2 Weeks Later
"Tell me who you are," the sweet, motherly voice demanded from the throne.
"In detail."
Both the Cullen coven and the Denali coven stood in the throneroom of the Volturi Castle, surrounded by creatures they thought had been eradicated.
The lycans glared at them in disgust while the vampire's attempted to remain calm.
Their species were said to be mortal enemies, which was proven by the extreme unease they felt being in such close proximity.
To make matters worse, Edward Cullen could not hear any of their thoughts.
Now, both he and Alice's powers were useless.
The pixie had not been able to see any of their futures for some time now, and now they knew these lycans were to blame.
Three people sat on the thrones.
Two blondes that were obviously identical twins, and a woman with long, pin straight black hair. All of them appeared to be in their early thirties.
After introducing themselves in grand detail, down to what special abilities they had and their mating status, the raven haired woman stood.
"What a gifted group of animal drinkers this is, and very honest as well. You will come to find honesty is the way to my heart," she said, smiling kindly.
Many of the vampires began to relax at her comforting tone of voice and welcoming aura.
She radiated warmth.
However, the older vampires knew that could be deceiving.
"I am Selene Lykos, first to be given the gift of lycanthropy by the goddess, Hircine," she announced proudly.
"We mean you no harm. All we seek is an end to the unnecessary bloodshed. And the only way that could be achieved was to end those that perpetuated the genocide of our kind."
She slowly made her way down the marble steps of her dais, hands clasped in front of her and head downturned in a surprisingly demure fashion.
However, they could hear her scenting the air fervently.
"You see, your kind hunted my children to near extinction. Twas only by the blessings of the goddess that we managed to survive, and eventually thrive. In the shadows, of course. We have-"
Selene stopped short, inhaling deeply.
When she lifted her head, her green eyes were now completely overtaken with darkness and her canines lengthened.
"You."
Edward stiffened as she pointed a long, sharp nail at him.
"Why do you smell of human if you're an animal drinker?"
Before he could respond, a musclebound, dark-skinned lycan spoke up with a grin.
"The boy brought a peace offering with him, mistress," the man growled.
"A pretty young thing, but barely enough to get you full. I thought it best to let her remain in their quarters."
Selene hummed thoughtfully.
"Is that so?"
Instinctively, Edward growled at the thought of Bella being eaten by one of these beasts.
"She is not a peace offering. She is my mate and she will not be harmed."
The tension within the room threatened to suffocate them all as the Lykos twins and the queen's pack glared at Edward Cullen.
His tone was not appreciated.
"Son, calm yourself," Carlisle said, grabbing hold of his arm.
"Mistress Selene seems reasonable and kind. I doubt she would harm Bella without pretense."
The patriarch glanced at the tense queen, head lowered in submission.
However, she only had eyes for Edward, who appeared rather frustrated. Her mind still echoed with silence, the same as Bella Swan.
Holding his defiant gaze, Selene spoke.
"Cassius, fetch her."
A growl clawed up Edward's throat, but he stamped it down in the face of this deceptively calm woman and her highly irritated subordinates.
He did not know how her mind worked. For all he knew, another outburst would cost him and his family their lives.
The blonde man sat forward in his throne.
"The Volturi had laws against your kind having relations with humans. Especially, allowing them to know your true nature. You and your coven broke that law," Rodin said, scowling.
"Mother, I say we rid ourselves of them. They are deceitful and messy. We don't have time for it."
Selene nodded, taking in his opinion.
This did not comfort the vampires.
"And what say you, daughter?"
Rhea's head shot up, having been caught daydreaming.
"I like them. Well, not the Edward boy," she muttered, mouthing an apology to him.
"They have a lot of blondes. We can't kill them. It would feel wrong... like killing Rodin."
He shook his head at his sister, but his lips pulled upward at the corner.
"They're vampires, Rhea. Lawbreaking vampires. Not your kin."
"Still. It's not right. They could turn out to be our new friends."
He growled to himself.
"Vampires could never be our friends."
"Poor, Rodin," Rhea tsked. "Anyone can become a friend."
Selene rose a brow at her children, awaiting a consensus.
Eventually, Rodin threw his hands up in surrender, causing Rhea to smile.
"Very good. There will be no killing today," Selene announced.
Both the Denali coven and the Cullen coven tentatively relaxed at her words, but the lycans in the room appeared displeased.
"However, you will explain why the human in your coven has not been turned. The Volturi may be dead, but that law is one that will be upheld indefinitely."
By the time Carlisle was finishing up his explanation, Bella was being escorted into the throneroom.
The rapid slosh of her heart echoed in the chamber as Cassius pulled her to stand before his mistress.
The vampires watched on with bated breath and barely concealed anxiety.
None more than Edward and Alice Cullen.
Head bowed in submission, Bella wouldn't dare to look the other woman in the eyes. Simply being in her presence was stifling.
She thought standing before Aro was overwhelming, but this unknown being's energy filled the entire room to the point of suffocation, making her tremble.
"Now that I know the fate of your humanity, you will not be harmed," Selene whispered, trying to calm her down.
"On my honor as alpha of the Lykos pack, I swear this to you."
Soothed by the gentle, inviting voice, Bella lifted her eyes and was met by pools of inky blackness. The white expanse of her sclera was nowhere to be found.
