The Descent
by Laura Spudzmom
Chapter 05
He smiled benignly at what I'm sure was a stunned expression on my face, took my hand and tugged me along as the enormity of his revelation slowly sank in. 'His wife?' I thought. 'If that be the case, what the fuck am I doing here?' Still I followed on silently, wondering just what it was he expected of me. Did he really think we'd have sex this night?
I glanced at his profile as we walked; his calm confidence, his sure stride… There was nothing hesitant about the man—at all and once again, I found myself getting a little pissed off by that despite the connection that still hummed through me from his touch.
After a short elevator ride and a few steps down a wide hall, we stopped in front of two ornate doors which he unlocked and swung wide. Gesturing inside, he glanced at me and I stepped in and stopped in the entryway of a lavish living room. As I looked around, he closed the doors and passed me as he unbuttoned and removed his jacket which he carelessly tossed over the back of a plush chair. "Please come in Isabella, make yourself comfortable." He turned as he loosened and removed his tie. "Would you care for a drink?"
"No, thank you," I murmured as I took a seat and watched him. Graceful and elegant didn't begin to describe him and yet there was no mistaking his masculinity as he moved about the room. After he'd poured himself a brandy, he leaned back against the sideboard and smirked at me over the rim of his glass.
"What is on your mind my lovely mate? It is obvious something troubles you."
I narrowed my eyes at him. "That's a bit of an understatement," I said as I crossed my legs and leaned back.
He cocked a brow as he slowly swirled the contents of the crystal snifter. "And yet, I am no closer to knowing the cause," he drawled before taking a sip.
I was now sure he was toying with me. He wasn't stupid after all. "Perhaps I'm disturbed to find out the male who would claim me as mate this night is married? If I go through with this, that makes me the other woman; a distinction I find unacceptable."
A smirk quirked his lips; the very same that I now found both attractive and irritating.
"My marital status holds no bearing on our relationship as mates Isabella."
My anger spiked at his nonchalance. "I disagree."
His eyes darkened a shade and his nostrils flared. "Just what would you have me do Isabella? Dora and I have been married for hundreds of years. Would you have me sever ties? Cast her out? I would no more do that than I would disregard you as my mate." He stood straight and downed the contents of the snifter before turning a hot gaze back on me. "No, I will not. You will learn to accept it."
I stood, hands clenched into tight fists at my sides. "I will not. Good evening to you." With that, I turned and strode toward the door but before I could reach it, I found myself pinned to the wall with a hard body flush against me and those sensual lips grazing mine which were parted in shock.
"You are my mate and will not leave here without bearing my mark," he hissed as he tilted my head and ruthlessly sank his fangs into my flesh.
As he injected his venom into me, forever combining our scents, I moaned and writhed against him. I couldn't help it; the feel of his bite, of our strengthening connection, of his body, hard and ready against mine…it was all overwhelming and even though my very human reasoning rebelled against him, the vampire within wanted nothing more than to submit. Oh, how I wanted to submit… In the end though, as soon as he removed his fangs from my flesh, my thinking mind won out and I slapped him and walked out with his parting words echoing in my mind: "You will be back my mate."
It took me a while to find my way out of that damned castle. It took me even longer to find the area of town I'd been in with Jasper. When I finally recognized the street we'd walked down, I relaxed marginally and made my way toward the bar. Before I could reach it though, I flinched at the sound of a familiar voice laced with humor. "So, I take it things didn't go well?"
I spun toward the voice to see the flaring red glow of a cigarette as he leaned casually against the corner of a building. He stepped toward me out of the shadows and smirked as he flipped the cigarette into a nearby butt can.
"How do you still manage to surprise me? I thought once I was changed that would cease to happen."
His smirk stretched into a grin. "Despite what Edward always said, I find ya to be most unobservant Isabella. I reckon that's somethin' we'll have to work on."
I frowned. "Hmm, yeah, I guess so," I said as he gestured in the direction of the lot he'd parked in.
"C'mon darlin', let's go get a room and you can finally answer my question."
~o0o~
As I stepped into the room he'd gotten us, I relaxed immediately. It was clean, comfortable and somewhat up-scale, but would never approach being lavish. As far as I was concerned, it was perfect.
After setting the locks, he moved into the room while shooting me a half smile. "Figured you'd appreciate a simple room rather than a suite."
I nodded as I stepped out of my shoes and sat on the bed. "You're right. Thanks."
