I can't apologise enough for the amount of time it took to update this. I can tell you that it will be finished, and while I can't promise weekly updates, I can promise that they will be coming sooner that previously. Thanks goes to my beta goddess, Mynxi, and my wifey, TheChickNorris for pre-reading. I hope some are still with me, and that you enjoy this chapter...

And no, I haven't morphed into SM in the time between chapters. I still do not own Twilight.

M-A-R-I-A

I lounged back on the obscenely large and plush sofa, one hand lazily tracing the woven pattern, broken by streaks of crimson, still drying and sinking deep within the fibres. My other hand ran lazy sweeps through the hair of the young woman sitting at my feet, her stuttered breathing a delightful cadence and the only sign of life in the room. We had happened upon the house as we drove into Spokane, sounds of music, laughter and drunken fuelled conversation having gained our attention and sparked our thirst. The gathering had afforded us plenty of entertainment and a chance to make up for the days of none stop travelling that Jasper had insisted upon. A much needed stop in our hastily thrown together road trip.

My pet cowering on the floor was the only one left alive, her wide and frightened eyes had drawn me to her as she tried to hide in the corner, her screams having dissolved into nothing more than breathless whimpers as she had witnessed the demise of her friends and family, echoing with such sweet despair. It gives me no pain to admit that in our hunger, we had been less than careful when taking our fill, the music turned up loud and booming, drowning out the screams from anyone close enough to hear anything. The thrum of the bass moved through us all as we moved from one to the next, tasting here and ripping there. Some of the blood being wasted as it arched elegantly across the room, treating the space to a macabre and impromptu make over.

Humans really do have an irrational aversion to blood considering that they are so filled with it, especially when torn screaming from their veins. I laugh quietly to myself as I recalled Charlotte getting a little carried away with one of the braver ones, one that had tried to fight back. She had stood still, one eyebrow raised in amused question as he had hit her with all of his strength with the baseball bat held tight in his hands. I had watched as his muscles bunched, rippled and shook from the force of the hit. His radius and ulna shattered from the impact, the bat splintering and piercing his flesh as his bones mirrored their efforts from the inside out. Charlotte, in true and beautifully dangerous form, had gripped the screaming mortal around his throat and made him watch as she tore into the woman he had been trying to protect, before draining him soon after. I always found it an enchanting sight to watch Charlotte as she feeds.

There is something erotic and deeply satisfying about watching your mate feed, even more so if you are the one providing the meal, offering the life up for taking. It is the same with Peter of course, though his usual style is much more male. His enjoys the hunt, drawing it out, letting them sweat. He says it makes the blood stronger, triggering the survival instinct of his victim. As it is, with the veritable bloodbath that had been inspired this evening, he simply took his fill, getting lost along with the rest of us, to his bloodlust and the animal inside.

It is something that I have always loved about our kind, that our beautiful and alluring facades hide a multitude of sins.

Jasper is the only one that I have ever seen keep constant control. Calm, analytical, and detached, he would still be smiling as he ripped you apart. Even as a newborn, while unable to resist the blood offered, he still managed to focus and look at me with incredible hatred. He never lost himself, blaming me for bringing him into this life. And rightly so. I used to think of it as him keeping hold of his humanity. It had been so sadistically satisfying, watching him rage against me and yet know that he had nowhere else to go, that he was at my mercy.

Our first few decades together were tumultuous at best, though he was loyal to a fault. Peter's arrival in our fold changed everything, finding the first of my mates brought a clarity and fulfilment that I had never felt before. I am not talking of fuzzy feelings of warmth, though I loved him almost from the first moment, it was more a feeling of balance.

