ALANA

31

ARES

Dinner was uneventful. Except for when Alana had for the first time been seen eating more than a few bites. She must have been really tired.

We had both retired to our room and as I closed the door behind us, she spun around staring at me then the door.

"Mama found out I had slept in the other room last night. She thinks we shouldn't sleep seperately. I do not want to upset Ma, so we will have to both be in here together" I tell her. When she blushes, I see the rush of blood come to her cheeks and spread out towards her nose but her nose strangely remains pale.

"On- on the bed? Together?" she asks me with a twinge of fear.

"I will take the sofa" I say to which she responds by looking at the small sitting area by the window that has one long sofa and then a smaller one.

"You would not fit" she says looking back at me. I look at the sofa and it does look small for my height. Or even my build.

"I will manage"

"N-no please let me sleep there, I would have no problems at all, I love to sleep on sofas, it is like when I would hug my bear to sleep before he got thrown away." she explains. I remember her sleeping downstairs like that.

"Why did it get thrown out?" I ask curiously. If she had liked it, why throw it away?

"Stepmother said I was too old for a bear to have when I was scared of the thunder. I had to get over my fear of sleeping alone aswell" She explains as if that was not the most horrendously cruel thing I had heard.

"How old were you?" I ask. Her face turns concentrated as she thinks.

"It was when she had started living with us, I believe I was 9" she tells me.

I feel rage building up in me as I keep picturing how upset Elena would get when Aaron took her bear that she always carried around.

Fuck why would you take a childs bear?

"Xander?" I hear a whisper which makes my eyes snap to her. I nod to let her know I am listening.

"Since you got to ask a question do you think I can ask one too?" she asks me with big hopeful eyes looking up at me. She seems to have gotten closer. Or did I walk closer to her?

"Sí, ask" I say curious to know her question.

"Do you know if there is a practical joke that involves a play on the words wedding night?" she asks me. I am utterly confused at first, the way she had put that sentence seemed to be rather, well confusing.

I feel my own face giving away my amusement when I figure out what she had said.

"Well yes, I imagine there are many around that topic poca pecora, it is an obvious one no?" I ask her.
(little sheep)

"Well not really? Wedding night? Ours was so very boring, just dinner. Do people do something fun? Swimming perhaps?" she asks me. Again, my head is flooded with confusion at her words before it finally clicks.

She doesn't know what happens on a wedding night. Jesus Fuck.

"Alana, you are aware of the act of consummating a marriage, sí?" I ask her, hoping I am wrong. Because fuck how the fuck can some one be so in the dark about something like this.

She looks helplessly confused at this point and I can't even hide the growing tension in me. Fuck.

"I had read in a novel about the physical act of love? Is that what you are speaking of?" She asks suddenly as if a light bulb had come on.

"Sí, what else did you read?"

"Well that was about it, but I do not understand how there can be a physical act of love when love is a feeling? And how is it at all related to wedding nights? And small clothes?" she asks perplexed.

"Small clothes?" I ask confused.

"Mhm, Mrs. Fiore gave me these, these very tiny little clothes yesterday. And they are very small and very see through. I had thought maybe it was underwear, but see? That doesn't look right does it?" She suddenly takes out the skimpiest white lingerie I have ever seen making me groan.

"Jesus Christ!" I look away from them, trying to stop my brain from thinking about her in that.

"What?" I look back to her still holding them. I can't focus.

"Put that away first" I tell her which she immediately does, mumbling a sorry.

"Alana" I sigh. "Alright, where do children come from?" I feel like I am talking to a kid and it is going horribly.

"What do you mean, God blesses people with babies" she says. I groan.

"Yes but, poca pecora, how do they come into existence?" I elaborate. She again looks very confused and is slowly becoming agitated.

"Women get pregnant. With their bellies becoming very large."

"Sí, how do you think they get pregnant?" I ask. She looks completely taken aback by this question.

"Well, uhm, I dont know? I had never thought of that. Maybe God p-puts the baby in there?" she asks hopefully which makes me almost laugh at her naïveté. She thinks like a kid.

"Okay well, I do not know how I can ever explain this to you pecora, without corrupting your innocent mind." I say, my voice becoming deeper.

There is something so sexy about the thought of corrupting her innocent thoughts, and ruining this beautiful little creature in front of me.

She frowns at me but nods. Always so submissive. I shake my head at my dirty thoughts. Shame on you Ares, you're a bastard.

"So I can sleep on the couch?" she asks me. I nod at her. She's right I wouldn't fit.

"Sí." I say simply. I wait around incase she wants to use the bathroom first but she makes no such moves. Then when I am done, she goes in with clothes in her hands.

As I am putting my things in the night stand drawer, I hear the bathroom door open then close. I do not turn around until I hear her soft voice calling my name.

I turn around, my eyes widening and pants tightening at the sight.

"Christ!" I curse involuntarily. Fuck.

"what?" Alana frowns innocently as if she is not dressed to seduce even the most honest man to his grave.

Her small, tight body is loosely concealed by a long silk, blue nightgown. The part on her breasts is barely doing it's job as I can see the sides and tops of them peaking through.

"Fuck" I say again, tracing her body with my eyes.

"You say that alot" she mumbles which makes me look at her. "Is this not okay? I can change if you want?" She asks but I shake my head.

God, never take that off.

"No, it is okay, what were you saying?" I ask, trying to keep my eyes on hers and ignore the temptations that lie below. Fuck me. She asks me if there are any spare blankets which I nod to.

I get her a spare blanket and a pillow to sleep and put them down for her. Strangely enough, she goes back into the bathroom and I hear the water for a second before she comes out and turns off the lights before laying down.

Fuck how am I going to fall asleep with this raging-.