153Aro sat in his office and considered the information he had discovered, unsure of what to do or how to handle the situation he was confronted with. He had been the head of the Volturi for millennia, with Marcus mainly uninterested and Caius unmotivated, which meant the majority of problem solving and planning had fallen to him. He had been in this role so long, from birth practically, that it came naturally to him. Which made this uncertainty wholly foreign and uncomfortable. He hadn't felt such a thing for at least 1000 years.
Truly, this entire situation was delicate and uncomfortable, and needed to be handled with the upmost care, lest he upset his newly bonded brother or his fragile new sister. And yet, if they were going to help her, they needed more answers about her past. He could hear her heart beat beginning to increase back up to a normal rhythm in the other room and headed toward his brother's chambers.
He really would need to talk to Marcus about updating them. He hadn't done so in a few hundred years and it was painfully obvious. That bed could not be comfortable for the girl, and a few modern conveniences would likely make her life much more comfortable as well… at least until she was also one of them and no longer in need of such human trifles.
He stopped outside the door in his brother's office and listened to what was happening inside; he did not want to interrupt if she were more cognizant again, or intrude on their privacy. Although her heartbeat was not as slow as it had been, he could not hear any voices or other movement and decided his discussion could wait until she was more comfortable… a delicate situation indeed.
Anna felt herself slowly crawling back to consciousness out of the warm, safe place she had sought refuge in. She slowly took inventory of her extremities. Nothing seemed to hurt, other than the aching feeling after one hadn't moved in a long time and the remaining pain in her leg and ribs. She listened for noises around her and heard only the crackling of a fire. She couldn't hear anyone breathing or moving near her so she slowly allowed herself to open her eyes. She blinked, adjusting and focusing her sight once again. Her head was pounding and it took her vision a few moments to focus.
She saw out of the corner of her eye that the beautiful, terrifying man was still sitting there, staring at her again. She flinched a little, trying not to let it show, but she suspected he caught it. She felt her stomach sink and hoped he wouldn't punish her for it. She admitted to herself that he didn't seem inclined to do so, and something inside of her reminded her that not all people wanted to hurt her… especially this one. For some reason, she wanted to trust him rather than fear him, and that terrified her. Why did she feel so sure he would protect and care for her? She had never been so sure about anything before and it was dizzying.
She knew she was eying him, both wearily and beseechingly, and she also knew she shouldn't allow herself to let him know how she was feeling or thinking. She didn't know him. She shouldn't trust him. But she did. To his credit he only looked worried. She couldn't be certain, though. He was quite good at keeping his face void of emotion and that made her uncomfortable. It was always worse when you didn't know what was coming.
He could see her conflicted emotions. He watched them fly across her face at an alarming rate and decided to distract her, if at all possible, for the time being. He knew that she was human and fragile and she would need to eat soon. She had been fed intravenously for the last six days, but the doctor had told him as soon as she awoke he should be called for immediately, and that she should drink and eat lightly in the meantime to bring strength back to her body. When she had fainted, he had said it was from the low blood pressure and she would need to be careful while she was healing to ensure she was consuming enough fluids.
"Are you hungry?"
Her stomach chose that moment to let out an embarrassingly loud growl and she realized she was famished. She blushed and he smiled at her with the gentlest curving of his lips, but his eyes were practically shining with warmth. "I'll send for some food for you."
He got up and his movement transfixed her again as he disappeared through a massive old-looking elaborately carved door that he opened with no difficulty. She took the moment to calm herself in privacy. This situation was too strange, even for her cosmic joke of a life.
He was back very quickly, once again opening the huge solid wood door as if it were nothing. "The food should be here momentarily," he told her.
She thanked him quietly and took the time to actually study him. She hadn't noticed before, had been too distracted with fear and stunned by this strange man, but his clothing looked almost as dated as this room. He wore a full three-piece suit with what looked to be some sort of regal robe over top; it contrasted heavily against his skin that was so pale it was almost white. His eyes, too, were black, almost as if the pupils blended into the iris entirely. And the way he held himself - confidently, almost arrogantly, even when sitting in a chair beside her sickbed – indicated that this was a very powerful man. He commanded the room just by entering it.
He seemed to be watching her as well, equally interested, although she wasn't sure what should be so interesting about her or why he was still there with her. Did he not have anything better to do than sit with his injured guest all day? He still hadn't told her the reason she was even there, but she opted to try questioning him again after she ate. She would have more strength then, and maybe he would allow her to leave… but she shouldn't allow herself to have foolish hopes. All men were the same, only wanting to steal and possess what they wanted…. a small voice in her head disagreed with this thought. Though she tried to ignore it, it demanded her attention, compelled by these new raw feelings she felt for the strange beautiful man.
