

"Shall I take you back to my rooms and feed you?"

She smiled brightly at that and nodded vigorously. "Yes please!"

"As my lady commands," he said with a smile, and stood with her in his arms. She squeaked in surprise and automatically brought her arms up to hold onto his neck. He maneuvered her through the doors toward his rooms with minimal effort and sat on the couch with her back in his lap before he called for the guard who he knew were in the hall, always guarding their personal living quarters.

Afton knocked on the door before Marcus called for him to enter. Anna had not seen him before and eyed him warily, shifting slightly closer to Marcus. He noticed and wrapped his arms around her more tightly, slightly angling her so he was between her and the door. It brought her an innumerable measure of comfort to know that he knew exactly how to make her feel safe – and cared enough to do so.

"Have Anna's food brought into my rooms when it is ready in half an hour."

"Yes, my Lord," he said, and bowed shallowly before leaving and closing the door.

Once they were alone again, Anna relaxed and smiled up at him once more. He smiled back softly, once more bringing a hand up to caress her face. She nuzzled into it, a happy smile gracing her features and a soft sigh escaping her. It felt so good to have him touch her. His hands were so large and she knew, without a doubt, they could crush her skull if they wanted to. But they didn't. They just ghosted over her skin with exactly the right pressure to sooth her.

And they were so soft and smooth; nothing had ever felt so good. She turned her face so she could plant a kiss on his palm, closing her eyes as she did so. He groaned in response, so lowly she almost couldn't hear it.

When she turned her face back toward him, he leaned in to plant a kiss of his own on her forehead once more. He lingered there for a few moments, before moving down toward her eyelids, then her cheekbones, her jaw, her chin, and finally, with a slight smile on his face, the tip of her nose.

By the time he was finished she felt like her entire face was a raw nerve, so acutely aware of every area of contact he had with it… his lips were firm, smooth, but so incredibly gentle on her.

He looked her in the eyes with an unfathomable expression and she slowly leaned into him before pressing another kiss of her own to his lips.

A sweet sigh escaped her when their lips met and he growled lowly at the sound and feeling of her. Her hands had come up to tentatively hold his face and she had leaned in so her breasts were pressed up against his chest.

She shifted slightly in his lap, trying to find a more comfortable angle, and he guided one leg over to the other side of his body so she was straddling him once again. He brought one hand to her back to press her harder against him, the other holding her hip, being mindful of his grip and pressure. He didn't want to harm her in the heat of the moment because he was too distracted by the exquisite taste and feel of her.

She gasped a little but kept her face pressed firmly against his, copying the actions of his lips against hers and losing herself in the feel of him against her, surrounding her. Her hands had moved to run through his hair, tangling in the silky feel of it.

She felt his tongue slowly run across her bottom lip and knew what he was asking for. And god help her, did she ever want it too. She opened her mouth, allowing him access, and almost died when she felt his cool, wet tongue rub against hers.

She whimpered, pressing her center harder against him. She realized he was hard, his erection rubbing between her legs, and it only made her want him even more – rather than run in fear that she had inspired such a thing in him like it always had before. But this was different. Marcus was different. His arousal didn't signify impending doom to her. It signified something _good _that she felt deep inside of her, radiating out in waves of pleasured over-sensitization.

He tasted so good. It intoxicated her. She had never tasted anything like it before - it was sweet and hot at the same time and she felt as if she could get addicted to it. She wanted to kiss him for the rest of her life.

She continued rubbing herself against his erection, hesitantly and good god, the feeling… and here she thought her face had been a raw nerve, but this… it was electricity sparking uncontrollably, sending delicious waves of pleasure over her… she didn't ever want to stop.

The kisses were growing more desperate and when she felt as if she were going to pass out, he broke away from her mouth – eliciting a little whimper from her – and moved down toward her neck, pressing kisses, sucking, and lightly – ever so lightly – running his teeth over her oversensitive flesh.

She gasped and moaned and let out little strangled noises from the back of her throat but she didn't stop the movement of her hips against his. There was a tightness building deep inside of her and every thrust made it tighter and tighter until she was sure she would explode, as she couldn't possibly take anymore. Her movements were becoming more forceful and more frantic with each thrust…

She buried her head against his neck, desperately moving her body, seeking out release, when finally his hand came up to cup a breast, rubbing his thumb over a nipple once, twice, and she broke.

