Lily woke suddenly. Her eyes flew open and it took her a moment to realize she was seeing her ceiling in far more detail than she was used to. Another beat, another moment and the memory of Caius's bite flooded through her. Her head snapped to the left to find her mates sitting beside the bed. All three wore smiles, though the eyes of at least two of them looked troubled.

Marcus was the first to stand and Lily twitched backward. It was only an inch, but it was enough for him to notice. He froze and his smile faded. Aro stood next, keeping his hands out to the side in a gesture of surrender. "How are you, cara mia?"

Her now scarlet gaze darted to him, but she didn't answer. Venom flooded her eyes. It wasn't fair to Marcus or Aro but she feared them now. Her mates were supposed to be safe. They weren't supposed to hurt her. And Caius had hurt her more than she thought possible.

At the thought, her gaze shifted to the man in question and he flashed to the side of the bed. She scrambled away from him and off the far side of the bed to press herself into the far corner. She slammed the block down on the bond so they would feel nothing from her. She needed time to process this.

"Liliana," Marcus said in that annoying tone he got when she blocked them.

She looked at him and shook her head. "Don't." Venom tears ran down her cheeks. "I'd like to be alone, please."

Caius's face contorted in fury. "No. This is better. You are better now. This fixes everything. Don't you see?"

"Enough!" Aro yelled, causing her to flinch though it wasn't directed at her. "You've done enough, Caius."

The blond glared at the three of them before storming out and slamming the heavy door behind him.

"You need to eat," Marcus said, breaking the silence that fell after his brother left. "I will have something brought to you."

As if his words reminded her body, her throat began to burn. She slid a block into place and it faded immediately. "I'm not hungry."

"Impossible. Stop being stubborn," Aro snapped.

"I'm not being stubborn. I'm not fucking hungry."

Aro's jaw tightened before he stormed from the room as well. Obviously, he was trying not to yell at her, and she appreciated it.

Marcus, as ever, was the voice of reason. "Should you need anything, simply call. We will not be far."

As soon as the door shut behind him, she flashed over and grabbed her phone from the dresser. She was careful with her strength not wanting to damage the thing she needed more than anything else in the world right now. After curling back up in the corner, she hesitated a minute before calling Carlisle. She really wanted to speak with Jasper or even Edward, but neither of them would be the voice of reason she needed right now.

Carlisle answered on the second ring. "Lily, It's good to hear from you." His happy voice had her smiling a bit in spite of the circumstances.

She swallowed past the lump in her throat. "Can you talk? Somewhere away from everyone?" She'd done a decent job of moderating her voice, but anyone that knew her would be able to tell she was upset.

"Go ahead, sweetheart. What's wrong?" he said a moment later.

She opened her mouth to tell him and found herself sobbing instead. "I'm s-sorry," she managed to get out between sobs.

"It's okay, Lily. Let it out. I'll be here when you're finished."

After a couple of minutes, she pulled herself together enough to talk. "Okay."

"What's happened? This isn't like you at all." His voice was heavy with concern.

"Caius turned me." God, it hurt to say those words. They'd had a plan. This wasn't how any of this was supposed to go.

The silence stretched and she waited. After all, she had an eternity now.

"What happened?" His voice was tight, angry.

"Aro read my memories about John and saw another vampire on them that I didn't remember. They wanted me present at her trial. She tried to attack me, but didn't even get close between the kings and Demetri and Felix." Oddly enough, talking about it was making it easier for her to calm down. "Caius came to see me after. I tried to reassure him as he scented me. He told me he was sorry then he bit me."

"Oh, Lily." Carlisle sighed. "As much as I don't want to say this, I understand why he did it. Not that it makes it right. Caius' distaste for humans is born in the fact that they are weaker. Fragile. After what happened in court, I'm sure he feared you dying before you turned. Your mate bonds are new. This is one of the times his need to protect will be especially heightened. He was protecting you the best way he knew how."

She closed her eyes, squeezing more venom from them. She understood what Carlisle was saying, had even already known deep down the reason Caius had bitten her. That didn't make it hurt any less. "We had a plan, dad. He didn't ask. He didn't even warn me."

"Shit." He sighed again. "I know, sweetheart. I assume Marcus and Aro are unhappy with him as well?"

