WARNING: Mature themes of a sexual nature and graphic blood
It's been a while and I deeply apologize for that, but I've spent the last two weeks packing and organizing as I've recently moved to a completely new country lol. Like, literally three days ago and I've not had WiFi to boot, so what are you gonna do? Anyway, I know some of the lore in this probably ain't gonna match with the books or films but I've been wanting to do this, so I'm just making stuff up whole trying to remain faithful to the lore as best I can. An extra long chapter to make up for the wait, no translations I'm afraid cause I'm exhausted and I frankly can't be bothered and please, enjoy the fluff/smut🥺. After this things are gonna get hard for Nora. Alas, enjoy Caius in this chapter. Never been more jealous of an OC in my life.

"...If your feelings are still what they were last April tell me so at once. My affections and wishes have not changed...but one word from you will silence me forever." Mr Darcy vowed to live in pain, to give up his love for Elizabeth who could only gape. Awestruck.

Nora sniffed at the passionate begging of Mr Darcy as he and Elizabeth started their confession, hugging the pillow she clasped between her arms for comfort, her ironclad grip on the spoon and ice cream carton in her hands enough to bend them.

"If, however, your feelings have changed I will have to tell you. You have bewitched me body and soul and I love...I love," The gravity of his declaration caused him to stutter. "I love you. I never wish to be parted from you from this day on."

Elizabeth took a step, then she enveloped his hand in hers with hesitant care. "...Well then," She placed a loving kiss upon his fingers, fretting over him. "Your hands are cold."

Nora watched the screen like a devoted disciple as they nearly kissed. She lay on the sofa, blankets and pillows piled around her in an odd nest of comfort. She dug her spoon back into her ice cream and shoved the mountain of rich chocolate fudgy goodness into her mouth to suppress a sob but regardless, tears leaked from her eyes–scrunched to try and forestall the eventual waterworks she knew were coming.

Her emotions were all over the place, a result of an ill–timed visitor. Unwelcome, a means of punishment for some felon she had unknowingly committed against the universe. Either way the monthly curse of womanhood was upon her and now was not when she'd been expecting it. Often, stress made her period irregular and here she found herself...hidden away on the couch, forced to abandon their plans of meeting with the Cullens in person because, as gross as her freaky little Caius had made it sound, he was worried the scent of blood would drive the batshit vegetarian family mad.

It was easy enough to change their plans. Bella had been with her when the arrival had happened and thank God her sister was just that. Her sister. If Bella had been a boy, then the emergency supply of tampons stuffed away in her dad's cupboard in the bathroom would not exist.

"So, has dad finally calmed down?"

Nora tipped unsteadily on her kitchen chair, swinging back and forth on the back legs like she used to do in school, warnings of cracking her head open like an egg be damned. If any of her mates saw her doing it she'd have been lambasted, but they were with her father. So she could be as reckless as she wanted.

She stopped at Bella's question anyway, keeping her eyes locked on the ample swathe of trees that were walled around the modest white house. She'd been trapped in a reverie about something she'd seen in the murky darkness of the shade from the stretching linear leaves, but Bella had distracted her.

Had he gotten control of himself? She couldn't hear the sound of rapid gunfire, nor could she hear the sound of the four disparate men trying to murder eachother so she assmued all was well. What she could hear was the muffled cheering of a crowd...some random football game. A re–run, most likely. So he was making them watch football? There were worse ways to go. They should feel lucky.

Tipping forward fully, she dumped her elbows on the table, her chin propped on her folded arms and chose to watch Bella occupy herself with finding her favorite tea bags that had been shoved to the back of the cupboard–stuffed behind her dad's concerning amount of boxes of double thick oreo cookies.

She pulled out the jar at last. Black tea, Nora recognized with fondness. She had always enjoyed the flavor that reminded her so much of many hot summer days spent playing with Bella back in Phoenix as a child, especially in times of emotional duress.

"From what I hear. There's no screaming, so I'm staying put. In love and war it's every soldier for themselves. Besides, who knows how awkward it must be in there right now." Nora joked. Marcus, Aro and Caius hands down could hear everything she was saying and she could envision how annoyed they were with her. This, however, was revenge for abandoning her to face her fathers inquisition all on her own.

"Yeah," Bella laughed as she poured the boiling water into each respective mug, taking extra care not to be her clumsy self and pour the scalding water all over her hand. "Awkward because they're thousands of years old? Or awkward because Charlie threatened to blow their brains all over the walls when you told him you were moving to Italy?"

Nora accepted her drink when Bella joined her at the table with a half shrug and a tiny smirk that was rare for her. "A little bit of both."

She didn't blow on it or wait for it to cool, taking a large sip and hiding the moue of regret that wanted to strain across her stiff lips. Okay, way too hot.

She kept a brave face, the scalding liquid burning her tongue but in a way it was good. It reminded her that the short lived scuffle that had occurred minutes ago was all over now. Their heads were still safely attached to their shoulders.

Yes. They should feel lucky indeed.

"It was a good story though, huh? Had to think of something that he wouldn't question too much."

Bella nodded, not being quite so brave as to gulp down the boiling hot liquid as her sister, her mug sat stagnantly between her pale hands and her thin fingers laced together around it. "Believable, too. It's something I can see you doing, later on down the line. You're good enough for it."

It was a nice thought, however Bella was forgetting Nora's life now. Her position and her power and she shook her head, "Nah. Even if I wanted to attend a place like that I couldn't. Pretty soon, I'll have too many responsibilities. Too many changes...if you get what I mean."

Aro's idea to have her father believe she wished to study abroad was one she knew her father would believe and accept–with some complaints, naturally. She couldn't be doing it for a man. He would have never allowed it if she was just doing it to be closer to Marcus and she had assured him countless times already that she was doing it for her–that he should be happy that her knowing the three brothers had given her such an opportunity and opened many doors for her. It was lie after lie, but what other choice did she have?

She couldn't exactly say 'hey dad. Just to let you know, I'm moving to Italy to live with three ancient vampire kings in their castle for the rest of eternity and after I leave, I'll probably never see you again.' Yeah. That was a big no–no. Attending a fancy university in Rome? That was the way to cool his disapproval for her leaving indefinitely.

Sure, once upon a time the idea of attending a new school had been thrilling and she sort of wished it was the truth. The plan was to pull herself together after...that, and find a new place–a fresh one to finish her degree.

It had all changed now. For the better, of course but some part of her missed the opportunity to lose herself in her art and her creativity like she used to when she was an introverted loner coasting through the life of a student. Perhaps, when all of her stuff was moved, she could try and get back into it. Caius was a connoisseur of the arts and though she had yet to see his elusive studio, she was sure granting her the privilege of its usage would be something he would readily do.

Her dad, upon learning the news, was saddened to be losing her and he had pulled her aside at one point when the brothers were lost in conversation over her baby photos, to make sure it was what she really wanted.

He had thrown excuse after excuse for her not to go. First it had been that she didn't know a lick of Italian. She'd told him she'd learn it. How hard could it be?

Then it had been that Marcus wouldn't take care of her properly. That she could be kidnapped or sex trafficked or drugged and then chopped into bits and sold on the black market. It was a bit extreme for her taste and she had told him she was a grown woman. She didn't need a man to look after her as a caregiver, especially not her boyfriend.

His final excuse was that she would be leaving her whole family behind. She'd reminded him that cellphones existed and that ⅓ of their family didn't bother to speak to her anyway, so what was the big deal?

He had given up the ghost when she wouldn't back down. He had said...as long as it made her happy, that it was something she wanted to do, then he'd try to be happy for her–so long as she promised to schedule a weekly phone call with him that she was not allowed to miss under any circumstance.

Such support made her feel like the worst fucking daughter in the world for lying to him...but it would be better in the end and she also didn't really have a choice but to be untruthful. At least if she was far away, when she inevitably changed and had to sever all ties it would make the whole process a little less painful for them all.

He wasn't a mushy man, her dad. But the idea of not seeing her every day had really dimmed his spirit and made him irrefutably hypercritical towards the men he had said were 'trying to corrupt and take her away from him'.

He had snapped and that was when the gun had come into play. His largest shotgun, the barrel shoved into a very amused Aro's face while he yelled about how he was a cop and covering up a murder would be as easy as pulling the trigger.

Nora had pulled vainly at her dad's arm to try and stop him while Marcus and Caius let Aro take the brunt of his aggression and Bella, her startled little sister, had ran downstairs to see what all the screaming was about.

She had managed to calm him after minutes of fear for her mates lives, with the help of Bella and as a means to create peace, Nora had slipped in the suggestion they leave them all to talk and get to know one another–when the guns had been put back in their rightful places.

That is how she and Bella found themselves safely kept out of it and in the kitchen.

"Anyway," Bella said, seeing her sister's face fall into that uncanny blankness that only came when she was thinking too hard about unpleasant things. "On to more important things. Why are you really going to the Cullens?"

Nora shrugged. "Like I said. To make peace. You like them, most of them like you. Why let one megalomaniac copper haired fucktoid vampire on a crazed path of lies ruin a good thing?"

"Huh..." Bella hadn't considered how to handle the Cullens. They hadn't spoken, or seen each other since Edward. She hadn't considered how they were going to patch things up. "It's a good idea, actually. Coming from you anyway." What a half assed compliment.

"Oh thanks, it's been known to happen." Nora said with hefty disgruntlement and breathed in the aroma of her tea. Taking a sip she stopped, her fingers loosening and then tightening around the mug as she stared into space.

Bella watched her, placing her own mug down. She opened her mouth, eyes scanning over the building tinge of horror darkening her sister's serious mien. "Nora? Wha–"

"Shit." Nora whined, shifting in her seat. A stab of pain. Yep. Confirmed. "Oh, shit! Bella!" Her sister jumped when Nora snatched her hand, shaking her with round eyes of despair. "Code red. Code red! Fuck, please tell me you have provisions?"

"Shit." Bella parroted, a matching expression of Nora's discomfort falling over her similar yet more youthfully adolescent features. "O–okay, alright." She fumbled to her feet as Nora stood awkwardly with a sickened grimace. She felt nauseated all of a sudden.

