Hey.. made another 'movie trailer' if anyone is bored and wants to check it out.. only a couple minutes long:
go to you tube dot com/watch?v=NJoPpJwfzPM (let me know whatcha think if ya watch it!)
Oh, and this is NOT the last chapter yet... just so ya know. Thanks for reading all :)
Chapter 39
Edward glided gracefully through the trees after Olivia, knowing Alice and Jasper were just behind him. On the ground below, Bella and Renesme ran, tracking their every move. Luciana continued to guide him with her thoughts, though he never lost sight of the woman's witchy movements as she bounded from trunk to trunk.
Without warning, her patterns shifted. Edward looked ahead and braced himself on a oversized tree branch, allowing Jasper and Alice to catch up to him. They stopped at his side, curious as to what had just happened.
They all peered into the darkness and Edward finally caught up to what had happened.
"Aro," he said, looking at them, "Bella!"
"Edward! We're here," she called from below.
"Go back to Carlisle and Esme. Take Renesme."
"Edward, I-"
"Just go," he instructed, "Now."
Their feet scampered over the fallen leaves and Edward lead Alice and Jasper in the direction of Olivia, Luciana and the Volturi. They climbed their way down to the earth below with the immediately arrival of Seth and Sam.
Jacob had accompanied Bella and Renesme on their way back to Carlisle and Esme.
In a very small clearing, Demetri stood crouched, while Aro remained upright and calm. Before them, Olivia held Luciana around the neck and positioned herself behind her.
"Be very careful about your next move," Aro warned.
Olivia shrugged off the comment and squeezed on Luciana's neck until a painful wail left her mouth.
Demetri hissed and moved a few steps in their direction and Aro, stern in his expression, moved in unison.
Seth boldly made his way up next to the Volturi leader with a mouth full of snarling, snapping teeth. Saliva dripped from his jaws and smoke from his breath decorated the air immediately in front of his snout.
Aro only looked at him briefly from the corner of his eye, though said nothing.
Seth barked loudly and growled, sending a howl from Sam, who stood behind them all next to Alice. Only a few seconds went by before their group was surrounded at all angles by wolves, each massive in size and teeth out in full force.
The rest of the Cullen family joined up near where Edward stood, and he immediately threw an arm around Bella. Jacob stood closeby Renesme, though hovered slightly in front of them menacingly.
Aro turned his head slightly, not visibly comfortable by his presence only a few feet behind him.
Olivia looked around her, unaware that the entire pack had traveled all the way across the country to avenge Luciana.
"It appears as though you're outnumbered," Aro spoke again. He eyed the immediate area for Masen, which only Edward picked up on.
"He's not here," he informed Aro.
"I see," was his calm response.
Edward knew he was curious as to why, but his thoughts refocused on his daughter.
"I don't care if we both die," Olivia spit out, "But I will do to you what you did to me."
"And what's to stop Masen Cullen from doing what he does best?"
She looked around, "I don't see him here."
"If I'm not mistaken, you've never seen him anywhere," Aro told her, "Don't you remember our last intervention to your reckless and thoughtlessly planned activities? I do say your men did a number on one of my prized twins but he was put back into place quite flawlessly. Do you even know what Masen looks like my dear?"
Luciana stared at Seth with worried eyes and he pawed the ground, sending dirt flying into the air. Aro and Demetri turned to him briefly before returning their attention to Olivia.
Paul growled loudly from her side, though never charged, at Sam's command. Olivia eyed him, sending her red glare in his direction.
Her momentary lapse of concentration on the right people gave Seth the opportunity he had been waiting for. Without hesitation, he charged, lunging at Olivia's head.
Aro's expression changed from calm to horror, and everyone reacted at once, like a domino effect from Seth's bold move.
"Seth!" Luciana screamed, "Seth!" She laid on the ground, having been knocked out of the way as he wrestled on the ground with Olivia. She attempted to get her arms around the back of his massive body, though Paul was the first to reach her and used his strong jaws to pin her between his teeth, successfully pulling her away from Seth.
Everyone stepped back and allowed the wolves to have their way with the vampire who threatened to break the bonds of one of their own and the object of his imprinting and affection.
As much as Carlisle and Aro alike wanted to get in on the process of tearing her to pieces for putting their loved ones at risk, both held off. Luciana immediately ran to Seth and wrapped her arms around his furry neck. He nuzzled up close to her and closed his eyes.
Demetri looked at Aro, wondering what his next course of action would be.
"Burn the pieces," he ordered.