"No problem," he said as he toed off his boots and headed into the bathroom. I heard the shower come on and relaxed back against the pillows as my thoughts returned to a certain blond King. I wasn't sure why, but since the confrontation with him in his rooms, every time he crossed my mind, pain flared through me accompanied by an almost desperate longing. 'What the hell?' I thought. 'I barely know him! How could this be?' I closed my eyes and absently rubbed my chest. I may not know the 'why' of it, but there was no denying that I'd been affected. The part that really scared me however, was that this feeling of desperation was only strengthening.
"Are you all right?"
I startled and snapped my gaze up to a towel-clad Jasper who was staring at me knowingly. "Sure," I rushed out. "Why wouldn't I be?"
He walked to his bag and got out a pair of boxers. Shamelessly dropping the towel, he stepped into them as he answered. "Oh, I don't know Isabella, but let me take an educated guess." He pinned me with a steely gaze. "The pain and longing I feel comin' from ya might have something to do with the fact ya let him mark ya and then left without completin' the bond."
I felt scolded by him for some reason and frowned. "Is that bad?"
He chuckled as he drew back the drape and opened the window before lighting a cigarette. Leaning back against the dresser, he narrowed his eyes as he took a drag while studying me intently. Just when I thought I'd lose it at his silence, he exhaled a plume of smoke and drawled out his answer. "Put it this way baby girl, if ya didn't want a matin' relationship with Caius Volturi…well, ya done fucked up."
I scowled. "Explain," I said coldly and he arched an unimpressed brow at me as he took a slow drag from his smoke. I took a calming breath and tried again, softening my tone. "Explain, please?"
"Well, up until he sunk his fangs in ya, you had a choice. Ya could a' rejected the mating."
I clenched my jaw for a moment before actively calming and asking what I already knew. "And now?"
He smirked and stubbed out the cigarette in the nearby ashtray as he answered. "Now, to have any sort of peace at all, you're gonna have to complete the bond. Only then will ya be able to leave him for any amount of time without pain building rapidly and drivin'' ya back to him."
I clenched my fists and stared out the window. "Motherfucker," I muttered. "The bastard knew what he was doing."
He pulled out a clean pair of jeans and stepped into them as I pinned him with a glare. He simply stared back steadily as he leaned against the dresser again.
"Why didn't you warn me?"
He arched a brow. "When was I supposed to do that Isabella? You danced with him and then left willingly. All I felt from either of ya was a fuck-ton a' lust. You're a big girl and not my mate, so I let ya make your own decisions."
My anger spiked. "You're my sire! All this vampire shit is new to me! How was I supposed to know I would be tied to him for fucking eternity if I let him bite me?"
He chuckled. "If blamin' me makes ya feel better Isabella, go right ahead, but we both know you're not that stupid. Ya feel a sire bond with me, correct?"
I nodded.
"And ya know how that bond was formed?"
I nodded and he raised his brows expectantly. I gritted my teeth and gave him what he wanted. "Fine! The sire bond was formed when you bit and changed me."
"That's right Isabella. Vampires bite each other all the time in fights and battles, but if you notice, it's instinctual to guard your neck at all times. The only time a vampire is bitten on the neck is willingly in a bonding or unwillingly during a kill. If the kill isn't made for whatever reason, a bond will form, it's as simple as that. If a vampire who's not your mate or sire manages to bite your neck and not kill ya, the only way to break that accidental bond is to kill that vampire."
Hope flared for the barest moment until he smirked and shook his head. "Ya can't kill your mate darlin'. To do so would mean killin' yourself—slowly and painfully. There's just no way outta this for you now but to complete the bond."
I could literally feel my eyes change as rage suffused my entire body. "So, I have no choice but to go be his whore for a night."
I'd expected him to laugh or mock me, but he didn't. Instead, I froze under his heavy regard that had me feeling as though he saw right through me. He probably did.
"You still think and act like a human. You are not a human. He is not a human. Have you even stopped to consider the age behind the vampire you're treating like a twenty-something mortal?"
I felt shame for some reason and shook my head as I stared into my lap.
"He's over two thousand years old Isabella. You're not dealin' with some college boy here. Think about that for a while."
Defiance reared its head and I snapped my head up to sneer at him. "What? So now I'm supposed to feel awe in his presence…treat him with reverence?" I scoffed and looked away.
He reached over and grabbed his pack of cigarettes. As he took one out and lit it, I felt his oppressive gaze settle back on me. "Go take a shower. Ya smell like the inside of that bar. When you're done and more rational, we'll continue this talk."