This voice reminded her that if he was going to hurt her, he probably would have done so already. He was offering to feed her, and had clearly gotten her medical attention, which Joseph had never done. She countered this, reminding herself that maybe he wanted to lull her into a false sense of security? Or maybe he had no interest in a toy that was already broken and starved? But he did not seem like the sort who hurt women. Those types had surrounded her for years, but she did remember times before then… times when she lived her life without it being controlled for her, when people reached out to touch her with love and did not seek only to cause pain.
"I believe your food is here, tesoro. Allow me to fetch it for you," he got up once again – she was beginning to think that door must be fake wood – and brought back a tray with broth, juice, and water on it. It was the second most beautiful thing she had ever seen in her life. She didn't allow herself to consider that he maybe the first.
He assisted her in moving to a sitting position, delighting in the feel of her weight in his arms and the feel of her soft, warm skin beneath his hands. He never wished to let her go and tried to ignore the flinch she gave when he reached for her. She settled as soon as her sat back down again, and eagerly began to eat her food. He watched her eyes glaze over with pleasure from the first bite and hoped it would be gentle enough on her stomach. He did not want his sweet mate to be ill again.
She ate it slowly and seemed to be uncomfortable with his observation so he brought the book he had been pretending to read back out and instead listened to her and watched her out of the corner of his eye. When she was finished, he put it down and addressed her once again while removing the tray from her lap.
"The Doctor would also like to see you and I thought you might enjoy a bath if he permits it. A nurse can assist you in that."
She brightened considerably at the mention of a bath and readily agreed.
He was waiting in his office as the doctor was with his mate, listening to the check up. He heard her slight whimper as her catheter and IV were removed and had braced himself against barging in there and comforting her. Afterward, he listened to the doctor questioning her about how she was feeling.
The doctor had been stunned when her pneumonia, the swelling in her brain, and the broken bones healed quicker than he thought they should have. He had told Marcus it was a miracle, as most other patients in that condition would have taken weeks to heal, especially considering how malnourished she was. He and his brothers had discussed it and suspected that his presence may have been a factor in it, as the mating bond often strengthened each of the mates, which only made Marcus even more determined not to leave that room for the entirety of the six days she had been unconscious.
After the doctor was finished he came into Marcus' office where he was waiting and debriefed him on her condition. She was still healing at a rate the doctor found alarming and he clearly had many questions about it, but knew better than to ask. He had been paid an exorbitant amount of money to do his job without uncomfortable inquiries.
Marcus thanked him for his services and the doctor left to fetch the nurse who would help her with her bath, which the doctor had also approved. Marcus tried not to think of his little mate naked and being bathed, as the mere thought made him more aroused than he had been at any time with Didyme. She had been a good wife to him, but was certainly no mate. They had both known it and he mourned her death, however he had always been waiting for her… this sweet, beautiful, mysterious human with eyes like golden sunlight shining through a forest.
As he was waiting, he called one of the Guard to come and change the sheets in his room. He assumed his mate would like clean ones, and the ones on the bed were permeated with the scent of her illness. One of the younger ones did it quickly and efficiently, seemingly eager to prove herself and increase her ranking from one of the lower guard. While she was engaged, Aro came into his office to talk with him. Marcus had heard him there earlier before she had regained consciousness but he had left them in peace, thankfully.
"She seems to be recovering well," Aro commented.
"Indeed," Marcus agreed.
Aro then looked a little concerned about what he was about to say, which immediately put Marcus on edge. "I have looked into her history…"
"Yes," Marcus prompted him. "What did you discover, brother?"
"It is peculiar, to say the least. Records show she was born in the United States and she is only 24 years old, however she already completed her medical doctorate at the age of 22 and was working in Nigeria where it is reported she had been kidnapped. That is all the information I could find. I wonder whether you have any more information about where she was found? Perhaps that will shed more light on this situation."
Marcus frowned at this news. He desperately wanted to ask his mate about her troubling past, however he did not want to upset anymore than he already had. He gave Aro the address, hoping he might get more answers that way.
One Aro had left, he heard the nurse leading his mate back into his bedroom in the wheelchair and asked in halting English whether she needed anything else, before walking back toward his office. She struggled with the door before she emerged, smiling hesitantly, and told him she was finished. He thanked her politely and forced himself not to run back to his mate, as he knew that would end up scaring both her and the nurse. He walked as slowly as he could, which was probably still a little too quick to be a normal human pace. She brightened when she saw him and gave a nervous smile, which sent a rush of warmth through his cold body.
"How do you feel?" he inquired. She looked much better now, he could tell. Her long hair was damp, but clean, and had been braided by the nurse. It fell heavily down her back and he saw the colour more clearly now – a deep red that he believed humans called auburn. But that colour was much more than just auburn. He could see lighter pieces – almost blonde that reflected the light and deep browns that contrasted with it. Her skin looked healthier as well, almost glowing now that it was cleaner. If he thought she had been the most radiant thing he had seen before, she surpassed it now.
"Much better, thank you," she said politely, almost demurely. She stifled a yawn afterward, not wanting to be rude.
"Would you like to sleep now? The doctor recommended you rest often, whenever you feel like it."
