The War

by TheHunter9

Sequel to The Pet. The millennia-old tension between the Romanian and Volturi covens threatens to endanger not only the secrecy, but the safety of the vampire world as a whole when Vladimir and Stefan declare war on Aro. Their first target? Why, the Volturi's most valuable and lethal weapon, of course. Will Phoenix put herself between Alec and Vladimir to save him? Lemons/Language.

6. I Am The Fire

So…long time no see. *shame-filled wave*

Adult life is kinda really lame. It only hit me just how over my lazy teenage years are about a week or so ago when I was trudging home to my wee little 2-bedrooms-between-four-humans apartment, lugging bags full of instant noodles and vodka, all in torrential rain. Oh woe, oh sigh, oh sadness. Yet working three jobs like a mule has paid off, because I have just purchased tickets to go and see HALESTORM, who are one of my favourite bands of all time and I'm just gonna freaking die. If you chickies don't know who Halestorm are, I used their songs in three chapters of The Pet: Innocence, Dirty Work and Beautiful With You. GO LISTEN. MINIMAL REGRET GUARANTEED.

*Hunter's incredibly unnecessary Life Story Rant ends here*

Also, just want to say a major and sincere and uber-heartfelt THANK YOU to you guys who kept reviewing to get me off my responsibility-bound-backside and back tapping away at my (totally not broken) keyboard. Seriously, you guys were pretty much my only motivation. I know exactly(ish) what I want to happen(ish) in this story, it's just a matter of grinding out the chapters. I DO see myself finishing this. It might take a long flipping time, but it shall be done! So this chapter is for anyone who dropped me a comment or even just checks up on the story every now and again. I'm doing this shit for you guys. And to deliver a good old roundhouse kick to Writers Block. ANYWHO! Enjoy!

*le second part of Hunter's really completely unnecessary rambling ends here*

Oh, and ye olde songe choice…e… really has nothing at all to do with this chapter but is more due to the Halestorm rampage I'm on. Thank crackers my neighbours a) are good sports and b) have fucking sweet-ass music taste!

*or here…*

Am I brave enough? Am I strong enough?
To follow the desire,
That burns from within.
To push away my fear, to stand where I'm afraid…

"Nyx," Alec sighs. I can hear the minute strain in his voice – he's trying to be patient, bless him. A tiny smirk quirks my mouth. I stay stooped over my satchel, head bowed, hair veiling my face. I'm going to take advantage of the last few minutes that I get to screw with Alec. Because as soon as we get our shit in order and skippedy-skip on out those doors and into the world…well, it's serious business from then on out. It's not really something I'm anticipating with too much enthusiasm.

"Nyx," Alec tries again. I press my lips together to keep myself from snickering. Whoa oh. He's using his rational voice. In other words, it's the voice he uses when he tries to talk down to me. And hell if I'm going to make that easy for him. "Nyx, you don't need a bag."

Just as I finish stuffing another pair of socks into the depths of it – who's thinking rationally now, huh? – Alec comes up at the side of me.

"Yes, I do," I reply, just as patiently. Alec hates when I fight fire with fire – or, more accurately, calm with calm. At least when I'm going off my head about something, he can diffuse me. When I'm speaking all quietly and logically while still managing to be stubborn as shit, he's kind of at a loss. It drives him up the wall and then some, and I absolutely freaking love it.

"No, you don't."

"But I do, though."

"It's just going to be a burden."

"I can deal."

"You'll get bored of lugging it around within half an hour and whine about it for the rest of our trip."

"No I won't."

"You might need to fight. How are you going to fight with that thing slung over your shoulder?"

I wrap my earphones around my mp3 player and tuck it lovingly into the satchel. Good gosh, I love those things. Mostly because every time Santiago sees them, his eye twitches a little bit. He's such a little technology slut. My nice little Skullcandy earphones make his teeth hurt every time I use them. He's tried time and again to force a pair of Beats on me. They're pretty nice, I'll admit, but I love how easy it is to bug him and I'm not giving that up any time soon. Ditto with my mp3 player. I've had that shit since I was twelve little years old and it hasn't failed me yet. I lurf it far too much to part with it. Santiago swears that every time he sees it he feels genuinely sad, which pleases me more than I care to admit.

"I'm adaptable," I reply.

"Nyx, you're not going to need that," Alec groans, exasperated.

Y'know, I'm actually a little surprised with him. To say that he's supremely intelligent would be an understatement, yet he still hasn't managed to figure out that it's his frustrated reactions that spur me on! Not that I'm complaining, of course. The day he outsmarts me in terms of me annoying him is a day I don't want to think about.

"Will too. What if I get bored?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I see a smirk bloom on Alec's face. He shifts closer to me. Oh, now, what's this? Might this be Alec employing his usual methods of persuasion – the kind he uses when he knows he's not going to win the verbal argument?

Why, yes, I think it might be!

I raise my eyebrows, basking in how right I am (something I don't get to do all that often. Don't judge me. Can't a girl savour the little things in life, huh?) as Alec slides his arms around my waist, locking his forearms over my stomach and pinning my back against his chest. It's nice. Kinda cosy. It's been a while.

Eleven hours ago counts as a while, okay? Yeesh.

"I'll keep you busy," Alec murmurs into the crook of my neck. Feeling his lips brush against my skin is as exciting as it usually is, whether he's trying to one-up me or not. Feeling my stomach quiver, I allow myself to melt back into his manipulative embrace. Alec gives a quiet growl as I snuggle into his chest, tilting my head to the side to expose my throat further.

Smirking to myself, I murmur; "Promise?" as Alec's teeth graze the length of my neck, making me squirm. Thing is, I just so happen to squirm against a certain sensitive area of Alec's, consequently changing up the game. Alec's grip on me tightens. He pushes his pelvis against the small of my back before whipping my body around and smashing our lips together.

