Second Time Around (Volturi Tales)

11

"Welcome, it is so kind of you to join us here today. I am Aro. You have of course met Caius?" Oh that he had, Joham was quite thankful the other leader arrived. Joham had a feeling Caius was not very fond of him. Though now there seemed to be another in the room he disliked more as he was eyeing the human girl caged in the arms of the unnamed leader who had to be Marcus. Aro confirmed Joham's suspicion moments later as he continued with introductions but Joham  stopped paying attention as he moved on to the wives, Joham was too distracted studying the human girl. Her heart rate was beating erratically. Clearly, she was afraid. Yet Marcus held her with such care, stroking her back in a vain attempt to comfort her. Joham couldn't understand why she was here, was she a snack?

"I see like most in the room you have noticed our new addition," Aro said motioning towards the girl, Marcus was not even paying attention he was busy whispering to the girl wiping away a tear that rolled down her cheek as she gave up fighting his hold, instead she went still, staring blankly at the wall perhaps she is in shock? Joham had enough experience with female humans to know they are emotional beings and can become overwhelmed quickly. "This is our dear one Holly Fraiser, she is most precious to us all. A second chance to be a complete family once more." Joham knew Aro was speaking more to the room of her gathered coven than directly to him. "The sleeping man is her brother." That was all he said about the lump laying on the floor next to Marcus' feet. The male vampire that carried the sleeping male in was studying Joham closely before he and a rather oversized vampire both exited the room.

"He is dear to my Sun," Marcus strokes the girl's head as she rests it on her chest, her scared eyes taking in the room. "So he is tolerated and under my protection," Marcus said with a small smile on his face. He clearly relishes in Holly no longer fighting his hold.

"This meeting is not about your new pets Marcus," Caius snapped, Marcus snarled something about having respect which Caius simply ignored and continued with his focus on Joham."This meeting is about your children, the females to be specific. Are they here in Volterra?" Caius snapped angrily, if Joham had a heartbeat it would have stopped. How did they know about his family? His girls had always been so careful, they mixed in with the humans so flawlessly they could be walking the street of Volterra right now and they couldn't be distinguished from the mortals. He was thankful that he chose to leave them outside the city walls, far away from their tracker, he wasn't sure which one of the males it was but he had heard the Volturi had the world's best tracking in their ranks.

"You are here to be punished for blatantly breaking the law, risking the knowledge of our existence by creating these abominations! This half-breed." Caius snapped loudly. There was a murmur through the court.

"Wait a moment," Sulpicia's sweet song voice filled the room. "I thought that the whole meeting with the Cullen's proved that these children were not a threat," Sulpicia said lazily, studying her fingernails while Caius and Athenodora glared at her. "That's why you let them keep that beautiful little creature, Aro?" If Joham was in shock at the fact that the Volturi knew about his children, the news of another hybrid created had left him dumbfounded.

"Is this true? Is there another hybrid? Is it male? I am most interested in seeing if my girls can bear children." Joham was too excited to stay still; he took to pacing the floor. "What if they did create a child?"  He murmured more to himself than to anyone else, he seemed to be deep in contemplation.

"Cullen's child is female," Sulpicia answered. "A beautiful little thing." Joham switches rapidly at this news. A female, she could be a mate for Nahuel.

"You have fathered multiple children. I have many questions but first, we wait." Aro said, "It would be rude to start without everyone here." The room was silent except for the heartbeat of the two humans, Marcus seemed to calm the girl because her heart rate was now a slow steady beat.