Bella ran her hands through her hair. Did she have anything to–fuck, she didn't know. "It's alright. Just stay here and don't move okay?"

When Bella had gotten Nora what she needed and demanded she shove some tylenol down her throat to hold off her cramps, Marcus had sought them out and told her with great joy that it was time to leave. Relieved yet saddened, Bella had opted to stay home and not venture to the Cullens at the change of events.

Nora was disappointed to be leaving her sister so soon, but she was in pain and discomfort and Marcus...he had a look about him–a knowing one, but he had said nothing as they bid her father goodbye with the promise she would be back one last time to collect her things.

In the car it was a different story. She didn't even get a chance to ask how the forced 'manly bonding' time had gone because immediately, they had all been on her, demanding and pushy and domineering. Was she in pain? Did they need to call for a doctor? Would she be better off bedridden? To that last one Caius had advocated quite strongly that she should be.

Don't get it twisted, it wasn't her first period around them but never had they reacted quite so over the top. She was going to blame the fact they were in an unfamiliar environment and it was pushing their instincts.

It was sweet that they were so worried, but they had taken their care to the extreme and in the end it was decided she was banned from joining them on their adventure to see the veggie family, decided that Marcus and Aro would go with Jane and Felix to make amends and she was to be sent back to the hotel with an all too keen Caius just waiting to dote on her.

Banned. The total fucking shits.

So yes, that is how she found herself crying like a baby over Pride and Prejudice. Coddled like a child. Ordered into comfy pajamas which was really just one of Caius's rare black oversized hoodies and some cozy knee length white socks. He had wrapped her up in layer upon layer of thick and fluffy blankets, her intake of pain medication monitored and any and all sweet treat she desired bestowed to her at her beck and call.

Again, all by Caius's doing.

Angrily she muttered over being catered to so well when she wanted to be annoyed but shit, he really knew how to treat a girl. With fat tears still brimming and with a besodden wailish moan of despair caused by, well...life, she devoured another spoonful of ice cream.

"Nora? What on Earth?" A perplexed yet worried voice sounded from behind her. Rending her attention from the screen with tears still faltering down her cheeks like a hormonal waterfall, her answer on the tip of her tongue, it completely escaped her mind when she ambled her body to look over the back of the sofa.

Fucking hell.

The spoon dropped from her hand and thumped against the cushions, likely to leave a stain, but...

"Jesus."

Caius slicked his wet hair back with his long fingers, his head back and his lips parted when he shook the remaining water from it–water that was still glistening along every line and dip and muscle of his chest, a white towel hanging dangerously low on his hips. A droplet fell from his sharp jaw and rolled slowly, temptingly down his pale skin that was damaged with...were those scars? Oh God.

He had...he was...he...w–what the hell? How was he so perfect? He even had a 'v' line, for fucks sake.

"Jesus?" He alluded and chuckled, walking closer so he could bend and lean his elbows and forearms on the couches back, now hovering over her. His biceps bulged, his large and veiny hands laden with chunky, elegant rings that encapsulated his wealth and personality perfectly capturing her attention. They were just so...nice and defined and made him look so strong. Nora's throat went bone dry.

Nefarious amusement curling his mouth into a serpentine smirk, he cupped one of the hands she was obsessing over around the back of her head and delved his lips onto hers in a kiss that had her automatically forgetting how sad she'd been, licking a small residue of ice cream from the corner of her mouth when he separated from her enough to stare into her mesmerized and still wide eyes. "Nowhere near, sweetheart."

She squeaked at the invasion to her space by such an impossibly hot man that she struggled to believe was actually hers and felt herself become lightheaded when his smell wrapped around her, exponentially more warming than any of her many blankets. She felt she was drowning but if this was to be her death she didn't want to find the surface for air.

Unable to move away, she too was unable to gather a lucid thought. Why was it on her period that her sex drive chose to become out of control? All she could think about were the things she wanted to do with him. The ice cream, his almost nakedness, his eye–catching abs that were beckoning her to take the spoon–

'Nora!' Her mind cleared through the fog to scold her, but that wasn't not enough to really stop all of the ego boosting thoughts that would make him more imperiously vain than he was if he could hear them. Okay, she needed to get a fucking grip but it just...seemed far too convenient. It was incredibly sucky timing for such thoughts.

His hand was still embedded in her hair, his lips were so close and he smelt of a dizzying mix of soft vanilla and a spicy breath of cedar. It was compelling. How was she supposed to breathe again?

Having the time of his life watching her struggle and try so hard to do anything, say anything, think anything, ultimately he gave her a break and let her go but didn't move away when she began to turn a shade of red more concerning than humorous.

If she knew how much his ego inflated when she whined dejectedly at the loss of contact, she'd have abstained from making any noise at all. It was too hard to be helped, though. For some reason the tingle and the warmth and the feeling of home she got whenever he or Marcus or Aro touched her was amplified.

It was all fun and games to see her battling between wanting to be near him or to lose herself to the burgeoning annoyance with him festering like an illness in the back of her mind...until, that is, he noticed the track marks–evidence of her crying–and remembered the horrid sound of sadness she'd made when he entered.

"I only left for twenty minutes. What happened? Why were you crying, bella gioiello? Hm?" He used a curled finger gently under her chin to encourage her head up so he could see in more detail.

Gods, did she look adorable with her mussed hair pulled into a disorderly curled bun on the top of her head, her sad little teary eyes blinking up at him and a large blanket shrouded around her, the ice cream she'd so terribly wanted clamped between her hands. She sniffled and he frowned when she spoke. It was wobbly and shaky; she was mere seconds away from dissolving into another round of tears and ice cream demolition.

"The movie."

Sparingly he moved his focus to the Television but all that was there was a list of names and upbeat classical music. He swept his eyes back to her with a question in them that somehow set off her aggression.

"It was sad, okay?" She defended as if he'd said something to offend her when he hadn't even uttered a word. "I'm sorry if a crying woman makes you uncomfortable but at least I have feelings you literal slab of emotionless stone."

Hubris welled inside of him at her defensiveness and dithering moods, but he had no wish to encourage the demon before him and instead, he turned his hand so the finger under her chin was replaced by his thumb and swiped it across the wet and red area under her eyes.

She immediately cooled off, closing them and leaning closer to him with a gratified sigh and her ice cream held close to her chest.

"Might I make a suggestion that may help you feel better?" He cycled through a range of emotions when she opened her groggy eyes and nodded: worry for her health, awe at her drastic change in emotions, love as his thumb stroked and eased the fiery burn around her lids that always came with crying. "I'll get dressed and then we can do whatever you like for the rest of the day, okay sweetheart?" He besieged control of their alone time happily.

"Really?" She asked in a small voice that made him smile softly.

"Anything." He promised and still using his thumb to clean her tears, the pads of his index and middle fingers pressed gently into her temple. Maybe somehow he knew a headache was beginning to bother her, because he added a little more light pressure that had her grab at his wrist to try and make him stay like it. "It's your decision, my pretty girl."

He would do anything to pull her from this sad little episode she found herself in. She was being adorably clingy due to it but the luster of her smile, the crinkle of her eyes when she laughed. It suited her so much better than tears. To see them pollute the beauty of her was wrong.

With warm cheeks and a disappointed lingering examination of his bare chest in all of its marked and muscled glory at the idea of such perfection being hidden from her, she nodded sadly and whispered just as so, "Okay."

Curbing a snigger bound to make her furious that was warring to be free, his happiness and the slight cocky, teasing inflexion to his words made her blush again, and how he cherished it when she did. "Would you prefer I keep my shirt off, gattina?"

In a charade of serenity, she flopped back onto the couch with her lips poised in an unbothered line and busied herself with picking up her discarded spoon to poke it at her fastly melting ice cream, no longer hungry. "Pffft, w–whatever. I obviously don't care."

He sighed in disappointment when he drew his arm back to his side and forced it to hang there, his hand clenched to fight against how weak he felt; he wanted to touch her or much rather have it back where it had been and he shook it, furling his fingers into a fist as he felt the last of the dying tingling sparks that always came with touching her pinprick along his skin.

"It is a shame," He said as a form of distraction and stared at her baggy hoodie like it had insulted him personally. He walked backwards, replying to her confused and adorable blinks with a smirk. "I was hoping you'd say you'd want to be shirtless too carina. Or better yet, to see you nude again would be a sight I'd enjoy immensely."

As hot as an erupting volcano, Nora blustered at him and flicked her spoon in his direction when he laughed at her, the melted and now unappealing chocolate sludge on it hitting the wall rather than him. He was out of range, making his way back to the bathroom.

"Like I'm gonna give you more ammunition to jerk your mini Caius over. Go on, fuck off!"

His appalled laugh at her term for his dick echoed and his stupid, beautiful smiling face played back through her mind as she stared upwards and licked the spoon.

That annoying, implausibly gorgeous jerk...fuck did she love him.

"I cannot believe I let you talk me into this."

"Well you did. 'It's your decision, my pretty girl', remember? That's your problem, bud."

"I could make it your problem." Caius proposed snottily, annoyed at the failed imitation of how he spoke. "And I do not sound like that. You make me sound all nasally and annoying."

"I'll pass on whatever the hell that's supposed to mean thanks and gee, I wonder why I made you sound like that. Maybe it's because that's exactly how you talk." Nora took a prim approach when she replied, hoping it would shut him up. When he scoffed in soft outrage, her already unfocused interest struggling to be applied to the large screen of the television became impossible to accomplish. All because of her irritating companion.

"Come now, is there not something else you would much rather be doing together? I can think of a lot of things that'll make you feel all better, my darling heart." A suggestive hand was smacked away as it attempted to grope her chest, the crisp 'slap' noise braying through the dark room.

He could use all of the adoring names he wanted. He was not getting in her pants. Not on her period. "Babe, I mean this with utmost respect and love. Shut the fuck up and watch the movie. Okay?"