Before I can connect our tongues, Alec bites down on my lip. He's not gentle, either. I give a small grunt as he tugs on it like a teething puppy with a new chew toy, my fingers gripping his upper arms tight enough to hurt. I start breathing shakily as he rolls my lip between his two rows of teeth, finally allowing his tongue its time to shine.

I never really understood the concept of making someone melt before I met Alec. Come to think of it, that's just one of many things in the world of sex that I never entirely got a grasp on before Alec stepped onto the scene. Not that I'll ever, ever let him know that – Lord knows if his ego gets any bigger he'll have to start re-enforcing the zippers on his pants. But I digress; feeling a little disgruntled with myself for bending so easily, I feel myself physically slack and sink further into the tantalizing support of his arms. Literally melting.

God I hate him.

I try to regain control of my wobbly knees as Alec pulls back, the smirk to end all smirks lighting up his face. I manage to maintain a heavy-lidded poker face even through the knowledge that he's deliberately teasing me. With one light press of his lips to the spot between my eyebrows, he offers me a grin that manages to be lazy and sultry all at once. "I promise."

His hand curls around the nape of my neck, fingers tangling into my hair. I return his sentiment with a languid smile of my own. Exhaling slowly through my nose, I turn my eyes up to Alec's.

"Nice to know you're on my side," I grin. Alec's fingers curl through strands of my hair – it's soothing. Letting my head tilt back slightly to his attention, I sigh.

"Of course," Alec replies.

My smile expands as I back out of his grip, inhaling sharply and slapping my arms down against my sides. Snatching up my bag and slinging it over my back, I exclaim, "that means you can help me carry this!"

Alec's expression morphs from confused to at a loss and then to mildly exasperated before sinking into one of total non-amusement.

"Nyx!"

"Yeah!"

"You aren't bringing that bag!"

I tighten the rucksack's straps over my shoulders. "The closed zip begs to differ."

Alec's temper rises quickly, like steam from a boiling kettle. "You have got to be kidding me! You are infuriatingly immature!"

"You'll be sorry when I've got clean socks and you don't."

Someone clears his throat just as my bedroom door creaks open. Felix is standing there in his version of travel gear – a pair of tough-looking black jeans, a dark green t-shirt and a sturdy jacket.

Chelsea suggested soon after our little adventure had been planned that we head out sans uniform. According to the pawns that had been thrown at us, most of the Romanians' men were pretty young immortality-wise. That means that there stands a fairly decent chance that they don't know us by face. If she's right and they are relying on our crests and uniforms to identify us, our journeys should go a fucklot smoother in our own clothes. Of course, we were still told to dress practically – casually enough to evade immediate notice from both sides of the mortality spectrum and strategically enough that we can fight if we need to.

I, of course, ignored this completely.

I'm surprised that Alec wasn't annoyed with my choice of wardrobe. At least, he never commented beyond a few fixed stares. Y'see, after our trip to Paris and having to hunt for myself for pretty much the first time ever while still staying under the human radar, I decided that I liked Heidi's techniques. She's talked to me endlessly about Luring. Not just the kind that she does to bring food home, but the kind that, apparently, a lot of vampires engage in around the world. I've heard it talked about before – guests chat about it like it's a fun game, a bit of sport. Alec and Jane do it quite often themselves. I was confused, at first, as to why such a thing was necessary sometimes.

"How often do they scream, Nyx?" Alec asked me when I'd questioned it. "No matter how fast you are, how often do they get one good, loud scream out?"

Pretty often, I'd had to admit.

"And how often does that screaming attract attention?"

Scowling, I'd grumbled that it was pretty damn often indeed. Eating cereal had never been an inconvenience. What a joke.

"And how about when we first arrived? When we fed in the club?" He'd prompted me, forcing my mind into an instant rewind. We'd seduced a young couple, leading them away where we could feed on them in peace and privacy. And they hadn't made a sound.

"So…it's about seduction?" I'd tried to conclude, wanting a quick and easy end to the conversation because my throat had been aching with that hot itch and I'd wanted a drink.

"Not exactly. It's not just sexual seduction – though that's easily the most common method – but emotional seduction, too. Take, for example, a woman who'd just lost a child. What would draw her away from a crowd so she could be taken?"

"A child," I'd replied doubtfully. "But immortal children-"

"Are illegal, yes, which brings me to the next idea. Aro was deeply displeased with it at first, but after some…home experimentation-" Alec's lips had twitched over his teeth in a menacing sort of smile that told me to avoid that pesky 'what' question. "He decided to allow the practice."

"What practice?" I'd frowned, still not quite clicking with it. Or maybe I had, and it just didn't qualify as a reasonable theory because, surely, Alec couldn't be talking about-

"Using humans," he'd elaborated, prompted by my perplexed expression. "As bait for other humans."

I'd had to admit, it was a pretty genius way of keeping vampires off the radar. As far as the victims went, at least.

"But…how would a vampire get a human to…lure for them?" Alec nodded at my correct testing of the term. "Without tipping them off to the whole vampire dealy?"

Alec's mouth had quirked into a sly grin. "More seduction," he explained. "The human is approached, is told, is entranced by the idea of immortals and all the perks that go along with it, and, in the end, is putty to the vampire's will."

I'd frowned again, unimpressed with the theory. "There are so many holes in this."

"Like what?"

"Well, for one, what if the human's not entranced, and wants to run away screaming in terror? Then that vampire's just broken the law."

"And the human is killed. No harm, no foul."

At first I'd thought that that wasn't really fair, but my common sense had spoken up and pointed out that if I was going to go down that road then hunting in general could be considered unfair and I should just go live with Eleazar and nibble on lettuce leaves like a good little veggie-vampire.

