Don't Let Me Be Yours - Alec Volturi

12. Falling Down the Rabbit Hole

Eventually, our conversation lightened up and we went about our day relaxing in the afternoon sun. The forest was quiet and peaceful, and it felt like Alec and I were in our own little world out there.

At one point, while watching the wildlife, I spotted a little white rabbit who was running straight for the frozen lake.

"Look!" I cooed. "How cute!"

Alec, who seemed to be daydreaming at the time, took notice. "How nice," he said, not nearly as impressed.

"Bunnies are cute," I said. "Look, I'll show you."

And then I took off after the rabbit.

I wasn't able to catch the rabbit before it got on the ice but that didn't stop me; I thought that if I moved fast enough I could catch it and bring it back to the blankets so I could cuddle it, but instead, the ice broke under my feet.

I was already several yards away from the edge of the lake when I fell beneath the ice and in a moment I was trapped. I punched up at the ice and cracked it, but the water slowed the blow and made it difficult for me to successfully escape. The water was so icy, it felt like millions of needles pricking my skin all at once, and the shock made me lose my breath. Gasping for air, I inhaled a lungful of water.

Pressure built in my chest and I quickly lost my fight; I'd begun to sink.

Above me, light suddenly broke through the water as the ice was shattered and I felt Alec grab my arm from above water. He yanked me up and out of the lake before scooping me up in his arms and sprinting back to solid ground.

Alec did chest compressions in an attempt to get the water out of my lungs and after a few attempts he was successful. I coughed up tons of water, then hacked and wheezed as I tried to catch my breath.

"Indy!" Alec exclaimed as I struggled to sit up. He grabbed a couple of the blankets we brought and wrapped them around me. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I managed to cough out. I had to consciously try not to let my teeth chatter.

Alec stared at me for a moment, clearly in shock. "You can drown?" he asked, incredulous.

"Did I forget to mention that?" I replied sheepishly. I hated that I looked so weak, but it was the truth. Full vampires didn't need their internal organs, but I did. I could bleed out, suffocate, drown, the whole nine yards; It was just harder to do to me than it was an average person. On the bright side, when I sustained wounds, they healed quickly. In fact, I was already starting to warm back up.

"Indigo." The breadth of concern on Alec's face was profound. He looked completely heartbroken by the sight of my suffering.

"I'm fine," I insisted; I could feel the color returning to my cheeks.

Alec pulled me into a hug. "Please be more careful," he begged me.

"I've gone a hundred and forty-seven years just fine on my own," I reminded him. "But, I will," I added in an attempt to calm his nerves.

"No wonder your coven is so protective. You're much more mortal than you appear," he said with a heavy exhale.

"I'll survive. I always do."

"Well, you certainly won't be falling into harm's way on my watch." I could hear a level of possessiveness hardening into his voice.

"I'm not going to die or anything."

"Let's just get you back to the cabin, okay?" Alec suggested. "I hate to see is you cold, sopping clothes."

"Okay, as long as you promise to stop worrying," I said.

"Please don't ask that of me," he said without humor.

I frowned, but let it go. Instead I got up and helped Alec repack the backpack.

"I'm sorry for falling in the lake," I said finally.

"That's a silly thing to apologize for," Alec said sternly.

"Well, I am."

Alec pulled me into a hug. "Don't be." He kissed me, then kissed me again. "Okay?"

"Okay," I agreed; Alec left me breathless.

"Let's get back. You look miserable."

"I wouldn't hate a hot shower and a cup of hot cocoa," I admitted.

"That can certainly be arranged," he smiled.

* * *

"Are you sure you're okay?" Alec asked me again. "How are you feeling?"

I was bundled up in layers upon layers of blankets on the floor back at the cabin, sitting close to the roaring fire in the fireplace. Alec was in the kitchenette fussing with the dishes he used to make my hot cocoa; he was having a hard time sitting still.

"I'm fine," I told him honestly, getting up to go sit back on the couch. We'd been back at the cabin for almost forty-five minutes after my fall and I'd genuinely regained all of my strength. Alec was still worried, though. It was the first time he'd seen the depth of my vulnerability for himself and it seemed to have shaken him to his core. "Come back on the couch, please," I asked him.

Alec cautiously complied, keeping a safe foot and a half between us.

"You can do better than that," I said, scooting closer to him. I wasn't satisfied until we were practically touching. "We have less than a day left together. I don't want to spend it on opposite sides of the couch."

"I need to be sure you're okay."

"I'm fine; I recover quickly," I assured him. It was true. My body bounced back fast; It wasn't practically indestructible like his, but it wasn't too far off.

"Okay," he exhaled; I could tell he was trying to calm himself. He moved closer, meeting me the rest of the way.

"I didn't mean to make you worry," I said, brushing a piece of hair across his forehead and out of his face.

"I know. I'll recover," Alec assured me. "You just scared me. I've never been so fearful in my life."

"Well," I exhaled, guilt weighing down on my shoulders, "is there any way I can make it up to you?"

"You could not do that again," he said. "Or anything like it."

"Is there anything I can do sooner?" I asked, sliding a little closer. There was not space left between us.

"No, not particularly," he said briskly.

"I meant kisses," I said, giving up on being coy.

"Oh. That could work." He genuinely seemed surprised.

I cupped Alec's cheeks with my hands and pulled him into a kiss. He kissed me back and I slid my arm around the back of his neck, deepening it. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into his lap, unwilling to let me go.

"Never, ever do that again," Alec said, pulling away just a little so he could look at me. "Please."

"I won't," I promised him breathlessly. "I swear."

Satisfied, we went back to what we were doing, determined to make the most of the rest of the time we had together in our cozy little cabin.