"Yes. Well, Aro for sure. Marcus tends to be more even tempered, but he didn't intervene when Aro yelled at Caius."

"Don't say or do anything you can't take back, Lily. You'll forgive him eventually and you'll regret those words."

She huffed a laugh. "You sound like John."

Carlisle laughed as well. "Where do you think he learned it?" There was a pause before he said, "Have you fed?"

"No."

"Are you blocking it?" And the way he said it was almost like a chastisement.

She licked her lips. "Yes."

"You know that won't last. It will only make it worse in the end. You need to eat." Just like that, the concern was back, not that it went completely away in the first place.

"I know. I can't eat the way you do here. It's not feasible."

"Lily—"

She cut him off. "Will you...will I still be part of the family?"

"Sweetheart, you were part of this family the moment we met you. You became a bigger part when you moved in with us. Nothing will change that. Not where you live, who your mates are, or what you eat. Besides, their feeding habits have changed dramatically," Carlisle said to reassure her. "We love you, Liliana Montgomery Cullen."

His words flowed through her, bringing relief in their wake. "I love you, too, Pop."

He cleared his throat. "Now, what can I do to help you?"

She bit her lip. "Can you tell the others? Jazz and Eddie will be angry and I just can't...not right now."

"Of course. What else?"

"I'm not sure I can stay here. This is a lot." Her voice broke on the last word.

"I know it is." His voice softened. "But you have two mates that had nothing to do with what happened. And a third that I am sure is cursing himself for being all kinds of an idiot right now. Do you really want to leave them?"

Lily sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Not really."

"Good. I have faith in you. In all of you. You'll get through this. However, should you wish to come home, you are always welcome."

***

Lily stayed in the corner for a while after ending the call with Carlisle. The phone rang once, Jasper's name flashing across the screen. She declined the call, not wanting to talk to anyone. Finally, she got to her feet and placed her phone on the nightstand. A glance told her someone had changed her clothes. At least, they'd put her in leggings and a t-shirt instead of a dress. She disappeared into her closet and slid on Jasper's sweater, needing the comfort.

Assuming they'd left someone outside her door for when she was hungry, she opened it to find Demetri. He grinned at her. His gaze ran over her from head to toe and the grin widened. "Immortal is a good look for you, Mistress."

She sighed. "No more 'Mistress'. Lily. Liliana. Cullen. Montgomery. Lils. Or something you make up. Anything but Mistress."

"Yes, my queen."

"I'm stronger than you, Demetri. I can and will rip your head off."

His lips twitched. "Duly noted. Hungry?"

"I will be."

He was gone without another word. Lily left the door open and headed into the bathroom to use the mirror. As Liliana studied her reflection, she found herself surprised. Nothing much had changed. She still looked like herself, just...more. A smile found its way to her face.

She went back into the main room, relieved to see Demetri had returned with several blood bags instead of a person. One of the ways the Volturi stayed supplied with blood was the three blood banks they had set up in Italy. All donors were aware their blood was going to a private company but they got paid so most didn't care. It was much better than hundreds of tourists disappearing. Much less conspicuous.

Demetri showed her how to open the first one and handed it over. Lily lifted the block and the thirst slammed into her. He chuckled as she grabbed the bag from him. "The Masters thought you'd prefer this for your first feeding. Especially since they aren't present."

He tilted his head in question but she just stared at him as she drained the blood bag. He handed her another and took the empty. This continued until she'd drained five bags completely. "Another?" he asked.

She shook her head.

"Don't let yourself be hungry for the next few weeks. You should feed often. Believe it or not, it will help you with control."

"Thank you, Demi. You can go. I'm going to see Marcus."

He grinned. "Good. They were beside themselves waiting for you to wake, you know. All of them."

She didn't say anything as she watched him gather the blood bags and head out the door. She made her way to Marcus' office on bare feet and knocked on the door. "Enter," his rich voice beckoned.

She opened the door and stepped inside, letting it close behind her. She remained silent, taking the opportunity to look at her mate. His brown hair was a mess as if he'd been running his fingers through it repeatedly. The usual brush of stubble adorned his chin. His eyes moved taking in the words of the book in his elegant hands. She'd thought him beautiful before, but with her new vision he was truly stunning.