"Besides," Alec had continued, enjoying lesson-time. He liked teaching me stuff, especially in the beginning. I always think he'd have made a far better Mentor than Demetri in spite of Aro's doubts. Then again, maybe the balance is what I need, really. Demetri's more of my moral compass, my jailer – my sensei, if you will – whereas Alec learned me up on all the technicalities and the how-to with being a vampire and was more like my guide than an authority figure. The kindergarten teacher to Demetri's dog-wrangler, if you please. "Do you realise how difficult it is to resist a vampire's charm? That's what makes Luring quite easy for the vampires who want to do it themselves. Age, sex, personal context – it all goes out the window. How do you think we're able to employ human secretaries?"

But it still hadn't been totally right with me. "Alright, I'll give you that, but what about me?" I'd watched as Alec's brows pulled together like someone had tightened a loose stitch, and I'd tried with all my might to choose my words with tact. It never has and never ever will be a particular skill of mine. "I was here when I was human and I thought you were all raging assholes."

To my relief, Alec had seen the funny side of it…kind of.

Chuckling mirthfully, Alec shook his head. "You've always been a…glaring exception," he'd muttered – but not unkindly.

"Ta."

"It was a totally different situation," he'd said, looking a little uncomfortable. He always does when we talk about my human time here – in the rarity that it crops up.

My face had scrunched up, but I'd kept my mouth shut, not wanting my little lesson to dissolve into an argument about stuff that we both wanted to keep in the past.

And…what if the human stops being useful?" I'd felt my spine stiffen in my effort to fight off a cringe at the murky memory of a sweep of honey-blonde hair and warm eyes. "Or wants out or whatever."

"Well, the vampire would have to keep in accordance with the law. Either the human would have to be killed and all evidence of the vampire's presence would have to be erased, or, sometimes, the vampire would choose to turn that human into an immortal companion."

"That's nice, I guess," I'd said. "But-"

Alec had grumbled about my endless contradicting and questions and couldn't I just accept the fact that it happened and move on?

"BUT," I'd enunciated, loud and clear and obnoxious. "How would the vampire get all the evidence? What if the human was a shameless double-crossing undercover agent who was recording every sordid detail on some bullshitty hipster blog for all the world's conspiracy nuts to cream their pants over?"

Alec had given me a strange look, and I'd mentally congratulated myself on my ability to still make him question his choice of mate. "Well, that's why Santiago is so useful." And there'd been a faint yell of thanks ever so from across the castle. Alec had rolled his eyes, but decided to risk the inflation of Santiago's ego in favour of answering my questions. "Nowadays killing every human who picks up on our existence would be far too conspicuous. However, thanks to their dependence on their gadgets, it makes it extremely easy to erase anything damaging. Santiago could have any article, blog or webpage wiped from the internet in a matter of minutes, and the owner's computer destroyed with a virus that wouldn't even require acknowledgement to be activated."

"Wow," I'd murmured, nodding appreciatively. "He's like a dorky secret agent."

Santiago had hollered some colourful language in my general direction that I'd laughed off without a thought, then oh-so-subtly mentioned how the conversation had made me hungry. Alec had picked up on the magnumonious hint in my wistful tone and, after a quick permission check-in with the Big Three, had brought me over the city walls to hunt.

Luring's popped in and out of my mind after that conversation. I don't really get to practice all that much because of Heidi bringing our food back like our faithful waitress. Or Lassie. But it intrigued me the more I tried it and I liked the challenge of picking up wary children or gay men (straight girls were surprisingly easy to reel in and after I'd collected a whole jewellery box worth of goodies from my prizes, the novelty wore thin). So, taking the hunting opportunities on board as well as my ever-growing frustration with the slim portion of time that I get to wear clothes from this century, I'd taken my sweet time and some of Corin's suggestions when picking out my travelling outfit.

Though I will forever and always have an insatiable lust for leather and tiny skirts, experience has taught me that, with luring, it's usually more effective to look sweet than sultry. That's why I've borrowed one of Corin's skirts – a black velvet skater skirt that sits just above my belly button and swings down to a couple of inches above my knees. I've prepared the argument that it's easier to fight in a skirt given the lack of restriction for movement that comes with pants, for if and when Caius gives me any hassle. Of course, this is disregarding everything I've ever bitched about when it comes to fighting in my long dresses and ignores the fact that leggings would not only allow for the exact same thing but also be a smidge more decent.

But no one needs to know that, now do they?

The skirt is topped by a white spaghetti-strap top, cropped just enough that it flashes my midriff whenever I stretch. It's got some kind of black paint-spatter design around the word 'misfit' – Heidi found it online and couldn't resist the utter appropriateness of it, apparently. I tried to ignore the fact that she was labelling my teenage 'attitude-related calamities' (a phrase coined by Aro, March twenty third, twenty-fourteen) and just appreciated the fact that I was getting free shit. Turns out it fits well enough to make my boobs looks bigger, so I ain't complaining.

Next is a shirt with its sleeves rolled up to the elbows, almost as long as the actual skirt with nice thick material and a pretty navy and black check pattern. It's one of my favourite bits of clothing.

Alright, it may not entirely be mine, exactly. As a matter of fact I snatched it out of Alec's wardrobe as soon as he stepped into the shower and fled, leaving him a pair of panties on his bed to show him that I don't mind if he ever chooses to wear my clothes. Somehow I don't think he took the bait. Still, seeing as he did nothing but roll his eyes at me when he saw me in it, I think it's safe to assume he's getting used to me stealing half his shit. I'm pretty sure I have a pair of his favourite pants squashed down under a pile of my sweaters. Not hidden, per se…more protected.

They like it better with me, anyway.