Waves of pleasure crashed over her and she spasmed uncontrollably over top of him, letting out a stream of gibberish that may just have been calling his name, or some strangled version of his name, over and over again, and clutching onto him for dear life.

When she finally resurfaced, she found her limbs were still shaking as a shock of pleasure and subsequent contraction deep within her were still slowly rocking through her body before it tapered off altogether.

Her face was still buried in his neck and she was breathing heavily as if she had just run a marathon. She realized he was still hard against her, and that his hands were running soothing laps over her sides and back. She felt so boneless and blissful that she thought she might melt into a puddle or just float away entirely.

His hand came up to stroke her hair, and he was purring lightly. The vibrations reached to where his erection was still pressed against her and her over sensitized body squirmed away from the sensation.

"That was-" her voice was weak, and utterly sated.

"Magnificent," he finished for her, tilting her head back to look at him and pushing the slightly damp hair off her face.

"I've never felt anything like that before," she said, looking at him with wonder.

"Never?" he asked, baffled. He was certain she had previous sexual experiences… although… was it possible they had all been with that foul creature? That they had all been tainted by his cruelty? The idea caused dread to wash over him. His poor, sweet mate…

"No…" her voice trailed off. "I didn't know it could feel like that…"

His purr kicked up a notch and he kissed her forehead once more. After a few moments, he placed her back on the couch and stood.

"I must change my pants," he said, a slight smile on his face. "I will only be a moment."

She blushed bright red when she realized there was a large, obvious wet spot on the front of his pants where she had been rubbing, but said nothing. She did admire his retreating form, though, and had to shake the thoughts away. Wouldn't do to have him go through two pairs of pants…

* * *

"What is it?" Anna asked curiously.

"You will see," Marcus replied, a mysterious smile on his face. He was bundling her in a coat and boots and mittens and a hat and insisted she wear a thermal layer under her pants but he wouldn't tell her what he was up to. It was only one day until Christmas and she was still scrambling to find something, _anything, _to give them as gifts.

"Are we taking a trip to the Arctic circle?"

"No," he chuckled as he wrapped a scarf around her neck.

"Then why are you fussing over me like I'm some fragile infant?"

"I do not want you getting a chill," he said, with a look toward her that said he would not hear any more of her complaints.

She sighed and submitted herself to his attentions until finally he relinquished the knitted winter wear when he thought she was sufficiently wrapped and told her to follow him. He wound her through yet another new passage through the castle, down staircases and halls until she was certain they were deep underground somewhere. They continued walking for a few minutes until finally, up ahead she saw the glowing outline of a door.

They exited through what appeared to be a church's back door at the bottom of the hill where the Volturi castle was. It was dark outside, although not yet pitch black. Her attention was drawn to the top of the hill where… good god. The castle was even more magnificent than she would have assumed it was from the inside. It sat proudly on top of the hill, looking down over the town.

And it was covered in Christmas lights. She had never seen anything quite like it. Every turret and tower and even the wall around it were lined in bright white lights that shone proudly in the dark.

"Mother of God," she said out loud. "You weren't kidding when you asked who would put up the Christmas lights…"

He chuckled before looking over toward the small, nondescript door they had just come out of. Out popped a giddy Sulpicia and Aro, and a slightly more collected Dora and Caius.

"Didn't I tell you they would look wonderful, my love?" Anna heard Sulpicia ask Aro, clinging to his arm and beaming up at him.

None of them had dressed more warmly than usual, although they all seemed to be wearing more sensible footwear than usual. Anna got the feeling that was more for the benefit of keeping their shoes tidy than their own needs, though.

Dora took Sulpicia's hand and looked at her with wide eyes as she simpered playfully, "I _never _doubted you, sister!"

Aro stuck his tongue out at her behind Sulpicia's head and when she turned toward him, Dora crossed her eyes at him.

Anna giggled at their antics and they all looked over at her, still enchanted by the lovely sound.

"So Anna, how did I do? Is this how Americans usually do it?"

"Well… the average American home is a little smaller, you understand…"

"Well, of course," Sulpicia nodded understandingly.

"And many of them aren't quite so… err… _tasteful, _you might say…"

"What could possibly be more tasteless than lighting up the castle like it was _Disney land?" _came Caius' snide voice. She saw Dora reach over to touch his arm with a warning look on her face.

"My mom had this giant inflatable Frosty the Snow Man she put in the yard every year. I would say that's pretty bad. I'm pretty sure she did it just to spite my father too."

