𝑫𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒃𝒂𝒅 𝒘𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒖𝒑 𝒊𝒏 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅 

𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒌𝒚 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒊𝒄𝒌 𝒎𝒆 𝒖𝒑

⁂

There were eyes in the room.

Juliette felt them before she saw them, the pricking sensation of being watched crawled up her back like a warning. For a moment, she thought back to the night before with the kings, to be under their intense probing. But no, this was different. This was the sense of being hunted, real, tangible.

She turned her head slightly, catching the faintest movement out of the corner of her eye. There, in the far corner of the library, Caius leaning against a bookshelf, watching her with an indecipherable expression.

Her breath caught in her throat.

His cold gaze met hers, but not in the same way Aro's curious interest did. No. Caius watched her as if she were an inconvenience, something to be studied from a distance.

Juliette dropped her eyes back to the dusty pages in front of her, heart beating faster as she pretended she could focus on the words.

She felt the air around her shift, and then he was standing in front of her, watching with an expression that hovered somewhere between amused and indifferent.

The tension in her muscles shifted from startled to frustrated as his lips arched into a smirk.

"You've been on that same page for ten minutes," he remarked, his voice laced with condescension. "Should I be concerned you don't know how to read?"

Juliette blinked at him, annoyance flaring.

"Maybe I'm just taking in the prose." She retorted, snapping the book closed with more force than necessary.

She sat in what appeared to be a sixteenth century settee, while Caius seemed to prefer standing and lurking. She didn't bother to hide the irritation in her eyes.

His lips quirked as he glanced down at the cover. "I wasn't aware you could read in Mycenaean."

"Huh," Juliette let out, aghast, as she scrambled to flip the cover over.

The first edition Pride and Prejudice stared back at her, mockingly.

"Oh ha ha ha," She let out in a deadpan voice. "Very funny."

"You weren't paying attention, then." Caius's smirk deepened. "Otherwise, you wouldn't have needed to check."

Juliette's jaw clenched, her fingers gripping the book tighter. He wasn't wrong, but she wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of admitting it.

"Maybe I've just been thinking." That was the closest she'd get to admitting thoughts of him, among two others, had been distracting her.

He raised a brow, unimpressed. "Thinking?" He repeated, as if the idea was ludicrous.

Her eyes darted to the shelves behind him, and then back at his bright red eyes. His presence was unsettling, especially for someone who seemed so indifferent to her to seemingly enjoy hovering around.

A sharp thought deeper in her treacherous mind wondered if he was also there to admire the collection, simply read, or maybe even just to see her.

She straightened up in her seat. "What are you doing here anyway?"

That seemed to be the wrong thing to say.

His smirk vanished instantly, eyes narrowing. "Do I need a reason to be in my own home?" His voice was cutting, each word edged with irritation.

Juliette blinked, taken aback by the sudden shift in his tone. "No, I just-"

"Then don't ask questions you already know the answer to." He cut her off, taking a step closer, his posture rigid. "The real question is, why are you here? Marcus must've taken leave of his senses, letting you roam freely in our private library."

She swallowed, feeling the weight of his words. She could see what was truly bothering him, not necessarily her, but the fact that she was being given access to things she probably shouldn't be.

"If you're so bothered by it, maybe you should take it up with Marcus." She shot back, regaining some of her earlier defiance.

His eyes, darker than before, flashed with something she couldn't quite place. Annoyance, maybe fury, before he turned away, walking towards the nearest shelf.

Her eyes followed his trail, then his pallid hand as it brushed against the cover of a book.

A tiny, minuscule bit of amusement moved her mouth. "I wouldn't have assumed you were interested in historical romance novels."

Caius stood in the same section she pulled Pride and Prejudice from, his hands hovering against a copy of Emma.

He shot her a sidelong glare. "Hardly."

"Really?" She let out a mock-serious hum. "Because it looks like you're debating between Austen's masterpiece and an epic about the Trojan War. Unless..."

