Chapter Forty Three

Peter

I had never worried about The Major in all the years we'd been together as human and vampire but I was worried now and I had no idea what to do. As a man he had been a great leader, compassionate but hard when circumstances dictated, a friend and comrade. As a vampire he had been hard, utterly ruthless, and even vicious. I guess exactly what the Volturi wanted, an emotionless and unbeatable killing machine.

Lately though I'd noticed a difference, he no longer talked to any of us, not even me. He didn't ask us what we thought or care what happened to the targets we were given so long as they died. However he had become different, more cruel, more hot tempered, almost as if he wanted to provoke us or someone to take him on. We couldn't beat him, we knew that and I think that annoyed him even more. Did he really want to kill the few people who weren't terrified of him?

In my case the only friend he had left although I doubted the word friend applied any more. I was no different from the others in our small group and if I ever tried to remind him of our shared past he would turn on me barely restraining himself. It was almost as if he had become self destructive and I knew if we were recalled to Volterra for orders he might well attempt to provoke Felix or Caius into trying their luck, it was as if his own life no longer mattered, he felt nothing for anything or anyone any longer.

Our jobs were becoming less frequent as most vampires wanted no part of The Major, he was the best deterrent the Volturi had ever had according to the longest serving members of the Guard. Though I couldn't have stopped what happened I felt guilty for what had happened to my friend, he had become the demon of our world with absolutely no redeeming qualities.

When there was no task for us the other two preferred to hunt alone but we're ready to rejoin The Major as soon as a call came through. I hung around although for the most part he ignored me. Our hunts became something of a bloodbath as he went through not just the one or two humans he needed in order to quench his thirst but groups, often young men out for trouble but still they didn't deserve to die the way they did, ripped apart by a red eyed monster before being buried or dumped into the nearest river or creek. Only the ones he had fed on were hidden carefully so I guess he hadn't given up on life altogether.

The Major

I knew Ben and Sam were afraid of me, their fear drenching my system and I fed on it as much as on the blood I drank. Peter still cared…. the fool. I tried pushing him away, his concern for me an irritant I couldn't bear, it was like fingernails down a chalk board. Sooner or later, if he didn't give up, I would find his dismembered body on my hands and thinking about it I understood that thought no longer bothered me. Nothing reached me now except an all consuming rage and hunger.

I wanted someone who would stand up to me, someone brave or stupid enough to challenge the all conquering Major but there was no one, everyone feared me, as they should. Life meant nothing, when not hunting or killing I sat emptying my mind of everything but the fear of my companions, bathing in it like a warm bath, nourishing me. It had been some time since our last assignment and I wanted to move on, I needed to keep moving and each day I waited for my cell phone to ring, becoming more angry when none came.

Aro

So far so good, I had heard nothing more from any of the Cullens and my dear brothers were blithely unaware of what had taken place. Felix was monitoring every communication that came to Volterra, both written and oral and all was quiet. Of course Carlisle understood that he stood on very shaky ground after this. I was still toying with the idea of recalling him to Volterra along with his family.

They would be safer under my direct protection and if anything ever did come out I could argue I had done everything necessary to keep a lid on things. There was still the problem of the human girl but Carlisle seemed to have been correct about her too. I had Felix keeping an eye on her too, using his own men, who were fanatically loyal to him and would never talk about their work to anyone, not even my brothers.

It seemed she had gone back to her pre Cullen life and kept her peace. Of course should she open her mouth at all they had orders to kill her and make it look like an accident. That would be more convenient all round with her father being the local Police Chief.

I was also watching Edward Cullen whose actions concerned but also amused me. He had obviously decided that if there were no action taken about his family's connection with his ex girlfriend then he would need to keep a safe distance between himself and the rest of the family but using his sires money to do so was extremely low, especially as Carlisle had done everything for his "son", a "son" I personally thought he was far too close to but this proved me wrong.

Edward had been willing to see his sire and "family" die out of spite. Perhaps it would be better if Edward disappeared permanently although that meant losing a precious gift and I hated the thought of that. He could not be allowed to come to Volterra, that was much too dangerous, For now it was another watching brief for poor Felix whose resources were being stretched to breaking point.

A tap on my study door was followed by Marcus coming in with his usual half vacant expression as if not sure why he had come.

"Brother, sit down, What can I do for you? Its not often you grace my study with your company."

"Thank you."

He sat down looking at the artwork on the wall behind me and I wondered when he would get round to the point of his visit. I toyed with the idea of taking his hand, it would save time but instead I just sat back and waited patiently.

"I had a visit from Chelsea yesterday, she is a little discomforted."

I sat forward at this, Chelsea was extremely important to me, to the guard and if she had a problem why had she come to Marcus and not me?

"Really?"

"She….. it seems Caius had been paying her rather too much attention recently and that is making her uncomfortable."

"I see, did she give you any details?"

"Yes. it appears he has taken to visiting his wife often, a guilty conscience I expect, but he spends the time talking and looking at Chelsea. She feels he is eying her up as his next conquest and she is extremely unhappy about that."

So was I, surely Caius knew better than to foul his own nest!

"I see, I suppose she spoke to you because she thought I might be more inclined to take Caius' side in the matter."

Marcus eyes finally fixed on my own,

"As we all know what his reputation is yet you do nothing I think that's a safe assumption to make Aro."

He got up then,

"One day Caius will overstep the mark and there will be repercussions in Volterra Aro, it would be well if you remembered that."

As he left without another word I brooded, he was right, Caius was getting worse, I would have to speak to him but I wouldn't mention Marcus or Chelsea.