The pub we land in, not too far from the airport, is overcrowded with holidaymakers whose flights have been delayed and are having their last glass of Ouzo or beer before drudgingly catching the plane. It's dark decor probably hasn't been changed since the 70s and the floor is traditionally with pubs, sticky. I try not to think about it as Aro returns with a tray, filled with three glasses of what looks like lemonade. 'Cheap bastard.' Richard complains in my ear. I swat him away and reach for my glass, which is frosted and dripping from the ice. Aro sits down opposite Caius and myself. We're sitting in a closed off booth, away from the swell of people. I half heartedly wonder if the plane crash has reached the ears of the townspeople yet.
I think about the family members of those who were onboard, and turn my attention back to my glass. The drips run down the side slowly, and land in a soft puddle on the scratched table. Caius takes his glass without a word and sips, squirms, and puts it back on the tray ungratefully. Though with how he must be feeling about Aro right now, given their history, I'm not surprised he's angry. "First of all." Aro sips his lemonade. "Let me see that thigh of yours, Alex, it looks worrying."
'Worrying.' Sandee chirps softly. She's lucky she can't feel it. I turn to Caius who nods approval, though why I'm taking orders from him now I don't know. I swing my leg onto the table and wince at another sharp twinge of pain. Aro's fingers skim over it, sympathetically, before he bites the tip of his finger and a ruby drop of blood leaks, spilling against the wound. I grimace and pull away slightly, but Caius's firm hand on my arm stops me.
I watch, transfixed, as the wound, with Aro's blood, binds and closes up, slowly, the skin stretching across to reform and knit together until the wound all but disappears, apart from a faint scar where the shard of metal had been. I glance up at Aro in astonishment. He grins and as he holds my gaze, kisses the tip of his finger and strokes the newly formed scar. "All better." He muses, his voice low and husky as he slides back in his seat and takes another sip of his drink. "I'm in no mood for seduction, Aro." I snatch my leg back, sliding them both back beneath the booth's table. I turn to Caius. "Why didn't you just heal my wound back then? If vampire blood heals? You could've healed me."
"Bite my finger like an animal?" He looks me up and down. "For you?" He snorts. I glare. "You had the bit of metal you pulled from my leg! You could've used that to prick your finger, and boom, blood." Caius looks at me like I'm crazy, which to be fair, I am. "Your blood was on it first, that's unhygienic." He snaps. "Ha!" I can't believe I'm laughing but it's been a difficult day. Or days. Who knows. Aro watches the confrontation sipping on his straw like a child. "You licked my fucking blood off it, but pricking your finger with it is too unhygienic for you? That's where you draw the line, huh?" I slouch against the booth and fold my arms. Caius darkens as Aro's expression turns sour, and not from the lemonade.
"You tasted, Alex's blood?" He demands, pushing his drink aside. Caius, if not for being a vampire, would have turned red with embarrassment. "Yes." He admits sheepishly, which isn't something I thought Caius could pull off. "Alex is my mate. You tasted his blood." He pulls back in the booth, his face turning stony and a hint of the ruthless leader seeps through. He turns to address me. "Have the dreams started yet?" Shit. So he knows about them. Is this a more common thing than I'd thought? 'Obviously.' Richard's voice sounds strained as though nervous.
Aro's eyes blaze as he awaits my response. I shrug. "Just a small dream. No biggie. Really." I reach for my glass to play off coolness and sip, though my hands shake. 'Just a small dream. Yeah, sure.' Richard chuckles. "Shut the fuck up." I whisper under my breath between sips. Caius' face flashes in my memory, the dark look in his eyes, his grin that stretched across his face.
His hand reaches between my thighs and strokes, gently, with light touch that makes me writhe. My legs part and he slides between them, smiling mischieviously.
"Alex?" I jolt and almost spill my drink. Aro glares. "Sorry." I clear my throat. He sits back, looking angry. "You should know not to drink from other people's mates, Caius. I'm disappointed." The effect of his words is ruined since immediately after, he sips his drink through the childish straw, even clutching the glass with both hands like a five year old. Caius sighs. "With respect, Aro, after what you've done in the last few days, worrying me half to death and finding you partying with some unwashed goat farmers, you're one to criticize me." He pauses to take a sour sip of lemonade. "Not to mention hardly ever does a vampire have a human mate, hence, no rule has been written about drinking from them without their partner's permission. And," -Aro turns red as Caius continues.
"I didn't drink from him. Merely cleaned off a sliver of metal from his wound. It was barely enough to sustain myself and after this arduous journey trying to find you, it was the least Alex could do for me. Since, I remember, you were too busy to offer me anything to keep my strength up." He looks as though he mostly regrets his outburst once he's spilled his feelings, although he's in the right, and Aro knows it. He slinks down in his seat, sipping his lemonade like a child, silent.
Feeling boldened, Caius smiles. "Now," He sweeps back a stray strand of hair vainly. "Are you going to explain to us what happened on the plane?"