Blood Moon

Chapter 4: Royalty

I lay back on Seth's chest, my copy of Life As We Knew It in my hands. I was trying to get into the story but with Seth playing with my hair and his lips constantly touching my neck it was becoming impossible. I eventually closed my book and relaxed against him, sighing contently. He chuckled, low in his throat, against my neck before his lips caressed it softly. I bit my lip to hold back the moan that was trying to release itself from my throat.

"Gwen?" He breathed my name softly, his hot breath fanning across my neck and collarbone. "Can you tell me more about the V-Vulture?"

I giggled, lacing our fingers together. "The Volturi. They're an old coven of vampires that are sort of the…royal family of the vampire world. They make sure that the vampires that feed on…humans remain inconspicuous. If they kill too many humans, the vampire race could easily be exposed. That's the real reason they're in power. Of course they abuse it though, much like they did this past summer. With all the newborns attacking Seattle, they waited long enough for it to be noticed to step in. Then they decided that was the perfect time to check in on Bella." I finished in a growl.

Seth's hands moved from my sides to rest on my hips, his lips tickling my neck and I knew he was trying to calm me down. "So they're pretty much stuck up vamps who think it's cool to run over everyone?"

I nodded, sighing again. "The scary part is that they all have these freak powers that are completely lethal. Aro, Marcus, and Caius are considered the leaders or 'kings' but they're the ones who keep the peace amongst the guard. Jane and Alec are their most lethal weapons. They both have the complete opposite of the other's power. Jane can make you feel like you're in excruciating pain that blocks your mind and the ability to do anything to even stop her. Alec, however, can make you feel nothing. He makes you stop feeling so they can kill you. It works on humans and vampires, all except for Bella. Like how she blocks Edward's gift, she can block Jane and Alec's too."

Seth was silent for a little while before he spoke again. "So they…execute vampires that step out of line right?" I nodded, waiting for him to go on. "Would they…?" He trailed off.

I sat up, twisting around so that I could face him. "Would they what, Seth?"

His eyes looked out the French doors, obviously not wanting to say what was wrong. I placed my hand on his face, turning it to face mine.

"Tell me," I whispered, locking our eyes together.

He took a deep breath. "Would they…come after you for you and I being together?" I could barely hear his whisper but I heard the pain in his voice.

I felt my stomach twist in the worst possible way and I felt sick to my stomach. Much like any time I smelled human blood, I couldn't control the pain that washed though me. But this pain hurt so much worse because it was hurting Seth.

"Seth…" I whispered, starting to take his hands in mine.

"Answer me, Gwen." His voice was so stern that I jumped a little. This must've been the voice he used with the other werewolves. The only way I knew he wasn't mad at me or upset with me was by the way he instantly kissed my frozen lips once.

"…I don't know." I answered quietly.

I honestly had no idea if the Volturi would or would not execute me for being with Seth. They still had no idea that the werewolves even existed, which added more to the dilemma. I couldn't say yay or nay because I had no honest answer. And that's what scared me the most.

"Gwen. I'm begging you to answer me." His voice pulled me from the dark world of my thoughts and my eyes flashed up to meet his.

"I…I don't know if they would. They still don't know you even exist…" I whispered, my stomach getting that pain in it again.

Suddenly I was grasped to his massive and scalding chest, his face buried in my neck as he kissed it passionately. I bit my lip to hold back the moan that was building in my throat and I wondered what was going through his head at this very moment.

Before I knew what was happening, Seth had me pinned down on the bed, hovering over me as he held my wrists down to the bed. It was useless attempt to keep me pinned since I could throw him across the room if I really wanted to but I knew he was just wanted me to stay there for the moment.

"Are they the reason why Alice isn't too fond of us?" He asked, his hot breath fanning across my lips.

I felt my lips quiver with the need of wanting his own on mine but I resisted, nodding because I couldn't focus enough to speak.

"Have they threatened your family, Gwen?" He asked, his eyes taking a dark turn that I had never seen in them.

I thought about lying. I really did. I didn't want him to know that the Volturi were watching out for Bella, to make sure she'd become a vampire soon. I opened my mouth to say the lie that had popped into my hand but his lips cut me off.

After a few blissful seconds, he pulled away, his voice a deep growl. "Don't lie to me, Gwen. I see it in your eyes-you're not wanting to tell me the truth."

I bit my lip as I locked eyes with him before I whispered. "Do you remember when they came this past summer? When I said they checked on Bella?" He nodded, urging me on. "Well…when she had ran off with Alice to Volterra, they had made Edward swear that he'd change Bella as soon as possible. After you and the rest of the pack left, they arrived in that clearing and Jane said that Aro would be interested to know that Bella was still human. Then she said that the Volturi didn't give second chances. Edward and Bella both told them that the date had been set, that she would be changed after they were married. That was the compromise they'd made."