When she remained silent, Marcus said, "Yes?" and looked up. Seeing her, his eyes went wide and he put his book down. He started to stand and she held out a hand to stop him. He retained his seat and she started to walk around the room. Instead of separate rooms like she had, Marcus had one long room. A library. Fitting.

Once she had taken at least a cursory look at everything, she turned to face him. "It is very much you. I like it."

He smiled softly. "I'm glad it meets your approval."

"I could use a friend. Could I stay here with you?" She twisted her fingers together nervously.

His brow furrowed. "Of course. You need never ask."

"You don't know the conditions yet. I don't want to talk about what happened. That includes you telling me that he did what he thought best." She was tired of crying and talking about what happened would surely make her start again.

"I believe I can refrain from comment provided you ate before coming here." He lifted one brow as he waited for her response.

"I did."

"Then by all means." He gestured to the opposite end of the couch he was sitting on. She looked at the seat he indicated before walking past it to stand in front of him. After a moment's hesitation she crawled into his lap and turned so sat sideways across him. He froze oh so briefly before the tension flowed from him.

He wrapped his arms around her to hold her against his chest and buried his head against her neck. She leaned into his chest and just enjoyed being held. "I was so frightened that you would hate us. That we would lose you after only just getting to call you ours. I am sorry that we didn't stop him. We had no idea what he intended to do."

She leaned back to look at him and laid a hand on the side of his face when he looked up at her. "You have nothing to apologize for, Marcus. This wasn't your doing. I don't hate what I am. I hate how it came about."

His gaze ran over her face as if checking she told the truth. She ran her hand back to tangle in his hair while her other hand held onto his shoulder to keep her steady. He closed his eyes and leaned into her touch. Before she could think twice and talk herself out of it, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. The kiss was tentative, unsure. She grew up surrounded by overprotective vampires, her experiences were limited.

Marcus took control of the kiss and she happily let him. His tongue traced the seam of her lips and she granted him access. Their embrace was slow and sensual as they fed at each other's mouths. Finally, they separated and Lily leaned her forehead against his. Her eyes were still closed, but she now wore a smile.

"It's nice to see you, too, dolcezza," Marcus said, laughter in his voice. He pulled back and placed his hands on either side of her face. After kissing her forehead, he tucked her back against his chest to wrap his arms around her.

She ran her fingertips over his chest, while his thumbs rubbed back and forth. They sat like that for a long time before Marcus spoke. "Will you do something for me, mia regina?" (my queen – Italian)

She hummed to let him know she was listening.

"Unblock the bond." His voice was soft, a plea in it.

The silence stretched before she answered. "If I do that, he'll feel everything."

He kissed the top of her head. "Maybe he should."

Lily hesitated. As much as Caius' actions had hurt her, she was still reluctant to return the favor. It seemed...petty.

"There is something you should know. About Aro," he said.

"Will it upset me? I can't take any more of that right now."

He chuckled. "No, dolcezza. You will not be upset. While we waited for you to wake, we would take turns sitting with you. Aro usually sat beside the bed and held your hand while he talked to you. However, he refused to touch you without his gloves. He feared he would read something you did not wish to share."

She tilted her head back to look at her mate. He smiled down at her and nodded his head to emphasize his words. He pushed a strand of hair off her face and tucked it behind her ear. "I thought it would be impossible for you to become any more beautiful, even as an immortal. I was wrong. You are simply breathtaking, Liliana."

As she was a newborn, she still possessed enough blood for her cheeks to become dusted with pink. Marcus chuckled and kissed her again. When he pulled away, he ran his nose alongside hers. "Enchanting."

She tucked her head against him again. "Marcus?"

"Yes, my love?"

"Would you read to me?"

"Of course." Seeming to understand that she simply wished to spend this time with him, he picked up the book he'd been reading at her arrival. He began to read it in English though a glance told her it was originally written in Greek.

"You can read it in the Greek. It will be good practice for me," she told him.

He kissed her head before switching effortlessly to the intended language for the work. As he read, she slowly lowered the block on the bond, not wanting to overwhelm her mates with a sudden flood of emotion.

Once the block had been completely removed, the sound of yelling and furniture breaking came from Caius' rooms. Marcus continued to read and Liliana continued to bask in the presence of her mate.