"Did your mother not like your father?" Aro asked, clearly confused.

Anna laughed. "No, they were quite fond of one another but they were constantly playing jokes on one another. Christmas was my mother's favourite holiday and she always went all out, but my father wasn't really a fan of all of it. On the other hand, he used to insist on hunting the turkey for thanksgiving every year and she always had to be the one to clean the turkey so I guess it evened out..."

"Very peculiar… Tell me more about American thanksgiving," Sulpicia said.

"It's literally just an excuse to overeat and watch football and drink beer."

"You Americans have strange traditions," Dora said. "I have never understood what could be so appealing about stuffing bread crumbs in a turkey's rectum."

Anna narrowed her eyes and questioned slyly, "Didn't you Greeks love that fermented fish sauce? I think you win this one for disgusting foods."

"She has a point," Marcus said. "Now let us go back inside where it is warm. I do not want you getting chilled."

* * *

Sorry I cut this off here! I'll post the rest tomorrow. It had just gotten too long, I had to separate it. I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and liked the smut… I figured you've waited long enough for a little action :p


	13. Chapter 13

It was Christmas Eve when Anna finally had an idea of what she could give them for Christmas. It seemed paltry, although it was the only idea she had so it would have to do. They had seemed so intrigued by her stories of her parents and traditions, and Marcus had said they wanted her to be more brave and confident so, she decided, she would write down some of her favourite stories from her family and life and read it to them.

It was the bravest thing she could think of that she could do. She hadn't voluntarily spoken about them in so long, and the idea of doing so terrified her… but they wanted to know her, and Aro couldn't just cheat and read her, so she would read herself to them.

She got to work, asking for a journal from Marcus and a pencil and she sat in the library and thought of what she wanted to tell them. She wished she still had the old photos, but they had been lost since she left Nigeria…. The last things she had of her mother and sisters… it wouldn't do to become melancholy now, she told herself. She had work to do.

It took a good couple hours of writing and Marcus had periodically checked in on her, curiously looking toward the journal, which she hastily hid from his prying eyes each time. She didn't doubt he would be able to read what she had written from a few feet away.

When she was finally finished, she waited until Marcus came for his next visit and they left together. Apparently Sulpicia wanted to do some Christmas Eve festivities in her room.

When they got there, Anna found that Sulpicia had an assortment of foods laid out – way more than she alone could eat, and Dora and Aro were waiting there on the couch, a large goblet in each of their hands. Caius was absent and she couldn't help but guiltily feel relieved once more that he was not there.

"Anna! Merry Christmas Eve!" Sulpicia called as they walked in and she hugged them both. Anna was quite confused by the gesture, although she hugged her back warmly.

"I have arranged for traditional foods from many different places!" she said, and walked Anna over toward the heavily laden table. "We have mince pie, bunuelos, cougnou, roasted duck, schaufele, kottbullar, butter tarts, pastiera, fruit cake, sugar cookies, buche de noel, and gingerbread. And for drinks there's poppy milk, apple cider, eggnog, and Prosecco!" *

"Surely this isn't all meant for me?" Anna asked, wide eyed.

"But of course it is! I'm sure you have noticed by now we do not eat the same food as you," Sulpicia said, smiling.

Anna's eyes travelled over to the dark goblets in Dora and Aro's hands. "Then what's in those cups…?"

Everyone in the room froze and stared at her until suddenly she realized and her eyes went wide as she blanched. "Oh god, surely you don't mean…"

"Piccola…" Marcus said, kneeling down in front of her and taking her hands. She blinked at him stupidly.

"I mean, I guess it only seems fair… I'm constantly eating in front of you. And I know you have to eat too, or drink I guess and that's okay I guess it's just a shock, you know? I mean, I've seen a lot of blood. Hell, I've been covered in a lot of blood and not just my own!" She said with a nervous laugh. She knew she was babbling but she couldn't seem to shut her mouth off. She was just too nervous, didn't know what to say or do or…

"Anna," Marcus said again, more firmly this time. Her mouth closed shut sharply and she finally looked at him. "If you find it distressing, they will not drink in front of you. They do not mind, they just did not consider whether it might upset you."

"No, no, really, it's fine. I just wasn't thinking. Honestly. It's fine," she said, trying to reassure him.