Seth nodded, his jaw tightening. "What does this have to do with you?"

I swallowed, looking away from his eyes. "Aro wants me, Edward, and Alice to join them…because of our gifts. I-I went to Italy with the girls to retrieve Ed but Aro made notice of my gift. H-he mentioned me being the perfect…" I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to remove the mental image of Volterra from my mind.

"Perfect what, Gwen?" Seth whispered, brushing my hair off my forehead.

"M-mate…for Alec." I finally choked out, using my vampire speed to slide out from Seth as I crouched in the corner, crying tearless sobs.

Seth was silent for a few seconds before I heard the growling. I looked up to see him shaking violently and I forgot all about my dilemma, racing up to stand in front of him. "Seth, look at me." I whispered, grasping his face in my hands. "I refused, do you understand me? That's why they wouldn't hesitate to execute me for any reason. Because I refused their damned offer! Listen to me!" I grabbed his face again, forcing him to look in my eyes.

Seth stopped shaking then he wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me to his massive chest. He buried his face into my neck, kissing and making little mmm's against my neck. I ran my hands through his hair before I pressed my lips to his jaw, trying to calm him down.

"Do you understand now why I worry about you? They'd see you as competition for their lovely little Alec and they—" I broke off, burying my face in his muscular shoulder. I couldn't bare the thought of losing Seth, let alone to the Volturi.

He pushed my hair out of the way, so that it fell down my back and revealed my neck fully to him before his lips practically attacked it. I let out a little moan and my knees got a little weak, so much so that he had to tighten his grip on my waist to hold me more to his body.

He trailed hot, wet kisses up my neck to my lips, were I was finally able to fulfill my need to kiss him back. I snaked my arms around his neck, moving my lips heatedly under his, listening to his wondrous growling echo from his chest as he kissed me almost violently.

I'd been kissed a few times in my long life but this beat every one of them. It didn't matter that he and I were complete opposites; all that mattered to me was Seth Clearwater.

The only light in my room was the moon, shining through my open French doors as I lay my bed with Seth. His hands ran through my hair and I nestled myself closer to his chest as his arms tightened around me. The kissing fiasco had lasted…maybe 20 minutes? I'd lost track of time because my brainwaves had been shattered because of his lips. He never ceased to amaze me.

The only sounds in the room were our breathing and his wonderful heartbeat. It was almost like my own personal lullaby, something that gave me eternal peace. It reminded me that Seth was mine just as much as I was his and that he was there.

"Are you tired, Seth?" I whispered, running my finger across the planes of his huge chest.

He almost purred under my hand before he replied. "A little but I'll be fine." He kissed my forehead, a soft smile on his face.

I rolled my eyes, sitting up some so that I was face-to-face with him. "Go to sleep, Seth. I'll be right here, I promise." I smiled, kissing his soft lips once.

His lips quirked up on one side and he brought my face closer to his. "Mmm…My own personal guardian angel. I like it," He whispered against my lips before he kissed me a few times, each time a little longer before he pulled me down against his chest again. "If you need anything, wake me up, Gwen."

I nodded, nestling closer to him. I heard his heartbeat slow a little before his breathing calmed and I knew he'd fallen asleep. I barely moved so I was face-to-face with him again. He looked so peaceful while he slept and I ran my hand through his black hair softly, careful enough that I didn't wake him.

The contrast between my alabaster hands to his deep tan was enough to make me jolt a little. It reflected one of our many differences. I hated being so different to the person that was my…soul mate. Was it truly destiny that I would die from Spanish influenza, to be changed by Carlisle, then meet a werewolf almost a century later that would be the love of my existence? I suspected that God assumed I'd done something right in His eyes for me to receive such gifts.

I remembered the first time I met Seth, during the training for the newborn onslaught this pass summer…

"As I'm sure some of you are aware, some of us have certain powers that could pose as a threat towards the enemy." Jasper paced as he spoke, his eyes flashing to each one of the wolves before his lips tilted upwards on one side. "One of my sisters possesses the most dangerous gift we own and I'm sure you would like to witness it first hand." He turned to our family, nodding once. "Edward, Carlisle, and Emmett. Step forward please."

My brothers and my father stepped forward, going to stand by my blonde brother before turning towards our family again. "Now I'm demonstrating this to show our secret weapon against the newborns." Jasper twanged his Southern accent more prominent the more he spoke. "Gwen, please step forward."

I heard a few sounds in response from the wolves, all mostly of surprise. I was the smallest member of our family, just a bit shorter than Alice, but they had no idea what gift I possessed.

I stepped forward, a good fifteen feet from the men of my family. A small yet cocky smirk was on my lips; I couldn't resist. It felt good to know that I was going to show my gift.

