Woman of the Hour // volturi kings

28. fix

1996

When Caius fled from the basement, Aro ordered Alec to behead Santiago again and transport his body back to the private jet. He and his sister would be escorting the traitor back to Italy the next day.

Once the guards vacated the room, Felix following Alec to aide him with the handling of the body, Aro slumped to the floor, holding his head in his hands. He had struggled to contain his true emotions, and fought the urge to steal Claire away from everyone, even his brothers, just to keep her safe.

He had been utterly terrified at the thought of losing her, and today he had come dangerously close to being faced with her death. She was too fragile for this world, too soft and too good. If she wasn't gifted, she would have been killed at the hands of someone they once trusted.

Aro worried about the danger he himself posed to her wellbeing too. If he ever held her too tightly, or got too carried away, he could harm her. And he would never forgive himself for it. Perhaps this wasn't a good idea, dragging her across the world to visit other vampires. What if one of them tried to harm her too?

He wanted to take her back to Volterra and hide her away in a tower, safe from any and all threats to her life. But he knew she wouldn't agree to that, and even if he forced her to, she wouldn't be happy. He couldn't live with himself if she wasn't happy.

No, that wouldn't do. She was a free spirit, and the only way she could be completely free, safe and happy is if she was changed, turned into an immortal like her lovers. What ever power she had that was already manifesting would amplify, protecting her further. Then, maybe, Aro could spend a somewhat peaceful life with Claire and his brothers.

He intended to flush out any discourse within is coven and make it abundantly clear who was in charge. Though he had never been lax with them, he was going to begin using a heavier hand, especially when it came to using his gift on the guard. He could never risk Claire's safety like that again.

"I can almost hear your mind running in circles," Marcus stated from behind him. Aro had been alone in the basement for hours. Claire was fast asleep on top of Caius, and Marcus decided he needed to talk to his brother before he did something stupid.

"Go away," Aro groaned, resting the back of his head against the damp, stone wall behind him. His brother came and sat beside him, lightly bumping a shoulder against his.

"Like I'd listen to you," he retorted. There was a long beat of silence, then Aro sighed deeply.

"She nearly died, Marcus. It was all our fault. Caius was right, we should have killed him, before he could put his vile, disgusting hands on her."

"I know, brother. But it's too late now, all we can do is look out for her now and do better," he said softly. "I explained to her that we knew he could be a potential danger, and she's not angry. You're too hard on yourself, and you forget how understanding she is."

Of course, Marcus was right. He usually was. Claire was beautiful, inside and out. She was accepting of his gift immediately, and never overstepped in her questioning about their particular way of life. She was patient and insightful, their ideal match.

"I hate it when you're right," Aro grumbled. "But I don't think I'll be happy until she's like us."

"She may have something to say about that. Spring is her favorite season, are you going to take away afternoon strolls in the sun from her? The farmer's markets she enjoys every weekend? She won't be able to do the things she enjoys. Or will you ask Caius or I to do it for you? She's not ready yet, you can't change her because of your own insecurities."

He sighed again, hanging his head in shame. "God, I'm so selfish."

Marcus patted him firmly on the shoulder before forcefully pulling him into a quick, awkward side embrace.

"No, you're just in love... and a little irrational," he chuckled. "You need to talk to her about it, and you need to apologize to Caius. He thinks you've turned into a right dickhead."

﹌﹌﹌

When the morning sun rose, Claire was alone in bed. She stretched out across the whole mattress, the sheet sliding down just enough for to expose her midriff to the chilly air. She sluggishly pulled herself out of bed, picking up the warm dressing gown Caius had laid out for her and wrapping it around herself. She slowly trudged from her room and down the stairs, her heavy, tired footsteps alerting her soulmates to her exhaustion.

"Oh, my love," Marcus flitted to her as soon as she stepped into the dining room, carefully cuing her face in his large hands. He inspected her face, the cut on her lip was swollen and her jaw had purple fingerprint shaped bruises marking her delicate skin.

He carefully pressed his lips to the bruises, before kissing her lips softly.

"Good morning," she murmured quietly, her hands fiddling with the hem of his shirt. Aro and Caius were waiting impatiently behind Marcus, both antsy to lay eyes on their love.

The two had come to an understanding this morning. Aro explained his irrational train of thought, and Caius laid into him about bottling up his emotions. If Aro ever acted like that in front of Claire, Caius swore to have his head.

Marcus finally let her go and the blonde king was quick to pull her into an engulfing hug, He peppered her face with small kisses like he usually did, being cautious of her injuries. She rewarded him with a tired giggle as he pulled away.

She looked to Aro, noticing the nervous shifting of his feet. He stepped towards her, but she took the initiative to practically throw herself into his arms.

Having her three kings around her brought her a great comfort, she felt safe again. 

a/n: hello im the worst, i know. hopefully i can fall into a new routine with this job and actually update regularly again. thank you all for being so patient with me.