I'm not bothering with any kind of jacket seeing as the cold isn't really an issue for me. Rain might be a different story, but, hey, that's why I'm bringing a bag! Can't fit an umbrella in the pocket of my shirt, can I now?

If only Alec could open his narrow mind just enough to see my utterly brilliant packing skills. Just let him try sneaking under my umbrella when the first rain falls!

Felix interrupts my grinning and Alec's glaring with an impatient sigh. "If you two are done acting like an old married couple, Chelsea wants everyone down in the hall." He pauses on his way back out the door, looking a little confused. "What's with the rucksack, Nyx?"

Alec throws his arms out, eyes jetting Heavenwards. "Yes, Nyx! What's with the rucksack, hmm?"

Felix quirks a brow at me and I shrug, twisting from side to side like a kid in trouble. "Umbrellas and socks and stuff…"

Felix pauses for a second, then shrugs. "Seems like a decent idea to me."

As Alec growls through his bared teeth, I flash a smile at Felix. "Now you, my friend, can stand under my umbrella."

vVv

"I am so stressed," Santiago frets, massaging his temples beneath his shaggy hair. His hair is nearabouts the same length as Caius's inappropriately divine blonde locks, only Santiago's is the darkest dark shade of brown and in a constant near-dreadlock state.

"You're stressed?" Demetri hisses, glaring so ferociously at Santiago with his jet black eyes that I'm afraid they'll pop out of his head and I won't have a video camera handy to capture such a glorious moment. "You're stressed?"

Santiago glances up from beneath his dark brows, glaring irritably at Demetri. "That's what I said, isn't it?"

Demetri growls. "I can't imagine why. You get to sit on your ass all day and night. I'm the one that's going to have to trek around the entire bloody globe in a matter of weeks to round up these allies that refuse to join the modern world and invest in the magical invention that is the cell phone!" As he speaks, his words get quicker and quicker until they're nothing but garbled snarls. Santiago stiffens and growls in response to Demetri's insulting rant, teeth gleaming. Demetri parrots the sound, his back straightening so tensely that it looks as if it might snap from the pressure.

"Easy, easy, boys," Afton says firmly, interjecting before anyone loses an arm. He steps smoothly in between the two aggressive vampires, holding his palms up to both of them. "We don't have time for this."

You're damn freaking right we don't have time for this. This very minute we're all waiting in the Throne Room, straightening ourselves out, strapping flamethrowers to our wrists or, in my case, tucking knives into our belts, ready for action.

Over two and a half dozen of the Lower Guard have been rallied to Volterra to watch over the place while we're gone. They're all milling about, and those who aren't on patrol are watching us with stony faces. Yeesh. I'd ask them to crack a fucking smile once in a while if I didn't suspect that said faces might actually crack.

Chelsea sweeps into the room, skirts billowing and bustling behind her. She looks slightly erratic, her eyes more black than red. They scan over the lot of us, standing in our pre-assigned groups, waiting for takeoff. I half-expect her to smile, y'know, a you'll do fine sort of smile. Maybe a don't worry, you won't get torn into pieces and set on fire smile, or perhaps a chillax, you guys, you'll be home before you know it smile. Y'know; encouragement. Instead she just glances at all of us, her eyes lingering on everyone's faces as if trying to memorise our every feature. "Alright. You all know where you're going?"

Upon several affirmatives, Chelsea chews at her bottom lip. Afton forgets trying to keep the peace and moves to her side, entwining their fingers as Chelsea breathes deeply. "Alright. You must all keep in touch. Call every six hours. Anyone that doesn't call will be presumed taken. Anyone you can send without you, send them. As many as you can, as fast as you can. Make sure to stress the point that this war will accept no neutral parties. Either they're with us, or they're against us, and in that case, you know what to do."

A smirk twitches Felix's lips. The sight of delivers a strange airy sensation straight to the pit of my stomach. I recognise it as relief. It's the first good-natured action I've noted in weeks.

"Alright, Jane," Chelsea nods towards her ward, who's standing poised and proper as ever - hair pinned back, expression clear, practical clothes pristine. "Your plan of action. Reassure me, my dear, that our weeks of careful planning have not been wasteful."

Jane nods, and begins repeating her end of our little world-wide vampire scavenger hunt. "I take Corin and Afton North, where we hit Eastern Europe, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Norway, Sweden and Iceland." The way she states every word – abrupt and monotonous - reminds me of a military drill sergeant.

Chelsea nods, her perfect face passive once again, reassured by Jane's anal organisational skills. "Demetri."

"I take Heidi East, where we hit Russia, China, India, Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand."

Chelsea nods again, though she looks less pleased. Demetri insisted that he be paired off with Heidi. Insisted being the politest was of putting it. We don't have enough people at our disposal right now, and splitting off as a pair will be a chance-y endeavour, but one that Demetri is willing to risk.

"Alec."

Alec leans forward slightly, his arm brushing against mine. "I take Phoenix and Felix West, where we hit North and South America, Canada, Alaska and Greenland."

I've got to say, in spite of everything, I'm a little buzzed to be heading back to the Mothercountry. It'll be nice to get me a little good ol' American air. All this European stuff is getting in my pores at this point. I oh-so-subtly demanded that Aro should consider re-stationing in the good old US of A, but Aro just looked at me. And by looked at me, I mean laughed at me. And by laughed at me, I mean he pointed out what an uncultured place my beloved homeland is and how such a paranoid government would sniff us down and cause us an awful lot of hassle and that American blood was just so tasteless, didn't I think so? I prefer the British blood myself, but I was still mortally offended. Santiago will never get over having to download the American National Anthem for me as my ringtone. Which I had on the loudest possible setting. Until Caius got pissed and confiscated (smashed) my phone (into pieces).

