✔️The Heat| CAIUS VOLTURI (BOOK 3)

15. The Planners

"Kurt, get in contact with as many of the wolves who are coming to the wedding as you can. They need to know what they're walking into. Keep it brief." Adolpha clipped as she scanned her eyes over the many pages that scattered the wooden table in the Throne room. She was acutely aware of Caius' hand on her shoulder though it was vaguely comforting.

"They will stand beside us, Adolpha. The packs have always appreciated the Blues. If the Volturi are royalty to the vampires, then we are royalty to the wolves." Chann encouraged, deeply contemplating everything that was happening.

"We cannot be certain but if anyone can convince hundreds of wolves to stand beside us, it's Kurt." The alpha persisted and the Beta looked down at Athenodora who smiled softly in return, encouragingly before they both exited the throne room to complete their orders. Adolpha was in full alpha mode, that much was certain as she sifted through documents and Caius couldn't help the small smile that cracked across his lips. Adolpha was sensational to him, through everything that she experienced- she stood strong.

"Dolpha" Aro hummed and she snapped her gaze up to him as he looked over some paperwork. "This may be a ridiculous question but... Is it possible for your type of wolves to transition without a full moon?" he wondered. "We believe that that is what the other side has been practising, there have been wolf sightings all through Italy- Wolves being described as 'the size of horses'" he attempted to explain as he slid some newspapers across to her and she sighed, contemplating.

"It is possible. It happens though, rarely. Sometimes, in moments of intense emotion, you can feel the wolf inside of you and with enough encouragement, you can turn though it is somehow surprisingly more painful than usual, and it takes a lot of energy and concentration. If someone could control an army to do that at will... It would be deadly, wolves are deadly at the best of times. If the Romanians have done this, we don't stand a chance, Aro." she breathed. "They still would not think rationally, they would only be controlled by their Alpha."

"So... It would be possible to do that? If we could find a way to make you turn? It would be an evenly matched fight?" Marcus hummed and Caius seemed instantly ready to argue before Adolpha cut him off.

"It is possible, if we could do that then you would have an incredibly strong army. Moon wolves are even more powerful than shifters but... It most definitely won't come easily. Chann, Kurt and I will see what we can do but... I need Jane" she breathed and they instantly knew what that meant.

"No. Adolpha, you're not putting yourself through pain for this!" Caius returned and she smiled tightly at him.

"It's the only way, Caius. Think of it this way, Conri had been shot and he didn't even turn. It has to be mental pain, something to trigger the wolves that lay dormant within us for the majority of the month. I'm not guaranteeing anything but the first time is always the hardest. The Crescents have a head start on us, Caius. We don't have time to argue about any of this." she ground out and he sighed, clenching his eyes tightly to calm his raging anger.

"You are friends with Sam Uley?" Aro continued and the question caught her completely off guard.

"Yes? My brother was good friends with him" she shrugged, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. "They are coming to the wedding though I was going to call them early, given the circumstances, they can help with this whole wolf transition moon thing" she sighed.

"Good, we need them on our side. If the Quileute wolves are with us, The Cullens will be too" Aro nodded along to himself.

"What do we need the Cullens for?" Caius snapped.

"Not all of them... Bella. She is the only person I know who has the capabilities to cut off Rosetta's powers" Aro attempted to explain and Adolpha looked over at Chann in contemplation.

"We will go to them" she nodded and Caius looked over at her in horror, pressing her to continue. "We have a month until the wedding, which is apparently still happening despite everything that's going on. We have enough time to go to them, by now they have the invitation. We can get them on our side, Caius. We need them to be on our side" she did her best to explain and he pulled her easily into a hug.

"Why can't anything ever be easy?" he groaned out and she laughed tensely as she wrapped her arms calmly around her. "Only you and I would have a wedding in the middle of a war" he chuckled bitterly and she smiled. Their hug wasn't a very long one, both of them having more than enough things they needed to be getting on with, but it was a reassuring one. The hug seemed to bring them closer again, after the small rift that their anger and secrecy had created.

"Right" Chann clapped his hands. "Month until the wedding. We need to get this wolf shifting thing down before that happens so Jane lets go." he urged and the blonde looked over at her masters- all three of them nodded and Adolpha pressed a kiss onto Caius' lips before the three left to begin a seemingly impossible task. All they had to do was get their wolves to run free and then they'd be on a level footing with their enemy...