Don't Let Me Be Yours - Alec Volturi

17. Trust

I surveyed the massive library in awe. It was two stories high and the plentiful, timeless shelves were packed with millions of books. The main floor was open, with heavy oak tables and chairs positioned throughout, and there were alcoves along the walls with couches and plush chairs for more comfortable seating options. Thick, ornate rugs covered the floor and large metal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, illuminating the room.

I was curious to see what the vast array of books the library housed looked like so I didn't hesitate to make my way over to the shelves and began slowly weaving through the aisles as I perused my reading options.

I was strolling down an aisle between shelves, just beginning to get my bearings, when I was interrupted.

"Are you looking for anything in particular?" Alec asked me from the far end of the aisle. He hung back, waiting to see how I would receive him.

"No," I replied, keeping my voice light as I looked over at him. "I'm just looking to see what all you guys have here."

"We have a little bit of everything," he said, walking closer. "We've been building up this library for thousands of years."

"I can tell," I nodded. "It's very impressive. This within itself is probably worth the whole trip."

"I'm glad we've managed to impress you," Alec said with light, playful sarcasm.

"You know what I mean," I smiled.

"I'm just messing with you," he chuckled, leaning against the shelf next to us.

"It's tough to figure out where to start with all these books," I said, looking from him to the bookcases around us. "There's so much to look at."

"Hm." Alec stepped back and surveyed the shelves, as well. After a moment, he pulled a book off of the highest shelf. "Try this one," he said as he handed it to me.

"What's this?" I asked, running my hand over the cover. It was small and thick, with a navy cover, although it had no artwork on the cover and no title.

"It's Italo Calvino's Italian Folktales," he explained. "It's one of my favorites."

"Thanks," I smiled, "I will."

"So, what have you been up to?" Alec asked as I tucked the book under my arm.

"Finn just gave me the grand tour. It was a lot, but at least now I know where I'm going. He was very thorough."

Alec nodded but he seemed a little disappointed. I wondered if I should've waited for him to show me the ropes around the castle. It hadn't occurred to me that he would care about having the chance to show me around his family's home - although, it was a castle, after all.

"Have you been with your sister?" I asked, moving the conversation along.

"And with my parents," he said. "My parents were asking about you."

"What'd you tell them?"

"I told them you were still resting. It's been a chaotic weekend for you and I explained that you needed more time to recuperate."

Hearing him say that was validating. Things really had been all over the place for me, and I deeply appreciated him standing up for me, even in such a small, subtle way.

"To say the least," I replied. "I'm sorry for getting snippy with you earlier. I definitely could've handled that conversation a little bit better."

"I apologize, as well. It wasn't the right time to address those things," Alec replied. "I knew you were already overwhelmed. I should've left it alone."

"I was, but still. That's not an excuse for me to make things more difficult for you. You're in this just as much as I am. We're on the same team."

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you," he promised me earnestly. "No one here is going to bite."

"Your mother might."

"My mother just needs time. It'll be okay."

I appreciated Alec's positivity, but he was very biased on the matter. Regardless, I wanted to trust his optimism.

"Okay," I huffed, letting out a deep exhale. "I believe you."

"Thank you," Alec smiled before giving me a quick kiss. "I wont' lead you astray."

"I'm still going to call Esme in a few days and see what's going on back in Forks," I said, looping my arms around Alec's waist.

"You do whatever you need to do," he replied, wrapping his arms around me and reciprocating the hug. "We'll work through all of this."

"I know." I did my best to mirror Alec's optimism with hope that it would rub off on me. I stood on my toes and pressed my lips against his. "Do you mind if I see your parents tomorrow?" I asked.

"I was actually looking for you so I could ask the opposite," he admitted. "I told them I would check to see if you were still resting."

Suddenly I realized I didn't have much of a choice in the matter. "Oh. Yeah, sure. Can I find another book and drop them off in the room first, though?"

"If you need a few more minutes, sure," Alec said. "I'll make this up to you tomorrow, I promise."

"You don't have to promise me anything," I said, walking down the aisle in search of another book. "It's fine. I'm staying under their roof, so it's only polite that I greet them. I'm a guest in their home, after all."

Alec caught me by the hand and pulled me back into his arms. "Let me take you out tomorrow," he insisted. "I think we could both use the fresh air."

"Let's worry about tomorrow when we get there," I countered. I was already getting consumed by the daunting task directly in front of me. I didn't have the space in my head to make plans.

"My parents will be kind," Alec assured me, picking up on my concern. He ran his fingers through my hair. "You're my mate, and they understand what that means for us. They just want to see you. They're curious."

"I know, I'm staying calm," I blushed.

"You mean the world to me, Indy," Alec said with deep sincerity. "So, no matter who you are or where you're from; No matter what you look like or what coven you're with, you're important. You're important to me, and you're important to the rest of my family. You have nothing to worry about."

I was overwhelmed by his kind words, but I deeply appreciated them. I knew I couldn't avoid the rest of the royal family forever, and it was probably for the best that I got the meeting over with sooner rather than later, but it was still unbelievably difficult. Needless to say, Alec's love and support was the reminder I needed that all of this trouble would be worth it in the end.

All I could do in the meantime was hope that the road there wouldn't be drenched in blood.