Chelsea takes another deep, measured breath, eyes shut. I wonder if staying behind bothers her as much as it would bother me. I really expected her to go with Afton, come Hell or high water, but, once again, I was reminded that with the Volturi, Duty Comes First. Blah. She's staying home to keep order in the ranks (i.e. Boss around the Lower members while Aro and Caius plot like no two vampires have ever plotted before and Marcus sprawls in his seat just that little bit more contemplatively than usual) and act as a welcoming party for whoever we send back. Gawd – she's a better woman than I am. Being left out of the action – left home to fret and freak out alone – would have me tearing my hair out. Instead, all Chelsea does is exhale slowly and open her eyes, the image of poise and grace once again. Santiago's staying home too, but I think he's actually a little relieved. He's not as big a fan of the action as the rest of us. I think he's much too comfortable huddled in front of screens to bother much with the outside world. He'll be more useful here, anyway; keeping track of all of us using the tracking chips in our phones and any security cameras we pass by. That, and making sure as sure can be that there won't be any more unexpected surprises from the Romanians. With the more talented portion of the guard hundreds of thousands of miles away from home, we can't afford to have the enemy within a thousand yards of Italy – let alone Volterra itself.

Before Chelsea can send us on our merry ways, the old door just a ways away from the Thrones – the shortcut to Aro's office – cranks open, and the man himself sweeps into the room, brow all crunched up and worried-looking. He tries to smooth out his expression into one that's less downheartening, but all he achieves is a wobbly, weak kind of smile.

"Alright, my dears, are you ready?"

More affirmatives sound against the marble walls. Aro's visage flickers just a tiny bit. I watch as his eyes flick towards Jane, looking mightily uncertain. I guess he's remembering the last time she came up against the Romanians away from home. It did not end well for her. Aro drifts towards her and gently pats her cheek, a silent good luck. He says this kind of sombre goodbye to each of us in turn. Alec receives an affectionate hair-ruffle, which he tolerates grudgingly. He hates that, and Aro knows it, which is why he does it. Alec's reactions to annoyance are pretty funny indeed. I'm grinning at the way he's frantically attempting to straighten his hair when Aro stops in front of me. He reaches for my hands, clasping them both between his – more of a comforting gesture than a mind-reading attempt. The sober way he meets my eyes suddenly make this whole thing a lot more real. I think of how there's a chance – small but definitely distinct – that this might be the last time that all of us are together in one room. The notion makes is very, very hard to keep my smile. In the end, I think it's as wobbly as Aro's.

"You be careful, Phoenix, dear," Aro says sternly, clasping my hands just that little bit tighter. "No hijinks."

I nod wordlessly, deciding to let my thoughts speak for themselves. I don't go around chasing hijinks – the hijinks tend to chase me. Aro pats my hand with a somewhat sturdier smile before letting go. Then it's time to move.

vVv

Thanks to Santiago's persistent enforcement of the modern world and our looming time limits, Aro tells us to go by helicopter rather than on foot. I'm relieved, I have to say. Crossing Europe – even running – would take a long, long, long time. Then the swimming. Then more running. Amen for aeronautics, that's all I can say.

We all run together towards the Volturi's isolated air field, perhaps slower than we could be going. For once, there's no chatter, no bickering, no laughter or planning. All of us are quiet and contemplative to the point where breaking the silence seems almost taboo. However, when we reach the airfield, the dam breaks.

With a wretched kind of whine, Corin flings her arms around Demetri and Felix, snuggling them like she's never snuggled before. Heidi gives a sad little sniff before Corin whirls around and launches herself at Heidi next. We each get this kind of treatment – subjected to Corin's strange-hold while, also, trying to say goodbye to each other. Alec and Jane hug tightly for several long seconds, then Jane offers me an awkward kind of nod. It seems to symbolize I may not like you but I kinda hope you don't die, as well as watch my brother's back or I'll burn the living daylights out of you, and, I'm fairly sure, your outfit is dumb. I return the gesture just as awkwardly before Corin's boa-constrictor arms gain my attention. I pat her gently on the back, and, once my air supply is returned, she fixes me with a threatening glare.

"Don't you die," she commands ferociously.

I roll my eyes, squeezing her hand in mine. It's nice to know that my fingers aren't the only ones trembling. "I don't really plan on it."

"Good," she replies, her stern façade wobbling as Afton gestures for her to get a move on.

We return to the silence to avoid prolonging the inevitable splitting. I watch Demetri and Heidi – dressed, for once, a lot more practically than I am; in sturdy, tight-fitted pants and a clingy but resilient dark sweater – clamber into their two-person helicopter, smaller than ours. A strange sadness swarms in my gut as Heidi spots me staring and offers me one last forlorn wave. Demetri, fiddling with controls and whatnot, follows Heidi's gaze and offers me the same awkward parting nod that Jane did: I may think you're an annoying little shit, but try to make it home, ok? I wave to him too just as the propellers start whirling and they lift off the ground. I watch them become smaller and smaller as they ascend, still able to see the crease in Heidi's forehead and the gloom-hardened set of Demetri's mouth.

Alec's fingers slips through mine and he tugs on my hand. "We have to go," he tells me. I let him lead me towards a bigger helicopter, similar to Afton and Corin and Jane's. With a deep inhalation, I try to overwhelm the nervy feelings with some excitement. I've never been in a helicopter before. That should be an experience.

I clamber in after Felix, mesmerised by all the buttons and dials and lights and gizmos and funny beeping sounds…

"Don't touch anything," Felix warns me, seating himself in what I want to call the "driver's" seat. I pout as Alec pulls the door shut and sits himself in front next to Felix. I'm exiled to the back, where I sit clutching my bag to my chest, relieved that I have something to hold.

Felix starts reciting all the usual flight-garble you hear on TV and that's when I finally realize – heh, we're going to be flying. In the air. Like a plane.

Oh Holy Mother of No.

