I don't own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.
Cheryl, Noles, and Gabby, thank you for pre-reading, and April, thank you for editing. Any mistakes left are my own.
Ch 20
The club was full, with a line around the block. All the customers had to be in costumes at Alice's insistence since it was a Halloween party. Usually, I avoided this night as seeing costumes of stereotypical vampires annoyed the hell out of me. But since I knew tonight would make Isabella happy, we were here. My one concession was to limit the people in the VIP area to just family and one server. We were the first to arrive, and Isabella swayed to the music while watching the people below us. Isabella looked gorgeous once again as an angel.
"Can I get you anything, Mr. Cullen?" Lucy asked. She had worked for us for a long time and was also a vampire.
"Ask my mate first." I gestured.
Lucy's smile waned slightly but turned her attention to Isabella.
"I'd like something fruity. What would you suggest?" Kitten's eyes glowed mischievously.
"How about orange juice," I teased and couldn't help but laugh at the scowl she gave me.
"Many like hurricanes or Bahama mamas," Lucy recommended.
"Ooh, I'll try a hurricane," Isabella requested.
"I'll take my usual, please," I told Lucy, and she scurried off to get the drinks.
While she was gone, my pseudo siblings arrived. Esme and Carlisle didn't care for clubs, so they were off doing their own thing.
"Nice tights, Jasper." I snickered as he walked up as Robin Hood. Alice was dressed as Maid Marian and scowled at me.
"Nice horns." Jasper poked them then gave me a strange look. "Are these real?"
"They are for the night." I gave Isabella a pointed look.
"We shall see." She gave me an impish grin.
"They're not staying," I said firmly, and she only laughed in response.
Emmett came running up to us, without a shirt, just torn pants on. "There you are, turn me green!"
Isabella quirked an eyebrow and changed his skin to fluorescent pink. Emmett looked down at himself in disgust. The rest of us couldn't help but start laughing.
"Did you fail colors in preschool? This isn't green, now turn your favorite brother green." Emmett grumbled.
"Emmett." I wasn't pleased with how he was speaking with her.
Isabella huffed and tilted her head to the side as she turned Jasper green. Emmett pouted and scowled, looking at Jasper and then at himself.
"It's you who needs to go back to preschool. You could've asked her politely rather than demanded." Rosalie appeared at his side with her arms crossed, dressed as Black Widow.
Emmett grew sheepish and rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry. Would you please turn me green so I can be Hulk?"
Isabella smiled pleasantly and did what he asked. Then returned Jasper back to his normal color.
"Awesome." Emmett flexed his muscles.
Rosalie cleared her throat roughly and gave him a pointed look.
"Thanks." Emmett gave Isabella a large grin. She rolled her eyes in response then smirked.
"Well, don't get used to it. Her powers are not to be used at your beck and call." I think I was more upset than Kitten was that she was being used this way.
Isabella kissed my cheek. "Don't worry, if he gets on my nerves too much, I can always arrange for him to have a playdate with Franklin."
Lucy returned at that moment with our drinks. Kitten's eyes lit up as she claimed her fruity drink. Lucy then handed out glasses to the rest of us.
"Bella, when would you like to start wedding planning? These things take time, so we should get started as soon as possible," Alice mentioned.
"Actually, Bella can snap her fingers, and everything could be done within seconds," Emmett scoffed then caught my glare. "What? She'd be at her own beck and call."
Jasper snorted. "I seriously wonder if you were dropped on your head at some point."
"Well, he's not wrong," Isabella said.
"You can't just snap your fingers and get any reservation at any good reception places…can you?" Alice questioned.
"Actually, I was hoping for an outdoor wedding. Maybe on the cliffs in Ireland." Isabella looked hopeful.
"Whatever you want, Kitten," I agreed.
"But it's almost winter; all your human guests would get cold," Alice stated.
"It's going to be a small wedding. You guys, Esme and Carlisle, and my aunt and her family," Isabella responded.
"But…" Alice sighed in defeat at missing the chance to plan a big event. "Please, at least tell me you still don't want a blue dress."
"Hmm. I forgot about that. I don't know if I'll do blue anymore…but not white either. We will have to discuss it at another time." Isabella took a long sip of her drink.
"I want to dance, let's go, big boy." Rose winked at Emmett.
Emmett threw her over his shoulder and headed down the stairs to the lower level. "Hulk smash!"
"Hulk better not smash," I yelled after him.
"We'll keep an eye on him," Jasper promised as Alice started to pull him along to go dance too.
"I want to go dance." Kitten grabbed my hand, but I refused to let her tug me along.
I shook my head. "We are not going down there."
Her lower lip went into a pout. "Why not? What good is a dance club if you're not going to dance."
"We've been here before. You're far too tempting to be on that dance floor, with a bunch of horny men, ogling you. Are you trying to get me to kill someone?"
Kitten giggled and stood in front of me. She rose up on her toes and wrapped her arms around my neck. "Does that mean you'll dance with me here?"
I smirked and placed my hands on her waist. "Lose the wings, they'll get in the way."
She batted her eyes at me, and the feathery wings disappeared. I slid my hands to cup her ass, tugging her so she was pressed up against me. We moved to the beat of the music, and I quickly realized she enjoyed me squeezing her ass by the way she purred and rubbed her chest against mine. Kitten bit her lip then her hand played with my cock, making it strain against the tight leather pants.
"Should I release you," she teased, and her voice was husky. Her fingers played with the zipper.
"Oh. I think we'll both get a release. Make sure the door is locked," I ordered then dragged my tongue along her neck.
"Way ahead of you," she moaned, and I felt my pants disappear.