He smiled benignly at what I'm sure was a stunned expression on my face, took my hand and tugged me along as the enormity of his revelation slowly sank in. 'His wife?' I thought. 'If that be the case, what the fuck am I doing here?' Still I followed on silently, wondering just what it was he expected of me. Did he really think we'd have sex this night?
I glanced at his profile as we walked; his calm confidence, his sure stride… There was nothing hesitant about the man—at all and once again, I found myself getting a little pissed off by that despite the connection that still hummed through me from his touch.
After a short elevator ride and a few steps down a wide hall, we stopped in front of two ornate doors which he unlocked and swung wide. Gesturing inside, he glanced at me and I stepped in and stopped in the entryway of a lavish living room. As I looked around, he closed the doors and passed me as he unbuttoned and removed his jacket which he carelessly tossed over the back of a plush chair. "Please come in Isabella, make yourself comfortable." He turned as he loosened and removed his tie. "Would you care for a drink?"
"No, thank you," I murmured as I took a seat and watched him. Graceful and elegant didn't begin to describe him and yet there was no mistaking his masculinity as he moved about the room. After he'd poured himself a brandy, he leaned back against the sideboard and smirked at me over the rim of his glass.
"What is on your mind my lovely mate? It is obvious something troubles you."
I narrowed my eyes at him. "That's a bit of an understatement," I said as I crossed my legs and leaned back.
He cocked a brow as he slowly swirled the contents of the crystal snifter. "And yet, I am no closer to knowing the cause," he drawled before taking a sip.
I was now sure he was toying with me. He wasn't stupid after all. "Perhaps I'm disturbed to find out the male who would claim me as mate this night is married? If I go through with this, that makes me the other woman; a distinction I find unacceptable."
A smirk quirked his lips; the very same that I now found both attractive and irritating.
"My marital status holds no bearing on our relationship as mates Isabella."
My anger spiked at his nonchalance. "I disagree."
His eyes darkened a shade and his nostrils flared. "Just what would you have me do Isabella? Dora and I have been married for hundreds of years. Would you have me sever ties? Cast her out? I would no more do that than I would disregard you as my mate." He stood straight and downed the contents of the snifter before turning a hot gaze back on me. "No, I will not. You will learn to accept it."
I stood, hands clenched into tight fists at my sides. "I will not. Good evening to you." With that, I turned and strode toward the door but before I could reach it, I found myself pinned to the wall with a hard body flush against me and those sensual lips grazing mine which were parted in shock.
"You are my mate and will not leave here without bearing my mark," he hissed as he tilted my head and ruthlessly sank his fangs into my flesh.
As he injected his venom into me, forever combining our scents, I moaned and writhed against him. I couldn't help it; the feel of his bite, of our strengthening connection, of his body, hard and ready against mine…it was all overwhelming and even though my very human reasoning rebelled against him, the vampire within wanted nothing more than to submit. Oh, how I wanted to submit… In the end though, as soon as he removed his fangs from my flesh, my thinking mind won out and I slapped him and walked out with his parting words echoing in my mind: "You will be back my mate."
It took me a while to find my way out of that damned castle. It took me even longer to find the area of town I'd been in with Jasper. When I finally recognized the street we'd walked down, I relaxed marginally and made my way toward the bar. Before I could reach it though, I flinched at the sound of a familiar voice laced with humor. "So, I take it things didn't go well?"
I spun toward the voice to see the flaring red glow of a cigarette as he leaned casually against the corner of a building. He stepped toward me out of the shadows and smirked as he flipped the cigarette into a nearby butt can.
"How do you still manage to surprise me? I thought once I was changed that would cease to happen."
His smirk stretched into a grin. "Despite what Edward always said, I find ya to be most unobservant Isabella. I reckon that's somethin' we'll have to work on."
I frowned. "Hmm, yeah, I guess so," I said as he gestured in the direction of the lot he'd parked in.
"C'mon darlin', let's go get a room and you can finally answer my question."
~o0o~
As I stepped into the room he'd gotten us, I relaxed immediately. It was clean, comfortable and somewhat up-scale, but would never approach being lavish. As far as I was concerned, it was perfect.
After setting the locks, he moved into the room while shooting me a half smile. "Figured you'd appreciate a simple room rather than a suite."
I nodded as I stepped out of my shoes and sat on the bed. "You're right. Thanks."
