52 Weeks
by Wizardtho
Chapter 3:
My eyes seek Caius’ as I start to speak. “Caius, I…”
Emotions are flooding his gaze as my eyes connect to his, though it doesn’t change what I’m about to say. “It’s beautiful… and so meaningful. I will cherish this gift.”
He gives me a blinding smile as I ask, “Will you help, please?”
With a quick nod, Caius releases the earrings, hands them to me, then walks around behind me to affix the necklace once nestled against my neck. My hand automatically reaches for the pendant, which rests in the valley between my breasts.
I smile as Caius comes back in front of me, then take his hand before cupping it to my cheek, “Thank you again.”
With a kiss to my jaw, he stands while offering me his hand, but then someone knocks on the door. I put my earrings in quickly as Caius calls, “Enter.”
Demetri informs us that the brothers are ready to meet with us, so I take Caius’s hand before standing. It is not long before we make it back to the study I was previously in.
We walk through the door hand-in-hand, and I happen to catch a glimpse of a grin on Aro’s face before he assumes a neutral facade. Caius guides us to a small loveseat, where we settle together for the meeting. Both Aro and Marcus are studying us, which makes me slightly uncomfortable, until Caius states with a sigh, “Out with the formalities, Brother. I was enjoying my time with Isabella before we were called upon for this meeting.”
I tighten my hand in his, where they rest between us on the seat cushion, before Aro agrees, “Yes, formalities. I suppose we should be done with them, so the Cullens can be dealt with. Isabella? Caius has informed you of the proposed arrangement, yes? He has explained the terms?”
I nod, then say steadily, “Yes. I was clearly informed of the terms, and Caius answered the questions I had. I have agreed to stay. The Cullens will be given a warning for their behavior and possibly be monitored once in a while, if I agree to stay with Caius for a year. If I choose to leave after that one-year timeline, I am free to go as long as I do not reveal your existence. If I break the arrangement and leave before the scheduled 1 year is up, the Cullens will all be brought in to stand trial, plus my humanity will be decided upon.”
Aro smirks at me, offering after a second, “You are leaving out the terms of your involvement with my brother, Isabella, though I can understand your desire for privacy on the matter. You are, after all, still human. If you wish, said involvement will not be thought about when we meet with the Cullen coven to hand down the verdict.”
I nod gratefully as I look at Caius to say, “They are no longer part of my life, and have no need to know the details. They have not spoken to me in months. I want this to be the last I see of them. Their lives are spared, and I am choosing to stay here. That’s all, as far as they need to know.”
At Caius’ gentle squeeze of my hand and a small smile of acceptance, I look to Aro. He says in finality, “Agreed. It is done. Welcome to the Volturi, Isabella. I have a feeling this will be an interesting year.”
Marcus gives me a welcoming smile, “Interesting, indeed. Welcome to the inner fold, Sister.”
Aro then smiles at me before filling us in on what’s to happen. “Arrangements have already been made for the rest of the coven’s arrival. Once they are all accounted for, we will gather in the throne room again. There, the Cullens will be spoken to about their breaking of Vampire Law, then warned about the consequences, should they decide to continue their previous behavior. You will -of course- need to be in attendance, though you may stand at Caius’ side if that is what you choose. If you have anything to say to them, you may do so after I have finished. Until their arrival, Brother, we will leave you two to enjoy each other’s company.”
Caius nods to his brothers, then gives me a grin. “What would you say to a leisurely stroll through the gardens?”
I grin back, offering, “I would say that sounds perfect, but I have yet to be asked.”
Marcus chuckles a bit, noting that Caius technically didn’t ask me. Caius gives him a scowl, then stands while holding his hands out for me, “Isabella, will you please accompany me on a moonlit stroll?”
I take both hands and rise, then let go of one to place it on his chest, “I believe that sounds like a wonderful way to spend our first evening together. I would love to, Caius.”
As we walk out of the room, I catch the barest glimpse of him giving his brothers the middle finger with a small growl, which causes me to let out a little chuckle. They must have done something to goad him.
When we finally reach the castle gardens, Demetri drops back a bit, but still keeps us within easy reaching distance. I know we are out of the brothers’ hearing range now, so I break the companionable silence we’ve been sharing. “Shall I have a talk with Aro and Marcus about goading you?”
