52 Weeks
by Wizardtho
Chapter 7:
Demetri looks relieved to see me, offering quietly with a scowl, “The Cullen boy has worn on Master Caius’ last nerve today, Lady Isabella. The rest of the coven’s arrival has not helped, as most of them swear you are being held against your will. It disgusted him, the way they all seemed to think you have no mind of your own.”
I shake my head, “Yes, Sulpicia and I overheard Carlisle and Esme talking on our way down one of the corridors. How soon until we need to be in the throne room? I’ll try to calm him as much as possible, but I need a timeframe.”
He gives me a small smile, “I am to inform the brothers when you are ready, but Master Aro was hoping to have this matter settled within the next few hours. The sooner the whole coven is away from the castle, the sooner Master Caius will settle completely.”
I nod in understanding, taking a deep breath. “At least that gives me a bit of time. One of us will inform you when he is calm enough to handle the meeting.”
Demetri nods, then opens the door for me silently.
Caius is nowhere in the main room when I enter, so I quickly walk toward the bedroom. The bathroom door is open, and I hear the shower running, so I quietly strip down before making my way there. Placing the hair jewels on the counter, I notice Caius is leaning with his arms and forehead against the wall. His entire body is tense, but it doesn’t frighten me. On the contrary, it firms my resolve.
I slip into the shower behind him, one hand sliding up his back as the other wraps around his waist to lay on his stomach. He groans out my name after a hitched breath, then slowly turns to face me. The look in his onyx eyes is tortured, beaten down, and it makes tears sting my eyes.
Without a word, I wrap my arms tightly around him, pulling my body flush with his before placing several kisses on his chest. He sighs, but I look into his eyes and shake my head, whispering softly, “I know you’re worried that I’ll leave, Caius… that I’ll see him again -or the rest of the coven- and change my mind. I can promise you I won’t, but not because my decision to stay is sparing their lives. Do you want to know why I won’t?”
He nods as he brings his forehead down to mine, so I say surely, “I won’t leave because I don’t want to. I want to see where this is going between us, Caius. I overheard Carlisle and Esme talking in one of the rooms before we reached the elevator, yet the only thing I wanted to do was reach you. I don’t even know if I told Sulpicia goodbye, because I was in such a hurry just to see you.”
A bit of the tension eases from his facial features, but not enough to bring a smile to his face. My hands move up to weave into his wet hair, then I pull him the rest of the way to my lips, “Kiss me, please. Let’s forget the outside world exists for a few minutes. I missed you today, and need to feel you.”
With a groaned, “Gladly. Christ, have I missed the feel of you in my arms,” Caius lifts me by the thighs, allowing me to wrap my legs around his hips while he captures my mouth in an intensely passionate kiss.
It only takes seconds for my body to respond to his, and soon I can feel my stomach knotting deliciously as he presses me against the cool stone wall. I moan loudly, breaking the kiss, then rock my core against his lower stomach while pleading, “Touch me, please.”
When he moves to take one of my hands from his hair, I shake my head, then cup his face in my hands, “No, Caius, you. I want your hands on me, pleasuring me, not my own. I’ve thought of barely anything else during the quiet moments today.”
With a deep rumble as his eyes fill with desire, he adjusts the water spray, then sets me on the deep stone bench. He follows as he settles me, kissing me so passionately that it steals the breath from my lungs in the best of ways.
Once he settles on his knees on the shower floor and hovers over me, he moves his kisses down my throat, to the valley between my breasts. After a long leisurely lick, he hums as he eyes my nipples. While nipping and sucking with his mouth, his hands cup and massage both of my breasts. The feeling is beyond words, yet not enough.
My fingernails rake up his back as I cry out, causing him to make a pleased sound in his chest. One of his hands moves down my stomach, then lightly caresses my folds. I gasp in response, “Yes… oh, fuck… please,” which prompts Caius to growl while nipping down the path that his hand just took.
My body arches, hands fisting in his hair. As I guide his nipping mouth further down, his fingers swipe through the wetness at my core. One, then two of them tease my entrance, causing me to cry out while arching closer, “Please, Caius. No more teasing.”
