𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌 [𝑽𝒐𝒍𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒊 𝑲𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔]

•28•

"What the hell is going on here?!"

The fire lay before the couch in the Cullen living room crackled and the wood burned, the black of the night being chased away by the warm rays of orange light.

The crackling was the only sound in the room now and Nora stepped back as twelve pairs of eyes stared at her in shock.

Carlisle nearly sunk to his knees in gratitude. At last, she was here.

Aro whipped around, his eyes that had once been filled with boredom sparking to life as they fell upon Nora. Though concern quickly overruled his relief when he noticed the state she was in.

Completely ignoring the situation still unfolding behind him, with Rosalie now going still and Caius and Marcus halting their actions in favor of devoting all of their attention on her, Aro sped to stand in front of her.

He could care less about what the Cullens would think of him, not when she was finally in front of him after hours of worrying.

"My darling, thank the God's you are safe. Ero così preoccupato, piccolo amore." He breathed, lifting his hands to softly cradle her face, brushing his thumb against a small painless scratch on her left cheekbone with an upset frown on his face, letting it fall to caress her lip.

Nora wanted to remain incredulous with what she had just stumbled upon, but the way he was looking down at her so lovingly washed away her concern with the situation happening around them. She could only focus on him, on the way he pulled her closer and brushed her messy hair behind her ear. His touch lingered and his eyes closed, his face becoming peaceful.

She could only focus on the way his hand encompassed the back of her head in that familiar way that he knew made her feel safe, on the way his abnormally stiff muscles completely slackened when she was safe in his embrace. His arms even shook slightly as he pulled her flush against him, desperately gripping her waist.

She felt awful now, as she saw what her absence had done to them. No matter how restrained they were trying to appear for their audience, she could see when she looked at Marcus and Caius over Aro's shoulder that they were itching to rush towards her as Aro had done. Though, they currently had their hands literally full.