Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries

Soothingly

Soothingly - so͞oT͟HiNGlē

1. in a way that makes somebody who is anxious, upset, etc. feel calmer

Without much to do for the rest of the day, Odessa spent her time in her room staring out the window. The sun set on the opposite side of the castle, so she was free to gaze upon the streets of Volterra without emitting a slight glow. People were laughing, having a fun time while being ignorant of the fact that their city was run by blood-sucking demons. She watched children chase each other around their parents, friends eat with each other, lovers embrace.

Slowly, the sun set, night blanketed over the land, and people started their treks home. The few people that still stood around were yawning and ready to go home to sleep. Odessa yawned and turned away from the window. It was about time she went to visit Alec; but first, she decided to take a quick nap. She hadn't had any sleep in the last three days and felt fatigue washing over her. She took a quick shower to rid herself of the day's dirt and dressed in a black, silk nightgown that was cleanly hung in the wardrobe. It was plain, held up by stringy straps, and reached mid-thigh. She slipped under the smooth covers on the bed and promptly fell asleep.

She was awoken three hours later by a light, feathery touch on her cheek. Her eyes opened and darted towards the intruder. Alec was staring down at her with an unreadable expression in his eyes. His eyes flickered to hers as she sat up and made room for him to sit next to her. He grabbed her hand and brushed a few strands of hair out of her face. She hummed and leaned into his touch.

"You did not come earlier," he said.

"I fell asleep," she provided.

"Is that something you do a lot?" Alec asked.

"No. I do not need much sleep. Still, it had been a while since I last slept. Did I worry you?"

"I worried Felix and Santiago went too hard on you with your training," Alec answered.

"He is a bit excited when he trains," she grimaced while rubbing her arms. She had no idea if the bruises were still visible on her skin, but she did know she could still feel the pain of being thrown around. Not pleasant. Alec grabbed her arm gently and swept his thumb over a slightly discolored spot on her forearm. He held it up for her to see and raised an eyebrow tensely.

"From earlier. I can bruise if hit too hard," she said. He clenched his teeth and stood up abruptly. He made for the door, but Odessa caught his arm with both of hers and stopped him. He looked back at her and frowned deeply. She could see the murderous intent in his eyes and sighed at the predicament they were in.

"We were training, Alec."

"He should know not to overdo it. You are not a vampire. He could have killed you," he replied sternly.

"I may not be a vampire, but I am not fragile. I am still strong, still powerful. I can take care of myself."

He stared in her eyes for a minute before he conceded and said, "I understand. I apologize."

"I understand, too," she said as she walked up to him and laid a hand on his cheek. "It is the mating bond. You feel the need to protect me, just as I feel the need to protect you. But I know how capable you are of protecting yourself. I am capable of taking care of myself."

"I know," he smirked. "You are quite the devious creature."

"Only when I want to be," she whispered slyly. Alec grinned and pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her frame and taking in her scent. She hugged him back lightly and rubbed her head affectionately in the crook of his neck. He pulled back and glided his hand from her lower back, up her side, across the crook of her neck, and under her chin. He stared intently at her brown, slightly pink lips. Her breathing hitched in her throat as she anticipated his next moves.