Caius sits back on his heels, his desire-filled eyes alternating from my entrance to my face as he slowly presses his fingers inside me. In and out, deeper with each slow press, I soon feel Caius’ palm circle against my clit while his fingers curl up. My head thrashes as my eyes roll back, my body trembling as I gasp in need, “Sweet fucking torture, again! So close...”
Only this time, instead of his palm, he leans in to lick from his fingers to the top of my slit. With a deep growl in his chest as my orgasm slams into me, he sucks at the entirety of my core while his fingers move and curl at a steady pace. A mantra of Caius’s name falls from my lips as the waves of ecstasy crash over me, along with pleas begging him not to stop.
I’m panting breathlessly when my orgasm finally subsides, my king looking like he’s the cat that got the cream as he kisses along my mound. “I fear I have a new addiction, My Sweet. Watching you cum for me… feeling you tremble from within while tasting the proof of your pleasure…”
He groans, then licks each of my nipples before offering, “I will never tire of your taste on my tongue, Isabella, or feeling the ecstasy I give you.”
My lips crash to his, but I push gently on his chest for him to sit back. I follow, never breaking the kiss as he takes the hint. My hands roam as the kiss deepens, but when my fingers trail over his hard length, he gasps loudly. I hum, then move to whisper in his ear, “Guide me, Caius. Show me.”
He groans, his eyes falling to where my fingers are exploring, then entwines our fingers before guiding our hands to wrap around his length. With a loud gasp of my name, he moves our hands in a rhythmic motion a few times.
I’m completely aroused again, just watching the pleasure I’m bringing to him, so I can understand now how he feels. My thumb slides along the ridge just under the head, which seems to be sensitive, because Caius arches his whole torso as his head falls back with a loud growl of, “More, Isabella. Fuck, I can still taste you on my tongue.”
Feeling emboldened by his reaction, I move his hand back to my core, then use both of mine to stroke him as I crash my mouth to his. He groans into my mouth, “Soaking wet… so perfect,” before pressing his fingers fully inside me while deepening the kiss.
In what seems like mere moments, Caius is growling while curling his fingers and pressing his thumb to my clit, “I can’t… feels so fucking good… cum with me, Isabella.”
The feeling is so intense that I cry out loudly, biting his shoulder as my body shudders in release. At the same moment as my teeth clamp down, my sexy king cries out my name before growling deeply, “Fuuuuuuccckk!”
His orgasm is instant, and several streams of his cool release spray across my lower stomach, even as my own seems to flood into his palm.
Our labored breathing is the only sound for several seconds after our orgasms calm, then Caius kisses along my shoulder. I whisper in a breathless chuckle, “You’ve officially ruined me for anyone else. You know that, right? I’ll never be able to let anyone else touch me after feeling what you do to me.”
He chuckles as he cradles me to him, then kisses my neck, “Mmm… good. I would be highly jealous if you did. I can not bear to think of another touching me, either, Isabella.”
With a pat to my ass, he helps me stand, then starts running his suddenly soapy hands along my curves. “Now that I am calm enough to think clearly, did you have a good day?”
I nod, kissing his chest, “Yes. Sulpicia is amazing… and I like having Jane with me very much. She was attentive all day, always keeping an eye out, but she had fun with us. I can see us being as comfortable with each other as Chelsea and Sulpicia are if given enough time. It’s too bad she’s not going to be my regular guard. She said something about your standby being chosen, but her being out on a mission of some sort.”
He nods in agreement, “Yes, that would be Corin… though if you are not content with Corin, you need only tell me, and I will have your guard changed.”
I take Caius’ body wash and lather up my hands, then spread them out along his chest, feeling the ridges of muscles as my soapy hands explore. “We’ll see how it goes. I did get quite a bit today, to expand my wardrobe. The only things not taken care of are a new cell phone, as well as my jewelry and formal attire. Jerran will be collaborating with Franco at the meeting tomorrow afternoon for that.”
He raises an eyebrow at me, so thinking quickly, I offer, “I wanted to thank him for creating the perfect pieces that you gave me. When I mentioned it to Sulpicia, she directed the driver to take us to his house. Emory answered the door, then hurried off to retrieve Jerran after he saw me wearing the necklace and spoke to Sulpicia in Italian for a quick second.”