It brought Jasper and I to a new understanding, Peter befriending Jasper the way that he did, brought him out of the darkness that he had forced himself into. Helped him get past his need for revenge, his craving for what he had been before, helped him embrace himself and the power that we would all wield together. Peter never had a problem with the nature he had found himself born into, his newborn stage was over relatively quickly, soon gaining control of himself and his instincts and facing his new found nature head on and with pride. Peter was the bridge that we had needed, or maybe simply the catalyst for me to see Jasper in a different light. From then on we worked as a team. Jasper's newfound enjoyment of his position and situation made for a much better working relationship. And, quite frankly, Peter kept me satisfied and happy with days of nothing but worshiping each other's bodies. And the Charlotte had arrived, I smile wickedly to myself remembering that wake up from the burn.

"I just want to understand why you think it's a good idea to throw ourselves into the hornets' nest," Peter's voice interrupted my revelry, my hand not ceasing in its movements through my pet's hair, easily moving through the drying clots of blood that saturated it, the winces of pain that it drew out of her as it pulled at her scalp a nice backdrop to the conversation I was now listening to. "You know better than anyone that the group of Atypical's don't scare me none, but it don't seem too intelligent to just waltz on in there when two of them will be in danger of bein' taken to the 'dark side'."

I laughed in delight at his tone, as did Charlotte as she came to join me on the sofa, lying on her back with her head in my lap. Peter's disdain for the Cullen's view of our kind was never something that could be missed or misunderstood. He was what he was, and never made excuses for it, he revelled in it. He didn't see any point to trying to go against our nature and lower ourselves to the consumption of animal blood, or look down on those of us that keep true to ourselves and took he Cullen's 'holier than thou' view as a personal insult.

I leaned down to capture Charlotte's mouth in a soft kiss, licking at her lips as Jasper snorted, "You know full and damn well that not a one of them would go against the Volturi, while our presence won't be enjoyed, it will not be refused. Hell, if we wanted to, we could waltz, as you put it, right into their house and demand quarter."

Peter and Jasper had started arguing as soon as Jasper had revealed his plan to meet his mates. That was a month ago, one month of nothing but grumbling and growling, shouting and cussing between the both of them. I was bored, I knew that we'd be doing whatever Jasper wanted to do, and I didn't even care that we would have to wear irritating contact lenses to hide our eyes, taking on the pretence to humanity in a weak attempt to fit in with the cattle. In my mind, there was no use arguing, just get used to it and look forward to the all you can eat teen buffet.

Of course, there would never be any 'fitting in', the humans always knew that we are different, some primitive part of their brain sparking off a useless and confusing warning that they need to flee as fast as their weak little hearts would allow them. Not that I minded if they did, it always got the blood pumping, sweeter, headier. So much more satisfying. Letting them think that they've gotten away, watching them lock the door and check the windows, turn on the television to make themselves feel less alone, maybe call a friend to come over for moral support. The more the better.

Absently, I pet the woman, feeling her silent sobs tremor through my fingers and a contented smile on my lips. She'd screamed and cried as Peter had leisurely drained her husband, begged for mercy and tried to cover her ears from his screams as she sagged in defeat at his last gurgled gasps of air. I watched her, not Peter, drawn in by her tears and anguish, her terror. It really is beautiful to see a human's reactions, to catalogue their emotions and physical breakdown as they fight to understand what they're seeing. I sat down with her, pulling her shaking form to kneel on the floor, she did as bade without any fight, a shell of the bright young woman I had spied when we had first entered the room. She knew that there was no way out, still, she was a pretty little thing. I toyed with the idea of changing her for playing with later. Probably not worth the trouble, not with our current assignments. A newborn isn't exactly the easiest of travel companions and, besides, humans are always ready and waiting to be played with. They just don't realise it. I would find a new toy at a later date.

"Alice will know that we're comin', you think that she won't have them runnin'?" Peter said for what had to be the fifteenth time.

Growling, Jasper turned from him and stalked to the window, looking out and not looking back to Peter as he answered, his voice filled with dry annoyance. "Yes, Peter, I haven't thought of that. Not before you brought it up the first time, or the countless times afterwards."

