𝐀𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐗𝐈𝐀, Volturi Kings

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ⁶

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Astraea's POV

My blue eyes turned to Caius, who had not moved the entire time I had been there. No movement or even sign that he was conscious at all, my mate's body was the only thing indicating that he was in the room at all. I could barely feel his presence, but the part that I felt left a hollow mark on my heart.

"Caius," I whispered, my voice much softer than before as I looked him up and down. Either he could not hear me or he was outright ignoring me, both ideas haunting me. Vampires don't sleep, so why are you just there? Please don't....don't just reject me...I need you. "I know that I'm not what you wanted, but I'm what you got."

The gold plated room felt heavy, like all of the gold that lined the walls were crashing down on my shoulders and my human heart. I had never allowed myself to feel this way for someone before, let alone a vampire. Not being able to handle the mate bond between us was proving to bring me to desperation. I need you. I want you and you don't seem to want me. That's all that I want. I don't think I can handle the rejection, the loss. I've lost too much...

"Tesoro," Marcus ran his hands down my sides, "Do not think that he does not long for you-"

Cutting him off with a single tear running down my blushed cheeks, I say, "Why would he do this if he wanted me? He doesn't act like he wants me. I want him more than anything but he just ignores me all the same. Obviously he wants to reject me but isn't saying it."

"Astraea, Caius would never reject you," Aro tries to reason with me, but fountains of tears run down my face as I stare at my blonde mate's comatose body. The raven-headed king wipes away some of the tears that had fallen from my electric blue eyes before he spoke again, "It pains him to be away from you, piccola."

"Our mate has difficulties accepting new people into his life," Marcus explains, holding me close as my eyes continue to wander back to the bed where Caius layed. "He shall explain it to you when he comes back from this state. Never think that our mate does not care for you more than anything else, I have seen it in his eyes when he looks at you. We have waited for our entire lifetimes to get the chance to have you, to be complete and happy with you, Caius would not try to jeopardize that on purpose."

Taking another look at my blonde mate, I saw that I couldn't fully see his face. I had never been able to get very close to him, emotionally or physically. My very soul longed to be near him, to give him everything. I had done exactly what my soul told me to, giving my mate my heart and soul. Whether or not that was a mistake on my part would remain unknown. There was nothing that could help me pull away from him now. I had allowed myself to fall too hard too fast.

Inching away from Marcus and Aro, I take one step towards Caius. No movement. Another. Nothing, not even a twitch. A third step and I was next to the bed, able to see his red eyes as they glared daggers into the wall. There has to be something I can do. I can't let him hurt himself like this.