TWILIGHT : THE BLOOD INSIDE YOU IS THE BLOOD INSIDE ME
Chapter Thirty-seven
This is a fictional story based on the Twilight Series, of which I own neither part nor parcel. Just borrowing the Volturi temporarily. (I'm late to this fandom. I do research online since I haven't committed the films to memory, and hardly recall the books. So I'm sorry if canon is upended a little.)
Aro/OC, Felix, Demetri, Athenodora, Marcus
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Charlotte went in search of Felix and Demetri, wanting to get in some training time. It had been so long since she had concentrated on her physical skills, and she hated getting rusty. Plus, she felt like she needed to burn off some excess nervous energy. The past few months were hard enough, but the change in her status and partnership made things even more difficult.
When she ran into Aro while at the Cullen's home, she had wanted to push him away out of loyalty to Marcus. But she found herself unable to ignore the bond they had developed over time. Being with Aro felt so natural, she needed to give no explanation regarding her love for him. When he had kissed her the very first time, she didn't even feel surprised, it felt that natural. Not to say her love for Marcus was diminished in any way. It was...different. Aro was passion, desire, and a strong undeniable connection. It had always felt that way when she was with him, even when she was a mere human. Marcus gave her a more safe and comfortable feeling. He could make her toes curl in bed too, but it was still not the same feeling Aro gave her. Marcus was comfort, security and companionability. Damn, she thought, why can't this be simpler.
She also had to force herself to realize, when she was with Marcus, she was actually cheating on Aro. Until the day she dissolved their bond and let him go, every moment with Marcus made her an unfaithful mate. Aro hadn't mentioned that, and it seemed to Charlotte, if they ever did get back together, he would forgive her with no recriminations. And she had to admit to herself, she was ready to stop being angry at Aro. It was up to Marcus to forgive him for his murder of Didyme. That was not up to her. She gave an unnecessary sigh and went in search of the two guards who were her closet friends.
On entering the training room, she spied the pair fighting one another and laughing if one goofed up a move. Charlotte smiled and waved, walking up to them during a break in the fighting. "So, Demetri, have you succeeded in toppling this big tree yet?"
He laughed, replying, "It's difficult when the tree refuses to fall."
As Charlotte closed the gap between them, Demetri looked at Felix, waggling his brows. Both snickered, placing their hands over their mouths.
"What's the joke, guys?" Charlotte asked, noticing the smiles.
"Charlie, to be honest, you smell of Master Aro. When did you see him?" Felix inquired innocently enough.
Demetri spoke up, putting two and two together. "Was Master Aro at the Cullen's house? Did you two...?"
If she could have blushed, her face would have been bright pink. "Aro is staying with them for the time being. If it's any of your business, we met while I was there. And not accidently, I suspect. " She moved away, starting to pace the wood floor.
"You think they planned the meeting, don't you. Carlisle and Esme. It seemed to have worked," Demetri smiled and winked at his friend.
Charlotte's good humour vanished. "Hey, you two, this is hard enough for me. Please don't tease me about it."
Felix flashed to her side, Demetri close behind him, saying, "Charlie, we're sorry. We didn't realize. You know we're here for you anytime you need us."
Felix nodded, but his curiosity made him ask her, "Did you tell Master Marcus?" There was little privacy in the castle, what with the vampires' superior hearing. Often, it was up to them to rein in that hearing so there could be privacy when needed. Some of the rooms in the older part of the castle had built in soundproofing due to the heavy stone walls. It was still easy for everyone to know everyone else's business, as if the castle were a small town.
Charlotte smiled, conscious that her friends were only showing their support. "What a couple of old biddy gossips you are! Yes, I told Marcus, and will you two shut up please? I feel wretched enough as it is." Oh god, she thought, he knew. Marcus must have known when she hugged him that she had recently been with Aro. How insensitive of her not to think about that. But she hid nothing, having told Marcus what had happened, although he didn't want to hear the details.