I stifled a laugh at Jasper's tone, he really doesn't like to be questioned, and Peter is only getting away with this because of the friendship behind the more professional relationship. Still, I knew that Peter was only a hairs breath away from being physically silenced. A pity it wouldn't be with Jasper's cock, he really isn't one to reward for insolence. Separating the problem from its source it the most effective way of solving a problem and Peter can't talk if his head isn't attached to his body. I would be angry about the possibility if I didn't know he would live through it, besides, Charlotte and I would be able to keep ourselves busy until Jasper decided that he wanted his second back.

"The boys need to find a new topic, mi querido," I whispered against Charlotte's lips, her smile mirroring my own.

"True enough, Peter's just disgruntled about the possibility of having to act like food. I don't think he's caught on that Jasper would never set him up as a school student," she replied, just for my ears, as we continued to taste each other's lips. "Peter is a lot of things, but a teenager he is not." She ended with a giggle, arching up to kiss me more forcefully, her hand winding into my hair.

"Fuck. Fine, I know there's no fuckin' point in arguin', but shit, Jasper. Can't I stay back at the house? I work best on recon, not shoved in the middle of fuckin' teenagers pretendin' to be one of them."

I looked to Peter, glancing at Charlotte and shared a moment of amusement at the men. Peter was almost pleading. Almost. He would never stoop so low as to actually beg. I decided this was the time for me to interrupt, my boredom and irritation spiking. I had had more than enough of this over the last month.

"Peter, mi guerrero, there is no way that Jasper expected you to come to school with us. You were twenty-five when turned, how are you planning on passing for a teenager? I'm disappointed that you fell for it at all." I addressed Peter, one eyebrow raised and a sly smile gracing my lips.

"Spoil all my fun, Maria, and are you going to eat that? We have no room for playmates on this trip." Jasper interrupted, motioning to the woman.

Cutting my eyes to him, I raise my eyebrow to a sharper angle, unimpressed at his tone. "She's mine to do with as I will, Jasper, you might be elevated within the Volturi, but I am still the Mistress of the Southern Armies and your sire and deserve your respect. Now put Peter out of his misery and tell him your plan. I'm bored and I want action, you've had me leading you into your human mate's dreams...which are sinfully delightful by the way," I say with a slow smirk, my eyes darkening as I remembered the wonderful subconscious thoughts that I had to play with.

One of the most pleasant experiences was being inside Bella's mind, a decadent and wild reward after the difficulty of gaining access in the first place. That girl's mind was locked tight and she didn't even know it. It had taken almost twenty-four hours of constant tuning and tweaking before I had managed to slip through. It became easier as time went on, eventually enabling us to 'visit' her every time she slept, almost as if she wanted us there, anticipating it. She finally stopped fighting my intrusion.

"And yet we are still stalling our arrival, I'm not sure what you're waiting for."

Jasper was very pleased with me when it became apparent that his little human was unconsciously yearning for our disturbance.

His answering smirk was pure dark, male satisfaction, his eyes shining with lust and pride, "Edward doesn't know what's we have hidden inside that innocent human packaging."

"Of course he doesn't, I'd wager that he thinks of her as his salvation. His innocent lover, come to him to help keep him from the big bad mate that he left behind. Maybe he even thinks that she will win you over, Jasper. Are you craving deer yet?" Charlotte piped in, shaking her head smiling, "Oh, if he could only see inside her head."

"No...she doesn't know it herself, the nearer to waking that she gets, the more she fights and then pretty much throws us out. She's disgusted and frightened by her own desires; I doubt that Edward would've picked up on any of it. But, my God, I would love to see his face if he could witness her dream." Jasper trails off, lost in his thoughts, his eyes shining, black and deep, leaving no doubt at his fantasies.

"I'm sure you'll take great pleasure in makin' sure that he knows exactly what she's been dreamin'. Now, what the fuck is the plan? I need to make arrangements, gather intel, and arrange the paper work." Peter interrupted, looking like his usual calm self, now that he knew he wouldn't be expected to play hormonal teenager and obviously just wanting to get to the point.