"Oh, how you've charmed me. I am even more inclined to listen to you now." Caius blabbered with needless sarcasm over the noise of the movie, shaking the resounding sting away that was spreading over his hand. Apparently her period had made Nora superhuman or something, because that had actually hurt worse than the time Aro bitch slapped him for messing up his precious collection of scrolls and tomes that he meticulously kept in chronological order.

Caius had more time on his hands than it was worth over the centuries and boredom was his enemy on the days he wasn't torturing or maiming...or painting the most magnificent of landscapes and portraits. With his usual partner in crime, Marcus, catatonic for centuries he'd been bored beyond repair and Aro was a man with a clinical case of OCD. Caius had made a game of seeing just how far he could push Aro until he would break. It hadn't taken the normally composed man long at all on that particular day and for the prize of his boyish game, Caius had won the reward of deep cracks splintering along the contours of his cheek for three weeks after. Still, it had been totally worth it.

Fondly reminiscing about it, Caius pulled a long face at Nora's rejection and rested his arm in its original place around the back of the sofa so he could drop his hand back on her shoulder, the other spread out in much the same way. She may have been annoyed but she cuddled into his side with her head on his naked chest, her legs curled up close to her and a pillow tucked under her chin, her eyes droopy with tranquility as opposed to tiredness.

The pain, the horrible cramps assaulting her had become too much at one point so to numb it, she'd had half a bottle–most of a bottle–of red wine. It was...definitely working.

The pillow/shield proved useful when the suspenseful music started, the hair on her arms standing on end. Screw John Carpenter. The guy knew how to direct a film and she found herself even more terrified of what they were watching thanks to her tipsiness. "Oh fuck me, fuck me, fuck me..." She chirped pertly with her hands bone achingly clinging to the pillow, thinking that might quell her fear.

"If you insist." Caius offered sleazily with an impish smile of immaturity. He jumped and yelped out an 'ow' when she slammed her palm against his chest. It hadn't hurt really and as he looked down at her, still being stubborn and not looking at him in return, he thought she was adorable. Like a feisty, scared little kitten.

She was prattling to herself in fright while he preoccupied himself with lacing his fingers through hers and she pressed herself closer and closer to him, a whine building into a screech as the 'shape'–better known as the one and only Michael Myers–leapt out of the dark and lifted poor little unsuspecting Bob into the air. He impaled him to the wall with his kitchen knife, taking the time to appreciate his murder art with a classic head tilt.

"Ooh!" Caius whooped with empathy that was spurious. He reveled in Nora choosing to hide against his chest rather than her cushion which she still pressed to the exposed part of her face. "Nice kill, but very inaccurate."

"What?" She distractedly said, glimpsing her eyes over the top of the cushion, consoled to see it had changed back to the legend that was Jamie Lee Curtis. "Inaccurate how?"

Caius answered with creepy joy and was blithe over the murder when he dropped his head close to gloat at her. Of course, murder was no biggie to him. She always forgot that. "The blood."

She was lost, blinking her big eyes up at him in that way that always made him want to kiss her senseless for being so cute. He might as well have been speaking in Italian she was that confused.

He shrugged, playing with her fingers while focusing back on the movie. Michael was now adorned in a sheet and goofy glasses which Caius found particularly funny, the screens flashy lighting making her resident mean girl's severe features eerily harrowing as he showcased his teeth. "Real blood is much darker. Thicker and there's a lot more of it, too. I see enough and draw enough myself to know that much." That was gross and more dark humor sullied his voice as Michael began choking Linda with the phone cord. "The strangling, though, is quite accurate. Humans do go that purple when asphyxiated."

"You're sick." She scorned but he was far too proud of himself at inciting such revulsion from her to become shamed.

"No. I'm just realistic." He remarked callously, "and a bit of a sadistic psychopath, if you really want to go there." What was added as an afterthought with a nonplussed waiver of his hand by her head had her repulsed.

A laugh still lifted her words from her abhorrence when he squeezed her hand enveloped in his. "Cool your jets, Chucky. Let's save the psychology for another time, yeah?"

"If I'm Chucky then does that make you my Tiffany?" Her mind boggled in surprise at him knowing the reference but she swayed her head in thought, scoffing that of course he'd seen Child's Play. He had much in common with the angry little ginger troll doll, like their pastime of murder and the way both he and Caius had some serious anger management issues they needed to work through.

"I guess I am." She jabbed a finger into his taught stomach making him squirm and through his furrowed look of displeasure gloom a guarantee of consequence upon her if she did it again. Her tone was not nearly as serious as she wanted to make it and she was grinning now–a small one. "Just don't try to electrocute me in the bathtub when I annoy you and we're golden."

"Well," He brooded on it while converting his focus to their joined hands with the other weaving through her hair in the way he knew turned her to putty in his hands, eventually peering at her through his lashes, a mean smirk deviating his lips. He freakishly resembled the Joker. "No promises there I'm afraid."

Bewitched by a passing fancy to one up him and not show how such a smirk ignited her fear, she ceased all contact with him and struck him in his irritating face with her pillow, hearing the zip ping off his marble cheek. "Boo, you whore."

She knew that was a reference he wouldn't get...unless she was gonna learn something completely unexpected from him. Caius being a secret stan of Mean Girls? Totally possible. He could have been Regina George's long lost older brother with his hair and attitude and love for passive aggressively insulting others right to their face.

"What–whore?" Caius blurted as he wrestled the cushion from suffocating him. He didn't know whether to be insulted or whether to find it funny, but Nora had made her decision. She was simpering at him with her pink face shoved into the cushion she had pulled back to her to muffle the cloying noise as best she could. No point damaging his fragility anymore than necessary.

"Sorry! I'd control my language if you weren't threatening to literally turn me into a soggy toaster strudel." She defended when the weight of his confusion felt heavy on her, her voice still stifled and the pillow still obscuring her from him even as he tried to pull it away. "Plus, you need to broaden your mind when it comes to these sorts of movies. It's a horror movie for a reason, not a true to life documentary." She said while finally letting him do so, coming away from her hiding place to be heard clearly.

"I never said it was," Caius murmured, rallying to his own defense. He saw the irritation she often housed towards him creeping across her face in subtle ways like the slight pull of her lips into a sneer and the twitch of her brows towards her hairline. Wanting a reaction, he said one of the biggest insults he could to her. "It's not my fault I can see the obvious flaws. I do not understand why people like these films so much."

Nora whipped her head up quickly with a heaved intake of air that made her vision swim. She let the pillow fall partially onto her legs, partially onto the open space of couch between their bodies and reached her hands up to hold both sides of his face, staring deep into his eyes with all of the seriousness she could muster, nose to nose with him.

"Caius. Baby, sugar plum, light of my life." He wanted to beam at her for the sweet and melodramatic little names, but kept himself blank in bemused neutrality.

She wasn't being serious when calling him such cutesy things. It was all part of a bigger scheme that ultimately would endeavor to harm his feelings. Up close, she was just so beautiful he could forgive the insults he assumed were coming his way.

"You're adorable babe, but if you insult my favorite genre one more time I'm gonna have to pound on you a little bit. There are things you clearly know nothing about when it comes to this. Leave the complicated and interesting things to the professionals, okay? You stick to your Solitaire and backgammon as hobbies." She play–slapped him on the cheek.

Caius moped despite actively pushing for this clapback from her, jaw dropped. She was a funny little thing sometimes. He woke from his inertness and took one of her hands as she went to scoot backwards, sliding his to her wrist to tug on it so she'd be forced to stay close to him. Rousing her slumbering fury, he was tutting at her like she was an idiot and drawled, "Well, enlighten me then little one. What makes it all so interesting? To me horror is nothing more than a cheap trick of fright. Not to mention they hardly make sense. There is simply no logic."

"Woah woah woah." Horrified, Nora attempted to wrangle her hand from his, eyes wide. "What the heck did you just say? They don't make sense? No logic?!" She sought her belligerent stare all over his face that was lowered sternly close to her own, but it was as firm as his hold on her wrist that he refused to relinquish.

"No. They don't."

'Oh no.' Nora thought, horrified. No! Unacceptable. The 1996 masterpiece Scream was one of her all time top movies and at his absolute ignorance of the meaning behind the slasher genre she thought of her favorite film nerd, Randy Meeks, who would be so disappointed in him. Time for her to do him justice.

"Alright, you're going to pay attention if you want to know all about the logic that truly lies behind my favorite movie archetype. That logic is simple. Rules."

"Rules?" Cryptic, his eyes rolled to the ceiling. Why, just why, did he so adore annoying her?

"Yes." She snapped, impatient, tugging and tugging and tugging at her hand but his fingers were so unyielding they might as well have been stitched to her skin. She could have walloped him one when he laughed at her rebelling, the cool exertion of air ruffling her hair. There was no point lifting her head to look at him and she honestly had no desire to. She could perfectly envision the way he looked right now. If there were a crown to be won for choosing to be an ignoramus bastard 24/7, around the clock, it would be permanently perched on top of his big ass head.

Working on pulling his fingers away individually, Nora's jaw was set in concentration and her sentence was almost growled at him. "Look, following the known rules is one of the only ways to survive horror icons such as Jason Vorhees or Freddy Kreuger. Even your beloved Chucky." She finally freed herself with a victorious yell and hopping to her feet while he sulked, she sauntered to the Tv so she was standing next to it and in front of him. A teacher instructing her kindergarten class of one.

"School is in session, so listen up kid."

Michael was still hacking away at teenagers in the background and Caius folded his glorious arms across his glorious chest, an unvoiced but very pronounced challenge for her to wow him. He sagged back into the cushions, a sigh blowing through his parted lips knowing they'd be there possibly the rest of the night. He digressed bittersweetly, though, that this was his own fault and that he was going to have to deal with what he had started.

Pouring herself a new and massive glass of wine, letting his quiet commentary at the sheer volume of it and that she might as well have just drank it from the bottle go in through one ear and out the other, she began.

"There is a certain list of rules one has to follow if they want to have any hope of escaping the scarring and grievous events of a horror flick." She punctuated each word, swilling the red liquid in her glass, all too aware of its ironic likeness to blood. She held up a single finger, her body lit up by the low emissions of soft white light from the television and his hoodie on her made her look so small. "Rule one: the Devil's tango, making love, bumping uglies–whatever you want to call the art of fucking, it's off the table."

