Happy Easter!
Hope you enjoy. Please review!
***HP
Gripping his daddy's hand, Harry followed him down the steps and into the Cullen's living room. Looking out the window, he grinned widely when he spotted the beautiful green forest. He was going to miss it here, miss all the nature, but he was anxious to go home, back to Volturi castle.
"I hope daddy Aro and daddy Caius get back soon."
"They will be back as soon as they take care of the tracker, childe," Marcus said gently, steering his son towards the kitchen.
"Harry!" Esme called out happily as she placed a large glass of blood on the counter. "I know you have fed quite a bit today, but you're still recovering from everything you went through. If you want more, don't hesitate to ask."
"Thank you," Harry said as he climbed up on to the stool. "Is Emmett hunting the bad man too?"
"He is, childe," Marcus confirmed taking a seat next to his son. "Do you like Emmett?"
Harry eagerly nodded his head. "I do, he's funny and big and strong, but not as big and strong as Felix. No one is as big and strong as Felix."
"Felix is big and strong," Marcus agreed. "But I think once Emmett starts drinking human blood he'll be as strong as Felix, maybe even stronger."
Harry started giggling. "Don't let Felix hear you say that, he thinks he's the strongest man in the world."
Marcus smiled fondly at his young son, the bond between his son and Felix was strong and glowing brightly. Right now his bond with Emmett was weak, but it was also new. He had no doubt that in a couple months their bond will be just as strong as his bond with Felix.
Harry sipped at his juice while looking out the window. He saw his daddies guards surrounding the place and it made him feel so much safer. There was no way the bad man could get him, not with his daddies and Felix here. Frowning, he looked back at his daddy Marcus. "Is it true that daddy Aro killed James' wife?"
Marcus cocked his head to the side. "It's possible, childe, we have been around for a very, very long time and have taken the life of many people. If the tracker said your father killed his wife then he probably did. It seems brutal, childe, but we have to eat. What do birds eat?"
Fidgeting with his glass of juice, Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Bugs, fish, even other birds sometimes. Remember that time we saw a falcon kill a pigeon?"
"I remember, childe. Everything has to eat to survive, fish eat other sea creatures, lions eat wildebeests, birds eat insects, people eat animals, and we drink the blood of humans."
"I don't want to kill, animals or people," Harry proclaimed sadly. "I love my red juice, but I don't want to hurt people to get it."
"Like I said earlier, it's okay that you don't want to hurt anyone, we'll find a safe way for you to get your blood. You're an amazing little boy, Harry."
"Is that why Sam doesn't like us, because we drink human blood?"
"Mostly, childe, but vampires and wolves just instinctively hate each other. They smell repulsive to us, and we smell repulsive to them, it's how we identify each other. Many years ago your daddy Caius was almost killed by a wolf so he especially hates them."
"That just doesn't make sense," Harry pouted. "You shouldn't hate someone just because of what they are. I don't hate wolves, I don't hate anyone without a reason. I hated my uncle, but he was mean to me and hurt me. I hate James because he hurt me too and wanted me to kill Emily and her twins, but I don't hate the wolves. Sam smelled bad, like really, really bad, but he didn't hurt me."
Marcus wasn't going to point out that the only reason the wolves didn't kill him was because the Cullens and the alpha's mate protected him. Had they not protected Harry, the wolves would have torn him to shreds, not even caring that he was just a little boy.
"You're a very kind and compassionate young man, Harry," Esme said smiling warmly, the little one reminding her of her mate. "Unfortunately not everyone is like you. Also, not all wolves are like the wolves here, you have to be careful."
"The lovely Esme Cullen is right, son. Wolves are our number one enemy and you have to be careful around them. The Cullens have a treaty with the local tribe here, and that's very rare. Normally a wolf wouldn't hesitate to remove the head of a vampire."
"And the same goes for vampires, right?" Harry asked in a small voice. "A vampire won't hesitate to kill a wolf."
"That is true, childe."
"People are stupid," Harry sighed. "Why can't everyone just be nice and get along?"
Marcus chuckled. "If only it were that easy, childe."
***HP
Stopping in his tracks, Demetri closed his eyes, tilting his head back. "The tracker is playing games with us. He has laid so many false trails that I don't which ones to believe anymore. He's still here, I know that to be a fact, I just can't pin him down."