"We'll be utilising the wolves, staying under the fortune cookie's radar." He looked up, likely at the collective irritation from us at his news, and a look that clearly meant no back talk firmly on his face, "I don't want to hear it." He paused, looking at each of us.

Peter simply nodded; Charlotte huffed and motioned for him to continue, while I straighten out the disgusted look on my face. With a nod, he continued, "It's the mutts or Alec and I hate being around that...abomination." He shuddered, standing straighter.

Jasper hates Alec and his twin sister, Jane. They were changed young, too young. Just old enough to not be classified as the outlawed and taboo Immortal Children, but their eternity of living on the perpetual cusp of puberty had left them in a world of their own and apart from ours. Their gifts had assured them rank within the Volturi numbers, exalted even in their outcast positions, Null and Agony. They were a formidable pair, and one that I avoided as much as possible.

"We move out as soon as Maria and I have finished. I want to be on her mind when we make our presence known. I want to see her first, not him."

I lost interest then, leaving the boys to talk of their toys and make plans for pretty little brunettes, knowing that Jasper would have me accompany him when they had finished. The idea of hiding within the wolves' territory, while abhorrent, was necessary. It would keep us under the radar, and the uneasy truce that existed between our races would keep us from attacking each other. However, one had to wonder how their stance was on the human destined to be turned. It was well known their usual plans to secure a person's humanity, and snapping their mortal coil was not something the wolves shied away from. For the 'greater good', of course. The mangy little boys, elevated to immortal status during puberty and lead in zealous faith by their Shaman, hating the treaty but never questioning why it was made in the first place. William Black may be the ancestor of Ephraim Black, but he doesn't come close to his ancestor.

I watch the men for a few moments, my mind elsewhere and on times forgotten as one generation of wolves had chosen mortality and died off and another was born. One much more dangerous in their stunted, but strong beliefs. They could be a problem; I could foresee lupine blood spilt on the horizon. Maybe it would teach them a lesson. Maybe it would start a war.

Charlotte was now looking curiously down at my pet, who had now stilled other than the occasional shudder. She smelt so sweet. Like sunshine wrapped in candy.

"Are you planning on keeping her to yourself? Or can we share?" Charlotte asked, licking her lips suggestively and leaning forward with a gleam in her eyes that I've loved since the moment she woke from the change.

"Now how can I resist an offer like that?" I purr, pulling the woman up by her hair, ignoring her renewed screams and struggles as I dip my head down, my lips skimming over her sweat salty skin, my teeth puncturing enough to draw blood and drink, but not to puncture the artery. My lips and mouth coated thickly in the warm, viscous liquid, I turn to Charlotte and take her waiting mouth with mine. Our tongues entwining slowly as she samples the offering.

Her voice is thick with desire when she pulls back, her eyelids at half mast, "Delicious."

I smile, licking over her lips, "Now, now, baby...you know full well that's just the appetiser."

oOo

One long, drawn out and thoroughly enjoyed meal later, Charlotte and I lay entangled and naked on the newly christened sofa, my short lived pet forgotten and broken on the floor, silent and cold in her death. She had given us much pleasure in her final moments. The blood drying on our skin flaked away easily as our hands still roamed over each other's skin, our passions sated for the moment, as we lay entwined and listening to the plans as they were laid, simply enjoying our afterglow.

"There is a cottage located on the outskirts of Quillette land, as far from the Cullen's boarder as you can get," Peter spoke as he and Jasper leaned over a map that he had laid out on the dining room table, his finger pointing out the spot he was referring to. "We'll also be out of the mutt's hair, so to speak, though I wouldn't put it past the mangy bastards to set up regular patrols in the vicinity, still their stench will cover our scents in the case of one of the Atypical's gettin' too close."

I watched as Jasper nodded, his eyes trained on the map. "Good. I want our arrival to be as much of a surprise as possible, their little early warning system will pick up on my decision as soon as it takes us away from the wolves, that has to be both planned and last minute. We either need a distraction or to wait till they're too far away to come back in time to interfere."