He looked at her for another moment before nodding and standing. Sulpicia automatically kicked back into gear and grabbed a plate – beautifully gilded, she noticed – and started questioning what Anna wanted.

After the plate had been filled (much too full in Anna's opinion, but Sulpicia wouldn't take no for an answer until it had been said at least three times) Anna sat down with her own glass of rum spiked eggnog and watched Dora and Aro sip at their own goblets. She was suddenly very glad that they were made of dark metal, as she really did not want to see what was inside them.

Sulpicia put on some light background Christmas music and settled on the couch next to Aro happily.

"So is Christmas morning usually when gifts are opened?" Dora asked after a time.

"I think it depends… in my family we always opened them on Christmas morning but I know some did it on Christmas Eve and some did it on Boxing Day."

"I'm so excited! When are we allowed to wake you?" Sulpicia asked excitedly.

Anna laughed at that. "You sound me when I was a child! I don't know, 8 AM?"

Sulpicia pouted but nodded. "I will see you at 8!"

After a few more hours of socializing, Anna and Marcus bid them goodnight before returning to Anna's room. She was yawning loudly as she got herself ready for bed before climbing in it with Marcus.

"Goodnight. Merry Christmas," she said softly, before sleep overtook her.

* * *

The next morning Anna was awoken to loud, excited whispers. She cracked one eye open to find Sulpicia at the foot of the bed, her hands on her hips, giving Marcus a glare. When she saw Anna was awake her face immediately transformed into a cheery smile.

"Anna! Merry Christmas! Are you ready to get up? We're all ready to open gifts! I got us matching pajamas! And breakfast is waiting in my rooms! Get ready quickly!" she exclaimed in a rush before practically prancing out of the room. Anna turned over to look at Marcus questioningly but he just sighed and shook his head.

"She got us _all _matching pajamas. There is no use fighting it. Caius already tried."

"She is certainly a force of nature…"

"Well, you would need to be to be Aro's mate."

Anna obligingly got up and changed into the clothes Sulpicia had left for her. They were certainly cozy, a very nice high quality flannel with penguins in bowties on them. She shook her head at them as she looked at herself in the mirror and washed her face.

When she finished, she emerged to find Marcus wearing the same bottoms, although on the top he just wore a form-fitting black tshirt. She almost salivated at the sight… she had never seen him this informal before. Even when he got in bed with her, he still wore dress pants and his buttoned shirt, he just loosened it from his pants and removed the waistcoat and jacket and tie.

But this shirt… this shirt showed off how broad his shoulders were… and how defined his chest was… and the way the pants hung off his hips… good lord…

He smirked at the look on her face before offering his arm to her and leading her toward Sulpicia and Aro's rooms.

Inside, as promised, Aro, Sulpicia, Dora, and Caius were all wearing matching flannel pajamas with penguins on them – looking varying degrees of thrilled and surly.

"Merry Christmas!" Aro and Dora said. Anna saw the tree was absolutely piled with presents under it and felt dread pool in her stomach.

"That's a lot of presents," she said worriedly.

"It is customary to exchange them, no?" Aro asked.

"Well yes, usually not that many, though…"

"I may have gotten a little carried away," Sulpicia said, looking a modicum doubtful before she recovered again. "Ah, well! These aren't going to open themselves! Come and sit down so we can start!"

Anna and Marcus sat on the couch beside where Dora and Caius were sitting and Sulpicia started distributing the immaculately wrapped parcels. Once they all had a sizeable stack in front of them Sulpicia told them to start opening.

Anna looked at her own pile suspiciously before reaching for one on top. It was only slightly larger than her hand and appeared to be from Sulpicia. The wrapping paper had the prettiest sparkle to it and Anna was almost loath to rip it, but she was terribly curious of what her sister had gotten her…

Inside a beautiful Tiffany's box was the most beautiful platinum locket engraved with all of their names around the heart. She forced herself to hold back the tears she felt welling up. It was so lovely and so incredibly thoughtful.

She looked up at Sulpicia who was smiling back at her so warmly, almost looking as if she were going to cry as well. "Thank you, Sulpicia," she said, her voice thick with emotion.

"You are welcome, sister," she said softly.

Aro distracted them from their moment when he tore open his gift. "Ah," he said with a slightly lascivious smile. "So this is why you haven't let me touch you the past two days!"

Sulpicia smiled back, her eyes glinting mischievously. "Do you like it, my darling?"