"Felix, Demetri, can we spar some today? I need a good workout. In fact, I feel like I need to break something."
"You two go first. I'll watch for weaknesses," Felix offered. He stepped back to watch Charlotte fight with Demetri.
"All right, Charlie. Preparati, amica mia, " Demetri said, his eyes narrowed, a smirk on his handsome face.
Charlotte and Demetri faced one another, crouching a bit. They ran for each other at break neck speed, but when they collided, neither was damaged, and were up within a second of hitting the floor. Demetri grabbed Charlotte's arm, pulled her around, her back up against his body. Without warning, she bent forward and reached down to grab his ankle, tugging hard. Demetri fell onto his back with a grunt.
Off to the side, Felix laughed. "Sorry, Demetri, she had you there."
"Oh yeah? Ti sto abbattendo, Charlie." Rushing toward Charlotte, Demetri grabbed both her arms and crossing them, locked Charlotte in a hold she had trouble getting out of, being unable to acquire any leverage. She twisted and bent her body until they both tumbled to the floor, Demetri landing on top of Charlotte.
"Ok, I surrender. Now kindly get off me," Charlotte ordered calmly.
He laughed. "I don't know, Charlie. I kind of like this. It's very...comfortable."
She looked up at Felix who was trying to keep from laughing. "Felix, help me!"
"I don't think I should interfere, Charlie. Maybe if you ask him nicely, with a smile." Felix had crossed his arms, standing at Charlotte's head.
"I am a Volturi master, and I order you to GET OFF ME!"
Demetri was up in a flash, holding out his hand to help Charlotte off the floor.
Taking his hand, Charlotte kicked out at Demetri's feet and lifted upward with her own feet, while pulling on his arm. She flipped the unsuspecting vampire up and over her, forcing Felix to quickly step aside. She was up before Demetri hit the floor, standing over him with a smirk on her face. "Never lose your focus, show off." She smiled up at Felix. "Thanks for showing me that move, my friend."
Now up, and standing straight and at attention, the two guards gave Charlotte quick bows, bringing a frown to her face. "I was kidding, guys. I mean I am a Volturi master, but that only carries weight in the audience hall." She gave Demetri a grin. "It did distract you though."
Demetri grinned. "Sure, Charlie, but I got you too."
"Yes, you did. Felix, we'll spar next time."
Felix looked at Demetri and back at Charlotte. "Are you upset with us, Charlie?"
She smiled and hugged both her friends. "Not at all. I want to go talk with Marcus now. He's been rather quiet today. We'll make time for a longer workout, I promise?"
Both men agreed and Charlotte left the training room. As she walked back to the chambers she shared with Marcus, she wondered why the guards asked her about Aro. She had assumed most, if not all, no longer supported him. At the most, Jane and Alec would, since the relationship they had with Aro was special. Charlotte wondered if that could change, and Aro would find support among the Guard once more.
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Marcus and Charlotte sat on their bed, looking over what they had written up for the coven leader meeting. They were waiting for Carlisle to get in touch with them as far as attendees. Charlotte already assumed both of the Romanians would appear. They never traveled one without the other. Charlotte excepted both would be crowing about Aro's banishment, and she didn't want to hear it. Maybe Caius would offer to warn them in his usual fashion.
"I will be glad to get this alliance work over and done with," Charlotte grumbled.
"It would have had not Sulpicia exposed Aro's crime," Marcus pointed out.
"Marcus, has Aro called you yet? I mean, if he did and asked your forgiveness, what would you do?"
"I am not sure, my love, and since he has not as of yet, I try not to think about it." He ran his fingertips over Charlotte's cheek, then he leaned in to kiss her. He was always gentle unless he was within the throes of passion, his need for her stronger than his usual gentleness.
Charlotte glanced at the marble bust of Didyme, imagining her a petite woman. Marcus probably had to be gentle with his mate, being so large himself. He didn't have to be gentle with her.