"We're playing into his hands," Jasper said thoughtfully as he looked around the woods.
"And what do you think he's planning?"
"I think he's going attack the house. He has laid enough false trails through these woods to keep us distracted for hours. Meanwhile, the prince is back at the house with only Marcus and a few of the lesser guards. Anyone who can truly take out James is out here tracking him."
"Shit!l Demetri cursed, whipping out his cell phone. The veggie vamp was right, James was going to hit the house, the prince was in danger.
***HP
"You're glowing!"
"What!" Harry cried, lurching to his feet. Holding his arms out, he inspected them, as well as his chest and back.
"Not literally," Marcus chucked, ruffling his son's hair. "It's a figure a speech. You say it to someone who looks happy and healthy. You, being here surrounded by all this nature, makes you look happy, like there's a glow to you,"
"Oh, thank god!" Harry sighed. "You had me worried for a minute. You know after the, you're a wizard, Harry, and then, you're a vampire, Harry, glowing isn't that hard to believe."
Marcus threw his head back laughing. "Oh, childe, you are too much. You do look happy here though."
Smiling, Harry reached out and let his fingers brush softly against a tree. "I feel stronger here, more..." Harry frowned cutely. "I don't know the word I'm looking for, but I like being out here in the woods. I like being close to this much nature."
Marcus nodded his head knowingly. "You're an elemental, of course you would feel stronger and happier being surrounded by nature. I'm afraid we weren't doing you any favors by keeping you locked in the castle, but we are very protective of you, and you were terrified to leave the safety of our walls."
"I love the castle!" Harry quickly reassured, grabbing his father's hand. "I feel safe and loved at the castle. I don't need trees to make me happy, I need my daddies."
"Oh, childe," Marcus softly coo'd as he wrapped his arms around the trembling boy. "We're not sending you away, but we do want to do what's best for you. The castle is your home, but I think it's time you start spending some time traveling and exploring nature. Your other daddies and I want you as strong and as happy as you can get, hiding behind the castle walls will only end up suffocating you."
"It's...it's just a vacation, right?" Harry asked in a small and scared voice. "The castle is still my home, I'm just going to visit other places?"
"Of course, childe." Marcus reassured. "Wouldn't you love to visit some of the places you have read about, like the rainforest, Mount Everest, or even the ocean?"
Harry looked up from where his face had been buried in his father's stomach, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "I...I would love to! Do you think there really is an abominable snowman living on Mount Everest?"
"If there is, I'm sure you'll find him."
"You'll...you'll go with me to all these places, right?" Harry asked nervously.
Marcus nodded his head. "I'd love to, but if I can't go then daddy Aro or daddy Caius will go, along with Felix, Alec, Benjamin, Bill and some of the guard. I'm pretty sure Emmett will also follow you on your adventures."
Harry tilted his head cutely to the side. "Emmett? Why would Emmett go, he lives here with his family."
"Emmett will be following us back to Volterra!"
"Really?" Harry cried excitedly. "What about the rest of the Cullens?"
"I'm not sure about the rest, but the Cullens are a very close family so I feel that they will eventually join us."
"This is great, I really like Emmett. I can't wait to show him around the castle. Do you think he'll like to watch the people with me and Felix?"
"Maybe, but I must admit that I don't know young Emmett very well."
Harry shrugged his shoulders. "That's okay if he doesn't want to, I'm sure we can find something to do together. People watching has kind of been something special I do with Felix, I wouldn't want Felix to get upset by me inviting Emmett."
"That is very mature of you, young one," Marcus said proudly. "Maybe speak with one of the other Cullens, I'm sure they can tell you what Emmett likes to do."
Harry started giggling as he reached back out to touch a tree. They were outside, but were remaining in the Cullens back yard, close to the house. "I think Emmett likes ripping trees out of the ground." With a gasp, the smile fell from Harry's face.
"Harry, are you alright?" Marcus asked as he knelt next to his son who was looking around with wide, terrified eyes.
"He's here!" Harry whispered fearfully, his voice barely above a whisper. "The trees, they told me."
