Book 2 of the Spark series
Caius Volturi and Adolpha Blackwood knew pain, and now they would fight to finally find some Love- if only a rival wolf pack didn't get it the way and ruin it all first.
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"How do you feel?" she didn't have the strength to ask in confidence, to put any kind of force behind her words and it was so evident in the ghost of breath she released, breath that was a tangled web of words. Her chocolate brown eyes scanned over him, the way his hair seemed to glow against his equally pale skin in the slither of moonlight that hung in the sky high above the darkness of the gardens, the sun long gone. "You were married to her for two thousand years and I know that you divorced her but... Somewhere inside of you, I know you still love her."
"No" Caius returned, without turning to her as he continued to stare out at the pond in the Volturi gardens, eyes assessing the way the stars reflected in a scattered pattern against the partial quivering of the water. "You're wrong... Yes, I did love her once. And if you asked me about it not too long ago, I'd have told you I loved her still. But now... Now my heart has been consumed by something else... Someone else who has a much more powerful hold over me."
"Tell me what you want, Caius" she implored. "I vowed to move at your pace the moment you said that you weren't ready. And I have been waiting for you to be. I don't want to rush you, to force you into something you don't want... But you're confusing me, Caius. I don't know what you want because you don't tell me" she shivered in the cold that had dropped around the garden and she hated that they now had to have another serious conversation. But they would keep on having them until one of them could decide on what they wanted. They were both waiting for the other.
"I have always wanted you, Adolpha. Since the very first moment that I lay eyes on you in that forest. And I was ready, even then. But the world wasn't ready for it, you weren't ready, we weren't, Athenodora wasn't. I want to do all of this the right way. We aren't like other people, we have forever. And maybe I was married for two thousand years but the very second I met you, it didn't mean anything anymore. If you choose to accept me now, Adolpha. You are choosing to be with the man that tore wolf packs apart, who kills time and time again because I enjoy it! I hurt people every day, and that's fine by me. But is it fine by you? I can change everything about myself, for you... But I can't change that darkness, I am a king, Adolpha. I can't stop being evil."
"I never asked you to stop being evil, Caius. I have never asked you to change anything about yourself. Because it's you who I imprinted on, who I have spent these past two months with. It's you who I have feelings for that can't be described in any other way but love. It's so soon, so early to say anything but the second I saw you, I vowed to love you with that imprint bond. I will watch you kill people every day, Caius. Because that is who you are! I accepted that a long time ago. And you can't use that as an excuse not to be with me anymore! If you don't want me, just tell me" she implored, her throat growing dry with the possibility of it. And he turned then, to look at her.
"Do you truly think that's possible? That after everything, I wouldn't want you." he clicked his tongue, eyes scanning over her and as she made her way over to him; he stood still. Softly, Adolpha reached up and took his hand softly in her own.
"At some point, we have to stop being so scared of hurting one another. I want you, Caius, in whatever way you come. I want to be with moody Caius, Caring Caius... All of you. So stop making excuses... Please. Just stop everything, stop worrying because I have told you everything and it's the absolute truth. Everything is ready" she breathed the last part, looking up at him and when she met his frozen red eyes, she took the daring move.
Reaching up onto her toes quickly, her hands took his cheeks and after only a seconds hesitation, she pressed her lips to his. It was so miraculously worth all the waiting. It was worth everything as a thousand thoughts, feelings and emotions forced through them in a simple movement and the second they met, he unfroze.
Caius' left arm wound around her smoothly, holding her calmly so she didn't have to strain so much and his other hand found her cheek, fingers brushing the hair that softly fell against the side of her face and their lips were in perfect harmony. Adolpha had never believed all the fairytales of a kiss that set of fireworks but she knew that that was what the metaphor had meant. That moment was what it was all talking about.
Their lips were built for one another's, that much was absolutely positive and as she slowly pulled back, eyes fluttering, she just wanted to kiss him all over again. Slipping to stand flat-footed on the path again, she watched him with a heart that thumped a million miles an hour. Her lips seemed to tingle from the pressure but she knew that he had been gentle with her. Caius was always gentle with her. He had enough strength to shatter all the bones in her hand without even straining; but he held her so calmly, so delicately. He was the most restrained vampire she had ever met, and maybe that was because she was a wolf. But more likely it was because he had years of training.
"You're right" he answered and she frowned only gently. "Everything is ready" and he pulled her close for a second, more relaxed kiss. It was infectious, the joy that spread from the singular action and somehow it sparked a warmth in Adoplha that chased away all of the icy cold she had been feeling and left her in pure bliss. Their first kiss had been magical, and Caius was proud to say that he had fulfilled the last wish Conri had ever given him- to give Adolpha a magical love story.
He wouldn't fail the ex-Alpha, nor the new one.
Caius had been preparing silently for over two thousand years- for her.
