The Volturi: "__" Would Include...

Caius Volturi's Mate Adopting a Stray Dog...

Warning: This post contains a depiction of animal abuse

"Hey. Hey! Stop it!" You rushed forward and slammed yourself into the large man, throwing him off balance. He whirled on you with a harsh shove. You lost your balance, ending up against the opposite wall. Your eyes watered, but it only spurred you to anger as he returned to kicking the helpless creature. You squared your shoulders and strode forward to blatantly shove him again. "Hey!" The group's attention turned from the dog to you, and he turned to face you fully. His expression told you just how much trouble you were in. Before he could scare you further, or indeed, make any move, Felix cleared his throat behind you. The dog-kicker spoke up in rapid Italian.

. . . . . . . . . .

You looked around. Oh no, where had the dog gone? "Did you see where he went?"

"The dog?"

You nodded.

"Do you want me to find him?"

"I just want to make sure he's okay."

"Come this way."

. . . . . . . . . .

Keeping its body low to the ground, the dog slunk forward to sniff your hand.

"Can I pet you?" When his ears perked up, you took that as a yes. You gently stroked his matted fur. He stilled, clearly expecting pain. "It's okay. It's okay, baby boy." After a few moments, he relaxed under your hand.

"That's it," you cooed. "Oh, look at you. You're just a big sweetheart, aren't you? That's a good boy."

Clearly starved for affection, the mangy canine leaned heavily into your palm, closing his eyes in bliss. After a moment, he came closer and plopped down with his head on your lap. His soulful eyes peeked up at you as though checking to see what you would do. Your heart clenched as you continued to pet him. "It's okay."

You looked to Felix. "How do you say 'good boy' in Italian?"

"Bravo Ragazzo."

Smiling, you leaned down to praise the affection stray. "It's okay, baby boy. You're such a good boy. Bravo ragazzo. You're safe now. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you."

Thump, thump, thump. You looked back to see the dog had started to wag his tail. Biting your lip, you peered at Afton with a torn expression. He had an unreadable emotion in his eyes.

He sighed. "You want to keep it, don't you?"

"I can't just leave him here..."

Note: Needless to say, you ended up sneaking your new companion into the castle.

. . . . . . . . . .

"Ah, so this is your secret guest."

You froze. Trying to slow your frantic heartrate, you turned to him with a nervous look. He eyed the sleeping dog. "He seems most content, as though he knows his fortune in finding such an enchanting guardian."

You flushed at his compliment. He didn't seem upset... "Can he stay?" you hedged. You held your breath.

"If you were willing to go to such lengths to get him here, there's not much use in refusing," he drawled, with a lifted brow. Then, he reluctantly added, "For all intents and purposes, however, he is already a member of the Volturi."

Your eyes lit up. "Like the royal hound?"

At that, he grinned. "Precisely."

You gasped in delight and you pushed to your feet, rushing to hug him. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! Thank you so much!"