"What?" Caius shot up so he was pin straight, personally resenting that. Go figure. Had he gotten any for months? No. Not since she'd shown up and hopefully not before that. Yet he still was offended. Poor cockblocked bastard.

"You must be joking? What does sex have to do with murdering people? That's ridiculous." He guffawed, leaning his elbows on his knees and he looked so impossibly attractive in her near drunken state that Nora went into a bashful stupor the way some teen girl with a crush would.

Control. Control is key. Think of something–say something. Anything.

"Oh is it, my savage little Pinhead in the making?" Nora challenged, a hand placed sassily on her jutted hip. There. Hot, half naked vampire right in front of her crisis easily averted. Caius was none the wiser to her internal plight.

He was angered that he didn't know who this Pinhead was or what she was saying but there was no spare beat to dwell on it for she continued her idle walking back and forth and explained, "In any given horror, sex equals death. It's why your sterotypical jock or your 'dumb blonde bimbo' are always the first to go and why the innocent virgin who most times ends up being the Final girl is always the one to survive. It's twisted but that's the whole point isn't it? Though Scream was pretty meta and turned that trope on its head when Sidney let Billy dick her down right before the finale."

But who was Nora to judge? While Billy Loomis and Stu Macher were the hottest pair of deranged psychopaths probably to grace the screen, she had three of her own who were sexy as hell and actually gave a shit about her. Sidney just didn't luck out with Billy in that way. Poor girl.

Nora stopped her teaching to take a sip of wine, consideringly running her heavy eyes over him. He was trying to take her seriously even as she rambled like a loon, divulging her with pseudo interest plastered over his seraphic beauty in the form of a tight smile. A sympathetic but noncommittal hum rolled from her throat.

This was going to fuck up his pride and she was almost sad to see his rare patience for her die. Almost. "Thanks to Aro's horny ass, Marcus's supposed lack of virginity and your likely past as the manwhore of Italy, we're all dead fucking meat in that regard. Gone within the first act."

Caius's face slackened back into a deadpanned mask. "That is the second time you have called me a whore, gattina." His voice was dangerous, criminally irresistible and he held his stature in what would have been an intimidating way to others but Nora just giggled at him and yet again chipped away another piece of his masculinity. When would he learn his nasty ways never worked on her?

"Am I wrong? Would you have preferred slut? It is more trendy." She giggled, a bucket load of hysterics added to it thanks to the wine she was quickly finishing. Caius zeroed in on her with a gnarly glare strong enough to make his enemies quake but piteously pouted at the floor when she didn't care for it; too tipsy to appreciate the normal power behind it.

It was fun to torment him but Nora knocked it off and held up a second digit to get on with it when started tapping his foot to signify his patience, if you could call his thinly veiled contempt that, was dwindling. "Anyway, back on track. Rule number two: never drink or do drugs."

"Oh?" He deliberated his scrutinous eyes over the mega pint of wine in her hand with a cocky air of righteousness. "Then I guess I will not need to be the one electrifying you to death in the bathtub, piantagrane."

Exaggeratedly taking a big glug to spite his judgment Nora flounced her heavy hand, beginning to feel the alcohol's effects. Was the room spinning a little? "Point taken, but it's an extension of the first rule. Anything that's a 'taboo?' That's gonna earn you a machete to the face like dear old wheelchair bound Mickey in Friday the 13th part II."

Listening to her traverse through her vast encyclopedia for horror, Caius felt..truly happy, not annoyed like he was pretending to be. He didn't have a gift like Aro that allowed him to know her like he knew himself, but sometimes discovering little things about people organically was better and this evening was shaping up to be one of the best of his life.

"Then," She continued, unaware of his admiration, "well then there's rule number three: Never, ever, ever say 'you'll be right back.' Know why babycakes?" Playing the role of the dutiful student and preening his metaphorical feathers like a peacock at the name she had called him, he raised his hand and Nora pointed at him. "Go."

He smiled at her–she realized this is the most she'd ever seen him smile–and in her inebriation Nora's legs wanted to give out on her thanks to his beauty.

Salt–N–Peppa's 'whatta man' played in the back of her mind at the weirdest moment. Sheesh, she really should abstain from alcohol if this is what it did to her but damn if he wasn't fine as hell. Especially in nothing but those loose fitting black sweatpants that made his body look so...perfectly fucking built with his thickset shoulders and slim yet toned abdoman. It could have brought a tear to her eye. Was she drooling? Sweating? Blushing? All of the above, in truth and she was not ashamed at all.

"Because you won't be?" He guessed, interrupting her fanatical captivation over his body. Right. The lesson.

"Yes! Exactly!" She jumped up and down and swayed in her growingly inebriated state, oblivious to his enamored smile or the way her wine was only milimetres from spilling over the rim of the glass.

When she was tipsy she was cute and Caius felt a certain smugness that he was the only one of his brothers present to bear witness to her in all of her witty glory.

"Do you get it now? Push the laws, break the rules and Mr Myers here is gonna slice and dice you with his knife and shove you in a closet so your only job is to be a well placed cadaver that scares the crap out of Jamie Lee Curtis." She pointed a thumb at the Tv and perfectly timed, dead as a doornail Bob fell out of the bedroom closet and the scream queen she so adored lived up to her name.

"I give in. Maybe they are more interesting than I thought." Caius admitted, effortlessly influenced into changing his decision by her dedication and her love for cringy slashers now that he'd taken the time to listen.

"They're more than interesting, Cai! Come on, how many horror films have you actually seen?" She threw her arms up in despair when he revealed that aside from Child's Play, it was not many. Unfortunately Nora's careless act sent the remaining wine in her glass spraying across the cream carpet, as well as her hoodie, in a hair–raising imitation of blood from a crime scene.

"Oh dear! Now that's creepy." She mused jovially with an easy giggle as she analyzed the floor and her black attire that hid the stains, setting the glass down when Caius edged to get off the couch with a classically exacerbated 'Nora'.

It was a clear don't–make–me–come–over–there and abashedly nibbling at her nails, Nora tried to be cute, batting her lashes. "Um...oopsie?"

"Oopsie?" Caius imitated her in a girlish way, the word sounding ridiculous spilling from his normally vulgar and explicitly violent mouth in such a squeakish tone. "We just got that repaired." He said through gritted teeth in his normal grouchy mood. Forlorn, he fell back into the couch with a forearm covering his face like he couldn't stand to deal with her anymore.

"Whatever, dad." Nora did her best impression of a nasally and annoying valley girl, pointing a finger at him. "You were the one who fucked shit up in the first place with your temper tantrum, you Bruce Banner wannabe."

"Right," He snatched the wine bottle from the table and shook it from side to side at her as if it was one of his long fingers. "Enough alcohol for you. You are becoming quite mean." He said while stretching to put it behind the back of the couch, giving her a short but nice view of his ass in those sweatpants. Mm.

"No–oh come on! Don't be such a sourpuss, Cai! I'm not being mean. I'm just being honest." Nora objected feebly, plopping her glass on the table. She went to move towards him to console his damaged feelings but an unfortunate step combined with the spinning in her head made her collapse, her body sprawled like a starfish. "Woah...ow..." She whined as she rolled around.

"Shit!" Caius was immediately on his feet rushing to her, "Nora, are you alright..." He stopped above her and ceased talking, his concern quickly transformed as he snorted out a laugh. She was fine and rolled to face him, her mouth open in her own noiseless laugh that colored any exposed skin pink and jolted her body.

"Come here, you silly girl." He tutted and scooped her up with ease when she reached her arms up for him and made grabby hands, rolling his eyes. She was still laughing, with noise this time, as she threw her arms around him and affectionately nuzzled her hot face into his neck.

"You're so pretty." She wheezed out a coo through her laughing and fussed over him while his annoyance augmented, pinching him on the cheek then pecking him on the nose before she threw her head back and another giggle exploded from her. He made it back to the couch and collapsed, situating her sideways in his lap so she'd stop squirming around like a fish out of water.

"Thank you." He retorted flatly, not amused at all. It was also to hide the fact he wanted to squish her close to his chest and tell her how cute she was, but he'd never live it down if he gave in to that miniscule, abnormal part of him. Indifference was his ally to preserve his dignity.

"Buttttt," She continued in a sing-song voice, tugging on his hair in fascination at its softness. He grunted and however much each pull stung, which was a lot, he let it happen, "Marcus is pretty too." She sighed out a dreamy noise and he could just tell by the way her eyes glazed over that she was thinking of him. Offended to have her distracted by another man when she was supposed to be focused on him–even if it was his brother–he shook her.

"What of Aro? Is he not pretty darling? I'm sure if he heard how ugly he was to you, it would break his poor little heart." He joked as he often did at his brother's peril but growled when she yanked on his hair with an angered pout, that sting turning into full blown burning pain. "Nora!"

"You're the mean one now!" She cried much too loudly for his sensitive ears to handle and completely ignored his reprimand. "I never said that! Don't put words in my mouth, you grumpy dwarf! Besides...Aro's different."

"Oh really? Well, go on then. Tell me. How is he different?" He grilled, working on getting her hand out of his hair as he waited for her to interpret how Aro was special, an arm around her waist so she didn't go falling over again.

"Aro...he's, um..." Her cheeks were blood hot. He could feel the heat emitting from them just as he would if he were standing beneath the sun on a clear–skied day. Her eyes were glassy, a trait that happened when she fell into memories and thoughts. Thinking back to past events with his pain in the ass of a brother, no doubt. "He's...I don't know, okay? He's just different now after... that." She spouted in a huff and avoided eye contact when he brightened with realization.

"Oh, now I understand." He purred in a tone too enticing, using his hold on her to draw her closer to him. Her arm flew to press against his chest but it was of no consequence. He let her now flaccid hand go that had finally left his hair so it joined her other in pushing against him–again to no avail.

Caius let her feebly protest while slithering a hand around the nape of her neck so she couldn't escape. He rubbed his nose against hers when she froze, a move that made her melt and his eyes were a transfixing crimson pulling her deeper and deeper into their glowing depths, his lips so close that she was turned on and embarrassed all at once.