I slam myself up against the back of Alec's chair as the propellers start whirling, eyes round and fearful.

"Um, y'know, this is a bad idea."

Alec frowns, oblivious to the hysteria in my voice. "What, finding allies to help us defend ourselves?"

"No. Uh, helicopter. Bad."

Felix's head cranks around slowly, his face scrunched up and brows sky-high. "Good English, Nyx."

"I-I just mean that, uh, what if the Romanians spot us flying and shoot us with a missile or something? Then we're just a crispy-fried mid-air treat."

Alec shakes his head. "Those kind of things give off radar, or sonar, or something like that. Santiago would detect one before it ever got within striking distance of us."

Crap. "They duped us once, I'm sure they can do it again!"

Felix's eyes roll as they turn back to the controls. "Your faith in us is staggering."

"I'm a realist, man."

Alec snorts. "And this sudden sense of mortality would not happen to be a result of your fear of flying, now would it, Nyx?"

Pressing my lips together, I shake my head from side to side. "Nope…"

Felix shakes his head too, and the Monster Cage of Death and Despair and All Things Sadness starts getting louder. Groaning quietly, I sink down onto the floor in the back, trying once again to remember some prayers.

"We have liftoff," Felix announces. Alec chuckles at the horror in my eyes as the ground begins to sink away from us. Reaching back between the seats, he lets me cling to his hand like a child for the entire journey to America.

vVv

Am I really surprised that the Volturi have a landing strip just outside New York City? At this point, not at all. I would sigh, but as Felix is finally setting us down on Earth again, I'm too preoccupied almost sobbing with relief. What even is this place? There are huge buildings lining the runway, and they look kind of like barns. I imagine these are the hangars, for evil flying machines and shit. My through-the-window investigation is cut short when our helicopter finally jolts as it touches ground. I let out a small squeak and the meagre remainder of my dignity hangs its head in shame.

"Right: game plan," Felix announces, killing the whirly-bird of death's engine as I scrabble my way out as fast as possible without attracting attention from the humans that work here. I gasp in relief when the soles of my boots grace the ground for the first time in hours. Behind me, I hear Alec chuckle. Fucking bastard. It's sunset now. Only a small handful of snacks are still rushing around, doing their thing before they head for home. Seeing as they're within slaughtering distance and I'm a comfort eater, I miss out on the chance of taking that first big sniff of American air. I have to settle for a little sniff instead.

Huh. Kinda smells like oil.

"What are you thinking?" Alec replies to Felix as he, too, escapes the helicopter's sinister mechanical clutches. My lips quiver upwards. I'm glad to have him back on earth, too. "How many vampires are here, again?"

Felix appears from around the other side of the helicopter, intact as well. "Eight. Two covens of three, then two separate nomads. How do you feel about splitting up?"

"Is that really necessary?" Alec queries, one brow rising. Absentmindedly, he tucks me into his side.

"Yeah," I add, pressing myself into Alec's front in demonstration. "I get lonely."

Felix's eyes roll before they hit the heavens. Shaking his head, he says, "well, you two should stick together, obviously. I don't think Nyx running around New York City alone is the best idea."

Affronted, I yank myself away from Alec, who grumbles. "Well, fuck you too!"

Alec shakes his head this time. I scowl, unimpressed.

"You're still a newborn, kid," Felix tells me, folding his arms across his chest so that his shirt bulges over his muscles. "Are you telling me that if we weren't here, you wouldn't have made a meal out of them already?"

He and Alec watch as my glare flickers towards the humans scampering around, doing their thing. Instantly, venom pools over my tongue.

My scowl deepens as I struggle for an answer. After several seconds of silently opening and closing my mouth, all Felix gets is my middle finger. He nods, a little smugly. "That's what I thought. So. Do you guys want nomads or covens? Either way, we have two each."

"Nomads," Alec replies. "I'm better at tracking, and they move around quickly."

"That's fine with me. Shall we meet west of the city in, say, two days?"

"Sounds good," I reply.

And so we part ways with Felix, too. I can't help but feel a small pang of anxiety as he takes off into the distance after a quick goodbye, clearing the high wire fences in one spring and vanishing. I frown. My family is disappearing, piece by piece, and I don't like it. Alec spots the apprehension in my face and reaches for my hand.

"Let's go hunt some nomads," he says, managing to maintain some level of enthusiasm. I get why. He gets to play his favourite game: intimidation.

"Do you think the others are okay?" I ask, thinking. Perhaps with the exception of Heidi and Demetri, the others will have reached their destinations by now. Maybe they'll even have met their first vampires. Maybe even some Romanians. A knot clenches itself at the top of my stomach.

"Of course they will," Alec reassures me. "Trust me, if there was anything to worry about, we wouldn't be here. But, as it is, we have a job to do. Ready?"

Finally, I let myself inhale. Yep – oil. Also, metal, grass, tarmac, and, of course, the insanely tempting humans.

"Yeah."

vVv

The city is a huge mistake.

Travelling through New York is more difficult than travelling through Paris. Difficult, but not impossible. This place has surveillance everywhere. However, after a quick text to Santiago, it becomes less than a problem. The greater issue is the sheer amount of people.

I very nearly have a mild stroke when we approach the denser part of the city. So much blood – all hot and crammed together and…oh… I can't breathe. I can't think. Before I can lunge forward and begin a mass slaughter, a flash of horror crosses Alec's face and he yanks me deep into an alleyway, pinning me against a wall behind one of the buildings. It doesn't help. Even the unsavoury stench of the alley can't overcome the inconceivable aroma of so much blood.

"Nyx, fuck," he hisses, glancing worriedly between my mesmerised expression and the noise of the bustling crowd not thirty feet away. "I'm so sorry. I didn't think…shit. Are you alright?"