Caius laughs, then says, “No doubt, Jerran was completely taken by surprise.”
I nod with a chuckle of my own, “Yes, though he did say he was tickled that his pieces were gracing someone with such natural beauty… and that said beauty had inspired him. He’s supposed to be working up a few sketches for me to look at tomorrow.”
He grins as he leans my head back enough to wet it completely, “Excellent. Say yes to anything you like, Darling. If you are unsure of anything, save the sketch. I will be happy to look over it and give my opinion.”
I hum as he lathers my hair, massaging my scalp in the process, “I will. I doubt I’ll have any problems, though. Apparently, Jerran and Franco work together flawlessly.”
Our conversation turns to the upcoming meeting as we finish showering, so I ask, “Are you alright now? I hated seeing you so upset when I walked in.”
He nods, kisses me softly, then wraps a towel around me, “Yes, My Sweet. I am. Your words calmed me, but honestly, it was our intimacy afterward that helped me see that there is nothing for me to worry about. Knowing you missed me... wanted me, when the entire coven is here in the castle… was what my beast needed.”
I hum in response, then kiss his lips lightly before offering, “Well if you ever need a reminder, I’ll be happy to oblige, my sexy king. Now help me pick something to wear for this meeting, so we can get this over with and enjoy the rest of our evening.”
Caius chuckles then hums while kissing my neck. After asking if I still want to wear my necklace, he picks out a navy and black burnout top with a lace cut-out back, black zip embellished skinny jeans, and my navy platform pumps.
I nod in appreciation at his choices, then move into the bedroom to find a black set of lacy underthings. Having a stroke of inspiration as I reach the bed again, I ask, “Would you mind calling Sulpicia, please, to see if she has a few minutes to help with my hair? I want to straighten it, but it takes me forever without vampire speed.”
He chuckles, nips my shoulder, then presses a button on his phone. “Yes, Sister. My Isabella is requesting you if you have a few moments.”
He waits for a second, then chuckles, “Well, as she is standing here nude, I only caught something about hair straightening and no vampire speed.”
I smack his arm with a gasp of his name, but he chuckles, “See you soon,” before pocketing his phone. “You are entirely too sexy, Isabella. I can not be blamed for my actions when you walk around the room nude.”
I can only shake my head with a laugh as I start to dress.
Sulpicia arrives just as I finish trying to give my eyes a smoky look. She smiles while entering the bathroom, then says, “You learn quickly. Take this end of the brush, using it to blend. Yes, just like that. A coat or two of mascara, and your eyes will be done. You can work on the rest once I start on your hair.”
It’s only ten minutes later that Sulpicia deems my hair done. It’s straight through the length, the tips curled, yet there’s tons of volume near the roots. “Amazing… again. Thank you so much.”
She chuckles, “Not a problem. I was happy to help. Now, though, I think there is someone wanting to see you.”
I give her a questioning look in the mirror, only to see her eyes move toward the bedroom in explanation. I smile as I see Caius leaning casually against the door frame watching me.
I stand, wanting to go to him. He meets me in the center of the bathroom, his hand curling a stray lock of hair behind my ear as his other arm wraps around me. “You look ravishing, Darling.”
I thank him, then he asks, “Are you ready? I have something to give you before we go. If we leave soon, we should be done in the throne room before you need your evening meal.”
I shake my head, “Caius, I don’t need anything else. You’ve spoiled me enough already.”
Sulpicia laughs, then offers as she guides me to the center of the bedroom, “Technically, it’s from all of us… but we thought Caius would like the honor of presenting it to you.”
He smiles at both of us, then holds out a black box that I’m quickly becoming familiar with. I cautiously open the lid, then gasp as my hand covers my heart. Inside is the most beautiful cuff bracelet I’ve ever seen.
The main portion is two rows of vines that wrap around my wrist, inlaid with what must be hundreds of tiny diamonds, then larger diamonds seem to randomly spot different places. The main attraction is an inlaid diamond flower with a brushed metal finish, the Volturi crest shining brilliantly, though there seems to be a crown at the top that I didn’t notice on Jane’s crest necklace.