"You view him differently since you have let him claim you." He deduced and didn't move his gaze from her parted lips. He licked his own, a shuddering exhale of cool air and the painful strengthening of his arm supporting her waist to manipulate her closer both alluding to his genuinity behind his impulsive sultry behavior. "I can only imagine what you'll think of me after we fuc–"

"Caius!" She actually felt like she was inches from the Sun she was that hot and bothered. He was talking about something she had been shamefully thinking about all night thanks to him parading around the way he was, looking all irresistible and rugged and dangerous. Those scars that she peeked at even then...she couldn't get her mind off them, how they came to be or how scarily alluring they made him to her. Coming back to herself, she shoved his chest and narrowed her eyes. "Behave yourself!"

"No. I don't think I will." In the instance it took to utter the simple statement, that teasing man was gone. Replaced with someone completely different. He pulled her roughly, his thumb stroking her jaw in a juxtaposingly adorable display of pure affection compared to what he did next, and then he took her lips with such bruising force a pathetic whimper built in her throat.

The dulling effects of the alcohol wore off from bearing power over her mental faculties, enough so she could think at least. Even so, he was almost as calmative in his effect on her and her mind was not focused on fighting him or stopping him. It was no use trying to win any battle for dominance against him–like she could or was even thinking about stopping him. No, this was nice. She wanted it, so she just opened her mouth when he pulled at her lower lip with his sharp canines and let her heavy eyes slip closed like they always did when he kissed her.

With Aro and Marcus there was power but with him it was like an intoxicant even stronger than her wine and now she felt drunk on him instead. She tried to find a foothold, something to wake her from her trance as he ravaged her but nothing worked–not running her hands over his soft yet textured chest, not threading her fingers in the wild waves at the base of his neck, not even his cold tongue as he stroked and sensually massaged it against hers with such ferocity she couldn't fucking breath. Nothing.

He didn't stop there as he disconnected from her and he didn't let her gather her bearings. While she was still dazed, her lips stinging and buzzing in excitement, he pulled her hoodie over her head with one hand and threw it to the floor. Releasing his sturdy hold around her waist she went tumbling backwards onto the couch, her breathing wild. She was just in her matching, flowery emerald green lace underwear, laying invitingly all for him but Caius was too impassioned and fired up to stop there.

He pushed himself so he was kneeling on the couch with his hands around her calves and enthusing a gasped breath of delight, he used his tight grip to tug her closer to him before he let his hands loosen, just enough that she curled her legs closer to her slightly and retrained her eyes to be pointed at anything but him.

It felt instinctual to do so. He was just so abruptly intimidating her body was reacting before her mind could catch up. Aro and Marcus made her nervous when they were intimate, but Caius had never done more than kiss her. Now he was here...kneeling before her and waiting to initiate something. The butterflies in her stomach brought to life by her nerves had not once fluttered with such vigor as they were when he closed in on her.

"Look at me." She refused, too embarrassed and that caused his strong mutter to drop into a deathly whisper, his hands tightening. "Now, little dove."

Defying her own thoughts her eyes lifted and clashed with his emphatic but arrestive ruby ones. Tapping a finger on her knee, he tactfully used the same deep voice that had made her amenable to his will–so quiet she nearly missed it, "Open your legs, Elenora."

She rubbed her thighs together, her nails digging into the couch beneath her at the thrilling use of her full name so authoritatively spoken and followed through with no shame, no embarrassment and no notions of denying him in her mind, not with the way he was watching her...as if she made one wrong move he would pounce.

He was evidently pleased and he breathed out an awed laugh while he slid between her legs, yanking them roughly so they were pressed snuggly to each side of his body, warmth clashing with cold as her thighs cradled against him.

"Well done, Angel." He crooned. She bit her lip so hard she tasted blood, her thighs clinched against him and from that and the heavenly strong scent of her arousal she most definitely liked that name. He'd have to remember that.

And fuck, did she. Angel. It was perfectly and wickedly sinful coming from him.

He was being lovely but then there's that edge, that subtle firmness about him that doesn't let her relax and she's so fascinated by their intimacy she can't help but to lift a hand, touching her nimble fingers to the long dimples his smirk had created. She had never been in such a compromising position with him and she wanted to savor it, savor the cool skin and muscles of his chest responding and rippling beneath her fingertips. Savor the minor things like how the scarred bites from his many battles–spread over nearly every inch of him as victorious tattoos of his power–felt under her fingers and the way he breathed like an oxygen starved man because he was trying to contain himself.

He struck while she was distracted like a true predator, his mouth attacking hers with the same ferocity that led their first kiss, his tongue rough and relentless against her own and his teeth delivering harsh bites every time she stopped him for air. She was lost and enthralled by him and she couldn't feel it at first but...there was a numb sting, a warm but docile burn and having a moment, she touched her tongue to it between kisses only to taste something pungent. A note of something metallic. He'd nipped her hard enough on her lower lip that she was bleeding. It was a small but steady rivulet...and part of it was covering Caius's mouth.

He froze, reeled back enough to see, staring down at her and then to the small amount of gorgeous scarlet he could see smeared temptingly on the edge of his lips. Just beckoning to be tasted. One...one taste. Then, that would be enough. He could stop. Yes, he could.

Emboldened by his pride, he let his pink tongue slither out to slowly sample her and–

–Fuck. He hadn't been ready.

He licked it away avidly, crazed and enraged for half a long second when there was nothing left of it. More. He needed more. His suddenly smoldering obsidian eyes were terrifying and thrilling all at once when they hurriedly honed back in on the now stagnant and darkened crimson drip of blood dissipating on her pink lips.

Nora squealed in shock and mild pain as Caius practically slammed his mouth against hers with animalistic fury: licking, biting and sucking and it was the proof she didn't need to the reality of their bond when her body became enlivened with a fiery heat in response to his touches. He kissed her hard, cleaning the drying red and when that was all gone he caught her lip between his teeth in search of more. Nora whined in protest when he suckled it slightly to draw more blood from the wound.

He broke away when she did, aware he was causing her slight pain and Nora's mind reeled at the chaotic attack. She lay still with wide eyes and a sore, open mouth; greedily pulling in air as he kneeled between her legs, his lips stained and smeared with her life's essence.

His eyes were closed and deep breaths of air were being inhaled by him, too. Breaths that did nothing but make his sudden predicament hellishly harder. He could smell her in that drug–like haze of contaminated air...her blood, her infatuating scent of dianthus and pomegranate like only the finest of Goddesses from his lost home could be bestowed to wear.

She was just that to him. The sweet and unfortunate Presephone to his tortured and polluted Hades, the monster in him rearing to take control. It was all too perfect, how their fate had come about. Like the curious Persephone his angel had wandered into something she was helpless to prepare for and had ended up right in his and his brothers laps. She was a strong woman and she hadn't been so helpless in the end. Not even was she now when willingly laid open beneath him. Gods, she had no idea of the consequences about to ensue if she didn't get up and stop looking at him so invitingly. Tempting him to corrupt all of that innocence she clung to.

For Nora, in such a situation where he towered above her–so close yet so far from snapping, he was seen by her as the vampire he was because he was still. Quiet. Watching her. Waiting for the right moment to act and go in for the 'kill', if she should give him the opportunity. Nora's instincts responded faster than she could grasp. In her vacillating wheelhouse of emotions for him they commanded her entirely and when she sloped her head back and bared her neck before him with little thought or understanding as to what she was doing, she invited him to make it.

He snarled and made quick work of grappling her wandering hands from exploring the harsh manifestations of his brutality branded onto his skin. There was hardly a place on his torso not covered in ugly bites or gauge marks. Given to him from vampires and from those filthy Lycans he had wiped from existence alike. But these scars that made him proud...he insecurely had thought they would repulse her–a reason he had been reluctant to start anything sexual with her like his brothers found so easy to do. Clearly she felt much differently than he had prepared himself to face. She liked them. So much that she was fighting to put her hands back on him with a displeased frown.

He pinned her arms above her head and denied her that, his strength enough in the loose hold that even as she pushed and squirmed his one hand easily kept hers locked together above her head. He bowed to nudge and nose his face into the crook of her neck, her scent the oxygen he needed to survive and he breathed her in with such ferocity she stopped her fighting.

"Do you have any idea what you offer me?" He uttered throatily against her skin, icy breath fanning across it and a shiver passed through her at the feeling, more violent by the second as he raked his teeth against a particular spot that made her skin tingle and ache wantonly below each small bite. It aroused a feeling...one she didn't understand and she tugged on her hands to be freed but he tsked and moved his lips to her ear, running them over the sensitive flesh as he whispered, "Do you know why you bare yourself for me in such a dangerous way?"

She trembled at the sudden darkness of him. However strangely, there was no fear of him. No. Some foreign part of her had taken control and she only stretched her head further to the left so more of her throat was exposed for him, whimpering out a 'no.'

He grunted against her and she felt his hand squeeze around her wrists. Just from the tenseness of his body she was sure he'd soon give in to the urges he was trying to ignore.

"You make yourself vulnerable for me," He was immobilized as venom filled his mouth when she arched so her breasts barely touched his chest; the flimsy and delicate material of her bralette did nothing to hide them or protect them and she may as well have not been wearing it. He felt it was almost a plea for him to touch her. He resisted, acting stronger than he was in the face of her so needy for him as he was for her, staring at her pulse as it thumped transiotically below skin. "You ache for me because you know you are mine...and you want me to do something that will show everyone that you are."

Just hearing him say it called upon some odd craving and she was starting to become desperate, even feeling like she couldn't turn her head to look at him. On a breath aquiver with unexplained excitement she asked, "I don't understand. W–what do I want you to do?"

"To bite you."

Nora stopped breathing, her eyes blowing open wildly. Finally in her shock she could turn her head and she was not prepared for the onyx of his eyes that burrowed into her. He was gazing longingly. Voraciously. His jaw clenched and she heard as he swallowed hungrily.

Her throat ran dry again at his reaction but...she felt the exact same way. "Is that even possible?"

