Broken Hearts, Mended Souls

Broken Hearts, Mended Souls Part 3

When Marcus visited Denara in her room one late morning, he found her exercising. "What is this? Are you sure you're well enough?"

"I'm fine. If I don't get active again, I may end up bedridden for real, Marcus. I was never a weakling, until I hit the skids. No food makes for a weak Denny."

"Denny?" he asked, sitting at the end of the bed, watching her stretch.

"It's a nickname I have for myself. No one else calls me that though." She went back to running in place. "I feel like solid food is my enemy. I guess it will take a few days for my body to feel a hundred percent. Maybe I should stick to a liquid diet, hmm?"

Marcus smiled, since Denara had no idea the man with whom she was speaking and everyone else in the castle existed on a liquid diet. "I have a surprise for you. Several packages will be arriving for you today. Chelsea went by the size and dimensions you gave her, and ordered a full wardrobe for you. Clothing, shoes and some accessories to get you started."

Denara turned to face him. "You didn't have to do that, Marcus. You've done too much for me already."

"Do you intend to traipse around Volterra in my robe?" He raised his brows at her.

His robe. He would want that back, of course. She picked it up off the chair she had draped it over once her hand-washed clothes had dried. She lifted it to her nose, inhaling the spicy sweet scent imbued in the fabric. She walked over to Marcus and handed him the robe. "Thank you for letting me use it."

Marcus took it from her hands. He could smell her scent within the fabric now. It made him all the more determined to keep her here with him. He wanted to take her out at dusk and show her around. If she liked the town, she may think living here would be an improvement over living in New York City.

A winded Denara sat beside Marcus at the foot of the bed. "Ok, l think I'm done. No need to overdo it." She sat silently a moment before saying, "I haven't told you yet, but I was engaged to a man back in New York. I found out that fidelity was not his best quality, nor was honesty. He eventually dumped me, reason unknown. I didn't really want to know anyway, but I knew. Marcus, did you love your wife?"

The Volturi master remembered back to his existence with Didyme. He loved her with his entire being. When she was killed, he had wanted to die as well. He mourned her for so many decades, until something compelled him to accept an existence without her. But there had been no joy in that existence. Now he had met someone his gift told him was to be his forever. If he could only convince Denara of that. "I did love her, very much so."

Denara stumbled on, come hell or high water, she told herself. "Does her death make you incapable of loving anyone else? I only ask because after my failed relationship with Jon, that was his name, I wondered if I would ever be able to trust a man again. It makes me sad to think I might prefer to live alone for the rest of my life over attempting to find my so-called soul mate, if they even exist."

"Sometimes things happen, Denara, that make you feel there is the possibility of a second chance. Don't give up on that. When you find a love so wonderful with someone who feels the same, you'll find the trust is there. And by the way, my family believes in long-lived unions." He gave her a reassuring smile, and gently grazed her cheek with his knuckles.

Denara almost gasped when his fingers caressed her face. She didn't want him to know how a simple thing like his touch was affecting her feelings for him.

But Marcus thought he knew. He sensed her reaction when he touched her. "Denara, do I frighten you?"

She looked down at her hands. "No, you don't frighten me. Honestly, the way I feel about you, that frightens me." It would be a waste of time when she decided to go home. Changing topics, she asked, "So you plan on taking me into town? I think I might like that."