Love me Like I am

9: Confessions

A week later, Marcus sat next to Agana, watching as she cleaned up from Caius's last feeding.

"You don't have to do that."

She looked up from where she was wiping up blood from the floor. "It's my fault he's like this."

"Could he join us for feeding next week?"

She sat back on her heels. "I don't think so, not unless something major changes. He still can't let me out of his sight." She sighed. "I don't understand why he isn't improving." She watched as Caius sat on a couch near them.

"By all accounts, he should be progressing. But we must be patient."

She nodded. "I'm trying. But-" She looked over at Caius. "Am I doing something wrong? Is it because of my newborn status? Or did I do so much damage that he can't heal?" She sniffed, venom pooling in her eyes. "I haven't even processed my transition, much less that it's my fault that he's like this."

She started sobbing, Marcus looking up when Caius approached.

"Darling, I'm sorry." Caius wrapped an arm around her, kneeling next to her. "I've improved. I was just trying to give you a taste of your own medicine."

She looked up at her mate. "But my emotions... Surely you felt them and wanted to stop?"

"I was just trying to make it fair."

"By manipulating me?" She stood. "I don't-" She stepped away, eyes darting around.

"Darling-"

She looked back to Caius. "What?"

"I'm surprised that it took this to get your attention."

"Excuse me?" She paced around again. "No. You know... I understand."

"You're being surprisingly calm about this."

She grimaced. "You aren't the first to be cruel to me and you won't be the last. I'll just have to readjust to roll with the punches."

"First, cruel is an overly strong word. Second, who misused you?"

"Many people, with you adding yourself to the ranks with this stunt. But it's okay. You will have all of eternity to learn my history, providing you don't reject me again."

"I won't."

"I'll believe it when I see it."

"Agana, I don't understand."

She scoffed. "How could you? You were too busy faking an illness and manipulating me, just to trap me here. I won't make it easy on you, any of it. And so help me if you try to lay a hand on me again, I will raise hell." She raised a hand towards him when he stepped towards her.

Marcus stood and left the room, unnoticed by the couple.

"I would never trap you here!"

"That's not what happened the last time I was here. And your behavior is only promising a repeat." She smiled ruefully. "It seems I can't trust you or anyone who describes you as trustworthy."

"And what would you define me as? I assume you want to tell me." He raised an eyebrow.

"A cold-hearted manipulator that can't control the child-like instinct to have his own way in everything."

"I am not a child-"

"Is exactly what a child would say!"

"No! You do not get to point that at me. I was not the one who walked away." He stared down at her.

"You were never even there! You rejected me as soon as you met me!"

"You weren't exactly running towards me."

"I was a human! I'm not going to run towards the greatest predator for my kind."

"You had no reason to go to that extreme and not give me a chance."

"And where was my chance?" She scoffed, turning away from him before whirling back around, red eyes blazing. "I wonder. Did you ever thought about why I would immediately jump to the thought that you would kill me? About why I was with the Cullens in the first place? Did it ever occur to you that I wasn't just a toy?"

"No!"

Silence fell, both taking unneeded breaths.

"I want to leave." Agana looked at Caius.

"What?"

"I'll come back once my newborn stage is over so you won't have to deal with this 'emotional toy'."

He paused a moment. "I'll allow it, but on the condition that you will come back, no matter what stage of your training you are in once the year is up."

"Certainly, Your Highness."

He sighed, going to sit on the couch. "I'm disappointed that I can't be your sire and train you myself."

She paused her steps. "Do you want to know why they kidnapped and turned me? Not because I was your mate, no. Heaven help me if you actually cared about my well being." She clenched her fist, flesh cracking from the force exerted. "They kidnapped me because I was important to Aro. Because he would come running if they put my life, and thus my gift in danger." She looked directly at him. "You weren't even a factor in the equation. It mattered about what Aro thought, not what I was to you." She walked towards the door.

"We will discuss this when you get back and are not emotional."

She looked back at him, red eyes blank. "You can try."

I loved this chapter so much that I couldn't wait a month. So... Caius was faking.... wonder what dominoes this will topple. As always, I'd love to hear what you're thinking about the story so far!