"Then we wait till we're already there, I'm sure we can come up with somthin' suitable," Peter laughed back, obviously looking forward to the challenge and inevitable confrontation.

"We're done here," Jasper stated decisively, catching my eye after doing so, a dark smile on his lips "Maria, I need your services, it's time to let my fledgling mate know that I am coming for her."

oOo

Situated on a king sized bed, naked upon it's white silken sheets, I knelt behind Jasper as he sat cross legged in front of me. My fingertips resting lightly on his temples and both of our eyes closed, I reach for him with my gift, allowing my consciousness to seek out his and draw him to me, capturing his essence as I push us both outwards towards our goal. My gift works best if I have met the subject before any dream infiltration, needing to know that persons specific 'vibrations', if you will. In this instance, I had used her connection to Jasper as my guide to her, the need for her soul's completion echoed through my consciousness as I sorted her out. Still, it had proved to be most difficult to persevere the first time.

Now, it was like slipping on your favourite pair of shoes, welcoming, comfortable and familiar. Now she shone within the darkness of the dreaming world, a light brighter than any other mortals around her, a beacon in the darkness calling us to her. I felt Jasper's anticipation rise as, he too, sensed our closeness to her, and I allowed myself to smile at the knowledge that I was helping bring him to the one that would, quite literally, complete him.

The connection and incorporation of myself into a mortal's dream was much like sinking through warm water, falling into their subconscious, dissolving almost until I am fully integrated. With her mind though, it had been like hitting steel. Hard and unyielding. As I had persevered, it slowly became more like wading through quicksand, allowing me through but not without pressure. The shielding became thinner and thinner each time, but still not giving in completely. I had a feeling that it was simply a natural response on her part. We came upon her light and I took us into it, expecting the same ease that I had gotten used to.

Only this time we were rebuffed, staggering back as much as one can when simply a thought or a whim, a consciousness floating free.

Jasper's irritation and confusion spiked through me, forcing me to push it away and concentrate on my task. I probed more carefully, finding that while she was deeply asleep, something was stopping her ability to fall into REM state. Again, I tried, only to be denied, frustration and anger consuming me and breaking my concentration, sending Jasper and I back into the real world.

"What the fuck happened?" Jasper growled out, glaring at me from where he was now standing at the side of the bed.

"I would wager that she has been drugged to allow her to sleep without dreaming," I responded, watching Jasper carefully, and attempting to keep my calm and feeling a little spike of unease as I witnessed for the first time Jasper losing his. Being refused entry after working so hard to gain it was beyond frustrating. For both of us.

"Can you overcome it? I thought that as long as the person was sleeping, you could force them into REM?"

I sighed, short and quick. "Jasper, you know what my gifts are, but I cannot force a mind to do something that it has been denied for a short while. Whatever she has been given to sleep is blocking the minds ability to dream. You knew that our frequent excursions and control of her dreams could result in it becoming recurring for her. Carlisle doesn't have to be a talented doctor to know what to give her to allow her to sleep; you know full well that humans deteriorate when experiencing insomnia. She may enjoy the dream at the heart of herself, but her waking self thinks of it as a nightmare."

I watch calmly as Jasper lets out his anger by destroying the bedside table, leaving it a pile of splinters and glass by the bed. I could see him pull in on himself to retain his sense of calm. "However, the drug will not last forever, nor will they be able to give it to her on a regular basis. It will ware off before she wakes, I shall keep watch over her and as soon as I gain access to her luminal consciousness I shall call you."

I loathed feeling like I had to appease someone that had been my subordinate for many decades, someone that I had sired. While I knew that his questioning of my gift was born of anger and aggravation, it was still difficult to resist the urge to stay quiet and answer without anger or irritation.

Jasper's smirk and raised eyebrow told me that he knew exactly what I was feeling, and therefore what I was thinking, and his nod was respectful, "Thank you."

Smiling, I simply close my eyes and take myself back to her, waiting for my chance on the outskirts of her mind.

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