I look to Caius, who explains, “While the guards each get a necklace to represent the Volturi, royalty pieces are more intricate. The piece being a bracelet, as well as the crown at the top of the crest, distinguish you as Volturi royalty, My Sweet. Aro wanted you to have something strong and timeless, so he suggested platinum. Marcus suggested a cuff style bracelet, and I helped Jerran come up with the design. Sulpicia chose only clear diamonds, which will allow you to wear it with any other jewelry you may want to use on a given day.”
For the second time in less than 24 hours, I am speechless because of a piece of jewelry. “I can’t even… this is… and the garden theme…”
I let out a chuckling breath, then start over, “It’s stunning, thank you. I don’t have words enough right now, but I truly love it.”
Caius grins widely as he places it on my wrist, then Sulpicia sighs happily, “Oh, it’s the perfect size, too.”
She hugs me quickly, then says, “I’ll leave the two of you now, as I have my own surprise to plan, plus I want to see my Aro for a few seconds before he’s stolen away to the throne room.”
Once I hear the door close behind Sulpicia, I pull Caius into an intimate kiss. He hums as the kiss ends, but all I can think is, “You chose the garden theme because of last night, didn’t you? Because our first kiss was there.”
He grins, pleased that I noticed, “I did. When Aro and Marcus first approached me about your crest piece after you fell asleep, I knew I wanted our first kiss to be represented somehow in the design. I take it that you are pleased?”
I nod while replying, “Very. It’s special because of what it means, me being part of the Volturi, but more so by its hidden meaning for us. Thank you, Caius.”
I kiss him lightly on the lips, then sigh, “We should get this meeting over with. I really want to spend the evening alone with you, but that won’t happen until we deal with the Cullens.”
He groans, kisses my neck, then pulls his phone out. “We are on our way, and will meet you in the throne room.”
After putting his phone away, Caius pulls me into a steamy kiss, then takes my hand before leading me to the main door to the suite.
Demetri looks relieved to see me, offering quietly with a scowl, “The Cullen boy has worn on Master Caius’ last nerve today, Lady Isabella. The rest of the coven’s arrival has not helped, as most of them swear you are being held against your will. It disgusted him, the way they all seemed to think you have no mind of your own.”
I shake my head, “Yes, Sulpicia and I overheard Carlisle and Esme talking on our way down one of the corridors. How soon until we need to be in the throne room? I’ll try to calm him as much as possible, but I need a timeframe.”
He gives me a small smile, “I am to inform the brothers when you are ready, but Master Aro was hoping to have this matter settled within the next few hours. The sooner the whole coven is away from the castle, the sooner Master Caius will settle completely.”
I nod in understanding, taking a deep breath. “At least that gives me a bit of time. One of us will inform you when he is calm enough to handle the meeting.”
Demetri nods, then opens the door for me silently.
Caius is nowhere in the main room when I enter, so I quickly walk toward the bedroom. The bathroom door is open, and I hear the shower running, so I quietly strip down before making my way there. Placing the hair jewels on the counter, I notice Caius is leaning with his arms and forehead against the wall. His entire body is tense, but it doesn’t frighten me. On the contrary, it firms my resolve.
I slip into the shower behind him, one hand sliding up his back as the other wraps around his waist to lay on his stomach. He groans out my name after a hitched breath, then slowly turns to face me. The look in his onyx eyes is tortured, beaten down, and it makes tears sting my eyes.
Without a word, I wrap my arms tightly around him, pulling my body flush with his before placing several kisses on his chest. He sighs, but I look into his eyes and shake my head, whispering softly, “I know you’re worried that I’ll leave, Caius… that I’ll see him again -or the rest of the coven- and change my mind. I can promise you I won’t, but not because my decision to stay is sparing their lives. Do you want to know why I won’t?”