"Like it?!" Aro exclaimed, before leaning in to whisper something in her ear which made her giggle wildly like a schoolgirl and lean in to kiss him. Anna couldn't see what it was and she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to. She was distracted from that when she saw Dora opening what appeared to be a large collection of nail polish.

"Humans are so inventive!" Sulpicia said when she saw what was being opened. "This apparently changes colour depending on the body temperature! I thought we could try it on our sister!"

"How delightful!" Dora said, looking at them more carefully. "There are so many interesting things we could do with that…"

They tore through the rest of their gifts. Anna had acquired a new laptop, an iPad, an iPhone, priceless jewelry – some of which she thought looked suspiciously like the missing French crown jewels, and a pair of Louboutins.

Once everyone was finished unwrapping and admiring everything Anna cleared her throat. All eyes turned to her and she felt her stomach drop in anxiety.

"I didn't really know what to get you – and even if I did, and even if my bank account wasn't frozen, I likely wouldn't be able to afford it… but you seemed so strangely interested in hearing about my family and life and I know Aro can't read me so I thought I would read myself to you."

"Wait," Aro said, "Why is your bank frozen?"

"I mean, I'm assuming it is. I think that's what usually happens when someone is presumed dead as I'm pretty sure I am. That's what he told me, anyways."

Aro nodded and motioned for her to continue.

"And residents don't usually make piles of money, let alone when you're in a developing country… anyways," she grabbed the journal that was sitting behind her and cleared her throat. "I haven't voluntarily spoken about this in many years and I'm sure you can all tell how nervous I am so I started with a family tree so you could know who I'm talking about."

Anna proceeded to tell them all about her home town, her family, her childhood, and gradually she became a bit more comfortable when they interacted, asking her questions about things and telling her anecdotes from their own lives that they related to. Then it got to the hard part… the part she had refused to talk about to anyone, ever.

"When my mom and sisters died… it was so sudden, you know? One day they were there, sitting around the TV and making breakfast and then they left the house for just five minutes and they were gone… it was a car accident. Another car spun out of control and hit them.

"My dad… he never recovered. He sat in his room in the dark all day, drinking, crying, sleeping. I felt as if I had just lost my entire family and now I was losing him too. I didn't know what to do. I was just a child myself. How does a child take care of their grieving father? He killed himself less than 6 months after their death."

She sighed. "I don't blame him. I understand why he would do it… I just wish he hadn't… after that I lived with my aunt and she was nice but all I wanted was a family again… I felt so alone…

"I guess I made a choice somewhere that I would help people in any way I could. I understood loss and pain so acutely I guess I just wanted to help others who were feeling that. I had already skipped a few grades in elementary school and I started homeschooling after everything had happened. I finished the rest of my high school in a year and a half and I went into a fast tracked medicine program.

"I think that's finally where I started healing, or something… I don't know… I actually felt alive for the first time in years, though. When I graduated I couldn't shake the feeling that I needed to be elsewhere. There were so many reminders of my family and I was tired of them. I was tired of feeling like some orphaned freak. So I went somewhere where I knew most everyone had experienced losses like mine.

"I hadn't even been there a year when _he_ found me… he must've been able to sense how weak I was. I don't know. He used to follow me around though. I thought he was just some harmless creep but it turns out he was actually a psychopath. I still can't figure out why he chose _me. _Of all people…"

Her brow furrowed as an idea dawned on her, something she hadn't considered before, "Maybe he chose me because of that… there was no one who would miss me or look for me. Not really, anyways. And I was already so weak and useless, it would make sense to go for the easiest one."

They had all stayed silent as she told them these things. They didn't want to interrupt, lest they distract her and she stopped. They could tell it was something she needed to say, to finally actually express how she was feeling and how terrible the things that happened to her were… but they could not allow their dear sister to go on thinking she was weak and useless.

Sulpicia was the first to talk, "Weak and useless? Is that what you think of yourself?"

Anna was shocked. Sulpicia sounded so outraged. She didn't know what to say, "I-"

"You are telling me you lost your entire family and you still found the strength to make it to medical school, to graduate and practice medicine, so that you might help others who feel pain as you have felt?" Aro questioned. "Let alone moving to a country where you knew you were most needed, despite the additional hardships for you. I have seen many people's lives through their thoughts so let me enlighten you, little sister. You are a rarity. I have seen much loss and I have also seen what it does to people. It takes great strength to do what you have done. Strength most people do not have."

