La Mia Volpe | Volturi Kings

Chapter 2

I was still groggy when Jane woke me the following day. The sun was set high in the sky, and the birds had stopped their morning chatter. I removed myself from Jane's bed and followed the blonde out of the room. Small windows struggled to illuminate the dark corridor. I was sure once night fell and only the torches were left, the halls could have fueled many nightmares or horror novels. All I could hear were Jane's heels clicking on the stone floor. She appeared to be avoiding the main halls and paused at every noise. How big of a risk did she take bringing me here? She had seemed so sure last night, but the way she acted made it clear I would not be warmly welcomed. I had to ask, "Where are we going?"

The small girl stopped abruptly, causing me to run into the back of her legs. Her eyes settled on me, a look of surprise on her face. My head tilted in confusion. I knew my projection worked, and I found it hard to believe she had never experienced telepathic communication. "Was that you?" she questioned.

Guess I was wrong. "Yes." I stated, flicking an ear. She seemed unsettled but didn't hesitate with a response.

"We are going to meet my brother, Alec. Then we have some business that needs attention. You shall wait in the garden," She declared.

"Can't I come with you guys? Why do I have to stay in the garden? Are you hiding me?" I bombarded her, letting my curiosity get the better of me.

"Look-"

"Elowen"

She sighed, crouching to my level "Elowen. Not everyone would take kindly to you being here. What occurs in this castle must remain a secret, and if you were found to be a liability, they would not hesitate to kill you. Once the kings are done with their current affairs, I will introduce you. Until then, you will need to stay in the garden unless one of the men from the other night or I say otherwise. You are just a fox to anyone else, and you must act as such."

The way she spoke was unnerving. "Why did you bring me here if it was such a risk?"

"I don't know," She muttered, continuing on her way.

I wasn't sure how I felt about the situation. I was happy to have a roof over my head, but it scared me to think I could be killed just for existing. Most vampires are rich, but I had no idea there was royalty and one with multiple leaders; how peculiar. Just the thought of them made my heart flutter. I couldn't place an emotion on my feelings, and it made me all the more anxious to meet them. Granted, the chance of it ending in my death was not a pleasant thought.

"You're late," Alec scowled, pushing off the wall he was leaning against. He only spared me a glance before joining his sister, and he didn't seem upset as he was the night before.

"She's slow" Jane tilted her head back towards me. I couldn't help but gawk as he laughed.

"Maybe if you had told me, we wouldn't have been late. Or better yet, have left me in your room instead of relocating me" it was my turn to laugh as Alec stared like a fish out of water.

Jane smirked. "Telepathy. Master Aro will love it."

"Is that your angle? Use his curiosity against him to keep your little friend?"

"Oh please, if you didn't want her around, you would never have let me bring her, or you could have alerted the Masters the moment she stepped foot in the castle. You like her. Just admit it."

"She is cute when she pouts like that, but I still think you're crazy for not notifying them immediately."

"They don't like their studies interrupted, especially by something trivial. There is no harm in waiting a few days."

Much to my amusement, they continued to bicker all the way to the garden. And what a garden it was. Flowers were everywhere, surrounded by bees and butterflies dancing through the air. Vines covered a wall that seemed to go on forever, with large trees providing shade from the scorching sun. A small stone path led to a large white gazebo with intricate sculptures carefully carved into the pillars. The grass was a deep green and tickled my paws like tiny feathers. After the recent stress, it set me at ease to smell the dirt and feel the wind in such a tranquil place. If I were allowed to stay, this would quickly become one of my favorite places. I was thankful that Jane had brought me here instead of locking me in her room.

"Elowen," Jane called, tearing me away from smelling a group of bright orange flowers. "We must leave now. Remember what I told you. Felix and Demitri will bring you something to eat, and we will be back before sunset." With that, they both disappeared, leaving me to entertain myself.

I had avoided the few people that had wandered through the garden, primarily oblivious human servants. They were amusing to watch, but a garden can only entertain someone for so long, and I was hungry. Felix and Demitri, who I guessed were the two from the other night, had yet to bring anything. I refrained from peaking inside, but the scent of fresh bread was too tempting to resist. The halls were empty, but I still made sure to try and stay out of sight. Just sneak in, grab something to eat, and get back before anyone noticed. My plan was ruined when I reached the end of the hall. A large reception area was between me and my route to the kitchen, including a young woman nervously shuffling through papers at her desk.

A gentle, masculine voice drifted from behind a pair of towering wooden doors. The voice seemed to suck me in as if hearing music for the first time. Without thinking, I wandered closer to the doors. Every breath smelled like heaven, a mix of old books, vanilla, and burning wood, and It was intoxicating.

My heart seemed to stop when three guttural growls ripped through the air. As much as I wanted to stay, my self-preservation forced me to flee. Just as the doors were torn open, I dove under a low bench hiding in the shadows. The receptionist let out a little shriek, her chair falling in her haste to stand. My pulse was ringing in my ears as I held my breath, hoping they wouldn't be able to hear.

"Where is she?" one of the men roared. I could practically feel his rage as he stomped towards the poor girl. "You have two seconds to tell me who was just outside this door, or I will not hesitate to snap your neck."

"Caius! You are not helping." The voice from before hissed. "Unhand Elisa, and we will have our answer." It was silent for a moment before the first man huffed and dropped her like a sack of trash. I cringed as she crumpled to the floor, gasping for breath. She took a minute to compose herself before looking up, our eyes locking in the process. My fur bristled, that one glance ruined my hopes she hadn't seen me. There was no way she wouldn't rat me out to save her life, and I couldn't find it in me to blame her. One of the men stooped down and brushed his hand against her face. Were they together? Just the thought made my heartache.

I shrunk farther back as the man turned and slowly walked closer to me. How could he know? She didn't even say anything! I had managed to end up surrounded by vampires, not once but twice! There was nowhere to go, and I couldn't have fought off five vampires and escaped intact. I closed my eyes, prepping for the worst, when a hand slipped under the edge of the bench.

"Wait!"

Jane.