He nods as he brings his forehead down to mine, so I say surely, “I won’t leave because I don’t want to. I want to see where this is going between us, Caius. I overheard Carlisle and Esme talking in one of the rooms before we reached the elevator, yet the only thing I wanted to do was reach you. I don’t even know if I told Sulpicia goodbye, because I was in such a hurry just to see you.”
A bit of the tension eases from his facial features, but not enough to bring a smile to his face. My hands move up to weave into his wet hair, then I pull him the rest of the way to my lips, “Kiss me, please. Let’s forget the outside world exists for a few minutes. I missed you today, and need to feel you.”
With a groaned, “Gladly. Christ, have I missed the feel of you in my arms,” Caius lifts me by the thighs, allowing me to wrap my legs around his hips while he captures my mouth in an intensely passionate kiss.
It only takes seconds for my body to respond to his, and soon I can feel my stomach knotting deliciously as he presses me against the cool stone wall. I moan loudly, breaking the kiss, then rock my core against his lower stomach while pleading, “Touch me, please.”
When he moves to take one of my hands from his hair, I shake my head, then cup his face in my hands, “No, Caius, you. I want your hands on me, pleasuring me, not my own. I’ve thought of barely anything else during the quiet moments today.”
With a deep rumble as his eyes fill with desire, he adjusts the water spray, then sets me on the deep stone bench. He follows as he settles me, kissing me so passionately that it steals the breath from my lungs in the best of ways.
Once he settles on his knees on the shower floor and hovers over me, he moves his kisses down my throat, to the valley between my breasts. After a long leisurely lick, he hums as he eyes my nipples. While nipping and sucking with his mouth, his hands cup and massage both of my breasts. The feeling is beyond words, yet not enough.
My fingernails rake up his back as I cry out, causing him to make a pleased sound in his chest. One of his hands moves down my stomach, then lightly caresses my folds. I gasp in response, “Yes… oh, fuck… please,” which prompts Caius to growl while nipping down the path that his hand just took.
My body arches, hands fisting in his hair. As I guide his nipping mouth further down, his fingers swipe through the wetness at my core. One, then two of them tease my entrance, causing me to cry out while arching closer, “Please, Caius. No more teasing.”
Caius sits back on his heels, his desire-filled eyes alternating from my entrance to my face as he slowly presses his fingers inside me. In and out, deeper with each slow press, I soon feel Caius’ palm circle against my clit while his fingers curl up. My head thrashes as my eyes roll back, my body trembling as I gasp in need, “Sweet fucking torture, again! So close...”
Only this time, instead of his palm, he leans in to lick from his fingers to the top of my slit. With a deep growl in his chest as my orgasm slams into me, he sucks at the entirety of my core while his fingers move and curl at a steady pace. A mantra of Caius’s name falls from my lips as the waves of ecstasy crash over me, along with pleas begging him not to stop.
I’m panting breathlessly when my orgasm finally subsides, my king looking like he’s the cat that got the cream as he kisses along my mound. “I fear I have a new addiction, My Sweet. Watching you cum for me… feeling you tremble from within while tasting the proof of your pleasure…”
He groans, then licks each of my nipples before offering, “I will never tire of your taste on my tongue, Isabella, or feeling the ecstasy I give you.”
My lips crash to his, but I push gently on his chest for him to sit back. I follow, never breaking the kiss as he takes the hint. My hands roam as the kiss deepens, but when my fingers trail over his hard length, he gasps loudly. I hum, then move to whisper in his ear, “Guide me, Caius. Show me.”
He groans, his eyes falling to where my fingers are exploring, then entwines our fingers before guiding our hands to wrap around his length. With a loud gasp of my name, he moves our hands in a rhythmic motion a few times.
I’m completely aroused again, just watching the pleasure I’m bringing to him, so I can understand now how he feels. My thumb slides along the ridge just under the head, which seems to be sensitive, because Caius arches his whole torso as his head falls back with a loud growl of, “More, Isabella. Fuck, I can still taste you on my tongue.”
Feeling emboldened by his reaction, I move his hand back to my core, then use both of mine to stroke him as I crash my mouth to his. He groans into my mouth, “Soaking wet… so perfect,” before pressing his fingers fully inside me while deepening the kiss.
