Heartbeat [Alec Volturi]

Pirate

"Do you have a death wish?"

The vampire was yanked off of me, the owner's excessive strength sending him off balance. He recovered too quickly, brushing his sleeves and shooting a dirty look at my unfamiliar saviour. "Back off, runt."

"If you hurt her, you'll get a round in the pit." From any other vampire, it would have sounded like a threat. The boy who had intercepted my attacker couldn't be more than two years older than me, but he spoke with such care that it sounded more like friendly advice. 

The boy stood at a greater height than me. He looked sharp and polished but not as confident in his attire as he wished to be. His side swept, sandy-brown waves of hair had won a battle to be tamed, and it fell in gentle waves, softening his lightly freckled, angular face. He was sporting a v-neck sweater that barely passed the club's dress code, likely because he wore it so well. The slim-fit sweater clung to his physique with a relaxed fit, highlighting his strong shoulders and exposing the subtle curves of his collarbone. One of his sleeves was tugged down to his wrist, while the other was poorly rolled halfway up his forearm.

I turned my head, hoping to glimpse Alec or my friends. They were nowhere to be found. There was no rustling in the crowd nor a gathering to suggest a single fight was taking place. Which meant I needed a distraction to get away from these two because I was beginning to get the sinking feeling that they planned on keeping me. They were giving off real kidnapper vibes.

Another vampire came to stand beside my initial attacker, his eyes barely giving me a look over as he listened to the other man. "You won't be stronger than me for much longer. Enjoy it while you can." The original sent me a glare as he finished.

Suddenly, he grabbed my bicep and yanked me along, trying to lead me to the stairs.

"Hey!"

Yanking me into his chest, he sneered, "If you scream, I'll kill your pretty little boyfriend."

As if. I grinned back, "Doubt it."

He puffed out his chest, and raised his hand to my cheek, but with a single glance at the sandy-haired boy, he refrained. He patted my cheek once and leaned down, making me shrink back. "Don't try me, Kitten."

Ew. I don't think he liked the look on my face because the grip tightened on my body. There was a lashing of air, and a second later, he was haphazardly dropping me on the floor. I regained my bearings in time to see the boy closing the curtain behind him with a grimace.

Assholes Number One and Number Two were speaking rapidly, but the boy's eyes stayed on me with curiosity sparkling in the corner of his eyes. They had claimed one of the private rooms, but that didn't mean Alec wouldn't find us. The rigidness of their postures suggested that they knew this. They were tense...nervous.

I could work with that.

"I don't know who you think I am, but –

Asshole Number Two cut me off, "Apparently, that flashy jewelry round your neck is a bullseye." Apparently? How would they not know the Volturi's crest? They'd called the boy a runt, but perhaps they weren't quite so far apart. I observed Number Two as if I would be able to tell. He was burly but not too tall. It made him present as less of a threat, which was undoubtedly false. "He knew they'd stake a claim on you."

So they were working for someone specific – goons AND assholes.

My chest deflated at the information. The Volturi crest was intended to deter tempted vampires. Instead, it made me a target. Alec had grumbled about having no need for it, saying that I would never leave his side long enough for anyone to dare approach me. And if they did, he'd insisted, he'd kill them.