She realized how exhausted she was and agreed hesitantly, unsure about whether this was a trick or if he had ulterior motives. He did not seem to have malicious intent so she allowed herself to be settled back into the bed, noticing that he had had the sheets changed. It felt so good sliding between them and feeling clean once again. She wanted to ask him to leave so she could sleep in peace, however something inside her knew he likely wouldn't. And a large portion didn't want him to anyways. She chose not to think on that and instead allowed her exhaustion to overtake her.
She awoke to the bright light of morning streaming through the large windows and the nurse from the day before standing beside her bed writing on in a chart. Her angel wasn't in his customary seat and she found herself troubled by this and quickly scolded herself. He clearly had better things to do than sit around by her bedside all day, and shouldn't she be glad? Just yesterday, hadn't she been worried he would abuse her as Joseph had?
The nurse noticed she was awake and smiled warmly, looking away from her notes.
"Buongiorno," she said with a heavy accent when she saw Anna was awake. "I have…" she seemed to be searching for the correct word, "breakfast and medicine for you. How are you feeling?"
"Mi sento bene," (I feel good)
"Parli Italiano?" (You speak Italian?), she asked in surprise. "Eccelente, my English not good."
The woman reached for a tray on the dresser and set it on Anna's lap before reaching with small, warm hands to help her into a sitting position, repositioning the pillows behind her. Anna was shocked to realize how warm these hands felt compared to her angel's, and how differently they made her feel… while she knew logically this woman posed very little threat to her, and didn't seem to mean her any harm, they made her uncomfortable for an unexplainable reason. And while her angel's touch should've frightened her with its familiarity and danger, it only made her want more. She wanted to crawl into his lap and stay there for all eternity. The sentiment was shocking. She hardly knew him! How could she have such strong yearnings for someone she had barely spoken 10 words to?
She was distracted by these thoughts by the banana on the tray, reveling in the luxury of having fresh fruit again. She snuck a look at her chart which the nurse had placed on the bedside. It confirmed her suspicions that she was healing much quicker than she should have but said nothing. Perhaps she could ask later.
Once she was finished the tray, the nurse had a round of injections for her – antibiotics and steroids, the nurse told her, for her continued healing – and offered another bath for her as a consolation for the prodding. Anna readily accepted this. She loved baths. They were a luxury she had been denied for a very long time and dearly missed. Despite trying not to flinch every time the nurse had to touch her and having to keep her leg out of the water, it made her feel infinitely better.
Marcus tried to wait patiently, tried very hard not to think of his mate 20 feet away, naked and soapy, and so delectable in his hands. He had been alive for 2000 years, he should've had control over his body by now… and yet he felt like a boy again with his body awakening to women for the first time. He found himself hard at the mere thought of her and attempted to divert his thoughts elsewhere so he didn't disturb her with his body's obscene response.
When he heard her emerge from the bathroom and ask the nurse for more food, he found himself immediately getting up and summoning one of the Guard who were stationed in the wing to fetch more from the kitchens, not wanting to keep her hungry for long. He found himself idly planning how to fit a kitchen in his office so she could always have food nearby before he caught himself. How strange this mating phenomenon was. It had taken over every facet of his being. Even reading was no distraction, as everything seemed to invariably pull his thoughts to her.
The same female from the lower guard knocked softly at his office door before entering with a plate of human food which contained a piece of fruit, a pastry, and a thick blended liquid that smelled of other fruits. It did not look appetizing to him, but his mate seemed pleased with everything thus far so he had not complaints with it.
Before the nurse could even relay his mate's request to him, Marcus was knocking at the door to his bedroom, very aware that he didn't want to set off his mate's anxiety again. He heard material rustling which he assumed was the nurse clothing her and braced himself against the rush of arousal that assaulted him again.
"I have food, in case she is hungry," he said when the older women opened the door slightly to see who it was. She nurse relayed the information behind her before opening the door wider to admit him, straining to do so, he noticed. The doors must be too heavy for a human to easily opened. He'd need to change that before his mate was more mobile and injured herself trying to move it.
He saw she was sitting in the chair he usually occupied, in a pair of tight cotton pants and a thick wool sweater, rather than the voluminous nightgown he had grown accustomed to. This would be even harder, he realized. Those pants showed off every curve, hiding nothing. He did not know how he would restrain himself from tearing them off and bending her over if he ever saw her in them from behind.
He set the food on a table near her and sat on the edge of the bed, crossing his ankle over his knee to seem more casual to her. It seemed to make her more relaxed and he would do anything to make her feel safe and comfortable with him.
"What would you like to do today, cara mia? Do you desire more rest? Or a tour of my home? My family has a collection of art if you enjoy such things, or a library you may visit. I only ask you do not over exert yourself."
"A library? That sounds amazing," she said, blushing and smiling slightly at him before averting her eyes.
And Marcus knew he would have given her anything if it made her smile like that again.