Quickly standing up, Marcus pulled his son to him. "Harry, how did the trees tell you?" He asked as he frantically scanned the surrounding woods. Having heard what was happening, Esme cake rushing out of the house, the few remaining guards closing in around them.
"I-I don't know, it's never happened before, but they showed me James, and he was watching us. He's here and he's going to take me away."
Loud clapping could be heard and then a man dropped down from the trees wearing just a pair of tight, stained jeans, his long dirty blond hair pulled back in a pony tail. "Very good, my sweet little prince, I see your gift has grown since getting to feed."
"Daddy!" Harry cried as he clung desperately to Marcus.
"You're stupid for showing your face here!" Marcus spat, his red eyes dimming to black in his anger. He wasn't a fighter, not like his brothers, but he was strong enough to protect his son.
"Am I?" James asked cockily. "The way I see it, I'm the smart one for luring all the fighters away. It's just me and you and a few worthless guards. I think my chances of winning are pretty good. I know you, I have been studying you, Aro and Caius since the day I was turned, I know that you're not a fighter. I know that you are the weak one."
"You're still outnumbered," Esme pointed out as she moved closer to Harry so she could help protect him.
James smirked. "Yes, I can count, but you see, I'm not just good at tracking, but I'm also incredibly fast."
It happened so fast, one minute Harry was standing safely between Marcus and Esme, his arms wrapped around his father's leg, and the next he was gone with a blood curdling scream. "Harry!" Marcus bellowed as he took off after his son.
Esme was shocked, she had never seen a vampire move so fast before. The tracker had been a blur, even too fast for her supernatural eyes to follow. With a cry, she whipped out her phone, frantically calling her husband.
***HP
"This town has way too much greenery," Aro sneered as he stepped over a falling log. "Is there anything to do in this dreadful town besides torment the wildlife and pick off ticks?" Not that ticks were a problem for them, ticks weren't attracted to vampires, but he could see them crawling everywhere and it thoroughly disgusted him.
"No," Emmett answered simply. Forks was boring, he could easily admit that, but it was safe and it was home. He wasn't going to miss going to school, that's for sure. He despised having to repeat high school over and over again.
"Well, hopefully we can find you a little more excitement in Volterra." Aro said, sneering in disgust when a branch snagged on his cape.
"The prince will bring some excitement to your life," Felix said fondly, wishing that he was back at the Cullens home with his young mate. He had missed the boy these past few weeks, he needed to see him to reassure himself that Harry was safe and healthy.
Emmett was a bit nervous about the move, the blood drinking and the mate thing, but he knew following Harry back to Volterra was the right thing to do. He wouldn't be able to let Harry walk out of his life, not after just finding him. Even though Harry was just a kid and it would be another ten or more years before their relationship could progress into something more, or he even developed those kind of feelings, he was already feeling insanely protective of him. He needed to be where Harry was, he needed to keep him safe.
Hearing his text alert go off, Aro pulled his phone out of his pocket, freezing when he read the message. "The soldier believes that the tracker will attack the house."
Emmett didn't wait for his king to bark any orders, he turned and bolted for home. If Jasper believes that James is going to attack the house, then that's all the convincing he needed. Jasper was smart, especially when it came to war and strategizing, he could get in the enemy's head and think like them.
***HP
"How can you stand to live so close to those vile creatures?"
Carlisle wanted to roll his eyes at Caius, but he valued his life too much to do so. For the past hour the king had been ranting and raving about the shifters on the reservation. He understood that his old friend had an intense dislike for wolves, but this was a little too extreme. Just because one wolf almost killed him hundreds of years ago didn't mean that all wolves had to be slaughtered to extinction.
"Does their smell not offend you, or does the animal blood dull your senses as it does your strength?"
"My senses are just fine, I just have grown accustom to their unique scent."
"Unique!" Caius spat, his face scrunched up in revulsion. "There is something wrong with you, Carlisle."
"Just because I don't feel as you do doesn't mean there's something wrong with me. I'm not a killer, Caius, not unless I have to be. I'll protect my family to the death, I'll kill for them, but I'm not going to kill a tribe of shifters just because they're wolves. We have had a treaty with them for a very long time, and I hope to have a treaty with the next generation and the generation after that. Yes they smell bad and we don't particularly get along, but we can coexist peacefully together and that's all that matters."