Demetri nodded and went to gather wood. Emmett went to help him but he stopped him with a hint of anger in his eyes, as if to say 'this is my job'.
Luciana never separated from Seth, and Aro realized the menacing, threatening lecture he'd planned for the boy would be used for another time. In her closed eyes that matched his, he saw their happiness. It was pure and real and something that he realized stood above the bond he had with his daughter. He switched his gaze to Carlisle and marched over to him, immediately pulling him away from Esme and Alexandra.
Carlisle put up a hand as if to let them know it was fine, though they never took their eyes off of him.
A small fire started up a few feet away and Olivia's body was tossed into it, piece by piece.
"Where's the other one?" Aro asked Carlisle, looking toward the flames, "Peter. The one that took her."
"He's gone," he told him.
Aro looked at Carlisle in the eye with a smile, "Dead, I presume from your answer."
Carlisle nodded and it caused Aro to snicker and smirk.
"It seems as though, Carlisle, that fatherhood has had it's effects on both of us."
He listened as the Volturi leader carried on.
"It has softened me as equally as it's hardened you."
Carlisle looked around at the scene before them. The eyes of his children were all on them - Alexandra, Edward, Bella, Jasper, Alice, Emmett... Each of them, along with Esme and Renesme, were on edge in their own unique ways, looking out for him in his closeknit chat with Aro.
"Aro," he said, "I've been a father for almost a century. It's not a new feeling to me. We do what we have to do to protect our families."
Luciana ran over and threw her arms around her father, "Dad! You came for me."
Carlisle could see his expression soften a bit to match what he'd just explained to him. He returned the hug and let out a sigh. "There's nothing I wouldn't do for you, Luciana."
"I know," she said, "I knew you'd come."
Tears began to flow down her eyes and he looked into her deeply black pupils. "You must be starving, my dear."
Her face was damp and she forced a smile, "I didn't even really notice until just now. I'm just happy to see you."
"I'm grateful to have you safe," he said with more sincerity than any other words he'd exchanged in his existance. He stepped back to look at her, "Come back with me. Come to Italy. I'd like to spend some time with you."
Luciana looked up to him with the eyes of mixed feelings and turned to Seth, who was just behind her still in his animal form.
"It'll just be for a time. A vacation."
Carlisle eyed Edward to get a read on whether his words were true.
"Can... Seth come too?" she asked, "I'd like him to get to know you."
Seth's neck snapped in her direction, seemingly caught off guard by her request. As much as the thought frightened him, he felt that it was something that would have to be done at some point in time. In turn, he did not want to part from Luciana ever again. The thought of her being in another country made him uneasy and so he stepped forward, looking at Aro.
"Whatever will make you happiest, Luciana," he said in a less than eager tone. He did, however, fully mean it.
Demetri made his way next to Aro and stood with his arms folded in front of him.
"Seth, would you care to accompany us back to Italy?" Aro asked.
He looked over at Luciana before bowing his head in a quick nod.
Aro clapped his hands together with a smile, "Wonderful."
Seth attempted to check subtly with Edward to get a read on Aro's thoughts.
"Shall we get a move on then?" Demetri asked, "And I do believe the wolf should sleep outside of our home. I can't stand the smell that's lingering in these woods."
Edward smiled at Seth, reading that Aro wanted to do him no harm, for hurting Seth meant hurting Luciana and that was simply not a part of his repertoire. It was also non-negotiable with any other members of the Volturi.
"I'll be back soon," Luciana said to Carlisle and Esme, before making her rounds to the entire family. She ran a hand through Seth's coat and linked her arm through Aro's before the four of them made their way home.
"Carlisle," Aro said in passing, "You'll be hearing from me soon." He smiled gracefully at Esme before they disappeared into the night.
Everyone looked at each other and sat in silence for a few minutes.
"Edward, they'll be okay?" Carlisle asked, more or less knowing he would have stopped them if there was something wrong.
"He won't hurt Seth. They'll be back in a week or two." His gaze shifted to the Quileutes, who had narrowed their distance to get a read on the situation.
"I'm calling Rose," Emmett said, pulling out his phone.
"Masen," Esme said, looking at Carlisle.
He unzipped the pocket to his jacket and removed his I-phone, that was decorated with a spiderweb-like crack. The screen worked well enough to allow him to punch in his son's number.
Esme listened as the two of them talked and Carlisle filled him in on what had happened.
"We're going to meet him," Carlisle told Edward and the rest of them.
"We'll follow you," he said.
Carlisle nodded and began the march to the border of New Hampshire where Masen and Leah waited.