"It is. I can bite you without turning you, but...it is personal for a vampire to do that to their mate. You need to be sure if you let me do this, Nora. There is no taking this back once I have done it." He was serious about this and intensely awaited her response. Before he did anything, he needed her permission. He needed, personally, to hear her say she wanted him. Only then would he give her what her mind didn't know she needed and what her body yearned for. He knew not what had been the catalyst, what had brought this on, but he wasn't about to stop it. No way in hell.

"You are certain you might want this, Elenora?" He pushed when she simply gawked and lostly looked around her as if the answer he was waiting for would magic itself into existence.

The idea of her denying him when teasing him with the chance of biting her was a cruel one but if she chose to stop, he would–such possibilities though...It was only partly getting what he desired. There were other things he'd enjoy doing in this compromising position. The events of the day had made it so sex or anything remotely like it were off the table. What she was possibly going to let him do was more than enough.

The scent of her blood was the most beckoning and hypnotizing thing to him as he patiently waited for her to speak...prodding and prodding and prodding for him to bury his aching teeth into her pretty little neck. He could feel the crimson ambrosia rushing through her, a river of her very life. Its warmth called to him and encased him in lust for her blood and for her. Stronger than even the call of her soul to his and he was a weak man then, antsy to buckle and wave the white flag. To let his angelic vixen win.

This feeling. This urge. It made everything he had ever experienced pale in its ardency...it wasn't hunger in the normal sense–it was more than that. Hunger transcended beyond normal realms of its meaning. Draining her, hurting her was not what he was planning. Never. It was not even entertained. What he saw for her if she dared to let them experience this was quite the opposite.

He needed to have a taste of more of that enslaving elixir–he wouldn't lose control like he had moments ago. Just a little taste would be enough...to see what his bite would look like, placed proudly. Scarring her perfectness for all to see. Yes, that was what he wanted more than anything from this.

His anticipation nearly unbearable, Caius nodded for her to speak when she hesitated, finally letting her hands go so he could press his thumb lightly against her pulse that was entrancing him. She held her arms above her as if he was still pushing them down, an invisible barrier keeping them stagnant.

"Y–yes, I do. I want this Caius. I want you." Nora's breath hitched and unbeknownst to her, her blood ran quicker through her veins. A song of desire that blessed his ears and practically sang for him to consummate this step in their bond. Caius almost shuddered in elation and excitement, those simple three words making arousal shoot through him with such controlling vitality it took all he had not to rip the rest of her clothes off and fuck her until she was desensitzed to anything that wasn't him.

Though, he felt the need to bring her comfort regardless of her surety and his perhaps slightly overzealous fantasies he wished would come to fruition. He could hear her heart beating fast in her chest, like the beat of a hummingbird's wings as it vied for its survival. Her nerves were sweet and warmed his dissimilarly unbeating heart. He wanted her to enjoy herself with no fear or anxiety. He wouldn't allow it to just be him who felt comfortable, he would never neglect her needs.

His fingers left her neck and found her hand that was lying limply beside her head. He loosely wrapped them around her wrist and brought it to his mouth, his eyes sliding closed at the intoxicating scent of the sanguine sustaining her life and the feel of her pulse thudding away against his lips. Keeping his control in order though he wanted nothing more than to see it all through right then, he kissed her there so he could replace her anxiety with the comfort he wanted her to feel, so he could coax her to relax.

Her weighted eyelids fell shut in satisfaction and peace as his mouth trailed over the sensitive skin. "Do not fear me, Nora." She didn't, she wanted to tell him as he cupped her hand in his own and held it to his cheek. But he was making her overly sensitive skin come to life under the soft kisses he left against her palm now and her words died before they could even reach her lips.

"Of my brothers I have the most envied control. It will only hurt for a moment and then I swear to you, there will be no pain. If you embrace it I will make you feel a bliss so strong and powerful you'll want me to bite you again and again and again so the pleasure never stops." His sensual promise sounded too good to be true and as she internally struggled to accept it he watched her.

Her long lashes fluttered, her lip held hostage between her teeth as she tried her hardest to understand, but knowingly he was not making that so easy. How was she to believe him when all she knew of vampires was lore made up by mortals? Mortals who didn't try to pinpoint the good in his kind. Least of all the truth to a vampire's bite and the freeing ecstasy that came with it.

So yes, for her it was hard to believe him. She'd seen how ruthlessly they could kill, how strong they could be, the underlying monstrous side to them that left them detached and brash and unfeeling so guilt didn't consume them when they killed. The fact it was Caius promising this intimidating experience of bliss, a man who was the embodiment of the fabled brutality of his kind, she had a right to be scared and distrustful.

Yet in her soul she felt no sting of lies. Knowing there was no intentional pain bound for her and that he was apparently a master of controlling his rather sadistic inclinations made it all so much easier to surrender.

And it was true. Unlike his brothers, Caius embraced the chaos that came with their nature. Every single aspect and imperfection of it. Aro and Marcus, while in some ways just as 'evil' and dark as he was, often restrained themselves. Caius however saw no need for pretense. He was a monster through and through...and he loved it. Why parade as anything other than that? His control because of his acceptance was envied by most. Over the centuries, he found in his brutality and the more he utilized it, it became easier to handle. Easier to subdue. It was only for her did he ever let it take full control of him. Only her.

With a small smile, he used her closed eyes and her conflicted mental debating to his advantage so she wouldn't be scared and leaned to place a soft, tender kiss on her lips; internally grinning when he felt Nora melt into him, her tension miraculously gone. Hesitantly divesting himself from feeling her pretty and soft lips against his, he traipsed his lightly over her warm cheek, down her neck. Her nerves bubbled away inside of her but Caius was so careful. Every touch, while strong and rivetingly assertive, was thought out and considerate.

As Caius scraped his teeth enticingly against her neck in the same spot as before that she assumed would be the marked place, her skin tingling and her body shivering, which she couldn't control, Nora's lashes fluttered against her cheeks and she bared her neck again. A final action to silently show him how much she wanted this–that there was no going back now.

"I trust you, Caius." It was a reverent promise that sealed her fate.

Caius had to hold back a desperate growl so he didn't ruin her sudden flare of confidence. He had gotten so far, he wouldn't frighten her if he could help it and yet, he found that promise difficult to keep. She was toying with him without even knowing she was.

Her small body molded to his perfectly, completely intertwined. Her hips pressed into his and her hand that had been on his cheek traveled to twirl through the silken strands she knotted around her fingers, and when she scratched lightly at the base of his neck Caius lost his restraint for a moment and released a deep groan of want against her soft skin.

The involuntary noise he had made to showcase his desire made her press tighter to him in response and pull him closer, just what he wanted. There was no space between them at all and Caius swore he was in heaven as he kissed her neck and sucked dark contusions onto her skin, listening to her release hushed little sighs and moans as he worked his way from the hollow of her collarbone to the swell of her small breasts.

He was smothered in her delicious scent and Caius almost swore aloud as he cherished her. She was so soft and sweet and she fit so perfectly against him that it was driving him mad. Every touch felt like it wasn't enough, he needed to be closer to her. Somehow, someway, he needed to be closer. There was something about the position he found himself in, something overwhelming about her touch that was working to try and ruin him. If he wanted any hope of doing this the right way, he was going to have to take charge and she was going to have to listen.

In a flurry of movement her arms and hands were back where they were, pinned above her head and he leaned his face down close to hers as she gasped, a sly smirk and dark order leaving her speechless. "If you move them even an inch when I let go, then I won't be doing this at all. You keep your eyes on me, your hands above your head and you listen and respond when I tell you to. Understood?"

What the fuck, is what wanted to come out of her mouth but...the lack of control of her thoughts when he got close like this and the way that had just made her feel only let her nod. Warningly, he cocked his head and she hastily corrected her mistake in a squeaky pitch, "Yes. I understand."

His right hand balanced his weight, his left sliding tortuously from her arm and already she wanted to move them. "Good. Now," He traced it all the way to her neck and possessively kept it in a light chokehold there to feel the rhythm of her pulsating heart, enjoying the physical manifestation of her nerves that he can feel when she swallowed futilely to fix her dry throat. "Where do you want me to claim you, my beauty?"

Everywhere is on the tip of her tongue, waiting to be said but she just...can't speak or think or breathe or do anything and he's loving it, a pernicious hiss sucked through his teeth as her mouth opens and closes. "Let me help you, sweetheart." He offers with sickly–sweet empathy.

He squeezes that strong hand, not hard enough to cut off air. His intent was to have her squirming at the pressure. She does, her thighs pressed tight to his body, her hands twitching. The light chokehold has her turned on and wishing he would bite her already or at least let her feel him like he does her, but he only persists and pretends to be ignorant of that.

"Here?"

She can't. She wants to touch him, too. It wasn't fair.

He moves as she attempts to steal her mind so she can follow his order and please him, his fingers playing with the strap of her bra that he is unable to remove, dragging a pleasing and chill-inducing digit along the skin underneath. "Or here?"

She feels like she's being zapped with little sparks of electricity.

His voice drops low, slaked and dazed with desire for her and as his hand sneaks into the confines of her bra to knead her breast, it's so hushed she can hardly hear. She curves her body into his hold for more with a high pitched moan. "Is it here you want me?" He asks with a shit eating grin and thank God she's lost in the feelings he's giving her or she would have stopped this at once. That he knew but having her under him, exposed and ready to do what he had wanted to for so long, he was near delirious.

He took a shot, softly pinching her hardened nipple. Rolling it between his finger and thumb and he observes her in wonder and mystique. The way her face falls into such a beautiful expression of her pleasure, little mewls dripping sweetly like honey from her plump lips. It was divine.

He wished she would let him fuck her so he could see more of that intoxicating response. He can just picture it. The way he'd play her and control her the same way he controls every stroke of a brush on an empty canvas; building her into something beautiful. Something glorious. Maybe he'd fuck her with his tongue first, to taste her like his brothers had. Or maybe his fingers would be the first to feel her. A prelude to how exquisite she'd feel around his cock.