The small portion of my brain that's still clearheaded manages to shake my head a fraction. Fuck. I can't even look at him. My eyes are fixed on the direction of the din. Alec tries to cup my face and direct my stare away.

"Don't look at them. Look at me," he commands, gripping my jaw roughly and thrusting the back of my head against the brick wall behind me. It crumbles and cracks, and a growl busts through my teeth.

"Fuck," Alec curses. "Come on. I have to get you out of here."

Alarm flashes from the crown of my head to the tips of my toes. Out of here? Away from the warm, the pulsing bodies…?

"No," I snarl. I'm quick; I manage to shove him back and dart towards the source of my anguish. However, he's quicker. His arm clenches around my torso before I get three feet away. The bag I fought so vehemently for slips off my shoulders and hits the ground. I couldn't care less. He sweeps my feet off the ground and hauls me backwards, throwing me back against the wall and pinning me there with his body.

"Alec," I sob, reaching up to clutch at my throat. He shushes me, pressing closer to me, trying to overwhelm the scent of food with the scent of his body. It's worked before. It's not as effective now. I writhe, tormented, stuck. I can't leave. It's going against every natural predatory urge in my body. But I can't stay, either. How long before thirst and desire overcome my brain completely and I end up diving headlong into the crowd to begin my massacre?

"Come on, Nyx," Alec pleads, sounding upset. I can't read his face. I can barely look at it. "Let me bring you away, please. It's for your own good."

"Can't," I choke, shaking my head frantically. "Hurts."

"I know," Alec replies, torn.

For a few minutes we stay there, both of trying desperately to break the spell the blood has over me. It's hopeless – I'm too far gone.

"Use your power on me," I gasp, shaking as I press my face into the hollow of his shoulder. The thought of it makes me tremble. No smell, no warmth radiating onto my skin, no thirst… But Alec shakes his head, his whole body stiffening.

"I can't do that." His voice is gravel; the inside of a grave.

"Please!"

"No, Nyx. You've never experienced my gift before. You don't understand. I won't do that to you."

"Fuck you!" I snap, bucking as I try to break away from him. He holds firm, keeping me trapped. I writhe, I hiss, I dig my nails into his skin. Still, he doesn't budge. "Fuck you! You don't understand!"

Alec's face creases.

"Just do it! Do it! I want you to! Do it, you fucker! I mean-"

Alec kisses me so hard that he slams the both of us against the wall. His tongue pries my lips open, invading the bone-dry cavity of my mouth. His teeth gnash against mine, rough…

Distracting.

I cling to this with all my strength, clenching my arms around his neck. Things become frantic quickly. Alec risks taking his arms from around me so he can fumble with his belt. I cling to him, my nails tearing his shirt. I'm still shaking. Fuck, I'm shaking so badly. It doesn't help when Alec reaches beneath my skirt, yanking my underwear aside. I gasp, helpless, as he switches his attention from my mouth to my neck.

He isn't actually…?

Quickly, before my brain can scramble past the thirst and the lust and the confusion, Alec grips my waist and hoists me up. Rather than holding me there, he finds the backs of my knees and pulls my legs apart, exposing me.

My eyes are round. Holy shit. What the hell is he going to do, smash up this wall and blame it on the wind?

With a low grunt, Alec moves closer, allowing me to sink down over his stiff cock.

I moan gutturally in the instant that his tip breaches my walls, eyes brimming, stomach fluttering.

"You're going to fuck me in an alleyway?" I whimper, mouth stretching into an 'o' as I sink down further, further, allowing him to invade my space until he's as deep as I can take him.

Alec lets out a short breath, fingers flexing around my knees as his rose-coloured eyes flutter open. When he speaks, his voice is low, strained.

"I'm a distraction, right?"

I gulp. I glance up long enough to see his mouth curl into a familiar, tight smirk. He begins pushing into me with short, smooth strokes, his body so close to mine that my face is pressed against his neck. I breathe in the familiar scent of his skin, overcome by sensations other than pain or thirst.

Alec's deep moan rolls off into a growl. His throat vibrates against my lips and they tingle. I gasp, my hips beginning to shake. Fuck. I thought, over the past few months, that we'd have managed to cover just about every angle by now - but no. He's never held me up this way before. Never used my submission to my darker needs against me before. I feel like I'm on drugs, like my own mind is betraying me. Half of me is still gasping, dying over the living, pulsing feast so vast and so close…and the other half of me is so consumed by him that I feel like I'm literally being torn in two.

Fuck, I love him.

I moan, rendered completely defenceless. My whole world is hot and red. My throat is still burning – but so is the rest of me. After several minutes of basking in Alec's solution, I begin to rock against him, wanting to participate. Every inch of me is simmering dangerously, my body clueless as to whether I'm aching to hunt or to fuck. I writhe desperately in Alec's grasp. Fuck. Fuck. I need to do something!

To my surprise, Alec pushes my knees back even further – so far, in fact, that on every thrust, they touch just beneath my shoulders. Thanks to this trick, I'm completely immobile.

"Wh-what?" I stammer, barely able to speak. Alec bucks upwards with a particularly strong thrust, hitting me so deep that my back arches automatically. I cry out as small pieces of the wall chip and fall away.

Alec kisses me again, catching me off guard. I whimper, lost, consumed by sensation. Oh God, oh fucking GOD! I'm going insane!

"Please," I gasp eventually.

"Yes," Alec grunts. "Fuck. Yes, Nyx. Tell me what you want."

My eyes roll back into my head. Jesus – I love it when he talks like that. I love seeing him like this: holding onto his composure by the skin of his teeth.

"F-Faster," I beg. "More."

Alec growls. The sound tingles through my whole body.

And then he…slows down?