He can hear the teasing lilt in my voice, causing him to laugh after kissing my temple, “No, Sweetling. No tongue lashing needed. You will soon come to find that we tease each other equally. With the contents of the meeting, they wanted to keep it strictly business… at least until you left the room. Plus, I do not think they know what to make of you yet. Give them time, Isabella, and you will see.”
He places a hand gently at the small of my back as we reach the start of the garden paths, then he guides me left. We walk a short way before I ask, “Will you tell me about your life? Do you remember where you were born or how old you were when you were turned?”
We reach a large tree in a grassy area, so Caius takes his robe off to set it out on the ground. He smiles as he reaches out to me, where I’m still standing on the path. I can’t help but stare, because he has a truly impressive physique, even in his tailored button-down shirt and slacks.
I soon realize that I’ve been frozen, ogling this gorgeous man, while he still holds his hand out for me to take. I quickly step out of my heels, pick them up, then take his offered hand. Thankfully, he doesn’t call me out on it. Instead, he settles down on his robe, leans his back against the tree, then pats the spot next to him. It only takes me seconds to join him this time.
Once I settle beside him, Caius offers truthfully, “I have done things in the past that I’m not at all proud of, Isabella, but I have promised myself never to lie to you.”
My gaze lingers upon his face as I try to reconcile his foreboding words with his kind treatment of me, but after several moments, his fingers brush my cheek as he whispers, “I hope you still look at me this way once you know my history.”
With a soft sigh, he shifts slightly, drops his hand, then plucks a piece of grass from beside his robe. “Marcus is the eldest of us, both in human and vampire age. I will leave their specific histories for them to tell, though they both have parts to play in mine. I don’t remember much about my time as a human, other than the night of my turning. I know that I had a lover, my village was in Greece, and that I was one of the strongest men in my village... even at the age of 25. I was rarely bested in games of strength or skill, which is why I assume I was at the forefront of the battle to save my village the night it was gruesomely attacked. Creatures the likes of which I had never imagined were literally tearing their way through our people, their claws and sharp teeth painting everything visible a horrific red, leaving only unrecognizable corpses behind. I had been bitten numerous times by the beast I was fighting when the claws of another raked deeply across my torso.”
I am so captured by his tale already, that I can’t even think to speak before he continues. “As I fell, their growls and howls of victory rang through the air, only to turn into something completely different. Through the haze of my pain, I saw two men and a woman come whirling through the village, ripping the beasts apart with their bare hands. I knew I had to have been delirious, but somehow they kept at it until each of the beasts had fallen. Then, miraculously, the black-haired male knelt beside me, took my face in his hands, and gave me an offer I couldn’t refuse. ‘If you want revenge for your people -for what these foul beings have done to your village- I can help you, Caius. You will know unimaginable pain for days, but in the end, you will be as strong as me... able to help us stop more villages from being decimated. I can not guarantee that the beast has not already tainted you, though, or what affect its saliva will have on your turning. You may still turn into one of them. The choice is yours.’
“I know I looked around at my people -or what was left of them- before I told him, ‘Do it… whatever it takes, I will live with the consequences, as long as I have the chance to kill those vile things. Do not let me turn into one of them, though. Promise to kill me if that happens.’ He told me his name was Aro, gave me his word, and said he hoped I made it through the change before he bit me several times.”
I let out a heavy breath, then ask in confusion, “So… Aro… and Marcus? But who was the female? Your Athenodora?”
Caius chuckles, “No, Sweetling, though that was a good guess. It was Marcus’ mate, Aro’s sister... Didyme. I did not meet Athenodora for quite a while, yet.”
I nod, thinking, then ask, “So I assume you don’t turn into a werewolf every full moon, seeing as Aro didn’t kill you… but did the bites not have an adverse effect on your change?”
He winces, then says as he plucks another piece of grass from near the edge of his robe, “My turning was horrific, even more so than normal. My change lasted 7 full days, during most of which, I could feel the werewolf saliva and vampire venom fighting for control inside me. Thankfully, the vampire venom won, but not without the werewolf saliva leaving its poisonous mark. The inner beast that all vampires have? In my early years as a vampire, my beast took control many times and was most prevalent while hunting down and killing werewolves. That is where much of my reputation comes from. Once they were all but extinct, I had to learn to coexist peacefully with that side of myself. After many years of hard work and many more back-slides, I am closer to my beast than nearly any other vampire is.”
