When Ends Meet (Marcus & Aro Volturi)

Chapter 18: Not As Clean As You Believe.

       I take a few steps away from Marcus. My eyes never leaving him as I stare with disbelief of Aro's accusation. "M-Marcus...what does he mean? Please tell me that I heard him wrong."

Marcus' glare remains on Aro, and his irises too reflect the same black rage as his brother's. "There is no turning this around—I've seen it. Tell her with your own filthy mouth that she is indeed my mate!" Aro seethes.

"It is true." He finally says. And I feel myself stumble back with shock. Marcus grabs my arm and looks at me with regretful eyes. "I know that this is something I shouldn't have hid from you, but it is what I needed to do for you. To keep you safe."

"Keep her safe? From me? Anastasia will always be safe with me! How dare you think otherwise!" Aro advances, but Marcus takes a step back with me still in his grasp. I feel lost, I'm almost not even present in the conversation that the two are having.

"Safe with you? That's rich. I thought that Didyme would be safe with you as well—I couldn't see how dangerous you were then...but now I do!" Marcus barks, making Aro stiffen. "Ah, you didn't pick that up through my thoughts, did you? If I am to be so honest, then yes. Ana is my mate...and your mate as well. However, I wanted to spare her the pain and despair of knowing that her mate murdered his own sister!"

I stare back at Aro with frightened eyes. "What? You...you killed Didyme?"

"There is an explainable reason. I did what I had to—"

"No, you did it out of selfishness and greed! You watched me wither away with her loss and allowed me to wallow for thousands of years. You're evil, Aro. And that type of maliciousness should not ever be by my mate!" Marcus roars.

Everything is becoming too much—so much so that I am beginning to feel nauseous. I cannot listen to them anymore, but as much as I try to ignore them, Aro had done something that I had not expected. With a feral growl, Aro jumps Marcus, and shoves him into a wall, creating a sizable crater in the old stone of the castle. "Bastard! You have no idea the pain it caused me to do that to her! She was my blood, but I needed to do what I had to! I always sacrifice for this coven. In so many ways, you will never know!"

"Didyme was innocent! All we wanted to do was leave and live a happy life away from the Volturi—" Marcus punches Aro, with an audible crack echoing throughout the hall.

"Innocent? You were blinded! I saved you, you ungrateful—ah!" Aro screams, as Marcus bites down on his forearm.

I watch, horrified of the violence between my two mates. What do I do? They are moving and thrashing around at such a speed, what would happen if I were to try and step in? I finally muster up some strength in my legs, and try to get between them, when a firm hand on my shoulder stops me. Turning, I see the familiar scowl of Caius, as Felix, Demetri and Athenadora follow close behind him. "Stay back, sister. You'll be killed by those two if you intervene, being as fragile as you are." He says more seriously. "Felix, grab Marcus. Demetri, with me." The three flit and Felix quickly subdues Marcus, who thrashes angrily. Caius and Demetri detain Aro, who just stares murderously at Marcus.

I watch desperately, hoping that this will be over, when Athenadora pulls me close to her. "Let them handle this. Let's get you somewhere safe and away from this disgusting display." I hesitate, but looking at the state of my mates, I nod and leave with Athenadora.

In Caius' room, I sit with Athenadora. I cuddle into her as I stare numbly at the floor. All this time...I wasn't crazy, I wasn't disloyal. There was nothing wrong with me, because Aro was my mate all this time. The yearning, the want, the undeniable chemistry—it was all there, and I shamed myself for it, when everything about it was just only natural. But...Aro...he killed Didyme. He put Marcus—his own coven brother through all of that pain, and for what? A few days ago, I wanted nothing more than to be here in Volterra—to be home. Now, I'm not sure what it is that I want anymore, but I know that it is not here. "Thena..." I look to my dearest friend, that I have made here. "I need you to help me. It's going to be hard...and I know that you may not want to do it...but—"