"No problem," he said as he toed off his boots and headed into the bathroom. I heard the shower come on and relaxed back against the pillows as my thoughts returned to a certain blond King. I wasn't sure why, but since the confrontation with him in his rooms, every time he crossed my mind, pain flared through me accompanied by an almost desperate longing. 'What the hell?' I thought. 'I barely know him! How could this be?' I closed my eyes and absently rubbed my chest. I may not know the 'why' of it, but there was no denying that I'd been affected. The part that really scared me however, was that this feeling of desperation was only strengthening.
"Are you all right?"
I startled and snapped my gaze up to a towel-clad Jasper who was staring at me knowingly. "Sure," I rushed out. "Why wouldn't I be?"
He walked to his bag and got out a pair of boxers. Shamelessly dropping the towel, he stepped into them as he answered. "Oh, I don't know Isabella, but let me take an educated guess." He pinned me with a steely gaze. "The pain and longing I feel comin' from ya might have something to do with the fact ya let him mark ya and then left without completin' the bond."
I felt scolded by him for some reason and frowned. "Is that bad?"
He chuckled as he drew back the drape and opened the window before lighting a cigarette. Leaning back against the dresser, he narrowed his eyes as he took a drag while studying me intently. Just when I thought I'd lose it at his silence, he exhaled a plume of smoke and drawled out his answer. "Put it this way baby girl, if ya didn't want a matin' relationship with Caius Volturi…well, ya done fucked up."
I scowled. "Explain," I said coldly and he arched an unimpressed brow at me as he took a slow drag from his smoke. I took a calming breath and tried again, softening my tone. "Explain, please?"
"Well, up until he sunk his fangs in ya, you had a choice. Ya could a' rejected the mating."
I clenched my jaw for a moment before actively calming and asking what I already knew. "And now?"
He smirked and stubbed out the cigarette in the nearby ashtray as he answered. "Now, to have any sort of peace at all, you're gonna have to complete the bond. Only then will ya be able to leave him for any amount of time without pain building rapidly and drivin'' ya back to him."
I clenched my fists and stared out the window. "Motherfucker," I muttered. "The bastard knew what he was doing."
He pulled out a clean pair of jeans and stepped into them as I pinned him with a glare. He simply stared back steadily as he leaned against the dresser again.
"Why didn't you warn me?"
He arched a brow. "When was I supposed to do that Isabella? You danced with him and then left willingly. All I felt from either of ya was a fuck-ton a' lust. You're a big girl and not my mate, so I let ya make your own decisions."
My anger spiked. "You're my sire! All this vampire shit is new to me! How was I supposed to know I would be tied to him for fucking eternity if I let him bite me?"
He chuckled. "If blamin' me makes ya feel better Isabella, go right ahead, but we both know you're not that stupid. Ya feel a sire bond with me, correct?"
I nodded.
"And ya know how that bond was formed?"
I nodded and he raised his brows expectantly. I gritted my teeth and gave him what he wanted. "Fine! The sire bond was formed when you bit and changed me."
"That's right Isabella. Vampires bite each other all the time in fights and battles, but if you notice, it's instinctual to guard your neck at all times. The only time a vampire is bitten on the neck is willingly in a bonding or unwillingly during a kill. If the kill isn't made for whatever reason, a bond will form, it's as simple as that. If a vampire who's not your mate or sire manages to bite your neck and not kill ya, the only way to break that accidental bond is to kill that vampire."
Hope flared for the barest moment until he smirked and shook his head. "Ya can't kill your mate darlin'. To do so would mean killin' yourself—slowly and painfully. There's just no way outta this for you now but to complete the bond."
I could literally feel my eyes change as rage suffused my entire body. "So, I have no choice but to go be his whore for a night."
I'd expected him to laugh or mock me, but he didn't. Instead, I froze under his heavy regard that had me feeling as though he saw right through me. He probably did.
"You still think and act like a human. You are not a human. He is not a human. Have you even stopped to consider the age behind the vampire you're treating like a twenty-something mortal?"
I felt shame for some reason and shook my head as I stared into my lap.
"He's over two thousand years old Isabella. You're not dealin' with some college boy here. Think about that for a while."
Defiance reared its head and I snapped my head up to sneer at him. "What? So now I'm supposed to feel awe in his presence…treat him with reverence?" I scoffed and looked away.
He reached over and grabbed his pack of cigarettes. As he took one out and lit it, I felt his oppressive gaze settle back on me. "Go take a shower. Ya smell like the inside of that bar. When you're done and more rational, we'll continue this talk."
DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended.