Never Let You Go: The King and His Puppet

by IloveBISHIES

Based on my one-shot "The Runaway Girls". This focuses on the story of Aro and my OC, Aria. Three girls, three Kings. Having been caught trying to sneak into the Volturi castle, what are three girls to do, but go with the flow. Aria being attracted to Aro, knows what little to do with a man whose as confusing as a puzzle and dead-set on never forgetting his dead wife, Sulpicia.

37. Chapter 37

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.

Thank you to the following reviewers: Victoria cullen30, Guest, pretty-little-liar-girl70, Miyako, and PrincessOfHorror

Thank You for the new favorites: PrincessOfHorror

Thank you for the new stories alerts: PrincessOfHorror

Chapter 37

CULLENS

"Well, Alice?" Rosalie tapped her foot impatiently. "I'm waiting. Why do they have to stay? It has to be more than just the whole fighting and blood scene."

Alice stopped her online shopping. "It's because….it's complicated, Rose. You have to understand. I saw that the girls could be so, so happy if they could get past this….issue. I also saw greater change to the vampire world. We won't be alone on this world anymore. We'll have so much freedom. We'll meet new species and everything. And you know….I can't explain it, but there was just so much love. The Volturi will be seen in a different light as well—a good light. Gah! I can't explain it! Edward! Help me out here! You quiet mind reader!"

"What Alice said is correct." Edward said softly, beside Bella with a crooked smile, "Of course, the Volturi will be viewed differently, but it'll be thanks to the girls. Let's say, if they get back together, the…road there won't be easy."

"What happens?"

"Have you ever seen Caius wear shorts and a t-shirt?"

"No….?"

"Then you just might."

Emmett sputtered. "Ewwww! Nooo!"

"That and so much more!" Alice was jumping up and down. "If they get married…"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves right now." Carlisle said calmly. "So this will bring big change to the world?"

"Yes. Of course, the Volturi will still be as strict as ever, but they'll be more lenient with the girls around."

"You know, sometimes, I wonder what did the girls do in their past lives to be partnered to such heartless men." Renesmee sighed. "I mean they're so nice and they have to deal with that shit? Did you see their faces when they found out the Volturi were still looking for them? Utter devastation."

"That or horror." Rose grumbled. "The Volturi are jerks. If they can let their mates go like that and treat them like shit, then it's no wonder they left."

"Okay. Enough Volturi bashing." Carlisle clapped his hands together. "I have to get to the hospital and the rest of you….just do whatever you want—within limits of course."

"So then it's okay if we Volturi bash after you leave?" Emmett piped up hopefully.

"No. It is not okay. The last thing we need is for Aro to come and read our minds. He won't be very happy with us." Carlisle sighed. "I thought we knew better than this."

"We…do…Carlisle. Somewhat, but don't tell me you don't dislike the Volturi." Edward replied.

"Edward, I spent time with the Volturi. Yes, they were a bit…over the top, but son, like you, they too make mistakes." Carlisle tried to stand up for them. Yes, he did condone many actions of the Volturi, but if he thought of it from a different perspective, if he had been a ruler, then he would have acted the same. They had allowed him to stick to his vegetarian diet. Had they truly been cruel, they would have forced him to go against his principles and take a human life. They hadn't. They had been very gracious during his stay there as well. They let Eleazar to leave like he did. Granted, the Volturi could still call upon him to come and figure out gifts, but at least Eleazar could live happily where ever he chose to. The Volturi rarely required him anyways. It was only for the "tough" ones like Bella.

"But the Volturi are cruel."

"All vampires are cruel and selfish, son." Carlisle sighed as he slipped on his doctor's lab coat. He adjusted his tie. "We were selfish to want to live a human life that we don't have anymore. We are selfish to change someone for companionship or for love. We are cruel because we lie to people about who we are. We are cruel because we change people into vampires and rip them away from their families. Granted, some embrace and welcome the life of a vampire, but not all. Some consider it a curse. We are cruel because we end their cycle of life." He slipped on his shoes. "But it is not our place to question and bash the Volturi when it comes to mates. All of us have mates, we don't suffer like they do."

"I don't know…." Edward sighed, "But I can certainly relate now. We do make mistakes. Big mistakes sometimes. Especially when it comes to our mates. But my reason and their reasons differ. I left because I thought it was the best for Bella. They….they were just plain cruel."

"People make mistakes. If….if any of us had been in the same position, I would want the Volturi to step in." Carlisle opened the door to the garage. "But that's just me. We each have our own opinion and certainly, so do the girls. If they do get together with the Volturi, so be it. I will stand by both sides. I see them as family, and Aro as a dear friend."

ARIA

Ari splashed in the ocean, yelling and screaming as she ran through the waves. It was fun. "TATEEE! Come here!" she yelled, swallowing a mouthful of sea water. She spat it out. "Gah!"

Tate let out a wolf-like bark as he sun tanned on the sandy beach. What a party pooper. Personally, Ari found it funny. His fur was jet black, like the beautiful darkness of the night. How could he get tan? She let a huge tide sweep her onto the sandy bank as she trudged over to Tate. She had found an abandoned bucket, and used it to scoop up some sea water. He opened one lazy eye as she dumped the sea water on him and proceeded to jump on him and they rolled on the beach. She hugged him tightly, he was really warm. Like insanely the warm. The sun probably wasn't helping him that much. She sat on top of him, peering down at the half soaked, half-irritated Tate. He let out a growl as he shape shifted back into his human form. "Alpha, that wasn't funny."

Ari continued to stare at Tate. Ever since they (he) had officially joined the coven, he took it upon himself to call her "Alpha" which she did find funny at first, but now….he was just being a tad bit too over the top. "You know….you don't have to call me Alpha. Aria or Ari is just fine."

"You are Alpha. It is how you should be addressed." He frowned.

She frowned back, "Well as Alpha I command you or order you to….call me Aria or Ari. Use the title Alpha only when formalities are required, okay?"

"If you wish it to be so." He sighed, but a small smile played on his lips.

"And I am….?"

"Aria."

"Good. Now can we play in the water?"

"If you wish it so."

"Oh I so wish it so." She laughed, getting off of him. "Race you to the water!"

He smirked, getting up, easily surpassing her. He leapt into the air, belly flopping at least 50 feet into the sea. Ari skidded to a stop at the edge of the sea where it splashed slightly against her bare toes. "I win!" he surfaced, smiling.

"Not fair! You've got wolf-y genes!"

He raised a brow, "Surely you knew that before you challenged me."

"Well….I did. But I thought…I thought…" she faked frustration, as she got closer and closer to him in the water. He had come close as well, worry etched into his eyes.

"Did you want to win?" he asked gently.

"Well…." She trailed off, slowly pulling her eyes upward to stare into his. She suddenly jumped atop him, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. The sudden add of weight caused Tate to fall backwards as he wrapped his arms around her. She sat on top of him, grinning. "Got you!"

He gave her a smile before he pushed her off, picked her up, and proceeded to throw her deeper into the sea. She screamed as she hit the waters, shutting her eyes tight. She kicked her legs, breaking for the surface. She let out a big gasp, staring at Tate who stood a few feet away with a smug grin. "Who's got who?"

She swam towards him, until her feet could touch the sandy bottom where she walked towards him. "Not fair. You have a supernatural thingy that lets you have a lot of strength."

"So do you, Miss Witch."

She rolled her eyes. "Right." She splashed him a few more times, laughing. She stopped when she heard howls by the forest. Eyes wide, she turned towards the beach, seeing several large wolves. "Tate…." She began, hysteria laced in her voice.

"Keep calm." He told her, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"But….we didn't approach shifter territory did we?"

"No. It's still Cullen, but…" he kept his eyes trained on the wolves. "Clearly they patrol areas of the Cullen as well. At least for the beach."

"S….Should we call the…should we call Nicholas?" she asked, seeing the wolves pace on the sand.

"They'll fight and it'll cause bloodshed. Not a good start off." He explained. "Let's do this, I'll shape shift into a wolf and distract them as you make a run for it."

"I'm not going to leave you here by yourself. Alphas don't right?"

"Now you bring up Alphas?" he said, amused.

"Well….yeah. I'm not suppose to abandon you, right?" she shifted nervously in the water.

"Very well, what about this," he paused, "I'll shape shift and you ride on my back. We will swim until we can find a spot where we can make a run for it."

"Maybe…maybe we can talk…to them?"

He shook his head, "They're after me. I'm the mutt here. I don't exactly smell….shifter to them. I probably smell dangerous."

"But you aren't! Maybe if we explain…."

"I'm not risking your life to go explain to them what I am with a slim possibility that we'll die anyways. Nicholas will have my head even if we make it back alive." He shook his head again.

"So we're just going to swim until they give up?"

"I'll swim. You just hold on." He replied. "Now back off a bit as I change shape."

She kicked herself away from him as she continued to watch the wolves. There was a black wolf on the bank too. But it wasn't as beautiful or pretty as Tate or Orion. Seeing how the other wolves kind of formed a semi-circle around it, as if it was listening to it. Tate had shape shifted, paddled over to her, and she got on him. Her hands clutching his fur, her legs clamped down on either side of his body. He began paddling towards the right, hoping that they would give up.

3 HOURS LATER

Ari's teeth clattered as her hand shook. It was cold. So cold. "T-Tate. It's….r-really c-co-co-c-cold." She stuttered.

Tate let out a semi-whine. Too bad she couldn't speak wolf. He began paddling towards the beach, where the wolves were still following them.

"What! No! Tate! What are you doing?! They're still there!" she screeched. He got onto the sandy beach, let her off, as he stood before her, growling at the wolves.

The wolves leapt onto Tate as he swatted them away. He did have height and weight difference, being a child of the moon as well. Ari sat there, eyes wide. She screamed. Tate yelped as he was thrown back in his moment of hesitation the moment Ari yelled. "No. No. No! Stop it!" she cried. "Leave him alone you stupid wolves! Leave Tate alone! He's done nothing wrong!" she ran, half-crawled over to him as she cradled his big head in her arms. He was bleed everywhere. The wolves hesitated, before the black wolf barked out an order or something, and two of them came up. Ari could see it in their eyes. They were going to take Tate away. "Go away! Fuck you! Leave him alone!" She shut her eyes as they came closer, her arms circling Tate even tighter. Suddenly, she heard yelps of pain. Peeking out, she blinked a few times, seeing a light green barrier.

"Ari! Are you okay?!" a voice approaching her yelled, concern. Car….Cara?

"C….Cara?" Ari said hesitantly.

Cara gave her a smile. "Hey. You were in trouble, huh?" Cara looked down at the wolf. "Don't worry about your wolf. He'll live. Eric will make sure of it."

"E…Eric?" Ari breathed.

"That's be me. Miss Switzard." A calm voice spoke up from behind. Turning around, Ari saw a shaggy haired man with a slight stubble.

"M…Mr. Owens….?"

Mr. Owens nodded briefly before he turned his attention to the wolves. "Let me explain. You must leave. This is my territory. You do not enter my territory without permission. Surely your elders have told you not to enter the land past the Wailing Maiden Rocks or I suppose you would know it as the place where you shape shifters and an unknown supernatural species collide and a small battle was fought. Plenty of bloodshed." He paused, "And as far as I know, these two here that you have been chasing are guests of the Cullens. He smells….intimidating, but let me reassure you that he is far from it. She is his Alpha. He will not kill anyone or disobey her."

By the now, the black wolf was gone, and there stood a man clad in only ripped cargo shorts. "If he is no threat, then hand him over. We will make our own judgment." He gritted out, eyes trained on Tate. Ari's hold on him tightened.

"I'm afraid that is not my area to give permission. I could kick them off my territory, but my mate here has an attachment to the girl and if my mate wishes it so, I will take care and protect the girl as well. She has rule over the injured wolf, not I. If the girl wishes to protect the wolf, then the wolf too, is under my protection unless it attacks my mate or myself." He explained.

"Tate…Tate's a regular wolf just like you!" Ari spoke up, she petted Tate's wolf fur softly. "He's just part Child-of the Moon, Shape shifter, and wolf. He poses no harm. He smells intimidating, but he's really kind. He can't help who he is. He doesn't kill people or go insane like the real 100% children of the moon."

"We can't trust you." Another spat.

"Well you can trust the Cullens." She said flatly. "Once Tate is healed, I'll let you guys meet him. If you need information on us, contact Jake or Nessie if you don't trust the Cullens. Jake's a shape shifter, right? You can trust him."

"Enough Paul." The black wolf-man spoke up, seeing the man open his mouth again. "Very well. We will make contact with Jacob and Nessie. Be aware that if you have lied to us, you will suffer the consequences."

She swallowed. "Gladly." She challenged. They disappeared again into the wolves as Ari collapsed in a big sigh of relief. She sneezed.

"How long have you been swimming?"

"Th…Three hours maybe? I don't know. We were swimming back and forth, hoping we could shake them off." She stuttered.

"Eric, take Tate the wolf. Ari, can you walk?" Cara asked.

"Yes…." She let go of Tate as Mr. Owens came over to pick up Tate. He proceeded back to wherever he came from, followed by Cara. "Who…who are you guys?"

Cara and Mr. Owens paused, glancing back with small smiles. "We're just your average beach goers." She explain.

"You're not human." Ari shot out before she could stop herself.

"You know of us?"

"No….but no human can make a barrier or a shield like you did." She glared.

"This is not the place nor the time to be talking of our…species. Let us save this talk for later." Mr. Owens interrupted. "Your wolf friend needs some treatment."

"Okay."

A House later

Ari sat down on the couch. It was a modest house. A two story house, furnished in a kind of home-y type of feeling. The furniture was slightly worn, but comfortably so. A flat screen t.v. was mounted on the wall, surrounded by huge speakers and hundreds of DVDs and by a glance, alphabetical order. Framed pictures littered the walls and the tables. Cara had given her some new (unused) underwear, a t-shirt and some sweat pants and directed her to a shower. Ari had showered quickly, gotten out, and stared at her dirty clothes. It smelled of seawater and….blood. Tate's blood. All because she had complained that it was cold. He had been the one swimming, not her. If anyone had a right to complain, it was him. She heard the door to the guest bedroom where Tate was resting, open. "Mr. Owens, how is…how is Tate?" she swallowed.

He glanced at her. "Fine." He walked over the kitchen sink and washed his hands of Tate's blood.

"What do you mean FINE?" she exploded. "It's my fucking bloody fault he's like that! Is he going to live?! Is he hurting?! Can I help reduce his pain?! When will he be healed?!"

He glanced at her. "He'll live. He has quite a few scratches and bites, so yes, it does hurt. But he'll live. He might have scar, but I doubt it if his heritage is as you claim."

She calmed down a bit, "Sorry Mr. Owens. I didn't mean to…to shout at you…" she muttered. "It's just…"

"It's just I'm not human and you want to know who I am and why I'm living so close to shape shifters and vampires. A clear threat to me if I am found." He finished for her.

"Well…that….and your relation to Cara."

He raised an eyebrow, "Perhaps, you'd like some coffee first?"

"No…I…coffee is too strong to me. Have you got some mocha?"

"Yes. Cara likes to drink that. We do keep a small supply of it." He replied, walking into the kitchen to prepare her drink.

"Make that two, Eric!" Cara bounded into the room, plopping on the couch besides Ari. "I see you've cleaned up all nice and clean."

Ari grimaced. "More or less, but who is Mr. Owens? And…what are you to him? He called you a mate earlier….are you…mated to him?"

Cara raised an eyebrow, "Would that be a problem?" she asked, not meeting Ari's gaze.

Ari shook her head furiously. "No." she replied. "It's just…to live between shape shifters and vampires…how did he go undetected for so long?"

"Well…we just recently moved here. Eric was able to keep a low-key because….well…because at the time, the wolves were dealing with some vampires that fed on human blood that had came in after the Cullens left. Cullens shortly returned after Jake explained what happened. They've now got a somewhat shaky alliance. Wasn't as hostile as before, but now at least they're kind of…helping each other?"

"So how did you meet Mr. Owens…err, Eric?" Ari asked. "Is it a love story? I always love good love stories."

"I just found Eric by the woods one day, injured, and I cared for him until he was conscious. Turns out Eric recognize me as his mate." Cara shrugged. "As for Eric's past, I'll let him tell you that if he's comfortable with that. But yeah, after he recognized me, we kind of moved in together. My parents understand the situation. Though they were a bit…apprehensive at first, they eventually grew to accept it."

"But if Eric isn't….human then how did he get a job? I mean like Social Security….diplomas…."

"That's where your families come in, Aria. We got those through you guys." Cara shrugged.

"You got them from my family?" Ari's eyes widened, "What?"

"Well…Cassie's family does do fake passports and the like…add in a little bit of supernatural, and you've got a perfectly good reason as to why he needs to be "added" into the database." Cara explained.

"Did….did at any time, Mr. Owens reject your bond?" Ari asked quietly.

Cara paused, "Yes." She admitted. "He couldn't believe that he had been mated to a human. A short-life, flimsy, breakable human."

"Then…how did you guys end up like this?"

"Well he was injured. I did care for him for a considerable time until he could get back on his feet. Once it was better, I kind of left him to his own devices, and hung out with some of my friends. Of course, I can no longer hang out with as they're wolves now, but they were my friends before. Eric eventually did get jealous." She sighed. "He kidnapped me and barricaded his guest room in my parents' home for a week. It was terrible. The only thing we ate was instant food or canned food. You know, the emergency supply kits you have in every room."

"It was your fault for making me jealous." Mr. Owens came out, holding a tray of cups of mocha and coffee. He gently placed the tray on the table, giving Cara a cup first before sliding one to Ari, and picking up his own.

"Oh shut it. I was just hanging out with some friends. You were the one who originally rejected our bond." Cara teased. Ari watched them stare. What if…had….what if she had stayed with Aro? Would….this have been the situation she would have been in? Living in a nice, comfy two story home with Aro? She almost laughed sarcastically. It wouldn't have happened. He was Aro Volturi. She was Aria Lee Switzard. The distance and difference between them was too great.

"You are thinking of Aro Volturi." Mr. Owens randomly stated.

"What?" she looked up in shock.

"Aro Volturi. Your mate."

She shook her head violently. "No." she replied softly. "He's not my mate. His real mate is dead. I was a fling."

"A fling that has led to an uproar in the vampire society to find your whereabouts." He stated.

"How do you know this stuff?"

"Back in my previous life, I was trained to be a spy. To pick up on information. Is it really that big of a surprise that I put my talents to use now? Even though I'm banished?"

"You're banished? From your kingdom or society?"

"More or less. No one believed me that one of the Arch-dukes was plotting against the Throne and I took it in my own hands to assassinate the duke. It worked, but I was banished. I was spared from death only because I was favored by the King. Of course, now I'm just a banished elf."

"Okay, I've got to ask this, but do you have elf ears? Like the pointy-cute ones." She asked.

"Why would I have pointy ears?" he replied, his face neutral. "As you can see, I'm as normal as you are."

"Right. Totally." She rolled her eyes, "Normal? I'm a bloody witch leading a coven of vampires and shape shifters. I'm on the run from the King of Vampires. My blood sisters turn out to be distant relatives related by some great-great-great-great ancestor. You call that normal?"

"Well, it's normal…to an extent." He admitted, sitting down beside Cara. He held Cara's hand as he sipped his drink. "But you miss Aro Volturi."

"How do you know this?"

He sighed, "We've been over this. I'm a former spy."

"Yeah but…"

"Information travels fast in the spy world, and especially in the elf world since we keep to ourselves. Not many know of our existence. Though, I fear that by befriending you three girls who are mated to Vampire Kings, soon, all of the supernatural world will know that the Elf World still exists somewhere out there." He explained. "Now answer me, do you or do you not miss Aro Volturi?"

"Well, I do, but…I've moved on. I'm not going to think about him or cry over him anymore. There is no point. I like how I am now."

"Let's not lie. We all know that you plan on contacting the Volturi soon, are you not?"

"Well….yes." she admitted. "But I'm not going to get back together with him."

"Never say never." He replied. "It happens. Trust me."

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Ari asked, frowning. "You and I…we're just temporary student and teacher."

"Because Cara considers you her first friend at this school. With those terrible so-called popular kids around, she is bullied. You stood up for her whereas I couldn't. She values you as a friend, and so do I. As long as you do not hurt her or I, you will be protected by us." He explained. "And that does mean that if the Volturi come, you can come here and rest for a few days. They won't be able to enter without permission from Cara or I. And for pete's sake, when we are not at school, call me Eric. The name Mr. Owens, I hear enough at school."

"Right…Eric." She said hesitantly. "So…I can come here anytime?"

"Yes. You and your friends. The human ones at least. Cassidy and Mara. All wolves and vampires, I'm afraid must stay off my territory. While I can allow others to pass through, I am quite territorial. I have yet to claim Cara, so my instinct is on overdrive right now."

"C-Claim?!" Ari blushed, "Surely you don't mean…."

He raised an eyebrow, "It's exactly as you think. Claiming or mating. Sex. Making love. Consummation. Whatever you want to call it."

"Eric! Shut up!" Cara screeched. "Don't go corrupting her!"

He sighed, "C'mon. We've already done so much already by the couch….in the kitchen…."

Ari stood up, blushing, eyes wide, "Oh. Um excuse me." She looked down at the couch.

Eric burst into the laughter. "Don't you worry. What I meant was kissing. We did not….make love on the couches. That would be considered a disgrace to my mate, especially if it is our first time." He stopped. "And it seems that your friends have arrived at the barrier."

NICHOLAS

Nicholas buried the last body at least 10 feet beneath the ground in the woods, before he flitted back to the Cullen residence. Something wasn't sitting well with him. Maybe it was the blood. He had chosen a molester as his prey. Didn't taste too good, but blood was blood. "Damn it." He cursed. He made it back in record time to the Cullen residence, taking three steps at a time. "Where is Aria?"

The vampires, demon summoners, half-human-half-vampire, elves, wizard and shifters in the room looked up, "Not back." Michael croaked.

"It's been a bloody three hours and more! What the hell! Did anyone go to retrieve them?!" he spat, heading for the door.

"Calm your horses, Nicholas." Cassie reprimanded him. "We went. Her scent was definitely there, but she disappeared around there."

"SHE DISAPPEARED?!" he boomed. "The Volturi must have gotten her."

"Come now, are you even making sense anymore? If it was the Volturi, Alice would have seen her."

Alice. Right. The shorty. "Hey! Alice! Can you see Ari's future?"

Alice shook her head, "It's just like the time with Mr. Owens and….." her voice trailed off, each syllable getting more silent than the previous one. "Could it be that she's with Mr. Owens?"

"The teacher? The weird science teacher?!" Nicholas yelled. "How's contact with Tate?"

"Don't know. He's not responding."

"Oh for bloody fucking pete's sake! Where is the science teacher's residence?!"

"A few miles from here? But we can't get through easily…."

"Doesn't matter. I'm going." Nicholas walked out the door, flanked by the rest of the Astral coven (and Mara and Cassie who sat atop Loki and Luna respectively).

10 minutes

Nicholas stared at the two story house. "This is the house?" he croaked out. It seem…normal. He was expecting something deadly, evil, but this was….a regular house that looked very….human-ish.

"Yes. This is the house." Edward replied. He had been their guide.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Charge on!" he stepped forward, only to slam into a barrier. It pulsated for a moment, glowing a nice green before it died off. "What. The. Hell."

"Should have warned you. There's a barrier. We can't get through." Edward muttered.

"Then how did THEY get in?" Nicholas pounded at the barrier. "OY! You stupid weirdo scientist in there! Give back Aria!" The barrier shimmered and rippled, but didn't break. Nicholas stared at it harder, "Fucking barrier." He cursed. "We'll have to bloody wait for them then to open it up."

"No need." a voice came from within. "Can I help?"

Nicholas was seething, "Where is Aria and Tate?" he gritted out.

"Your wolf friend is in recovery. He dealt a few nasty blows to himself from the shape shifters." The man explained. "Aria is sitting inside."

"Bring her out then!" he tried to step through the barrier again, only he still couldn't step in. "Oh blast it! Let me in!"

The man raised an eyebrow, "Not by the hair of my chin-y chin chin!" he sang.

"ARE. YOU. FUCKING. MESSING. WITH. ME. RIGHT. NOW."

"I don't see why you're so angry. It's not like she's your mate. Why do you care so much for her?" the man sighed, "No matter how much you try, in her heart, Aro will always be her number one…..at least in terms of love life."

"Even if she does not love me the way I wish it to be, she is still my coven leader and I must always protect the coven leader. She leads us." Nicholas glared.

"Che. Fine. Cassie and Mara may enter…and maybe one or two others to carry the wolf, Tate, back. He has sustained some serious injuries, so it'd be best if someone could carry him home where he could be properly cared for….or you could leave him here overnight and I could monitor him…" the man said as Mara and Cassidy took steps forward without a further comment, leaving the rest in silence.

"Luna. Loki. You two go." Eri said before Nicholas could volunteer himself. "Nicholas needs to calm down a bit. He'll wait here at the barrier."

"What?! Mother Eri don't go deciding things for me!"

"Shut up or I'll tell Aria of your actions." Eri hissed. "I've had just enough of you yapping on and on about how you're looking after Aria's wellbeing. We all are looking after them! Nicholas, this is a question about yourself. You're insecure. You're fucking bloody scared of losing Aria to Aro after you've done so much to get them out of the castle and away from Volturi clutches. Be honest, deep down, you know that Aria and Aro belong together don't you? Haven't you seen the way that those girls sub-consciously face the direction of where they just absolutely positively know their mates are located? Face it, Nicholas. You know that you can't get between them."

Nicholas stared long and hard. "So now I'm the criminal." He croaked. "The bad guy. I don't care what you say. You don't understand. I don't get why such a good girl—why such good girls—would be paired with such….monsters. They're cruel. Evil. Incredibly selfish. They've killed how many vampires and humans now? They've forced some families to separate."

"And yet…they've also maintained peace." Eri glared. "While I may lived in Japan and rarely went outside of Japan, I wasn't oblivious to the happenings of the other countries of vampires. There were no wars and fights amongst you guys. Haven't the Volturi done their job by maintaining our secret, eradicating Children of the Moon who posed as threats to our supernatural world, and preventing secrets from being leaked?"

"Yes…."

"Look, fact is, sometimes we make a mistake. I bet that you three—Yale, Brecken and you—were so wrapped up in revenge that you didn't even notice the girls, specifically Aria. However, once you noted that she was a possibly good target to get into the Guard even more, you became closer to her." Eri explained. "But then, you realized that there was more to her than what you thought, and you three became entranced enough to forget revenge on the Volturi at least and to just save them. Granted, you got the Volturi to kill the Romanians but the Romanians were big threats to us anyways. Now Aro Volturi, he ignored her, he didn't…spend as much time as he should of, which was a mistake, but what if he had had more time? What then?"

"Then he'd still be the same idiot because she'd still be hanging around and he'd still take her for granted. All three of them would have taken the girls for granted." Nicholas snapped.

"Are you sure?" Eri crossed her arms, "Think for second with your brain and not your heart. If the girls needed to receive a crash course training by their mentors here." Eri nodded towards Michael, Natalia and Delphin, "Then surely, they would have had the freedom to move about and to leave. Then, surely, our Kings would realize their feelings before the girls left, right? Or perhaps, even stop the girls as they board a plane."

"You read too many romance novels." Nicholas shook his head, "Fact is, things don't happen that way. It never does. If Aro, Caius and Marcus knew of their….heritage, it won't be just them in danger. The rest of their families, their worlds would be in danger. Aro is an…ambitious man, surely, he would want to conquer other species. Not to mention, then he might lie just to keep them around, especially with these little talents."

"For once in your life, just have confidence in your coven leader." Aki sighed. "Nicholas-san, I agree that….this Aro-dono may have been over the line, but still. People make mistakes, especially when it comes to love. Perhaps this….Aro-dono has made the same mistakes as any other has. Maybe he truly thought that this Sulpicia-dono was his true mate. I heard they had been together for centuries. Even if you are not true mates, after such a long time, bonds do form."

"Why are you people defending the fucking bloody Volturi?"

"Because you're becoming insane." Yale sighed. "You're obsessing over her. Over Aria. Before, you were loyal to her, but now…it's like your her….owner or something. You have become….paranoid."

"What?" Nicholas frowned, "I am not paranoid."

"The other day, you asked her where she was going, who was she going to interact with, who was she taking with her as a guard." Brecken spoke flatly. "And then today, earlier, you asked her where she was going, who she was going with, if you could accompany her, if she was going to go back to Aro, and what she was doing, and why. If those aren't signs of a paranoid, soon to be stalker, then I don't know what else is."

"Okay. So I may have been overreacting." He paused, "But I'm her hug buddy…."

"Excuses." Eri wrote off. "Yes, you were there in her….darkest time in regards to her love life, but you've overstepped your boundaries. This need to protect her, is it really necessary? I would say that she is a grown woman, and can decide things for herself."

Nicholas didn't know what else to say. He stared at them, half in anger, half in confusion. True, maybe he had really overstepped his boundaries, but whenever he saw Aria, he just couldn't help it. Maybe it was because he hated Aro with a passion because of his family….that….and….maybe because he cared for her, like a sister. Maybe he had confused his "love" emotions with "sibling" love. Maybe this is where he, too, would have made a mistake. "I'm not accepting Aro." He said flatly, sighing with resign. "Or Caius or Marcus for that matter. I don't care what you say, but I don't trust them."

"Nobody here does, Nicholas." Yale rolled his eyes, "If we did, then we wouldn't be formulating plans in-case they do get here early."

"You're formulating plans?" he repeated, "Without me?"

"Without the insane, delusional you." Eri replied smoothly.

"Oh Nicholas!" a voice chirped up.

Nicholas turned around, a smile plastered on his face. "Aria." He greeted smoothly. "Are you okay?"

Ari rolled her eyes, "Of course." She muttered. "Out of all things you ask me, the first thing is am I okay. Of course I am! I'm standing right here aren't I? Tate's the one who is hurt. It's my fault. I was complaining about the cold and he took a risk, getting us to shore."

Nicholas's eyes softened. "It's not your fault. You guys probably wouldn't have lasted that long out in the cold sea anyways. Tate was suppose to protect you. He did his job."

"Aww, cut the crap." Cassie sighed. "Look, he'll be fine. The teach over there said he'd be fine. Stop worrying. If you feel that bad, just smother him until he gets better with his like favorite jerky or some shit. Hey, Luna, Loki. How long till he gets all good again?"

Loki had been carrying Tate, and Luna beside him holding onto the IV bag. "Hmm, a day or two, possible three. The bones have already been set in place, and it's just some…gashes and bites that need to heal. Fortunately, our Child of the Moon gene lets us heal a bit faster than the average shape shifter."

"Speaking of shape shifters," Ari spoke up, "Why didn't we meet them sooner?"

"Ummm…."

"They attacked us because of our….scent. This issue needs to be resolved immediately." Ari replied in a clipped tone, "Would someone please get in touch with that pack so we can resolve this immediately? Our wolves will not attack them or seek to gain territory. They are simply following their pack leaders—us." She nodded over to Luna and Loki, "Carry Tate back at fast pace. He needs to be in a bed as soon as possible. Carrying him at a human pace could open up his wounds. Make the run as smooth as possible. If needed, knock down a few trees. If I see a single wound on him has been opened, we all will have hell to pay." Luna and Loki nodded furiously, taking off at a high speed. Ari sighed, turned around, shrinking back when she noticed the gazes on her. "W-What?"

"No. Nothing. It's just I've never seen you so…." Jasper trailed off.

"Bossy." Yale finished. "Usually you're so wish-washy and childish."

Ari glared playfully. "I can be bossy you know." She huffed. "I just usually don't feel like it."

"Right." Cassie muttered. "Can we head back now? I want food…"

"I actually bought some food for a HUMAN girls' night out. Interested?"

"In a place where it's completely vampire and shapeshifter? Totally." Ari rolled her eyes.

"Ummm…you could have one here." Cara spoke up hesitantly.

"You sure?" Mara asked.

"It's fine with me….and Eric. Right, Eric?"

"Yes. Yes it is fine. Just no shapeshifters and ….vampires all right?" he gave them a strained smile, "Bit territorial."

"Um. Yes. Understood. Thanks." Ari blinked, "But it probably won't be for some time. Not until at least Tate's good to go."

"You're welcome to come anytime. The three of you at least." He turned away, "I trust you can find your way back to your home by yourself?"

She nodded, "Thanks Mr…err, Eric. Thanks Eric." She corrected. "And Cara."

Cara gave a smile, "It's fine. Come visit anytime. We rarely have visitors with Eric's status and…well…my status at school. The occasional parents, but that's boring. And they're on vacation in Europe right now."

Europe. Italy. "Did they go to Italy?" she swallowed.

Cara gave her a bemused smile, "Yes. But they didn't go to Volterra if that's what you're asking. Perks of living if your future son-in-law happens to know stuff, you know?"

Ari smiled. "Oh. Of course." She nodded, "All right. Bye."

"Bye." Cara slid her hand into Eric's hand as they walked back in the direction they had come from.

Ari clapped her hands together, "Now then. Should we go back now?" she said.

"Uh. Sure." Cassie shrugged. "The wolves are gone, how do you propose that we get back at the speed I'm assuming you wish to go at?"

Ari smirked. "You have forgotten about our dearest vampires."

"I got Ari." Nicholas spoke up immediately, earning a glance from Eri.

"I'll carry Cassie then." Adam spoke up, bouncing up and down.

"I've got Mara." Eri spoke up, moving beside her. "Are we good? Let's go."

BACK AT THE CULLEN RESIDENCE

Nicholas set Ari down gently as she stumbled a few feet. "I never get use to that feeling afterwards." She muttered.

"I think I'm going to be sick." Cassie stumbled into the house, face green.

"5 bucks she's going to throw up." Mara pushed her glasses up.

Ari raised an eyebrow, "10 bucks she's going to throw up and swear that she'll never use vampire transport again. Even though she will."

"You guys bet on each other like this?"

"Why not? It's amusing." Ari shrugged. "Good way to see who knows each other the best." Ari walked up the steps, whistling.

"So who usually wins?" Nessie asked.

"Ari. We usually bet on basic things, she bets on specific things. Like I said throw up, but she took it a step further and said she was going to swear off vampire transportation." Mara shrugged. They went inside, settling on the couch as Cassie came out.

"I'm never taking vampire transportation again." She muttered, wiping her mouth with a napkin. "I just threw up my breakfast." The room burst in laughter, "What?" Cassie demanded.

"Another bet." Ari smiled, getting up.

"You won?"

"Pretty much." Ari shrugged. "I'm going to go check on Tate." Ari went upstairs, knocking on Tate's door before she entered. "How is he?"

"Healing." Luna stood up from her seat. "Some of the lesser injuries have scabbed over."

She sat down beside Luna. "Is there anything we can do to help him feel better?"

Luna shook her head. "He's on medication. There isn't much else we could give him besides time."

"Will he have some scars?"

Luna paused, "A few. But not that many." She replied. "To a wolf, it's a badge of honor, especially if we protected our pack well. Don't dwell too much on it."

"Hnnn." She replied.

Tate suddenly stirred, he opened his one eye that wasn't bandaged. "Luna. Ari?" he croaked.

"Right here." She appeared beside the bed. She poured some water from the pitcher beside the table. "Luna. Help me push him up. He sounds like a frog."

Luna pushed him up slightly, as Ari tipped the cup towards his lips. He drank a bit before he settled down. "Thanks." He looked up at her, assessing her.

"I'm fine. No cuts, bruises, injuries, or anything." She smiled. "Thanks, but seriously. Next time, don't do that. You could have gotten even more seriously hurt, or even killed."

He smiled faintly. "You were getting cold. You probably wouldn't have lasted much longer in the sea."

"Yeah, but I could have been revived thanks to my family or something or heck, even turned into a vampire if the situation called for it."

"Well, I am alive aren't I, Alpha?"

"Stop with the Alpha thing." She huffed. "If you really believe that I am your Alpha, next time, obey my orders and don't swim to shore."

"Understood….Alpha." he closed his visible eye, breathing slowed.

She set the glass down. "Luna, Loki watch over him. If anything happens, call me. I need to deal with the Volturi and the shape shifters. Ah, but you might be needed for the shape shifters."

"Okay." Luna nodded. "Do you need both or one?"

She shrugged. "One or two."

"Alright. If you need just one, I'll send Loki. I don't trust him here alone with Tate. He's a bit….bouncy."

"I am not bouncy." Loki pouted.

"You play a lot of pranks." Ari raised an eyebrow.

"Soo?"

"And you're childish."

"Am not."

"Loki. You still wear superman pjs to sleep."

"Superman is super cool!" he protested. "You're just pickin' on me 'cause I'm the youngest."

"You also still want to go and trick or treat…." She smirked.

"Candy!"

"We can buy plenty of it at the store."

"It's not like trick or treating though!"

"So you still like childish things." She shrugged. "And then what about the time where we caught you sucking your thumb?"

"It was a mistake. A childhood thing." He protested.

"Allllright. Loki. Whatever you say." She said, exiting. She went downstairs. "So have we contacted the shapeshifters?"

"More or less."

"What does this "more or less" entail?" she raised an eyebrow at Jake.

He put his hands up in defense, "I contacted them, but they're pretty sure that you guys are trying to kick them off their land with your hybrid wolves."

"That's bullshit." Cassie sneered.

"I know." Jake's eyes flickered. "But I told them that you wanted to meet them. We're meeting tonight. Midnight. They're bringing their whole pack, so we can bring as many as we like as long as the number does not exceed 15."

"Lovely. Cassie, Mara and I are three already. Luna and Loki…I don't know if both of them are going or if it's just one of them with Tate's condition…."

"I've taken a look at Tate. He'll be fine. I can stay behind to do so."

Edward shook his head, "Carlisle, as head of the coven, you should go and…mediate things. Leaving things to…them might be prove to be a bit…of a problem."

"You sayin' we can't deal with things ourselves?" Cassie snapped.

"No….I'm just saying that since Carlisle is the head of our coven and the reason why we live next to the wolves, that Carlisle should be present for the meeting."

"That's reasonable." Mara agreed.

"So who's going to stay with Tate?"

"I can." Edward volunteered.

"No. You need to go to read the wolves' minds." Alice spoke up.

"Well then, who can stay with Tate?"

"We can." Yale and Brecken spoke up. "We'll take care of him. Brecken knows how to care for sick people. Or injured people."

"Okay. Yale and Brecken it is." Ari said. "Now, afterwards, I have a proposition in regards to the Volturi."

"Hnnn….all right…"

THE END. HAHAHAHAHAH. Anyways, leave a review. Once again, I apologize if my characters are too mary-sue or if the original twilight cast are too OOC.