"On my count, Edward, Carlisle, Emmett, and I will attack Gwen. She will be left to face us completely alone, using only her gift." Jasper gave me a small smile before he counted. "Three…"

I lowered myself down into a crouch, baring my teeth a little before I winked at my father and brothers.

"Two…"

One of the wolves snorted through his nose, which I assumed automatically as Jacob.

"One!"

Edward reached me first, since he was the fastest. I let out a little cry as I spun around, kicking him in the side and sending him flying into the nearby oak tree. Emmett tried to wrap his arms around me but I grabbed both of them, throwing him over my shoulders to hit the ground five feet behind me. Jasper and Carlisle attacked at the same time, growling and snarling.

Carlisle was no obstacle. I merely kicked him in the chest, sending him flying into another tree at least twenty feet away.

Jasper snarled loudly, grabbing for me. I ducked, twirling around to grab his arm just as he grasped at the air beside my hip.

All four of them came at me at once and before they could touch me, I let out a loud snarl before I flung my hands out at my sides.

They flew away from me, landing twenty feet away from me on all sides.

The wolves let out appreciative little noises, though most of them sounded wary. I supposed that they didn't like the fact that I could easily fend off any of them at my own will.

Emmett, Carlisle, and Edward all rose to their feet as they walked past me to stand beside the girls. Jasper chuckled as he put a hand on my shoulder, facing the wolves.

"As you've seen, Gwen can fight off four male vampires all on her own. Imagine what she could do with more." He said, a smirk planted on his face as he looked down at me. "Then again she was probably just getting rid of some anger she's had at Carlisle and her brothers."

I rolled my eyes before I looked at the wolves.

A sandy one towards the back caught my eye. Two of the other werewolves were giving him dirty looks while he bowed his head before he looked in my direction, a soft whine heard in his throat.

A soft smile reached my face as I remembered the first time I'd seen Seth in his wolf form. But I hadn't known him then but I definitely knew him now. During the fight with the newborns, I had done pretty well. Embry and I had made quite the team together then Quil joined in, making us the dynamic trio that faught off a lot of the newborns. And it proved the fact that we really could exist together.

Seth sighed in his sleep and his arms constricted more tightly around me. I smiled before I kissed his forehead, running my hands through his hair as he slept.

It amazed me how protective he'd been of me when I told him about the Volturi. No one outside of my family had matched that protection. I shivered a little as I thought about Alec staring at me during the meeting in that field. I tried to stand as close to Emmett as possible and he had thrown his big arm over my shoulders as a sign of possessiveness. I really loved my brothers.

Seth woke up around 6 the following morning, just as the sun began to rise over the trees in the distance of our home. Another sunny day. How odd.

"Good morning," I whispered, leaning down to kiss his forehead.

He smiled, his eyes closing again. "My lips are a little lower than that, angel."

I giggled softly before I brushed my lips barely against his. "No more of this using those eyes to distract me. Esme is fixing you breakfast so you should go eat it."

He raised an eyebrow, obviously asking me if Esme was really fixing him breakfast.

I rolled my eyes, nodding. "Consider it her personal peace offering. She and Carlisle are very easy-going about you guys. Emmett, Jasper, and Alice are okay with you guys, too. But Rose? Watch out for her," I winked.

Seth grinned, sitting up so that he towered over me. "Only if you come with me. I don't feel safe without my guardian angel."

I rolled my eyes again, taking his hand before I led him out of my room. We made our way down the big staircase and I heard the usual channel of ESPN on the big screen. Sure enough, my brothers sat on the couch, watching the game intently.

"Who's playing?" Seth and I asked at the same time. I looked up at him and he smiled softly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Michigan and Florida." Jasper replied a soft smile on his face as he nodded at Seth. "Would you like to watch it with us, Seth?"

Seth opened his mouth several times before shutting them again, and then he nodded. I smiled at him as he went and sat in between my brothers. He fit well with him, other than the fact that our pale skin was strikingly contrast to his russet skin.

I walked into the kitchen to see Esme finishing up Seth's plate. She gave me a warm smile and a kiss to my cheek before she handed me the food. "Mom…" I whispered, causing her to look up at me. "Thank you." I smiled softly, hoping she got the double-meaning behind my thanks.

She smiled, giving me a very momish hug before pushing me lightly in the direction of the living room. I was greeted with loud cheers as I saw all three boys jump to their feet at the same time, courtesy of a Florida touchdown.

My boys.

A/N: Hello, hello ^_^ I hope everyone is approving of me working on this story again. I've been on a real Twilightish kick lately, reading Renesmee and Jacob stories and I remembered how much I truly loved this storyline involving Gwen that I had to write it :)

Ah, I must not forget to mention my latest addiction: Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick :) I'm not much for advertising but this book is really worth checking out :)

Much love,

-Danielle