Yet, her trembling lessened.
"What about my family?"
Selene smiled and her canines glistened.
"You see these vampires as your family?"
"I do."
The queen tilted her head.
"Do they treat you like family?"
The thought of vampires having a family unit didn't sit right with Selene. They were utilitarian and selfish by nature. Unlike the pack oriented lycans.
"I never really felt like I had a family until I met the Cullens," Bella said, as if she realizing it in the moment.
"So yes... they do."
"My sentiment towards you extends to them as well. As long as they keep their word, of course."
"They will," Bella said firmly. "Alice has already seen it."
Selene hummed thoughtfully.
"Alice Cullen, is this true?"
The short vampire stepped forward anxiously. Having gone a months without being able to see her family or herself in visions had taken its toll on her confidence and mental health.
"I have seen it, Queen Selene," Alice said. "She will be turned within three years."
Nodding, the ancient lycan stepped closer to Bella. Just enough to make every vampire in the room uneasy, but not enough to cause Bella's heart to race.
"I am quite curious about you and your interesting scent," Selene chuckled, almost to herself.
"How unfortunate that you must leave so soon."
The increase of Bella's heart rate and the uncontrollable low growl Edward emitted did not escape the queen's notice.
"Once you're turned, I expect you to return here so that I can confirm it."
Bella nodded, watching in awe as the queen's eyes slowly returned to a unique, mossy green color.
"You may stand with your family."
Pulling herself away from Selene's overwhelming gaze, Bella stumbled back to the Cullens. Edward quickly pushed her behind him, shielding her from the queen.
Still, Bella peeked around him to catch glimpses of her as she spoke. Every now and again locking eyes.
"Before I allow you to go, I must send you away with this knowledge. The new order I am establishing will not throw out the laws the Volturi set in place millenias ago. It will only add to it," Selene announced, standing flat footed and comfortable before the vampires.
"First and foremost, I forbid any vampire to kill a lycan without sound reasoning. If we catch wind of what you've done, we will take it to trial and you must prove that it was self-defense. Otherwise, you will be sentenced to death. Why? Your kind have killed quite enough of mine.
Secondly, no vampire shall commit cruel or unusual acts of violence against a lycan. Meaning, rape, false imprisonment, experimentation, etcetera.
I have personally experienced these heinous acts and witnessed them in my several millennia of existence. Do not take my precaution for overzealousness.
Until further notice, the third and final law is that no vampire or group of vampires shall ever, at any point, impregnate a lycan. The reasons why are sitting behind me as we speak."
Every eye focused on Rhea and Rodin, who appeared rather bored with this whole proceeding now. The woman having dozed off in her throne.
"My children are hybrids. Lycan and vampire. The culmination of two powerful, mortal enemies," Selene said, her tone becoming even more serious.
Shock washed over the vampires in waves. They'd never heard of such a thing.
Carlisle Cullen itched to know more.
"I love my children, but there was a period of time where they were uncontrollable. The combined bloodlust of lycan and vampire took a millennia to master for them. Even with me as their teacher. I forbid more of their kind being created because I have seen the damage that can be done firsthand. Do you understand everything have said here today?"
Tanya stepped forward.
"Mistress Selene, I speak for myself, my coven, and my cousins when I say that we are grateful for your hospitality and we understand," she said, pausing.
"However, I fear that there are some of us who will not and will never understand. Our kind is prideful, selfish, and territorial by nature. Many would never dream of accepting a lycan as their new leader."
The low growls of Selene's pack echoed in the room. They all knew what that meant.
Civil war.
"We know, Tanya. We are prepared to fight and die for what we believe in. We will go to war for our pack, our families, and our children," Selene said, lifting her chin.
She turned to her left and pointed towards a young woman with a little girl clinging to her back.
Rosalie, who had been silently disapproving of the wolves this whole time, softened at the sight.
Although she did not want to, she was beginning to understand and empathize with what drove Selene and her pack.
"We have over two dozen children in our pack. They are our future. The only way that the genocidal brainwashing the Volturi instilled into your kind will die is for us to be in power," Selene explained.
"Now that we are, your kind must either eradicate us or learn to live in harmony with us. Time will tell what they choose. Just know that I personally respect the way you all have behaved in my home today and you are welcome to return without any fear of harm. I swear it."
Tanya's eyes widened minutely when the ancient extended her hand, but she swiftly took it.
"We appreciate the sentiment, Queen Selene. Truly."
Soon, the matriarch began making her rounds to every vampire, shaking their hands to show her respect.
By the end, Edward tentatively spoke, feeling ashamed.
"I would like to apologize-"
"It is accepted," Selene said.
"You are young. You are newly mated and said mate is human. I understand. You will learn to control yourself over time."
By the end of their meeting, the once rigid lycans now lounged agaisnt the walls and the vampires held relaxed postures.
Neither group could remember a time when the two races were this amicable with one another.
It had always been commonplace to attack on sight.
"Take your leave and go with my well wishes," Selene said kindly.
"Hopefully, today you've learned that just because we think we are mortal enemies, we do not have to be."
As the Pacific Northwestern covens departed from the Volturi Castle, the anxiety they entered with was gone.
However, they knew that eventually, all hell would break loose and they could very well be in the middle of it.
Torn between fighting for their own kind or their mortal enemy.