Alec cuts off my hiss of protest with his ever-talented tongue, pulling back to deliver long, languid thrusts. I try to squirm, but he's got me pinned. After only a few moments of this, my head is spinning and there's a coiling sensation in my pelvis. I'm whimpering – practically sobbing – feeling such extreme impatience that I'm shaking all over.

Trust this fucker to distract me from one torture with another.

My newborn strength is waning and my brain is pushed into such an overdrive that I find myself incapable of doing anything – no fighting back, no using my power, no nothing. My fingers twitch uselessly against his shoulderblades, incapable of scratching or even clinging. All I can do is shudder and moan and take what he's dishing out, a helpless victim to his talented teasing.

I'll get him for this.

Forming actual words becomes an impossible task. Thankfully, Alec has plenty of experience in deciphering my cries. Still, he shows no mercy, keeping up this slow, deep pace, his face pressed into my throat. His low grunts and gasps ghost against my ear, an arousing backing track to my incredible, beyond-belief torment.

My breasts and clit are throbbing in unison, begging for attention. But Alec is too busy holding me up, restraining me, to pay them any mind. My nipples rub infuriatingly against the inside of my bra. I give a high-pitched, keening whine, and he moans against my neck.

I'm so wrapped up in bliss and frustration that the slow, heavy thud-thud almost escapes my notice.

"Come on, baby," Alec groans, desperate too. "I know you're close."

My legs are quaking under his hands, every part of me hyper-sensitive, singing under his mastery. Still, Alec does nothing to change the pace. I'm left to suffer and revel in the feeling of his cock hitting my deepest spot, causing my toes to curl inside my boots. I'm so wet that I can feel it on his pants and my underwear and sliding over my skin. Alec continues his grinding, and the incomprehensible friction finally drags me under.

My orgasm bursts through me, striking at me again and again like thundering waves. Intense, indescribable ecstasy tightens every part of me, and as my body rocks with euphoria, I hear Alec growl out a yes before he comes, too. I manage to gasp as that spurt of wetness signals the fading of my high.

I moan quietly as Alec allows my legs to slip back around his waist, our chests heaving unnecessarily against each other. He wraps his arms around my torso, sinking towards the alley floor with me still clenched around him. The extra flash of pleasure as he hits the ground while still buried inside me causes him to hiss as I flinch, curling into his body. Shakily, his hand smooths over my back. I'm barely able to move, still overpowered, weak.

Thud-thud thud-thud thud-thud-

"Uh, miss? Are you…?"

Alec and I crane our heads to spot a stumbling human man in raggedy clothes, clutching a bottle of vodka. Hot, sweet and close.

"Oh." The man coughs, chesty and drunk. "Uh, sorry."

The burn in my throat surges to the forefront of my mind again – more subdued than before – but still itching, scraping; an irritation that needs to be quenched.

Alec kisses the corner of my mouth and loosens his grip on me, silently telling me that it's okay, to go, to feed.

So I do.

In one strong lunge I've got him. The vodka bottle clatters and smashes against the ground. Suddenly impeccably aware of my surroundings, I sense Alec behind me, standing up and making his way towards me.

Quick.

I smash my hand down on his throat to stop any scream, instantly crushing his windpipe and snapping his neck. His head lolls, exposing his throat to me – still warm.

My teeth plunge into the butter-softness of his skin, and I gulp back the blood that swells from the wound. Drinking and drinking, I snarl softly when he runs dry. In one-third of a second I'm back on my feet and Alec's arms are around me, pulling me back against his body.

"Come on, Nyx," he says, his voice low and determined now. "We have allies to enlist."

*slingshots unnecessary and hastily written lemon at the internet*

Please accept this smut as my apologies for not updating in OVER A YEAR.

OVER

A

YEEEEEAR

*ahem*

So, I was re-reading The Pet for inspiration and cringing so hard at my fifteen/sixteen-year-old self. Oh, dear. My knowledge was so not on point. Or, rather, I was just very gullible. Not only did I choose to believe my friend over my biology teacher when he told me that the prostate "is just a fancy word for balls" (oh dear x2), but this is an actual conversation (unfortunately) I actually recall having (unfortunately) with my boyfriend (unfortunately…) :

Me (clearly not all that sure how to feel about what I'm seeing): "Yeah, but, like, how many inches is it?"

Him (puffing up all macho-like): "Oh, uh, yeah, like, seven and a half."

AND I BELIEVED HIM. He said these words, to my face, and I believed them. Clearly, my expectations of "average" were not all that realistic. Here lies my apology for all those little mistakes in there. Please forgive. Much soz.

*facepalm*

I do not know the meaning of TMI.

OH AND YES AND STUFF:

As I was typing away, I managed to inspire myself *insert clip of me chortling pretentiously as I sip wine and twirl my moustache* I was thinking of starting something fresh, y'know, a wee little side project with a new face. Here be a small summary of my idea:

A girl (duh) was taken from her *home at the age of whatever to be a lure for a small coven of four male vampires. Life's all good, blah de blah, she's good at her job, they keep her fed and clothed and happy; all is well. How and ever, disaster strikes (appropriate gasp) when Carlisle happens across her. Fearing what will happen to them if the Volturi find out that they came across another human in the know and did nothing, they have no choice but to hand her over. Aro, being all high and mighty-ful as he is, reads her mind and ends up feeling sorry for the poor uneducated drug-addicted kid. So, in all his wisdom, he decides to extend her life for a few years by making her their new secretary. Wheeee! But, in the background of all this, the Romanians (my generic bad guys) have their own agenda. Oh, and she and Alec start fucking on the side. Because of course.

*also, I know this is very sue-ish, but basically her whole personality is based on the home life she had before being taken. Druggie mom, creepy step-father, violent gang, that whole situation is pretty much a call for an M-rating in itself.

Any thoughts? Plz have thoughts.