He'd reward her if she was good. Turn her over so she was bent invitingly before him. He'd start off taking her from behind, so he could reach as far as he possibly could inside of her. He'd fuck her slowly and take his time–torturously deep, pushing her to her limits and teasing her with release. He'd do it over and over and make her beg and plead and cry for more. Then, when she would be nearly lost beyond hope and teetering so dangerously along that edge of release she'd be convinced it would never come, he'd take her so ruthlessly it would overwhelm her with pleasure and she'd think of no one else. None but him. There would be nothing gentle about it, no. She was made for him as he was for her...and he was not a gentle lover.

At this point the phantom ache in his teeth and the hardness of his erection stopped the little game of cat and mouse. He pulled his hand free much to her dissatisfaction, but he switched it to hold her jaw to keep her head still, unspokenly instilling the knowledge in her foggy mind that he wanted her to look at him and focus.

And when she obeyed he was untamed. Irises black as the night that she feels she's being sucked in, the soft waves of his hair in disarray, grip on her firmer than she was sure he intended. He doesn't smile or laugh this time, but she can feel what his face does not convey. He's at the end of his control all by his own doing and when he speaks he sounds like a different man; deeper, gruffer and more out of control than she's been privy to before.

"You've been so good, little dove." He praises, and how she had wanted it, deep in her heart. To hear him of all people admire and fawn over her.

But right then her hands were wanting to defy him more than they had all night. He was not a fool. She'd been wanting to disobey him ever since he'd made her submit to his commands, but he wasn't disappointed or smug and isn't it strange that then of all times, patience and kindness were all that she could see in him...working in a strange tandem with the wild emotions at the forefront of his person. This was her Caius, but it also wasn't. It was a new part of him.

"Are you my Angel? Still ready to listen?" She nodded so harshly it hurt her head, pressure building behind her eyes, but she was conquered by a pining–an itch to touch him. She was being so good. Did he not see how much this was killing her? Her breath was labored with the control she was trying to exercise, so much so she could feel her heartbeat thumping through her entire body. In her ears, her chest, her throat–everywhere.

"It will hurt and you'll instinctively want to move away from it, baby. Try to keep still so you prevent further injury. All you have to do is give in to it, when the time comes for it. Surrender. Don't fight it...and I will make you feel so fucking good that nothing else will ever compare." He decided it was enough teasing and instead contested to make sure she knew that–that this knowledge was ingrained in her.

It was going to be one of the most painful things in the first few seconds and from seeing the mark on others in situations where it had gone badly, if she moved she'd end up with a gnarly scar instead of a pretty one barley to be seen.

At last, he moved to let her have what she needed. His face lowered to his chosen spot, the junction of her neck and shoulder already littered with his less permanent marks. His hand lifted to one of her still limp by her head, his fingertips touching the unsettled pulse of her wrist and Nora gulped in air greedily when Caius licked and nipped with building pressure, bruising the soft flesh even further. Her fear overtaking her lust she squirmed in his hold, trying to ignore her irrational fright. Caius would do his best to do it smoothly. Not to hurt her purposefully. She could trust him.

She was afraid but she was fully accepting of him and was letting him do something even female vampires had trouble with. It was...astonishing to him and Gods he...he loved her. So goddam much that he knew not what to do. He could only groan in a helpless way. No touch, no kiss, nothing would ever be enough for him. He craved her so immensely it was nearly unendurable.

A painful anxiety grappled its way into her heart and sat heavily in her chest when his bites turned painful in his passion for her and Caius felt that it was now or never, Nora would soon lose her nerve. She might even stop him.

Swallowing the venom in his mouth so there was no chance it would enter her bloodstream, Caius steeled his control and breathed against her, "Don't be afraid," while eying her beautiful skin and he surged forward without a moment's notice, his teeth sinking into her flesh, her hot blood rushing into his mouth.

Nora's jaw dropped open and she tried to choke down her scream. The horrid rip of her flesh and the arid and sizzling sting forbade her from keeping it in and she was heaving and gasping and begging for breath to enter her lungs through the pain.

Caius's advice was sealed into her mind, surrender. Give in. She tried her best to do as he'd said. That searing sting in her neck made it too impossible. She wanted to jump away and writhe in agony. Tears once more collected in her eyes and she bit her lip to contain her sobs of pain, though some still escaped her and echoed through the quiet room. It hurt so bad. The sharp jolts of stinging and burning heat traveled down her neck, through her veins and Nora felt lost in it as it only seemed to get worse, so painful that she started to hyperventilate.

Caius felt awful that it had hurt her so badly. He resolved to card and caress his hand through her hair to comfort her. There was no stopping now. He didn't need to verbalize his permission for her to move her arms now–she did it of her own volition and cupped the side of his face so he understood she was in no way mad or upset with him, the other clinging to his bicep and sturdy back for support.

He was in absolute ecstasy at her acceptance, at finally getting to taste his darling Nora. Her blood...it was like nothing he had ever experienced before. With tasting more of it than before it was more complicated. It started off sweet, so sweet–and then a hint of something tart and fresh. It was complex and consuming and like his Nora, it fluctuated from heady to a spicy, delicious warmth. Each battling for dominance. A certain part of its taste even brought back fond memories he had long since thought were lost.

It was indescribable.

He found as he pulled at the wound and more blood flooded into his mouth that it didn't rouse the beast of hunger. It made him feel warm, invigorated...alive. It reminded him of home and of his humanity. He considered each drop priceless, savoring every mouthful like he was drinking the rich and addictive ichor of a Goddess. His Goddess. His Persephone.

Feeling Nora jerk and wriggle even though she had nowhere to go, Caius bore his full weight on her to hold her still and keep her captive under him, drowning in all of her. He kept his mouth sealed around the abrasion and his teeth latched to her damaged flesh despite her meager fighting against him. If he let go now she would continue to be in pain and discomfort. He would not do that to her. Not when he knew it could be so good.

As Caius predicted, as soon as the pain had started it faded and where Caius's teeth were piercing her neck, it started to feel...good?

"Fuck." She whimpered to herself, her vision spinning out of control, spotted by black dots and stars and she willingly sank into the new sensations quickly spreading through her. He hadn't lied...it was exquisite.

The warmth and the sting and the fire, the heat–it was addicting, slinking its way through every one of her nerves in electrifying bliss. The pleasant tingling and the once agonizing shocks in her neck were so entwined in their intensity, that claiming it as pain or pleasure felt ambiguous. It felt like more than either one, a fine line of the two being danced across. Immediately at the switch in feelings Nora was pendulous and wanted to lay still, she managed only just to keep touching him like she'd so wanted.

"Cai please...oh, please." Nora moaned quietly as the strange warmth traveled and thrummed throughout her whole body. It was unimaginably erotic that simply his bite was making her feel this way. It felt so good but...more. She wanted so much more.

She bucked her hips softly into Caius' as the sensitive area between her legs began to ache for him. He was hard, his feelings of carnal fixation for more matching hers in extremity and he released a repressed groan when a particular little thrust hit its mark. The sound vibrated against her sensitive neck only causing her more euphoria and his fingers locked into her silky strands, using them as leverage to expose more of her neck to him.

She couldn't describe the feeling, the lust and the pulse of enhanced pleasure that rippled through her when his jaw clenched and his teeth dug in deeper. It was almost too much, it felt too amazing and it was only growing stronger and stronger the longer he refused to let go. It was euphoric, her mind clouded by the strange paroxysm of pleasure and pain, of agony and ecstasy that was driving her deeper and deeper into a dark trance she had no control over. She whimpered in desperation and came alive from her comatosed daze, pulling at him, grasping at him to feel more, even knowing there was nothing he could do to save her from the intense experience.

She was beginning to feel a hazy sort of drowsiness from her blood loss that made her head spin. It was a sign that she hadn't wanted, not yet and she could have cried. It meant this would end soon and she wished and wished that this could last forever.

Caius had no desire to end it either, but he could feel her slacken and heard the little noises of pleasure she was making. It was time. He held her head still and reluctantly peeled himself away to sit up between her trembling legs. He'd detached his teeth carefully so he didn't deepen the wound that was still weeping, blood gushing down her ivory neck to drip between the valley of her breasts. Fuck, the cherry red against her pale flesh drove him to new heights of maddening desire. What would she look like, covered in his bites? The sight would be exquisite and at the thought he awakened and worsened his possessiveness.

The rouge liquid that covered his mouth dropped, falling from his chin to smear over every inch of his starkly pale chest. His head tipped back and his eyes closed as he savored her taste and her heat, the feeling of her warm blood on his skin to the best of his ability.

Nora's labored breathing became erratic and her increasingly heavy hand slid down his arm to take his tightly in her unforgiving grasp. There was such sudden awe inspiring fear in her that he would leave. It felt as if that were to happen, then she'd lose control.

Caius licked his lips salaciously in attempts to clean them and let his head remain angled to the ceiling as he attempted to control the surge of his desire, his need and his love for her. If he looked at her he'd let the emotions win out and take the reins on his actions and he couldn't allow that. There was a chance that with that he'd be powerless to stop anything else being initiated but Nora was sly, her cares thrown to the wind. She desired that part of him. With her hand still in his, Nora used it to pull him back down to her, putting her other on the back of his neck to pull his blood-covered lips to hers in a chaste kiss. One he couldn't escape.

Caius easily succame to her whims and let himself be moved to cover her whole body with his once more, his free hand groping one of her thighs to wrap it tighter around him as he rocked his erection into her. The feeling was sinfully intense for both of them and he wasn't, but the throb of his cock with each grind...it felt like he was fucking her.

He deepened the innocent little kiss until it was inescapably hypnotic for each of them; he couldn't stop his craving for her, biting roughly on the corner of her lip to get her to open her mouth, lovingly touching and teasing his tongue against hers instead of essentially devouring her the way he had earlier. She mewled in weak, breathless excitement both from that and from the pleasurable friction of his hardness rubbing against her. She remembered how thrilling those teeth could be and she was stunned at the taste of copper. At the taste of herself on his tongue.