"Naughty, Kitten." I snickered. "What am I going to do with you?"
"Fuck me against the window," she demanded.
I didn't have to be asked twice, I lifted her off her feet and hiked up her dress. I pressed her back against the glass and then entered her. She let out a gasp and dug her fingers into my hair and her feet locked behind my back. I pounded into her as hard as I dared. Each time going deeper inside her.
"Don't let the glass break, Kitten," I ordered.
She only moaned in response, but I saw a flicker of purple in her eyes. I quickened the pace and sucked the soft skin of her neck with my lips. As she climaxed, her grip tightened around me. I was struck with the urge to claim her.
"Do it!" she demanded.
I obeyed, sinking my teeth into her skin. Her blood was sweet like no other, but I had no urge to drink. She climaxed again and I released into her, unable to contain my roar. As she came down, her body slacked, and she held onto me for support. I glanced at the bite on her neck with concern, but she met my eyes then covered the mark with her hand. It glowed for a moment and when she removed it, her neck was like new.
"That was amazing." She looked radiant.
"Tell me the truth, did that hurt?" I traced with my finger where I had bitten her.
Isabella shook her head and her cheeks turned rosy. "It was actually very pleasurable."
I turned my head toward the door, when Alice called out to me with her mind that something had come up.
"Let me show you where the office is. I hope you don't mind if I have to deal with some business real quick," I told her.
"I'll just go hang out with Alice and Rose then." She didn't seem bothered.
"Actually, I'll need Alice with me, and Rose has stepped out for a moment. I rather these associates didn't know about you, since we're still weary there are traitors among us." I told her a white lie.
"Hence why you made up here so private," she concluded.
"Exactly." I gave her a charming smile.
I went to the hidden door in the wall and pushed it open and led her to the small office that was only accessible by family.
"I'll be right back," I promised.
"Do you mind if I use your computer?" she asked.
"Go right ahead." I quickly logged her in then left her secure behind a locked door.
Jasper had used his key to let himself, Emmett, and Alice into the VIP area while I was gone. I hadn't lied about Rosalie; she was taking care of a girl that had been drugged, making sure she got home safely.
"What's going on?" I asked.
Alice took a deep breath. "Well as you know I made the call to Heidi's contact. Then you and Bella were spotted in New York, so Aro sent some soldiers there to check it out. They killed Jessica Stanley. Did Bella know her?"
"I have no idea. Who did they send?" I asked.
"Jane, Demetri, Santiago, and Afton. I saw them heading to Washington state and disappearing," Alice answered.
"Great. Then the biggest threats they have are Alec and Felix. And Alec can only freeze two of us at once." I grinned. My plan was coming together.
"Felix is mine." Emmett punched his fist into his other hand.
"Well, Aro is mine, and I know Carlisle wants Caius," I announced.
"Who does that leave me?" Jasper looked unhappy.
Alice was growing irritated and worried. "I can't see us there. But I can see us back from the trip. Doesn't that concern you?"
"Not if we return. Perhaps there are too many scenarios for you to see." I shrugged.
"Too many if you ask me." She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Jasper, call the others, I want to leave as soon as possible before the others have a chance to get back to Volterra," I ordered before she could suggest Isabella help us.
"On it." He nodded.
"I'm going to take Isabella home." I headed back to her before she could come looking for me.
"Told you it wouldn't take long." I entered the room and kissed her cheek.
She was distracted by something on the screen and didn't seem to notice. "One of my friends from high school was attacked. The article mentions a neck wound, do you think it could have been a vampire?"
I glanced at the article and hid my reaction. The article was about Jessica. "It's possible. But unfortunately, the bigger the city, the more chances of brutal attacks. Were you close to her?"
She tilted her head from side to side "Sort of. I've known her since kindergarten. We got along for the most part, but we weren't besties. It still so sad though. She wanted to be a journalist, she was beyond excited to get into NYU."
"I'm sorry, Kitten. I wish I didn't have to say what I do now." I felt a twinge of guilt that I hadn't cared about what happened to the human before now.
"What?" Her face paled and she looked nervous.
"A few of us have to go on a short trip and will be gone a few days for work," I explained.
She frowned. "And you don't want me to go?"
"It's not a trip of pleasure. It will certainly involve things you don't want to be a part of or see," I explained.
She bit her lip and looked up, so our eyes met. "Should I worry?"
I froze as I contemplated on how to answer. Looking into her eyes, I worried what would happen if it all went wrong. But at least she would be safe. I tilted her chin up and pecked her lightly on the lips. I brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes.
"I've done this type of thing for years, Kitten. If it makes you feel better, I'm taking Emmett, Jasper, and several other good fighters. Plus, Alice will also be with us."
She kissed me and seemed to relax. I just hoped I hadn't lied to her.
It was midday when we entered the underground tunnels that led to the Volturi throne room. We felt assured they would all be there, hiding from the sunny day. I led the way as we pushed through the solid oak doors. Aro looked up from the center throne, not looking entirely surprised to see us—only pleased.
"Ahhh…the Cullens, I told Caius you'd show up sooner than later. Alec, if you please," Aro said gleefully.
Alec stepped forward and smoke emitted from his hands and spread around us in thick fog that paralyzed us. His power had unexpectedly grown since we last saw him, and we were like flies caught in a web.
"Let the games begin." Aro let out a sinister laugh.
A/N: I know a cliffy. But the rest is only a week away.
Someone mentioned about the solar eclipse coming up soon in April. I am aware of it; in fact, I live in NH so I'll get see about 96% coverage in my area. However, in the story they just celebrated Halloween just saying.