"If it wasn't for my son, I'd slaughter the lot of them right now." Caius snapped.
Carlisle wanted to point out that Caius wouldn't be able to take out the pack, at least not alone anyway, but once again he wisely kept his mouth shut. He was thrilled that Emmett had finally found a mate, he just wished that the prince wasn't the son to the vampire kings. It wasn't going to be easy dealing with the kings, but Emmett was his son and he loved him dearly so he would learn to put up with them.
"Carlisle, I just..." Caius stopped talking when Carlisle's phone started ringing.
"The tracker took Harry!" Esme's screams could be heard when Carlisle answered the phone.
Carlisle didn't immediately follow Caius back to the house, instead he took the time to contact the others to let them know. He also ordered them to remain in the woods looking for Harry seeing as the tracker was no longer back at the house. It didn't make sense for everyone to return to the house when neither the prince nor the tracker was there
***HP
James was laughing madly as he raced through the woods, the prince tucked under his arm. That had been fun, the most fun he's ever had. The only thing that would have made that better had it been Aro he snatched the boy from. As a hunter, to be able to snatch the prince from the king while surrounded by guards was the perfect hunt.
Knowing that he had laid enough false trails to make it impossible to be tracked right away, and knowing that because of his speed he had lost the king miles back, James came to a stop, dropping the prince carelessly to the ground. "That was awesome!" He crowed, as he kicked the boy in the side. "What a fucking adrenaline rush! I mean, at first I was furious that you escaped me, but this, this was so much better. I stole the little prince right out of Marcus' hands."
Whimpering, Harry curled up into a ball, tears falling from his eyes. He knew begging and pleading wouldn't help, so he kept his mouth shut, praying that his daddies would find him.
"Now I just need that wolf bitch." James said thoughtfully as he paced. "She's going to be harder to get, the wolves have surrounded her. I may be reckless, but I'm not stupid enough to take on a pack of wolf shifters."
Harry sat up, his eyes wide with fear. "Leave Emily alone!"
James backhanded the boy. "A hunter doesn't give up his pray." He snarled. "I have never lost a pray before and I'm not going to start now. I'll get the bitch, and then I'm going to kill you both. Or, maybe I'll turn the bitch, see how much her alpha wolf loves her then."
Trembling, yet determined, Harry got to his feet. "You're not going to hurt Emily, I won't let you."
"You won't let me?" James howled with laughter. "And what is a little, worthless shit like you going to do about it?"
"I hate you," Harry hissed as he balled his fists up at his side.
James' laughter was abruptly cut off. Gasping and choking, he looked down at his chest, horrified to find a branch, thicker than his arm, sticking through his chest from behind. Reaching up, he attempted to pull it out, when a second branch, this one even thicker, was thrust through his chest, right where is frozen, dead heart was.
"I'm not going to let you hurt Emily or her babies. You're a bad man, you deserve to die, not Emily!"
James's entire body started seizing, his head flinging backwards as another branch tore through his neck, wrapping itself around the vampire's throat three times before it started constricting.
Harry ignored the blood dripping from his nose and the tears falling from his eyes. "You can't hurt anyone if you don't have a head?" He sobbed, his voice barely above a whisper. Hurting someone was bad, but James was evil and he knew that James would never give up until him and Emily were dead.
"Harry!" A gruff voice called gently, stepping out from the brush.
"He's bad!" Harry said, not turning to look at the voice.
Sam cautiously approached the child vampire, signaling for Paul and Jacob to hang back. He had gotten a call from Carlisle giving him a heads up that James had kidnapped Harry again and that more than likely the tracker was going to come for Emily. His first instinct had been to remain with his mate, but he owed Harry for saving his wife, he couldn't sit back and do nothing as the nomad hurt the compassionate boy.
Harry was clenching his fists so tightly that they were trembling at his sides. "He...he said he was going to kill or turn Emily. I-I can't let him hurt Emily and the babies."
"Harry, I'm going to place my hand on your shoulder," Sam warned not wanting to startle the boy. He could feel the magic pouring off of the small vampire and it was incredible...and frightening.