In what seems like mere moments, Caius is growling while curling his fingers and pressing his thumb to my clit, “I can’t… feels so fucking good… cum with me, Isabella.”
The feeling is so intense that I cry out loudly, biting his shoulder as my body shudders in release. At the same moment as my teeth clamp down, my sexy king cries out my name before growling deeply, “Fuuuuuuccckk!”
His orgasm is instant, and several streams of his cool release spray across my lower stomach, even as my own seems to flood into his palm.
Our labored breathing is the only sound for several seconds after our orgasms calm, then Caius kisses along my shoulder. I whisper in a breathless chuckle, “You’ve officially ruined me for anyone else. You know that, right? I’ll never be able to let anyone else touch me after feeling what you do to me.”
He chuckles as he cradles me to him, then kisses my neck, “Mmm… good. I would be highly jealous if you did. I can not bear to think of another touching me, either, Isabella.”
With a pat to my ass, he helps me stand, then starts running his suddenly soapy hands along my curves. “Now that I am calm enough to think clearly, did you have a good day?”
I nod, kissing his chest, “Yes. Sulpicia is amazing… and I like having Jane with me very much. She was attentive all day, always keeping an eye out, but she had fun with us. I can see us being as comfortable with each other as Chelsea and Sulpicia are if given enough time. It’s too bad she’s not going to be my regular guard. She said something about your standby being chosen, but her being out on a mission of some sort.”
He nods in agreement, “Yes, that would be Corin… though if you are not content with Corin, you need only tell me, and I will have your guard changed.”
I take Caius’ body wash and lather up my hands, then spread them out along his chest, feeling the ridges of muscles as my soapy hands explore. “We’ll see how it goes. I did get quite a bit today, to expand my wardrobe. The only things not taken care of are a new cell phone, as well as my jewelry and formal attire. Jerran will be collaborating with Franco at the meeting tomorrow afternoon for that.”
He raises an eyebrow at me, so thinking quickly, I offer, “I wanted to thank him for creating the perfect pieces that you gave me. When I mentioned it to Sulpicia, she directed the driver to take us to his house. Emory answered the door, then hurried off to retrieve Jerran after he saw me wearing the necklace and spoke to Sulpicia in Italian for a quick second.”
Caius laughs, then says, “No doubt, Jerran was completely taken by surprise.”
I nod with a chuckle of my own, “Yes, though he did say he was tickled that his pieces were gracing someone with such natural beauty… and that said beauty had inspired him. He’s supposed to be working up a few sketches for me to look at tomorrow.”
He grins as he leans my head back enough to wet it completely, “Excellent. Say yes to anything you like, Darling. If you are unsure of anything, save the sketch. I will be happy to look over it and give my opinion.”
I hum as he lathers my hair, massaging my scalp in the process, “I will. I doubt I’ll have any problems, though. Apparently, Jerran and Franco work together flawlessly.”
Our conversation turns to the upcoming meeting as we finish showering, so I ask, “Are you alright now? I hated seeing you so upset when I walked in.”
He nods, kisses me softly, then wraps a towel around me, “Yes, My Sweet. I am. Your words calmed me, but honestly, it was our intimacy afterward that helped me see that there is nothing for me to worry about. Knowing you missed me... wanted me, when the entire coven is here in the castle… was what my beast needed.”
I hum in response, then kiss his lips lightly before offering, “Well if you ever need a reminder, I’ll be happy to oblige, my sexy king. Now help me pick something to wear for this meeting, so we can get this over with and enjoy the rest of our evening.”
Caius chuckles then hums while kissing my neck. After asking if I still want to wear my necklace, he picks out a navy and black burnout top with a lace cut-out back, black zip embellished skinny jeans, and my navy platform pumps.
I nod in appreciation at his choices, then move into the bedroom to find a black set of lacy underthings. Having a stroke of inspiration as I reach the bed again, I ask, “Would you mind calling Sulpicia, please, to see if she has a few minutes to help with my hair? I want to straighten it, but it takes me forever without vampire speed.”
He chuckles, nips my shoulder, then presses a button on his phone. “Yes, Sister. My Isabella is requesting you if you have a few moments.”