He lets out a breath, brushes his fingers through his long hair, then says while picking at the grass, “Unfortunately, that is one of the main reasons why our first intimate encounter needs to be before your cycle. Vampire inner beasts are our most primal selves, Isabella, and I do not wish for mine to frighten you with how much he desires you.”
Caius looks almost ashamed of his statement… as if he is positive it will make me run. In response, I carefully move to straddle his thighs, causing his eyes to quickly look into mine with shock. I settle into my new spot, taking his face in my hands, then say softly but seriously, “Thank you for telling me… for trying to prepare me. Caius, I’m not naive enough to think that my introduction to this life was the end all be all. In fact, I knew it was just the barest tip of the iceberg. With that said, you’re a vampire, and blood is part of the deal. It’s a given, so I can understand how the mingled scent of my arousal at that time of the month would be hard to resist. We have a couple of weeks before that time comes, so I’d like to get to know you… just take it a step at a time, for us to find our comfort level together.”
He gives me a tender yet beautiful smile in response, holding my hands to his face. After a second of our eyes locking, Caius leans his forehead against mine, barely brushing our noses together while whispering, “I can certainly appreciate taking time to get to know you. Does the first step happen to involve me finally being able to kiss you?”
I chuckle out loud, since he seems to have some sort of fascination with wanting to kiss me, then trail my lips along his stubbled jaw to his ear, only to whisper, “If I say no, are you certain to combust? You seem to have a fixation with my lips, which I’m not sure is completely healthy, Caius.”
In response, Caius groans and lets his head fall to my neck, nuzzling there as he offers, “It is an entirely healthy fixation, Isabella, trust me. The inevitability of my combustion is certain…”
His statement cuts off with a gasp as I place his hands on my hips, then barely brush my lips back along his jaw toward his mouth. When our noses brush again, my lips millimeters from his, his eyes swim with hope and wonder, as well as desire and a deep longing. His cool breath caresses my lips as he asks in a soft plea, “Isabella, please… may I kiss you?”
I can’t help my breathy chuckle of, “Finally, you ask me,” as I nuzzle my nose with his, causing our lips to barely brush.
Taking that as his permission, his own responding chuckle turns to a slight groan as his lips capture mine in a soft embrace. Time seems to still as his hands move, one to cup and massage the back of my neck, the other splaying out over my back before grasping the opposite hip. His tongue flirts with my bottom lip for the briefest moment while he brings our torsos flush together, the combination causing me to gasp as my eyes flutter shut.
As Caius deepens the kiss, his tongue seeking out and caressing mine, my body comes alive. Tingles spread from each point where our bodies are touching, prompting my hands to quickly find purchase of their own. One grips tightly to the back of his shirt between his shoulder blades, while the other weaves through the hair at the base of his neck. Caius is pleased by my action, as he lets out a little growl while deepening the kiss even further.
The tingles all move to settle low in my belly, his growl causing me to moan while shifting my hips slightly in his hold. It puts my core directly in line with a very prominent part of his lower anatomy, making me gasp breathlessly as my head falls back. Caius wastes no time moving his kisses along my jaw and down my throat as he groans, “Perfect. You taste divine, Isabella.”
In a slightly panted breath, my thoughts swirl aloud, my filter all but lost, “If every time you kiss me is like that, I think I’ll be the one combusting, Caius.”
Just as he sweeps in to capture my lips again, I hear a small throat clearing, causing both Caius and me to groan in disappointment. He quickly whispers in my ear, “Soon,” before turning to see who interrupted us.
Demetri stands with his head bowed as he offers, “I apologize, Sire... but I can not guarantee your privacy, should you choose to continue your time with Lady Isabella here. A guard practice is being held in an adjacent field in a few minutes.”
The handsome king below me nods, gently squeezes my hips, then offers, “Thank you, Demetri. You’re right. It would be safer for Lady Isabella if we were to continue our night inside.”
Demetri steps back as Caius kisses my neck, “Shall we continue our talk in front of a fire in our sitting room?”
I nod with a smile, “I’d like that,” so he helps me stand. He drapes his robe over his arm before setting my heels on the path, then holds my hand to steady me as I step back into them.
Soon we are walking leisurely back toward the castle, Demetri following silently behind.