"He's bad!" Harry sobbed as he leaned into Sam's touch.
"I know, Harry," Sam said as he looked to the vampire. The three branches had lifted the tracker about five feet off the ground where the vampire was hanging there, weakly trying to pull the branch away from his neck. The branch was so tight that cracks were running up the vampire's face and down his exposed chest. His head was seconds from coming off.
"Harry," Sam said, squeezing the small shoulder, it was incredibly delicate feeling despite the boy being a vampire. "Thank you for protecting Emily and my pups, but I don't want you to become a killer, especially not because of him. I can take it from here." He could easily see how what he was doing was hurting Harry, both physically and emotionally. If Harry killed the tracker, it would change him forever.
Loud sobs started wracking Harry's small body. "I don't want kill, but if I let him go he's going to do bad things."
"Harry, I'm not going to let him go." Sam reassured as he stepped in front of Harry, blocking his view of the vampire. "Let me handle him," he said softly as he cupped the boy's wet cheek. "Let me kill him."
Harry's body went limp as though someone had cut the strings that were keeping him up. Jacob moved quickly, catching Harry before he could hit the ground. Sobbing loudly, Harry turned and buried his face in the shifter's neck.
"I want my daddies!" Harry hiccuped as he clung desperately to Jacob.
Now that Harry was no longer keeping James pinned with the branches using his elemental magic, James was regaining his strength. Sam turned to see him pulling off the branch that was around his neck, but he wasn't worried. The nomad wouldn't be getting away, not this time. "Jacob, take the boy back to the Cullens, he doesn't need to see this."
"That won't be necessary," Aro said, approaching the shifters, his eyes only for his son.
"Daddy!" Harry sobbed weakly as he struggled to keep his eyes open.
Taking a deep breath, knowing that this vampire was extremely dangerous, Jacob approached the vampire. "I think he's okay, just scared and tired from using his gift." Emily had told them all about Harry and his developing elemental powers and how using too much of it exhausted him. He had seen it for himself down at the river, but it was still damn impressive.
"Shhh, childe," Aro said soothingly as he accepted his son from the wolf. "You're safe now, little one."
Sam tensed as more vampires arrived on the scene. These were the vampires Edward had warned him about, the vampires that wouldn't hesitate to kill them. He didn't want to fight them, he just wanted to kill the vampire that hurt his mate and then return to her...preferably in one piece.
"Relax, wolf, I'm not here to fight you," Aro said as he handed his child over to Felix. "Felix, take your prince to the Cullens, you are not to let him out of your sight."
"Daddy," Harry whimpered.
"Relax, childe, you know Felix will keep you safe. Daddy has to help the wolf take care of the tracker." Aro signaled for Felix to go, he didn't want his baby anywhere near here, he already felt horrible that his gentle son had almost killed someone...would have had the wolf not showed up. He had arrived at almost the same time as the wolf, but he had hung back to see what the shifter was going to do. He would never like wolves, but he respected this wolf for how he treated his son.
Finally free of the branches, James dropped down, a cocky grin on his face despite the three gaping holes in his body as well as numerous cracks. Looking around, the smirk slipped off his face when he saw that he was surrounded by five vampires, Aro, Marcus, Jane, Alec and Demetri, and three wolves.
"Do I get to play with him, master?" Jane asked sweetly, but the smile on her face promising pain.
"Awe, my sweet one, you know how much I hate denying you play time, but I think this kill will go to me and the alpha." Aro chuckled. "Then again, I think a little pain first may help warm him up to us."
Jane's smile was blinding. "As you wish, master. Pain!"
James dropped his knees, his screams echoing throughout the woods. "Awe, childe, I do so love that sound." Aro smirked.
Giggling, Jane smiled at her maker. "Anything for you and my little brother."
Panting, James defiantly got to his feet, his body still singing with pain. Hoping to take them by surprise, he bolted for a break in the circle surrounding him between one of the wolves and Demetri, but he hit the ground face first when everything went black and dead quiet.
"Very good, Alec." Aro praised over the tracker's panicked cries. "Did you just take his sight?"
"No, master, I took all his senses," Alec proclaimed proudly.
"That's my amazing boy." Aro said warmly. "If you could, please restore his hearing, but only his hearing."