Pushing Charlotte back onto the mattress, Marcus opened her shirt, exposing one breast to his seeking mouth. He lapped at the tender flesh, the nipple hardening. When he heard Charlotte whisper his name, he cupped the soft flesh and suckled on the tip.
Charlotte ran her fingers through his long hair, tugging on it. She reached down with one hand to feel his member already hard for her.
They both removed their clothing, and settled back on the bed, touching one another with hands and mouths. When Marcus had entered Charlotte, she gripped the bedspread, ripping it. Her legs moved around his body, holding him against her while he thrust. Her cries filled the room, until she came hard, spurring Marcus to spill his seed within her.
Lying naked together, Charlotte laughed softly. "We need to get another bedspread now, love. At this rate..."
"Never mind, amore mio. Next time we order some, we'll get a dozen of them."
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Charlotte's phone rang, giving her pause. Who might be calling her when everyone was here in the castle. Then she thought perhaps it was Carlisle with news about the coven leader meeting. She activated the phone, connecting the line and answered.
"Hello?"
There was a moment of silence, before she heard Aro's voice. "Ciao, mia bella regina."
Aro had never called her his queen before, mainly because she never asked him to. Some called the masters kings of the vampire world. Charlotte was never comfortable with that idea. They were not like traditional kings, so she preferred not to be called a queen. She was Aro's mate, and now she was a Volturi master. And that was the limit to her preferred titles. Perhaps some day, she would be Marcus' mate.
"Hello, Aro." She blinked back the tears that welled up in her eyes. Damn, how did he manage to affect her this way. Just the sound of his voice tore at her. She was glad Marcus had not been here when she arrived.
"No kind words for me, cara mia?" She tore at his self-esteem when he heard the silence from her voice. He could hear other things, a slight sigh, her fingernail tapping the edge of the phone. He wanted to hear her voice telling him she loved him, begging him to return home. But she didn't say that.
"Aro, why are you calling?" Charlotte tried to sound exasperated, but in truth, she wasn't averse to hearing Aro's voice.
"I have to speak with you, Charlotte. Please."
"Were are you? Are you still with the Cullens?"
"No, cara. I'm outside the city walls. Is there any way you might agree to meet me here?"
Meet Aro outside Volterra? Would Marcus have anything to say about that request? "I'll ask Marcus what he thinks. If he's fine with it, I'll meet you. If not..."
Aro scowled at the suggestion that Marcus should ok any visits he had with Charlotte. "Very well, my love. Ask him. I will accept his decision."
"Charlotte, why did you not join me in exile? You're my mate and I was hurt that you stayed behind. I needed you with me."
She hadn't given thought to Aro's feelings, and now she felt guilty. She considered Marcus' feelings, the welfare of the coven, and her own sense of betrayal that her mate was capable of killing his own sister, and then was able to lie about it to everyone for a very long time.
"It's partly your fault, you know," she said quietly.
"How is that?" Aro asked, curious.
"You made Volterra my city, this castle my home, and your people my family. I owed them as much as I owe you."
Aro pondered the logic that kept her at the castle while letting him leave in exile without her. "Go ahead and ask Marcus. I will wait for you here. I am at the Casale Guilia."
"I know of it, Aro. You sound sure Marcus will approve," she asked, figuring Aro was just being optimistic.
"I am, cara. Call me when you leave the castle." He hung up, hoping he was right about his brother. Marcus had stepped aside once before. Would he again?
Charlotte went to her rooms, wishing she could sleep. Not the half-sleep filled with the dreams she usually experienced, but a real mental shutdown, unconscious-all-night kind of sleep. The workout helped some, but it wasn't long enough. She found she couldn't even concentrate on that.
While she mulling over her thoughts, Marcus came into the outer room, his eyes looking for Charlotte. Hearing her in the bedroom, he went there and came up behind her, hugging her tightly. "Good afternoon, my love."
She turned in his arms and hugged him.
