Woman of the Hour // volturi kings

16. human

1996

It had been hours since Aro touched Claire for the first time, and he hadn't been able to stop since. He had to be touching her whenever she was close. If he wasn't holding her hand, their arms would be brushing together, or his hand would slip under her shirt and press against her hip or lower back. She didn't find it invasive, she found it soothing.

Aro was familiarising himself with her mind's tenor, the gentle flow of her thoughts brought him comfort. He could feel their bond solidifying. He was elated that she was allowing him to do this, to continue indulging in her mind and thoughts, and he was overjoyed that she didn't reject him. Her lack of hesitance only reassured him that she was meant for him.

Claire was cuddled up into his side, a bad Italian soap opera playing on the television. His fingers combed through her now free hair, her head rested in his lap, as he translated the few words she didn't understand. They were in their own little world, Aro watched the side of her face while she watched the show, taking in every little detail of her face. For the first time, he noticed the faint sprinkling of freckles across her nose and cheeks, like little sparkling constellations. They didn't distract from her beauty, they only enhanced it. He noticed the delicate way her dark lashes brushed her cheekbones when she blinked, the bright sparkle in her eyes when she found something amusing, but not amusing enough to laugh aloud at, and the way she sighed in contentment when he brushed a finger over a particular spot behind her ear.

He found everything she did fascinating. He didn't remember much about his life before immortality, and he had limited contact with humans, save the castle secretaries and their food, so he found every little twitch, every unconscious movement she made, interesting. It was nothing like living in a fortress full of perfect immortals; they never faltered or made movements that were not intentional. She was beautifully human.

Aro was so captivated with watching her, he failed to notice the figure standing behind the lounge, watching the pair.

"Master," a young, feminine voice sounded, only slightly louder than the television.

Claire shot up off Aro with a startled yelp, hands clutching her chest. Aro was immediately at her side, turning her away from the intruder and wrapping her in a comforting embrace.

"Jane," Aro scolded, spearing the young girl with a furious look. Jane was still stood behind the lounge, her hands firmly clasped behind her back, her face plastered with a guilty look. She didn't mean to scare the future queen, but she needed to see Aro.

"I apologise, Aro, Claire," she bowed her head to the king in respect. Claire managed to squirm herself from Aro strong grip so she could face the stranger. The person standing in her living room was a young girl, no older than 13. Her pale blonde hair was neatly pulled back in a bun and she was dressed in a simple, but expensive looking, black dress. Her eyes were a deep red, similar to Aro and his brother's, and she was just as pale. She still had a child-like softness about her, perhaps it was her age, but she reminded Claire of angels in various renaissance paintings.

"It's alright," Claire forgave her easily; she didn't want to upset someone Aro clearly knew.

Jane smiled briefly at her before returning her attention to Aro.

"You're needed at the castle, it's urgent," she explained. Jane lifted her hand, palm down, and offered it in his direction, to share the message.

Aro let go of Claire and stepped forward, taking Jane's hand. After a beat of silence, he released her hand with a deep sigh. He turned to Claire with an apologetic smile.

"I have to go. I'm sorry, mio caro," he glided back to her, one hand cupping her cheek while the other found its way under the edge of her shirt. His eyes were locked with hers, his unwillingness to leave her flickering within them.

"It's okay, Aro. I'll be here when you're finished," she left it as an open invitation. She didn't want him to leave, but she knew he had responsibilities. She stood on her tiptoes and pressed an affectionate kiss to his cheek. If Aro could blush, he'd be bright red. He returned the gesture with a soft kiss to her forehead and a tranquil smile.

He turned on his heel to face Jane again, his soft expression replaced with a serious one.

"You stay with her. If any harm comes to her, there's no where in the world you can hide from me." He trusted her, yes, but defending Claire was different from protecting another vampire. She was vulnerable, and now that their bond was deepening, his instincts were to coddle her and never leave her side.

With that, Aro sped from the room and out the front door. He wanted to be back as soon as possible.

"Bit intense, isn't he?" Claire spoke after an awkward silence. Jane didn't move from her position, she just openly stared at Claire. It was a little unnerving.

When she didn't get a response, she cleared her throat and turned off the TV before making her way to her stereo, pressing play on one of her mother's favourite albums from Peter Gabriel. She busied herself cleaning up from breakfast, rinsing her dishes and refilling her cup of coffee. Even though it was a bit late in the day, just after 2pm, she decided to get changed into a pastel mauve sundress.

When she left her room, she nearly ran into the young vampire. She let out a small scream and stumbled back at Jane's sudden appearance at her doorway.

"I apologise," Jane said sincerely, lowering her head to Claire in respect. Claire simply waved her off with a flick of her hand, after settling her rapidly beating heart, before making her way back into the living room, humming along to the song that was playing. Jane followed her silently.

After she spent a few minutes adjusting her cushions and straightening her coffee table before the awkwardness became too much for her to handle. With a huff, she turned to Jane, a friendly and teasing look on her face.

"Do you know how to dance?"

That elicited a response from the silent vampire.

"Dance?" Jane questioned, raising her brow at her masters' mate. She wondered why the human hadn't decided to ignore her presence. Engaging her in small talk didn't seem like something a mortal would usually do.

"Yeah. You know, Waltz, Foxtrot? Cha-cha?" Claire tilted her head in curiosity. Surely she knew one partner dance, even if she seemed so young.

"I know how to waltz. I was around when it was invented," Jane told her, a smirk laying on her lips. A bright grin broke out on Claire's face, excitement lighting up her bright eyes.

a/n: kinda short bc next chapter will be early. 

also i asked on my message board who people wanted to see as a love interest in a new book. so far, Charlie Swan is the next in line. But I'm still open to opinions and ideas.