Hello!

I Joined This Community Yesterday, Although I've Been Reading Wonderful Content Here For Almost Five Years. I Have Thirty-Two Stories Already Lined Up And Written But Have Never Posted Because I Am - Quite Literally - Too Shy. Yesterday I Finally Decided, 'To Hell With It, I've Enjoyed So Much, The Least I Can Do Is Give Something Back.'

Call This A 'Test Run' If You Will. If This Goes Well, I'll Consider Adding More. If Not, Well, No Hard Feelings!

I've Decided To Make My First (Posted, Sixth Written) Fanfiction A CaiusxBella Slashfic. Is Anyone Here Into That Kind Of Thing?

Well.

So This Will Obviously Not Be For Everyone, Especially Since I Never Really Understood, Nor Can Sympathize With That Whole, 'The Traditional Vampiric Diet Is Murder, Nothing Else But, Embracing Our True Nature Is Just Plain Wrong, etc.' Garbage (Yeah I Said It). So Rating Will Obviously Be M. Also Be Warned! Possibility Of Major Character Death In Later Chapters.

With That, Let's Just Get Into It.

Chapter I

More Days Passed. Things Were Getting... Strange.

Caius waited for the two Cullens and the Human to be brought in.

Quite honestly he was bored. He missed the days of the Romanian War. At least then his days wouldn't be spent sitting in this godsforsaken chair waiting to hear yet another dull story. He hoped that Aro would at least let Felix kill them, that could be entertaining.

When the large oak door finally flew open he saw Edward Cullen walking annoyingly slow to accommodate the Human. Caius couldn't get a good look at her as the Cullen boy was shielding her from sight. The other Cullen - Alice, wasn't it? The one Aro wanted - was standing right next to him with her eyes darting in every direction. So misguided, to think she could escape the Volturi. Even with her unique powers.

Aro started to speak. Something about happy endings being rare, making Caius lean back in his chair and stare at the wall in boredom. When he heard his name he looked at Aro with an eyebrow raised.

"She knows too much. She's a liability."

He looked over to the group of criminals again, and froze. A pair of brown eyes were looking up at him curiously from behind the Cullen boy. Her lips were pursed and her eyebrows were furrowed, as if she was trying to solve some kind of puzzle.

Caius still couldn't seem to move, he could only stare at her. He knew one thing well enough; the thought of this…. this…. boy touching her made his famous temper begin to flare. He didn't know where this instinct came from. He didn't know where this possessive need to have her came from. He didn't even feel this way about Athenodora, and she was his wife!

Caius knew immediately that he would be forever tied to this little girl. He suddenly realized what this was, she was his mate. He recognized this when it happened to Aro and he knew it was happening to him now. Of course he knew he his marriage to Athenodora was over decades ago. But they were a good match, even if they didn't actually love each other.

He thought mates were a rarity, a dying myth that only Aro really supported. But he knew now that he was gravely mistaken. This little thing cowering in Edward's arms was who he truly belonged with. Edward Cullen noticed his demeanor change almost immediately, undoubtedly because of his mind-reading abilities.

The boy shoved the girl behind him and snarled at Caius, which he ignored completely. Alice, the other Cullen, gave a piercing shriek of horror and looked between him and the Human and back again, as if she couldn't believe what was going on.

"What is this?" Aro said amusedly.

Caius stood and took a predatory step towards the Cullens. I have to get her away from those weak, pathetic excuses for vampires, he thought.

"No!" Edward yelled while shoving Bella behind him.

"Caius!" Aro boomed in a warning tone.

Caius whipped around and glared at him. He angrily stomped back up the steps and shoved his hand out for Aro to see his thoughts. When he felt the bony finger touch him for half a second, he heard Aro almost squeal with excitement followed by a snicker.

Marcus was staring at them both with an eyebrow raised, completely confused of what was happening as most were when it came to Aro.

"How delightful!" Aro exclaimed while clapping his hands like a child.

Caius fought the urge to roll his eyes and turned around. The young human girl was trying to fight against the hold Edward had on her so she could see him more clearly. When her brown eyes peeked around Cullen's arm, they were as wide as saucers.

Caius had enough. He did not like the way this boy was touching her so freely. He darted left and then quickly turned right, faking his move to throw off the boy. In one move he twisted the boy's arm, breaking it in three places. As the boy fell to his knees, Caius wrapped his arm around the girl's waist and lifted her off the ground as gently as he could. He then ran to the far right side of the room with the girl in tow.

He could hear her heart beating erratically and she was breathing much faster. She looked positively petrified but when she saw it was Caius that was holding her, she seemed to calm down a little. Caius put a gloved hand under her chin and lifted it a little to get a better look at her.

Her eyes went even wider and her breathing quickened. She was almost breathing in gasps now. Her eyes darted to the Cullen's and then back to him. Her bottom lip was quivering, but she didn't say anything. She was also shaking like a leaf and still looked frightened of him.

"This certainly makes things interesting!" Aro exclaimed.

Caius saw the Cullen boy was now being restrained by Felix. Jane was glaring at Alice threateningly.

"The Human girl stays," Caius said evenly.

"No!" Edward yelled while struggling in Felix's arms. "She isn't yours!"

Caius glared at the boy.

"She stays and you live, that is the transaction we offer," Aro said clasping his hands on his lap.

"We do not –"

"–We do accept," Bella interrupted from behind Caius.

Caius turned around. She was braced against the wall behind the three thrones with her hands placed behind her. She was still shaking and still looked absolutely terrified, but her chin was jutting out defiantly.

Caius liked that. He liked her. He liked her stubbornness in disregarding Edward's opinion completely. He liked that she had her own mind separate from that boy's.

"Wonderful!" Aro exclaimed. "Felix, Jane, why don't you two show the Cullen's out and I will show young Bella around the castle."

"No!" Edward yelled as he fought against Felix. "Get off me! Bella! I'll come for you!"

"Don't count on it, boy," Caius mumbled.

He watched as Alice and Edward were yanked out of the throne room.

Caius turned back around and moved to stand in front of Bella. Bella looked up at him in fear at first, but when she looked into his eyes, he saw her face morph from fear into trust.

"Are you alright?" he murmured.

Bella nodded, but didn't speak. He frowned when she bit her lip in apprehension. He didn't like that she still looked so scared. This wasn't how mates were supposed to look at each other. This wasn't how Aro's wife first looked at him. She practically threw herself at him.

He put his gloved hand on her cheek and gently swiped his thumb across her bottom lip. Her skin was soft and warm. Her big brown eyes were probing his, asking what he was doing. However, she didn't pull away. She just stared at him wide eyed with her heartbeat thudding loudly.

"Now, my dear," Aro said conversationally. "What do you know of mates amongst vampires?"