Marcus sensed something and pulled back, his arms still at her waist. He bent down, perusing the expression on her face. "What is wrong, love?"
Charlotte could only say, "Aro."
Marcus nodded. "He called you? Is he still in America?"
"He's here in Italy, outside the city walls, of course. He asked me to meet with him, with your approval first."
Marcus brought Charlotte to the edge of the bed, sitting down, pulling her down next to him. "Do you want to go, love? Do you want to see him again?"
"I do, Marcus, but I promise you, no sex. We talk and nothing more." She leaned her head against his shoulder. Was she hurting him by asking permission to see Aro? "Marcus, if you don't want me to see him, please say so honestly. He is here but not within the walls of the city. He's waiting at the Casale Guilia inn." She was afraid by not going to meet him, Aro might risk breaking the requirements of his banishment to see her. She could not allow that.
"Is he staying there, or just waiting for you there?" Hoping he might convince Charlotte to stay in one of the bedrooms with him? Marcus wondered.
"I don't know. He never said and I didn't ask. It doesn't really matter, if you're thinking what I fear you're thinking. I have no intention of allowing Aro to touch me as he did when we were at the Cullens. But I have to know what he wants to tell me."
Marcus placed his arm around her shoulders. "Then go to him, Charlotte. I trust your intentions." He kissed her temple, resting his cheek against her forehead when she turned to nuzzle his face.
"I love you, Marcus, I do."
"I love you, cara mia." Marcus reluctantly let her go. "I have something to do, Charlotte. Go whenever you wish." He rose and left their rooms, wanting to find Caius.
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"Hi, Charlie, It's Carlisle. I have the final numbers for the coven leader meeting. Everyone who came to the initial meeting has agreed to come to this one. In fact, I couldn't get the Romanians to pick a representative, so both Stefan and Vladimir will be coming."
"They just want to gloat over Aro's dismissal. Good then. We will meet here at the castle next Thursday evening, six o'clock." Charlotte thanked Carlisle, giving him her sincere appreciation for all his work.
Now that that was done, she only had to think about the main topic of discussion. Caius would be of immense help, so her next stop would be to check to see if he was with Dora, his mate. He had spent a lot of time there when Aro had his breakdown, according to Demetri.
She took the stairs to the tower and knocked on the double wooden doors. Dora opened them, her smile at seeing Charlotte immediate. "Come in, come in. Oh, this is so nice of you, Charlotte, to visit."
Not seeing Caius around, Charlotte went on to talk with Dora. It had been something she'd wanted to do in any case. "How have you been, Dora?" She took a seat on the white velveteen couch.
"Aside from Caius being a bit more busy, it's all fine."
"I'm sorry, Dora, I'm afraid that's my fault. There has been so much to do now that I'm a master. I've depended on Marcus and Caius a great deal," Charlotte explained.
"Speaking of Marcus, will you two become mates, officially? You will have to dissolve your relationship with Aro first. I have never heard of it being done, not without a crime involved, such as Sulpicia's treachery against the coven. When Aro banished her, he immediately dissolved their relationship." Dora looked over at Charlotte. "So here Aro is banished, but you haven't dissolved your relationship yet," she said, her eyes searching for an unspoken reply.
"Oh, Dora, I don't know that I can do that." She took her coven sister's hand, squeezing tightly. "I still love Aro. And I think Marcus knows this. Well, he's not stupid, it's so apparent."
Dora felt for Charlotte. She knew how she would feel if she lost Caius. He had been a part of her life for so long, even when they weren't together, they were, their bond being so tightly knit. "You must speak with Marcus. Be honest with him. He is a good man who has suffered greatly. I have not seen him so happy, but if you love Aro..." She placed her forefinger under Charlotte's chin. "It's your heart too, sister. You may love Marcus, but what if you can't forget Aro. And if Aro is never allowed back into the Volturi, how long before you feel you must join him in exile, if you find you cannot exist without him? Your being will never forget that bond if you just try to ignore it. It will eat at you day after day. You have to decide. Marcus or Aro. You can't have both."