He waits for a second, then chuckles, “Well, as she is standing here nude, I only caught something about hair straightening and no vampire speed.”
I smack his arm with a gasp of his name, but he chuckles, “See you soon,” before pocketing his phone. “You are entirely too sexy, Isabella. I can not be blamed for my actions when you walk around the room nude.”
I can only shake my head with a laugh as I start to dress.
Sulpicia arrives just as I finish trying to give my eyes a smoky look. She smiles while entering the bathroom, then says, “You learn quickly. Take this end of the brush, using it to blend. Yes, just like that. A coat or two of mascara, and your eyes will be done. You can work on the rest once I start on your hair.”
It’s only ten minutes later that Sulpicia deems my hair done. It’s straight through the length, the tips curled, yet there’s tons of volume near the roots. “Amazing… again. Thank you so much.”
She chuckles, “Not a problem. I was happy to help. Now, though, I think there is someone wanting to see you.”
I give her a questioning look in the mirror, only to see her eyes move toward the bedroom in explanation. I smile as I see Caius leaning casually against the door frame watching me.
I stand, wanting to go to him. He meets me in the center of the bathroom, his hand curling a stray lock of hair behind my ear as his other arm wraps around me. “You look ravishing, Darling.”
I thank him, then he asks, “Are you ready? I have something to give you before we go. If we leave soon, we should be done in the throne room before you need your evening meal.”
I shake my head, “Caius, I don’t need anything else. You’ve spoiled me enough already.”
Sulpicia laughs, then offers as she guides me to the center of the bedroom, “Technically, it’s from all of us… but we thought Caius would like the honor of presenting it to you.”
He smiles at both of us, then holds out a black box that I’m quickly becoming familiar with. I cautiously open the lid, then gasp as my hand covers my heart. Inside is the most beautiful cuff bracelet I’ve ever seen.
The main portion is two rows of vines that wrap around my wrist, inlaid with what must be hundreds of tiny diamonds, then larger diamonds seem to randomly spot different places. The main attraction is an inlaid diamond flower with a brushed metal finish, the Volturi crest shining brilliantly, though there seems to be a crown at the top that I didn’t notice on Jane’s crest necklace.
I look to Caius, who explains, “While the guards each get a necklace to represent the Volturi, royalty pieces are more intricate. The piece being a bracelet, as well as the crown at the top of the crest, distinguish you as Volturi royalty, My Sweet. Aro wanted you to have something strong and timeless, so he suggested platinum. Marcus suggested a cuff style bracelet, and I helped Jerran come up with the design. Sulpicia chose only clear diamonds, which will allow you to wear it with any other jewelry you may want to use on a given day.”
For the second time in less than 24 hours, I am speechless because of a piece of jewelry. “I can’t even… this is… and the garden theme…”
I let out a chuckling breath, then start over, “It’s stunning, thank you. I don’t have words enough right now, but I truly love it.”
Caius grins widely as he places it on my wrist, then Sulpicia sighs happily, “Oh, it’s the perfect size, too.”
She hugs me quickly, then says, “I’ll leave the two of you now, as I have my own surprise to plan, plus I want to see my Aro for a few seconds before he’s stolen away to the throne room.”
Once I hear the door close behind Sulpicia, I pull Caius into an intimate kiss. He hums as the kiss ends, but all I can think is, “You chose the garden theme because of last night, didn’t you? Because our first kiss was there.”
He grins, pleased that I noticed, “I did. When Aro and Marcus first approached me about your crest piece after you fell asleep, I knew I wanted our first kiss to be represented somehow in the design. I take it that you are pleased?”
I nod while replying, “Very. It’s special because of what it means, me being part of the Volturi, but more so by its hidden meaning for us. Thank you, Caius.”
I kiss him lightly on the lips, then sigh, “We should get this meeting over with. I really want to spend the evening alone with you, but that won’t happen until we deal with the Cullens.”
He groans, kisses my neck, then pulls his phone out. “We are on our way, and will meet you in the throne room.”
After putting his phone away, Caius pulls me into a steamy kiss, then takes my hand before leading me to the main door to the suite.