My eyes seek Caius’ as I start to speak. “Caius, I…”
Emotions are flooding his gaze as my eyes connect to his, though it doesn’t change what I’m about to say. “It’s beautiful… and so meaningful. I will cherish this gift.”
He gives me a blinding smile as I ask, “Will you help, please?”
With a quick nod, Caius releases the earrings, hands them to me, then walks around behind me to affix the necklace once nestled against my neck. My hand automatically reaches for the pendant, which rests in the valley between my breasts.
I smile as Caius comes back in front of me, then take his hand before cupping it to my cheek, “Thank you again.”
With a kiss to my jaw, he stands while offering me his hand, but then someone knocks on the door. I put my earrings in quickly as Caius calls, “Enter.”
Demetri informs us that the brothers are ready to meet with us, so I take Caius’s hand before standing. It is not long before we make it back to the study I was previously in.
We walk through the door hand-in-hand, and I happen to catch a glimpse of a grin on Aro’s face before he assumes a neutral facade. Caius guides us to a small loveseat, where we settle together for the meeting. Both Aro and Marcus are studying us, which makes me slightly uncomfortable, until Caius states with a sigh, “Out with the formalities, Brother. I was enjoying my time with Isabella before we were called upon for this meeting.”
I tighten my hand in his, where they rest between us on the seat cushion, before Aro agrees, “Yes, formalities. I suppose we should be done with them, so the Cullens can be dealt with. Isabella? Caius has informed you of the proposed arrangement, yes? He has explained the terms?”
I nod, then say steadily, “Yes. I was clearly informed of the terms, and Caius answered the questions I had. I have agreed to stay. The Cullens will be given a warning for their behavior and possibly be monitored once in a while, if I agree to stay with Caius for a year. If I choose to leave after that one-year timeline, I am free to go as long as I do not reveal your existence. If I break the arrangement and leave before the scheduled 1 year is up, the Cullens will all be brought in to stand trial, plus my humanity will be decided upon.”
Aro smirks at me, offering after a second, “You are leaving out the terms of your involvement with my brother, Isabella, though I can understand your desire for privacy on the matter. You are, after all, still human. If you wish, said involvement will not be thought about when we meet with the Cullen coven to hand down the verdict.”
I nod gratefully as I look at Caius to say, “They are no longer part of my life, and have no need to know the details. They have not spoken to me in months. I want this to be the last I see of them. Their lives are spared, and I am choosing to stay here. That’s all, as far as they need to know.”
At Caius’ gentle squeeze of my hand and a small smile of acceptance, I look to Aro. He says in finality, “Agreed. It is done. Welcome to the Volturi, Isabella. I have a feeling this will be an interesting year.”
Marcus gives me a welcoming smile, “Interesting, indeed. Welcome to the inner fold, Sister.”
Aro then smiles at me before filling us in on what’s to happen. “Arrangements have already been made for the rest of the coven’s arrival. Once they are all accounted for, we will gather in the throne room again. There, the Cullens will be spoken to about their breaking of Vampire Law, then warned about the consequences, should they decide to continue their previous behavior. You will -of course- need to be in attendance, though you may stand at Caius’ side if that is what you choose. If you have anything to say to them, you may do so after I have finished. Until their arrival, Brother, we will leave you two to enjoy each other’s company.”
Caius nods to his brothers, then gives me a grin. “What would you say to a leisurely stroll through the gardens?”
I grin back, offering, “I would say that sounds perfect, but I have yet to be asked.”
Marcus chuckles a bit, noting that Caius technically didn’t ask me. Caius gives him a scowl, then stands while holding his hands out for me, “Isabella, will you please accompany me on a moonlit stroll?”
I take both hands and rise, then let go of one to place it on his chest, “I believe that sounds like a wonderful way to spend our first evening together. I would love to, Caius.”
As we walk out of the room, I catch the barest glimpse of him giving his brothers the middle finger with a small growl, which causes me to let out a little chuckle. They must have done something to goad him.
When we finally reach the castle gardens, Demetri drops back a bit, but still keeps us within easy reaching distance. I know we are out of the brothers’ hearing range now, so I break the companionable silence we’ve been sharing. “Shall I have a talk with Aro and Marcus about goading you?”