He disconnected, shimmying down her body and Nora let out a chorus of beautiful shuddering moans when Caius dragged his tongue against her chest, between her breasts to clean her of the blood running so prettily there. He took advantage of her arching her body for more and pulled down the strap of her bra, enough that he could easily push it aside and latch his cold mouth around her breast. She moaned and she writhed beneath him and then suddenly, she cried out–her fingers digging into the couch, her body locked in shock and a new, passing spell of agony hitting her full force.

He'd...he'd bitten her again. This time she felt like she was going to pass out as that rush of pleasure and pain washed over her entirely—it even seemed to reach her very soul. She was more receptive and her pleasure was elevated into new levels as he lapped the blood up eagerly that rushed from the small wound, nowhere near as intense or deep as the one on her neck; yet, the new bite's placement made every little touch so much more sensitive.

They were so caught up in each other that neither noticed the door opening and closing, the two figures who stopped short at the strong smell of her blood in the air or the ever developing horror taking over both men. If they had been listening they would have noted that Nora was fine, her moans of pure delight proof enough, but they weren't. All that was running through either of their minds was the scent of Nora's blood and the sight of Caius pinning her beneath him with his back to them.

Nora cried out in a mixture of pain and fear as Caius was ripped off of her. She fixed her skewed clothing and flew up into a sitting position, her neck and chest aching and her blood spilling out faster from her wounds in protest at her jerky movement to see Marcus viciously sneering and snarling and displaying all the aggressive behaviors under the sun as he pinned Caius to the wall by his throat.

"Marcus–" She went to protest weakly but that trance still had her in its clutches and it was taking all the resolve she had not to submit and fall back down as she tried to get to her feet.

It was useless anyway when Aro appeared in front of her, blocking the two feuding men from her sight. His eyes were eclipsed by black. Hunger or anger, it was still unknown to her which was governing him. When he took her carefully by the shoulders Nora gave in and fell in a vast tumble backwards that made her a victim of vertigo, the room twirling in blurred pictures around her like she'd just come off a rollercoaster.

Aro leaned over her and supported her head as it went heavy with fatigue, nudging it to the left so he could see the severity of the bigger wound on her neck that was no longer bleeding, both bites given to her having stopped now she lay still. Strategically, Caius had avoided all major arteries and it wasn't a bite made to feed, that was clear as the moon in the sky. There was only one other reason vampires bit...

Aro frowned and brushed a finger over it to explore the budding theory in his thoughts and his mouth dropped open when Nora whined. A whine that he saw in her mind was not from pain. He'd barely touched it and yet the bite ached, sending another bout of that searing, riveting agony through her body. He understood now...they had severely wrongly assumed the situation and he let her sink back into the couch cushions so the room would stop spinning like he'd seen through her mind, whipping around in a panic.

"Marcus!" He yelled over the echoing of their snarling. Caius's was laden with hostility so severe Aro regretted acting without thinking. If they didn't tread carefully they would all be in deep shit. "Let him go. Now." Aro ordered, stopping short of them both when Caius's furious glare fell to try and murder him. He raised his hands to show he meant no ill will and stayed perfectly still, even as Marcus's mouth dropped open into a wide gape.

"What? Are you insane?!"

"Well yes, but trust me. Release him and back away slowly. Do it now you fool!" Marcus heeded him and his urgency with no end of confusion, lowering Caius to his feet and stepping back so he was on par with Aro.

Caius looked very much not himself right now covered in their mates blood, his teeth being boasted as an aggressive warning, hair tousled into a messy heap from Nora's affection. With his already intimidating physical appearance only made worse by her blood doused over him, he was quite terrifying. Even to them. He would have taken retribution for their insolence if not for Nora and he barged past them when she whispered his name, a weak hand lifted to beckon him to come to her. He easily shoved aside Marcus's hand who tried to stop him and Aro was incorrigibly infuriated at Marcus's lack of understanding.

"Enough!" He hissed, holding his brother back from intervening when Caius picked Nora up to hold her close, his glare set back onto them.

Marcus hissed back, fighting against Aro's hand wrapped around his bicep. He disbelievingly gaped down at him. "Have you gone crazy like so many take you for? He has hurt her!"

"You blundering fools!" Caius roared and the sound of his voice caused them to halt their untimely bickering. He sounded nothing like he usually did; everything about him from his anger issues to his overbearing protectiveness was heightened to the point of concern and even the way he held Nora was new...it looked like he wasn't willing to ever let her go, his body turned away so she was partially hidden from them. She showed no fear of him and even seemed to be trying to stay as close to him as her weak body would allow her.

"Do you really think I'd hurt her?" It wounded him to be accused of that, a pained lour souring his face. It was odd for Marcus to believe him, or try to, when her blood was all over him as evidence to support he had. "If you do think so little of me then you know nothing! She means more to me than anything in this God forsaken world. Anything." Caius scoffed and the conviction adding power to his words had Marcus realizing he had possibly misjudged, but not enough to grasp the meaning behind what Caius had done.

"Then what were you doing? She is bleeding!" Marcus shouted, feeling as if he were the only one seeing sense when in truth, his unfounded thoughts still had dominion of him. All he could think to understand was blood + vampire = disaster or more commonly...death.

Aro shoved him back when he took an involuntary step closer to the pair, Caius defensively backing away with a cautioning rumble. "Do not approach them, Marcus. You are only making things worse you idiota!" He attempted to reason through the thick atmosphere of enmity coming from both men.

There was a ghostly remembrance bothering him. Comparable to what he recalled a headache was like insidiously nagging at the front of his head. Pressing two fingers into his closed eyes to abate the stabbing ache, he took a calm breath and pleasantly reevaluated their bitterness between them all with a strained smile. "Why doesn't everyone just calm the fuck down. Hm?"

"Aro–"

"No. I will not hear it!" For good measure he shoved Marcus back one final time, all three men now spaced out from one another, warily exchanging terse glances. "Sometimes I wonder why we formed this alliance with how much you both butt heads. Let us also not forget how irresponsible and thickheaded you both can be with one another. Then...I remember why this world saw fit to push us into brotherhood." He redirected his attention to Nora and Marcus and Caius looked too. "You must remember, too. No more snap judgements. No more jealousy if one of us completes a step in our relationship with Nora before another gets to. Surely we are stronger than such pettiness? Or shall we continue to show fate through your depravity that she may have made the wrong choice by gifting us a partner so wonderful we hardly deserve her?"

They lowered their heads in shame and he was disappointed but unsurprised at their deplorable manners and their actions. "I think none of us want that, do we? We were graced with her for a reason, as she was shackled to three monsters for a reason. Let us try no further to disrupt divinity, yes?"

He solely appraised Caius when his ferine brother made no signs of pacifying himself, the man still caught in aggression that Aro was swift to try and allay. "Take her, Caius. Clean her up and look after her. Now, rest assured," He comforted when Caius defensively eyed them still like they were thieves waiting to steal her, "we will not interrupt you. I must have a word with Marcus, in any case. We will leave you alone."

"Aro!"

Marcus was ignored. Caius saw through his ambivalence and his beastly impulses enough to bow his head at Aro in gratitude that at least one of them could see sense. His mood marginally improved, he joined Aro in his ignorance to Marcus's displeasure over what he'd done and entered the bedroom while making no acknowledgement of Marcus's angered protests echoing after him.

"Brother, why?!"

"Oh, Hell's serpents Marcus! Must I spell it out for you so plainly when the answer as to what has transpired is so apparent before us?" Aro wiggled gracefully out of his heavy coat, his suit jacket following. He draped them on the couch, catching sight of the drying pool of Nora's blood staining the couch while pivoting back to face Marcus, who still seemed confused beyond hope of understanding. Aro resisted the urge to face palm at his idiocy.

He explained in the slow way you would to a child, "What do vampires do when they find their mates? What's the one thing always in the back of our minds, the impulse we wish to do so constantly it becomes unbearable?"

Marcus finally understood and humorous to Aro, he blankly stared in his direction like he was looking right through him. "Oh."

"Oh." Aro copied and nodded, sighing in relief. He collapsed into the couch and rested his head against the back of it, rubbing his hands down his face, eyes trained on nothing but the boring cream ceiling. "I understand it's been a difficult day brother, but next time I advise you to think before uttering such dense nonsense."

Marcus copied Aro and fell to sit next to him, ignoring the strong smell of Nora's blood just inches from him, not yet fully dry. He could have dipped a finger in it, lightly coating it–no. That would incite a reaction Nora would not be able to handle from him. His turn to mark her would be soon. Not tonight. "I apologize. You're right. The day's events certainly have left me frazzled."

"Yes," Aro fell into a bout of worry at his reminder of their drab venture, watching the Tv screen as the credits to some film called Halloween played. Following the motion of them disappearing from the screen, his mind calmed somewhat. "We will tell them both tomorrow. Caius is sure to be more himself by then. It is Nora I fear for."

"You mean to say it is Nora you fear." Marcus corrected and released a sound of exaggerated perplexity when Aro started to disagree, leaning back to scrutinize his brother more clearly as he pouted in denial. "Oh please, Aro! You've known as well as I that it was only a matter of time before she discovered the secret of the army. We cannot stop her from learning of it and if we want our newly reestablished alliance with the Cullens to last, we agreed we'd tell her. They were right when saying it was despicable of us to keep it secret."

"I know that Marcus!" Aro growled and flashed to turn off the Television when the noise transformed from slightly comforting to full on jarring. It was impressive how fast he'd grown annoyed by it. He faltered, reigning in his aggression and tried to keep in the reaction waging havoc in his mind at Marcus's expectantly raised eyebrow that made him irrationally angry. "You...are right. She should have been informed from the start. Now, she soon will be."

He started to subconsciously collect the things cluttering the living room, keeping his hands and mind busy so he had no instant to dwell on the near future and the imminent heartache to come with it. "We will tell her tomorrow when she has recovered. For now, let us enjoy the calm before the storm."

"Yes." Marcus imitated Aro's position from earlier and closed his eyes to fake sleep. "I dare say peace is going to become something we should not take for granted these next grueling days."

And peace, as they were to discover, would be something all four were not to feel for a very long time.