Charlotte impulsively hugged Dora. "You're very wise, sister. Caius is fortunate to have you."
"Thank you, Charlotte. I'll tell Caius you were here." She smiled. "I know it was he you were in search of, but I hope our talk helped you."
"Yes, Dora. And thank you again." She rose from the couch and gave Dora another hug after she rose also. Leading Charlotte to the doors, Caius' mate took Charlotte's hands in hers. "Come by anytime, sister."
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Charlotte dressed in loose blue jeans and a cobalt blue sweater, tired of the ubiquitous black everything her wardrobe held. If she ever did manage to go shopping with Alice again, new clothes would be the order of the day. She practically flew from the city to the north-east region of Tuscany. The scenery flashed by, but she found it so pleasant to travel this way and not by car. She eventually reached the inn Aro would be meeting her. walking onto a back patio, Charlotte inhaled the air.
"Were you sniffing for me, cara?"
Charlotte turned to find Aro behind her. He must have smelled her first. "You look beautiful, my love." He reached out to her, taking her hand in his, pulling her to him. He raised her hand to his lips, kissing it. "Will you join me for a talk? I know it hasn't been that long. but it feels like a long time to me."
Charlotte sat on the chair at a table on the patio, while Aro took the seat opposite. She smiled at him, thinking about her words to Dora. God, but she still loved him so much. He was not only beautiful, his smile lit her up inside. When he touched her hand or face, she wanted his touches to become more intimate. "All right, so Marcus said I could meet with you. But why, is my question."
"Do I need a reason to want to be with you, Charlotte?" His eyes conveyed his continuing sorrow to her, while she noticed he didn't look as bad as last time.
"You are feeding well, Aro?"
"Are you truly concerned? Yes, I have been attempting to take better care of myself. But..."
Charlotte noticed Aro's darkening eyes.
"I have a room here at the inn, if you wish to...stay with me." He licked his lips quickly, hoping for some time with his mate. Time to spend with her, exploring her body and not only drawing pleasure from her but giving her pleasure as well. He longed to hear her cry out his name. Not being with her all the time was hard for him.
"I'm sorry, Aro, but I can't. I mean, I really can't this time."
"Walk with me then." He held out his hand to her. Having nothing to hide from Aro, she accepted it. They left the grounds and headed for the wild countryside around the inn.
Walking more leisurely, they said little, but were connected as they had always been. Coming upon a small grove of trees, Aro suggested they sit and talk. Charlotte sat on the grass while Aro sat beside her.
"How are things at the castle?"
"Fine, if quiet. Carlisle called to let me know the coven heads have agreed to meet with us to fortify the alliance between all the covens. Other than that and a few trials, it has been peaceful."
Charlotte lay back on the ground, looking up at the clouds that floated overhead. There was a light breeze that ruffled her hair. She closed her eyes and listened to the distant insect life. She could hear birds far away, chattering in the trees. The day was perfect, and Aro was with her, but she couldn't tell him how she felt. He probably picked up some things from holding her hand, but she would say nothing to him.
Charlotte felt fingers lightly skimming over her lips and cheeks. She opened her eyes to see Aro over her at her side. He leaned in to brush his lips over hers, a simple gesture but not overly passionate. Was he afraid at being too forceful, after their last meeting?
"Aro, no sex. I promised Marcus. Not even accidental sex." She knew it wasn't exactly 'accidental'. She had chosen to allow Aro to take her.
He laughed at the term, but understood her point. "Very well, cara, not even accidental." He lay back, enjoying the morning light, happy she was beside him. One day, he thought, one day you will be mine again.
A/N : Just out of curiosity, does anyone have an opinion on whether Charlotte should get back together with Aro or do you like her bonding with Marcus? Just wondering where the readers stand. This story is probably nearing its end, unless the characters tell me they have more story to tell, but so far, nada. I will miss them. Thanks for reading it.