"As you wish, master."
Sam was amazed and terrified as he watched the vampires play with the tracker. Edward had warned him that these vampires were powerful and had unimaginable gifts, but he never imagined they would be this powerful and work together so seamlessly. It was as though they could read each other's minds. He was actually scared of them.
Aro approached the tracker, the man crawling feebly on the ground unable to see, smell, or feel anything. Grabbing a fistful of his hair, he brutally yanked his head back. "You were very stupid to go after my innocent, ten year old son to get to me. Stupid, and a coward. What kind of worthless piece of shit punishes a child because of their father's sins? If you were half a man, you would have come after me instead of sneaking into my home and kidnapping my son."
Aro sighed. "This is no fun, Alec, give him his voice back."
As soon as he got his voice back, James started laughing. "I may not have beat you, and I may not have broken your son, but I left cracks in him that will take years to heal."
"But they will heal," Marcus said from behind the tracker. "You don't know how strong our son is. He's scared and hurting right now, but he will heal, unlike you who will not be leaving here with your head."
"I had originally planned to keep you alive as a play thing, but I don't think my prince will be able to rest knowing that you are alive. I also feel that I owe the shifters here your head."
Even though he wasn't shifted, Sam started growling. He wanted the tracker's head so bad that he could taste it. He almost lost his mate and twin babies to this bastard, he was going to get his revenge.
"Demetri, please find a safe clearing and start a fire." Aro ordered.
James started struggling, but he knew it was useless. He was surrounded by other vampires and wolves, including two of the most powerful vampires that has ever walked the earth, Jane and her twin Alec. He had felt the power of Jane's gift and truthfully he'd rather have his head ripped off then feel it again.
Aro pulled the tracker to his feet, his hand buried in the hair at the top of his head. Looking to the alpha, he raised an eyebrow. "Unless you plan on ripping his head off with your human teeth, I advise you to shift."
Smiling gleefully, Sam shifted, not even caring that he was ripping through his jean shorts. Since becoming a shifter, he has spent hundreds of dollars replacing ruined clothes.
Aro started cackling. "Look at him, tracker, isn't he magnificent? Just think, that face and those teeth will be the last thing you will ever see."
James started thrashing, his eyes wide with fear and desperation. Grinning, Aro held his arm out, James dangling from his hand. "He's all yours, wolf!"
With a loud snarl, Sam lunged, his teeth sinking into and through the tracker's neck. Clamping his jaws down, he started viciously shaking his head. Sam continued to shake, savoring the vampire's screams, until he felt the body drop at his feet, the tracker's head still in his mouth. Straightening up, his chest out, he approached the vampire king, dropping the tracker's head at his feet. Throwing his head back, he howled triumphantly.
Aro clapped his hands excitedly. "Wonderful! That was very impressive, wolf." Looking down at the head, he scrunched his face up in disgust. "Demetri and Alec, please take care of the mess. Remain until every piece of the tracker is nothing more than ashes."
"Yes, master," Demetri and Alec said at the same time.
"Such good boys," Aro praised. "Now, before I go and check on my son, there's one more piece of business I wish to discuss with you, alpha. My son is awfully fond of your lovely mate and will be most upset if he doesn't get to see her before we return home tomorrow evening. On my word, I promise no one will hurt her or anyone else in your tribe or pack, if we can meet somewhere so my son can say goodbye to her."
Sam tensed, the last thing he wanted was to put his mate in danger, but at the same time he didn't want to anger the king by rejecting him. He also knew that Emily would love to see Harry before he left, she hadn't stopped talking about him since returning home.
"How about if just Carlisle, young Emmett, and one of my guard accompany Harry to wish your mate goodbye?" Aro offered generously. "I can have Carlisle contact you later, you can choose the place and anytime before noon."
Sam reluctantly inclined his head, accepting the king's offer. He still didn't feel comfortable with it, but he trusted the Cullens. The vampires also haven't attacked him yet, so he was hopeful that the king would keep his word. He wouldn't be going to this meeting alone with Emily though, he'd have the entire pack with him.
"Excellent!" Aro sang. Turning to Jane, he held out his arm. "Come, Jane dear, let us go and see how our little prince is doing."