In Bloom - Felix Volturi

5. Home Sweet Home

The trip back to Italy proved to be much more complicated than anyone expected.

The Volturi coven traveled together in tight, fluid formation; swiftly and in sync. I, on the other hand, was naturally slower, untrained, and completely exhausted. Needless to say, it wasn't long before I was falling behind.

Originally I had been traveling behind the three Volturi kings and their wives, so Aro, who seemed to be the most interested in me out of the whole group, didn't notice right away when I began to lag behind. Luckily, Felix noticed straight away and slowed down to stay with me as the rest of the group powered onward.

"What's wrong?" he asked, looking down at me with amusement in his eyes.

"It's been awhile since I've had a good night's sleep," I explained, averting eye contact. "I'm tired."

"Is this a normal thing for you?" he asked.

He didn't bother trying to keep the humor out of his voice, which annoyed me. Still reluctant to look directly at him, however, I chose to ignore him and keep my eyes focused on the surrounding forest.

At that moment, Felix put his index finger under my chin and tilted my face upward, to face his. It was the first time we were face to face, and suddenly I had nowhere to hide.

Suddenly, I was hit by a wave of overwhelming emotions. As I looked into his face, drinking in his strong, masculine features, I felt instant attraction and attachment; comfort, warmth, and...

"Would you like me to ask Aro to break until tomorrow?" he asked, breaking me from my thoughts.

"I don't want to slow you guys down," I said, chagrined.

Felix looked at me, almost as if he were going to say something, when Aro came barreling out of the forest with a few guards in tow.

"What's this?" he asked; he sounded tense, despite the fact that he was smiling.

"She's exhausted, Aro," Felix explained. "She needs rest."

"We're not too far away from the hangar," Aro said, "but..."

"Just carry her, Felix!" Caius barked from somewhere through the trees.

"It seems like Caius is in a bit of a rush," Aro said with a tight smile. "Perhaps carrying her would be best."

Being carried all the way to the hangar that housed the coven's private jet was indescribably humiliating.

There really aren't any words for it. I mean, my god.

Although I felt oddly...secure? Safe? in Felix's arms, it didn't make up for all of the eyes on me the whole time. I wanted nothing more than to crawl into a hole and die. Ugh! Awful!

The plane ride, however, was mercifully uneventful, and by the following evening we'd arrived in Volterra, at Volterra castle.

With security significantly more lax, Aro personally gave me the grand tour of the castle, guiding me through the vast maze of stone hallways and grand, spacious rooms. At the end of the tour, I was shown to my bedroom, which was tucked in the underground depths of the castle.

The room was neoclassically decorated, with light wainscot walls and a beautiful marble floor. A large, plush rug covered most of the floor, and a doorway that led to a private bathroom was located on the far right corner of the room. An ornate, king-sized bed was pushed against the back wall, and plenty of seating was available on the stylized couches and chairs that were positioned throughout the room. There was even a big fireplace, as well, on the left wall.

Finally alone in my room, I was able to sit on the edge of the bed and feel fully and properly overwhelmed in peace.

My life that I'd known was gone; I had nothing but the clothes on my back, and I didn't have a dime to my name. I'd even accidentally left my pack of cigarettes in Alice's car. I was in a foreign land with no friends, no booze, and no way out.

Regardless, it was still better than being alone.

Talk about words I thought I'd never thought I'd say.

"Have you made yourself comfortable?"

Caught off guard, I leapt to my feet and snapped my attention to the door. Felix stood in the doorway with a light smirk.

"Who are you?" I asked, both flustered and annoyed.

He tilted his head to the side, thoroughly amused. "You don't know?"

"Spit it out," I said flatly.

"I'm your mate."

I stared at Felix for a prolonged moment.

"No," I said.

"No? What do you mean, no?" he chuckled.

"You're not— we're not..." I sputtered, blushing profusely. I couldn't even bring myself to say it. "No. We're not."

Not bothering to act even remotely convinced, he entered the room and, suddenly right in front of me, leaned in close.

"Really?" he said, trailing his thumb across my burning cheek. "Because your body is saying otherwise."

"I'm not a goddamn animal," I said, even though my heart was beating erratically in my chest.

Felix took a step back and looked at me, sizing me up.

"Okay," he said with a cocky grin. "I can appreciate a challenge."

I opened my mouth to protest, but before I could say anything, Aro strolled into the room.

"Felix. It's not appropriate for you to be in Lucy's room," he chastised.

"My apologies, Aro," Felix said smoothly; he was suddenly very professional.

"Please leave," Aro instructed him.

"Yes, master," Felix said with a slight nod before exiting the room swiftly. On his way out, he turned and winked at me behind Aro's back.

"I trust that you've made yourself at home," Aro said once we were alone.

"Not really," I said tartly.

Aro laughed jovially, which irritated me. "Give it time," he insisted.

"Sure," I said with a reluctant sigh. "You're right."

Like I said, as strange as my life had become literally overnight, it was way better than being alone.