She paused, feigning a wide-eyed astonishment. "... you're a closet romantic?"

His knuckles tightened in a closed fist. "Careful, Juliette."

His voice, low and edged with a warning, was almost enough to scare her. Almost. The anger she felt the night prior still burned against her skin, just enough to wither away any fear against him.

Instead of cowering, she smirked, leaning back against the seat. "What? Don't like to be caught indulging in a little Regency-era drama?"

"I don't indulge in such nonsense," Caius snapped, yanking his hand away from the shelf. "Unlike you, I've lived through it."

She wondered then, not for the first time, just how old he and the other vampires were. How long had they existed, ruled.

Juliette tilted her head, feeling the sliver of boldness grow. "You must have read it before. With all the time in the world, I'm guessing you've read most of this library's contents."

Despite her subtly, she could see his shoulders tense.

"So how old are you?"

Caius, jaw tight, sent another glance her way. "Old enough to be insulted by your lack of tact."

She shrugged, "That's not really an answer."

His silence was heavy, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of triumph. But then, in the typical fashion she was coming to associate with Caius, he shattered the moment.

"Older than your history books can recall, girl."

The shift in the air was palpable, as if the temperature had dropped several degrees. She could feel his irritation. But there was something about his terse responses that only made her more curious.

"I guess that explains the arrogance," She muttered, knowing he'd hear it just fine.

Caius turned to face her fully, "D0 you ever stop talking?"

"No," she replied simply, her tone light and pointed. "Do you ever stop brooding?"

His lips twitched in what might have been suppressed hilarity, but he said nothing. Instead of replying, he moved again, feigning interest in a row of books closer to her side. Juliette leaned forward, mind scheming. She wanted to push him, get him to admit whatever ploy they were planning with their soulmate bullshit.

"I preferred you when you weren't so... this." He waved a hand towards her dismissively, the disdain in his voice hurting more than she thought it would.

"You mean when I was crying and trying not to shit my pants when you were going to kill my sister?" Her jaw clenched as she spoke. "You could try maiming my dad to get me back in the mood."

Caius rolled his eyes, the gesture pouring more fuel on her anger.

She put her book down, trying not to handle the precious pages roughly as her agitation grew.

"You know, I have to say, you're really not winning me over on the whole 'soulmate' thing." She did dramatic air quotes, speaking incredulously. "It's almost as if that's not a real thing and you're getting bored playing along."

Caius's expression grew darker, "You have no idea what you're talking about."

Juliette crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. "Don't I? Because it seems to me like you're all pretty desperate for me to believe this soulmate crap."

He took a step toward her, closing the distance with deliberate slowness.

"Desperate?" He repeated, voice cold with condescension. "Don't mistake tolerance for desperation."

She sat up, raising her head to meet his eyes, trying not to be intimidated. "Right, that's why you're standing here, trying to convince me, instead of ripping my throat out and moving on with your real soulmate."

He looked angry, but Juliette couldn't help but feel the thrill of finally getting under his skin.

"I would if I could," he snapped.

His eyes widened, looking almost surprised, as if the words came out before he could stop himself.

The part of Juliette, while small and hidden away, that did want it all to be real withered.

Caius stepped away abruptly. "I didn't-"

"Oh no, you definitely did," Juliette cut in, rising from the settee.

Juliette, like her sister, was just barely of an average height. Caius was almost a head above her, though she tried not to be afraid of his advantage.

"No one's stopping you," Her voice was almost a whisper. "Just do it, put an end to this sham."

For a moment, he almost looked human if she ignored the deep red eyes. He appeared almost vulnerable.

"We wouldn't be in this position if you weren't so-" Caius stopped himself, sighing harshly through his nose.

She watched him compose himself, practically seeing the gears in his head turn.

"The bond we share, the one I never asked for, is... Irritating. You, as you are, are irritating." He admitted, icily.

Juliette's mouth opened and closed, unable to decide if she wanted to scream at him or laugh. "Irritating? Because I'm not what? A vampire?"