Athenodora was looking at her very seriously before she finally spoke as well, "I have not experienced as you have, Anna. You have been terribly abused by that foul man and I cannot express my sorrow for it. But I understand what it is to be… heinously violated, as often happens to women when men abuse their strength…" at this, she placed her hand on Caius' forearm. Anna saw his face was twisting in pure anger and Dora was comforting him, her touch calming him. Anna realized with a start that she must have been a victim of violence as well.

It was a horrible thought that beautiful, strong, poised Athenodora would have been treated that way by someone – anyone.

"I'm so sorry, Dora," she said, her eyes welling in tears.

She smiled reassuringly at the younger girl, "It was a long time ago, sister, and I have moved past it. I do not tell you this because I want your sympathy, I tell you this because I understand these hardships and I want you to know it is possible to move on from them."

She looked at Marcus now with a soft smile on her face, "If you allow him to, Marcus will be exceedingly helpful in that. I found my mate greatly helped in my healing."

Anna looked toward Marcus now and then immediately looked down. How could he still want her after everything she had said? Despite what they said, she was still damaged. No one could argue that. Even she could see how horribly mangled she was, to the very core of her being.

"Tesoro," he said so softly she almost didn't hear it. Once again, he manually directed her face toward him with a soft touch on her chin. She looked at him without prompting, knowing it was what he wanted, and yet feeling the shame rising in her chest all the same. "You are the most dear to me. I will never not want you, no matter what you tell me… what has been done to you, what has happened, does not make you any less valuable."

She flushed and blinked back tears, not wanting to have this conversation in front of the rest of the family. She nodded and he released her chin so she could look back toward the rest of them. She cleared her throat, willing her tears to pass.

"I just… want to thank you for listening." She smiled a little then and said, "It wasn't as awful as I thought it would be, honestly."

"It is good to speak of these things," Aro said. "Any of us – even Caius – would always listen when you need to talk."

Caius glared at him, but he resigned his face to acceptance, actually looked at her with something that was not utter loathing, and nodded once.

"There is one more gift, piccola, although I'm afraid it is not here," Marcus said.

Anna looked at him curiously and said, "Alright…"

He pulled an envelope from the table beside it and handed it to her. It was heavy and large and seemed very important. Her name was written on it in his elegant cursive. She was definitely keeping this envelope; the thought of him merely writing her name sent a jolt of pleasure through her.

She carefully opened it, not wanting to ruin the packaging, and pulled out a stack of papers held together by a paperclip. The first was a map. She couldn't tell where it was, although there was a large box in the middle of it outlined in a black pen. The cities labeled around it looked to be Russian, but it all looked very remote. Most of it looked to be wilderness and forest.

The next was a satellite image of what appeared to be the same lot of land, although on it she could see a cute cottage perched in the middle of it from a birds eye view, just a small box in the midst of the vast forest.

After that there was some drawings – they looked like his drawings – of that same cottage. There was one of the outside, the sides of it, the inside layout, a magnificent fireplace… all appeared to be pulled from his very mind and put to paper by his own hand. But this was just getting more confusing. What was all of this?

After that there was a photo of that exact same cottage from the satellite image and his drawings, but it was up close, showing it in all it's cheerful glory. Then there were pictures of the inside - a magnificent kitchen, that same fireplace as in the drawing, a bedroom with a massive bed dominating it, surrounded by windows that showed the forest all around them…

"What is this?" she asked in awe, looking at him.

"A cottage in the Russian taiga. I had it built for you," he said. His eyes were so hopeful. She almost dropped the pile of beautiful design as if they were hot coals and ran. It was too much. Too big. He designed her a cottage for Christmas? _An actual cottage? _In Russia? For Christmas? How did he manage this? It had only been a few days!

However his eyes stopped her. Instead of voicing all of that, and throwing the beautiful things down and running from his beautiful face full of hope and expectation, she allowed herself to tear up. She looked at him and whispered, "I love it. It's so beautiful. This is the most amazing…"

She trailed off and flung herself at him, hugging him with all her strength. "Thank you," she whispered against his neck. She could practically feel his joy at her reaction.

* * *

* These are all traditional Christmas dishes! Do a quick google if you're interested. I, personally, find it quite fascinating!

Happy New Year to all! I hope yours are all lovely and full of joy and kisses at midnight. Anyways, I must get going now… I have a cottage to design…


End file.