He can hear the teasing lilt in my voice, causing him to laugh after kissing my temple, “No, Sweetling. No tongue lashing needed. You will soon come to find that we tease each other equally. With the contents of the meeting, they wanted to keep it strictly business… at least until you left the room. Plus, I do not think they know what to make of you yet. Give them time, Isabella, and you will see.”
He places a hand gently at the small of my back as we reach the start of the garden paths, then he guides me left. We walk a short way before I ask, “Will you tell me about your life? Do you remember where you were born or how old you were when you were turned?”
We reach a large tree in a grassy area, so Caius takes his robe off to set it out on the ground. He smiles as he reaches out to me, where I’m still standing on the path. I can’t help but stare, because he has a truly impressive physique, even in his tailored button-down shirt and slacks.
I soon realize that I’ve been frozen, ogling this gorgeous man, while he still holds his hand out for me to take. I quickly step out of my heels, pick them up, then take his offered hand. Thankfully, he doesn’t call me out on it. Instead, he settles down on his robe, leans his back against the tree, then pats the spot next to him. It only takes me seconds to join him this time.
Once I settle beside him, Caius offers truthfully, “I have done things in the past that I’m not at all proud of, Isabella, but I have promised myself never to lie to you.”
My gaze lingers upon his face as I try to reconcile his foreboding words with his kind treatment of me, but after several moments, his fingers brush my cheek as he whispers, “I hope you still look at me this way once you know my history.”
With a soft sigh, he shifts slightly, drops his hand, then plucks a piece of grass from beside his robe. “Marcus is the eldest of us, both in human and vampire age. I will leave their specific histories for them to tell, though they both have parts to play in mine. I don’t remember much about my time as a human, other than the night of my turning. I know that I had a lover, my village was in Greece, and that I was one of the strongest men in my village... even at the age of 25. I was rarely bested in games of strength or skill, which is why I assume I was at the forefront of the battle to save my village the night it was gruesomely attacked. Creatures the likes of which I had never imagined were literally tearing their way through our people, their claws and sharp teeth painting everything visible a horrific red, leaving only unrecognizable corpses behind. I had been bitten numerous times by the beast I was fighting when the claws of another raked deeply across my torso.”
I am so captured by his tale already, that I can’t even think to speak before he continues. “As I fell, their growls and howls of victory rang through the air, only to turn into something completely different. Through the haze of my pain, I saw two men and a woman come whirling through the village, ripping the beasts apart with their bare hands. I knew I had to have been delirious, but somehow they kept at it until each of the beasts had fallen. Then, miraculously, the black-haired male knelt beside me, took my face in his hands, and gave me an offer I couldn’t refuse. ‘If you want revenge for your people -for what these foul beings have done to your village- I can help you, Caius. You will know unimaginable pain for days, but in the end, you will be as strong as me... able to help us stop more villages from being decimated. I can not guarantee that the beast has not already tainted you, though, or what affect its saliva will have on your turning. You may still turn into one of them. The choice is yours.’
“I know I looked around at my people -or what was left of them- before I told him, ‘Do it… whatever it takes, I will live with the consequences, as long as I have the chance to kill those vile things. Do not let me turn into one of them, though. Promise to kill me if that happens.’ He told me his name was Aro, gave me his word, and said he hoped I made it through the change before he bit me several times.”
I let out a heavy breath, then ask in confusion, “So… Aro… and Marcus? But who was the female? Your Athenodora?”
Caius chuckles, “No, Sweetling, though that was a good guess. It was Marcus’ mate, Aro’s sister... Didyme. I did not meet Athenodora for quite a while, yet.”
I nod, thinking, then ask, “So I assume you don’t turn into a werewolf every full moon, seeing as Aro didn’t kill you… but did the bites not have an adverse effect on your change?”
He winces, then says as he plucks another piece of grass from near the edge of his robe, “My turning was horrific, even more so than normal. My change lasted 7 full days, during most of which, I could feel the werewolf saliva and vampire venom fighting for control inside me. Thankfully, the vampire venom won, but not without the werewolf saliva leaving its poisonous mark. The inner beast that all vampires have? In my early years as a vampire, my beast took control many times and was most prevalent while hunting down and killing werewolves. That is where much of my reputation comes from. Once they were all but extinct, I had to learn to coexist peacefully with that side of myself. After many years of hard work and many more back-slides, I am closer to my beast than nearly any other vampire is.”