"Yes," He said, hands splaying open at his sides. "I had hoped, expected, that when the time came, I would be bound to an equal, not... this."

The bond. The one Marcus mentioned. The one Aro had marveled at with a disturbing fascination. And the one that seemed to enrage Caius.

Her heart skipped a beat. "An equal."

"Not a fragile, breakable human." Caius spoke with a harsh finality.

Her chest felt tight. She was used to feeling out of place, rejected even, but this was different. The weight of his disappointment felt like a physical force.

Ironically, his genuine upset seemed to make her believe Aro more. That she really was their soulmate, as crazy and fantastical as it sounded.

"So that's what this is all about then? You hate me because of some cosmic mistake?" Her voice wavered, but she didn't care.

Caius remained silent, his cold gaze holding hers, but he didn't deny it. He didn't have to.

Standing so close to him, she could see that despite his indifference, his eyes were wildly expressive. There was anger, and beneath that, resentment, frustration, and maybe even regret.

"It wasn't supposed to be like this," he told her. "I wasn't supposed to be bound to a weak, fragile human. Especially one who wasn't entirely mine."

Her breath hitched at his words. It seemed they were both trapped in some magical cruel joke.

"Yeah, well, join the club." She muttered, her voice hollow as she looked away from him. "I didn't ask for any of this either."

They stood there in strained silence. Neither of them moved, both too caught up in their own discontent.

Finally, she broke the silence, voice quiet but still laced with bitterness. "So, what now? You just... tolerate me? Hope I keel over so you can have a do-over?"

His eyes squinted at her. "It's not that simple."

He spoke as if she was an idiot for even speaking those words out loud.

"Right. Of course not." She let out a humorless laugh.

Caius's eyes flickered over her face at the noise, looking as indecipherable as ever.

She willed herself to calm down, despite the storm of emotions that curled in her stomach.

"So..." She fought the urge to fidget her fingers together. "What happens next?"

Caius didn't answer right away. He seemed to be weighing his response, eyes closed briefly, as if biting back his thoughts.

"You're here," he spoke finally, tone clipped. "That's what happens next."

Juliette folded her arms across her chest. "Real enlightening, thanks."

He scowled, and took another step towards her, closing the gap between them until she could feel the coldness radiating from his skin. "Do you think I enjoy this? Being stuck with someone so..."

Caius stopped, bringing his hands up. Juliette couldn't stop her flinch at the motion. His hands were at the same level as her throat, and for a moment she wondered if he was going to take her up on her words from earlier, and just end her suffering there.

She couldn't help the barely there "please" that escaped her as she closed her eyes.

"If I wanted that, you wouldn't still be here." When she opened her eyes, he was simply staring at her, a step further away than before.

It wasn't an admission of care, not even close, but it wasn't what she expected either. His words lingered between them, heavy with implication, and she wasn't sure how to respond.

"Am I more entertaining alive?" Juliette sarcastically asked.

Caius's gaze didn't waver. "Don't flatter yourself."

"You're right about one thing," he sounded almost resigned. "This is a mistake."

Juliette blatantly stared at him, caught off guard by the sudden vulnerability in his tone.

"A mistake," she repeated. The word hung between them like a challenge. "So, what are you going to do about it?"

He looked away, expression gone. "That's the real problem, isn't it? There's nothing either of us can do."

She heard the finality in his words, realizing that they were both equally powerless in that regard.

"I guess we're both stuck, then." She said softly, not expecting a response.

He didn't. But the tension in his posture remained. After a moment, he turned back to the bookshelves, picking a random volume and running his fingers along its spine, as though the conversation had never happened.

But Juliette could still feel the heaviness of his words, the bitterness and frustration that neither of them could escape.

For a moment, she pitied him. Almost. 

⁂

Caius can't handle when someone matches his 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓴 (extreme anger) 

Also who am I??? Posting two chapters not a month apart? Crazy.