He lets out a breath, brushes his fingers through his long hair, then says while picking at the grass, “Unfortunately, that is one of the main reasons why our first intimate encounter needs to be before your cycle. Vampire inner beasts are our most primal selves, Isabella, and I do not wish for mine to frighten you with how much he desires you.”
Caius looks almost ashamed of his statement… as if he is positive it will make me run. In response, I carefully move to straddle his thighs, causing his eyes to quickly look into mine with shock. I settle into my new spot, taking his face in my hands, then say softly but seriously, “Thank you for telling me… for trying to prepare me. Caius, I’m not naive enough to think that my introduction to this life was the end all be all. In fact, I knew it was just the barest tip of the iceberg. With that said, you’re a vampire, and blood is part of the deal. It’s a given, so I can understand how the mingled scent of my arousal at that time of the month would be hard to resist. We have a couple of weeks before that time comes, so I’d like to get to know you… just take it a step at a time, for us to find our comfort level together.”
He gives me a tender yet beautiful smile in response, holding my hands to his face. After a second of our eyes locking, Caius leans his forehead against mine, barely brushing our noses together while whispering, “I can certainly appreciate taking time to get to know you. Does the first step happen to involve me finally being able to kiss you?”
I chuckle out loud, since he seems to have some sort of fascination with wanting to kiss me, then trail my lips along his stubbled jaw to his ear, only to whisper, “If I say no, are you certain to combust? You seem to have a fixation with my lips, which I’m not sure is completely healthy, Caius.”
In response, Caius groans and lets his head fall to my neck, nuzzling there as he offers, “It is an entirely healthy fixation, Isabella, trust me. The inevitability of my combustion is certain…”
His statement cuts off with a gasp as I place his hands on my hips, then barely brush my lips back along his jaw toward his mouth. When our noses brush again, my lips millimeters from his, his eyes swim with hope and wonder, as well as desire and a deep longing. His cool breath caresses my lips as he asks in a soft plea, “Isabella, please… may I kiss you?”
I can’t help my breathy chuckle of, “Finally, you ask me,” as I nuzzle my nose with his, causing our lips to barely brush.
Taking that as his permission, his own responding chuckle turns to a slight groan as his lips capture mine in a soft embrace. Time seems to still as his hands move, one to cup and massage the back of my neck, the other splaying out over my back before grasping the opposite hip. His tongue flirts with my bottom lip for the briefest moment while he brings our torsos flush together, the combination causing me to gasp as my eyes flutter shut.
As Caius deepens the kiss, his tongue seeking out and caressing mine, my body comes alive. Tingles spread from each point where our bodies are touching, prompting my hands to quickly find purchase of their own. One grips tightly to the back of his shirt between his shoulder blades, while the other weaves through the hair at the base of his neck. Caius is pleased by my action, as he lets out a little growl while deepening the kiss even further.
The tingles all move to settle low in my belly, his growl causing me to moan while shifting my hips slightly in his hold. It puts my core directly in line with a very prominent part of his lower anatomy, making me gasp breathlessly as my head falls back. Caius wastes no time moving his kisses along my jaw and down my throat as he groans, “Perfect. You taste divine, Isabella.”
In a slightly panted breath, my thoughts swirl aloud, my filter all but lost, “If every time you kiss me is like that, I think I’ll be the one combusting, Caius.”
Just as he sweeps in to capture my lips again, I hear a small throat clearing, causing both Caius and me to groan in disappointment. He quickly whispers in my ear, “Soon,” before turning to see who interrupted us.
Demetri stands with his head bowed as he offers, “I apologize, Sire... but I can not guarantee your privacy, should you choose to continue your time with Lady Isabella here. A guard practice is being held in an adjacent field in a few minutes.”
The handsome king below me nods, gently squeezes my hips, then offers, “Thank you, Demetri. You’re right. It would be safer for Lady Isabella if we were to continue our night inside.”
Demetri steps back as Caius kisses my neck, “Shall we continue our talk in front of a fire in our sitting room?”
I nod with a smile, “I’d like that,” so he helps me stand. He drapes his robe over his arm before setting my heels on the path, then holds my hand to steady me as I step back into them.
Soon we are walking leisurely back toward the castle, Demetri following silently behind.