Chapter 13

)()()()()()(

Caius' studio was the brightest place in the whole royal wing.

Though Erika hadn't actually gone into many of the rooms there, she knew three rooms were her mates' separate bedrooms,

Erika hadn't actually explored the royal wing a lot. She knew Aro's room was attached to one of the sides of the private library, and Caius had his studio at the end of the hall so it would get the most light, and she knew her room used to be a storage room that was now converted. But she had never ventured in any of the other three bedrooms that her mates had, she never had reason to but she was curious what they would look like in reality.

She had seen them in Aro's memories, in details that would have been unknown to her because of her Human status.

Her mates had walked out of the middle bedroom too many times looking debauched and relaxed that even she just gave them a smile and a quick, 'Was it good?' If it was Caius, he'd just grin and say she would find out eventually but he never pushed her beyond that.

Aro, on the other hand, was infuriating when he left because he would see her, catch up and place his hand on any open skin to transfer memories before running off somewhere with a wicked grin.

Erika would return to her room, rub one out by herself or by the use of a vibrator, before getting food and finding Aro. He usually was in the throne room again with the others. She'd walk up to him, run a finger down his jaw and let him see her memories before sitting down in her seat and beginning to eat her food with a sly smile.

Marcus was the only one that seemed to be at least somewhat unspecific on what he did or didn't do in the bedroom, smiling softly at her before inclining his head in confirmation of it being a good session before continuing on.

It had almost been five whole months without any sort of intimate touch. She wasn't complaining about it, she didn't need sex but she did miss being able to be intimate with someone else. Half the time, she contemplated doing the dirty with one of her mates but went against it due to being uncertain. She didn't want to use them to scratch an itch, and she doubted they would appreciate her going out to find someone else.

The thought of anyone but them touching her now made her skin crawl.

She had been in Volterra for almost five full months now, living in the castle. It had done wonders for her mental health. She didn't have to force herself to work at a job she didn't like, nor interact with the people of Forks when she didn't want to. She did what she wanted, within reason, and could go anywhere in the world with the money they gave her.

Her bank account was in her name, fully. They couldn't take it out of there without her permission or she would sue. It was a way for her to trust them, a way for her to know they meant her no harm. Disgustingly expensive things she would always speak to them about, but they always waved it off and said she could buy what she wanted. She felt bad about it… sometimes.

She had brought three new motorbikes within the last week, having them imported from another country because she had custom work done on them. A new laptop sat in her lap at the moment, one that also worked as a tablet and the keyboard could be detached along with a stylus. It was a fancy thing, sleek black and very expensive.

In Caius' studio, Erika sat on the floor and typed away at her laptop, left leg bent at the knee in front of her with her right leg bent on the floor so her ankle was right under her left knee. It was a stable position as she leaned forward, her left cheek resting on her knee with her left arm hooking under her bent leg and other arm being used as support.

It was surprisingly comfortable for short term work, but it just meant her back would ache every so often when she didn't stretch or take breaks.

And now would be an example.

Her back had begun to ache half an hour ago but since she was an hour into a focused writing session, one she refused to get out just because of some pesky pain.

She paused the blaring music by tapping her earbuds, stretching as she took a pause in her writing. Her arms above her head made her back sinch in an uncomfortable way, so she hissed when she felt it. She tried to rub it away but it didn't work, she arched her back to try again but it didn't work either so she sighed.

Caius paused his sketching on a canvas, glancing over at her as she tried to arch her back and fix a muscle. "Are you hurt?"

"Nah," She said, "Pinched a muscle, I think. Just sore from typing in a bad position."

"Why did you not change positions?"

"You can stay hours in the same position as you draw, Caius. I don't have the luxury of Vampire muscles yet, so my Human muscles like to be annoying and hate me if I don't move enough," She said. "I'll be fine in a minute."

He huffed playfully at that, gesturing vaguely with a hand as he put down his pencil. "Come over here and I will help you."

She did, letting him twist her around until her back was to him and she sat on a stool. His hands trailed down her spine, finding where the muscle was twitching to be relaxed. Gently digging his thumbs into the area, he massaged it and heard her sigh in release as the muscle did as it should have and relaxed.

"Oh my god, that feels so much better!" She said, slouching a little to test it out. His hands still roamed her hand, feeling her muscles through her thin shirt. "What… are you doing?"

"You are very tense," He muttered. "It is like your muscles have become that of a statue, stone-like."

"No," She chuckled as he began to slowly knead areas on her upper back. "I'm a tense person. It's hard for me to relax anymore, especially after seeing Leroy a couple weeks ago."

"You are safe at the castle, you know this?" He said. "None of us would allow you to get hurt, physically or mentally."

"I know but I'm lonely," She sighed. "I was always bad at making friends anyway. All the people I talk to work for you."

"For us," He corrected. "You are one of us, Erika."

"Exactly." She looked at her hands in her laps. "I'm surrounded by people but I still feel alone. On a change of subject, I've been having sessions with Anna Sallow. She's helping me see what I can do with my powers."

"How are they going?" He asked, still massaging areas of her back. "Has the sessions been helping?"

"Yeah. She said I had a strong proficiency for telekinetic shit so I can do this—" She took the pencil he had placed on the side, chucking it into the air before letting it begin to fall onto her palm. It didn't fall all the way, floating a couple of inches above her palm before dropping into her hand so she could put it down. "She's surprised I can do it with only a few sessions. Most Witches know they're Witches when they're really young, so finding out that I am one is strange."

"Could have the memory-erasing have something to do with it?"

"No. Most are found by a young age, she said, so around seven or so. Most children are taken by one of the clans. I didn't show an aptitude for Magic, or I didn't think I did until I thought of my childhood."

"What happened?"

"A lot of unexplainable shit, really. I never got lost in the forest, always was able to know exactly where I was and what direction was home. I heal quickly, scraps were gone within a day or two. And I seemed to never get in trouble in school, but that might have to do with being the chief's daughter more than anything."

He smiled. "Magic is not huge displays of power like Jane or tactile abilities like Aro's, sometimes it is discrete but extremely useful. I hide my ability because it is easier to be known for being the ruthless king than the one people are only scared of being I make them so."

"Not all secrets need to be known," She hissed when he touched a muscle that was particularly in a knot.

"How have you been sleeping?"

"I've not been sleeping well," She admitted as his hands roamed down the muscles of her back, checking and pressing into the especially sore ones. She hissed at those, flinching away but he kept massaging the areas regardless.

"I know it can be uncomfortable," He encouraged.

She frowned, muttering, "Borderline painful, really."

"You have tightened these muscles so much, they believe it is their natural state so when you relax, they suddenly constrict because they think something is wrong," He said, kneading a muscle at her lower back near her hip. "I need you to lay down. I do not think I can do this without some sort of moisturiser. Your muscles are too taunt without it. I am afraid of applying more pressure because I might hurt you."

He held out a hand for her, which she took and stood up.

"Where're we going?" She asked.

"My room," He said. "I can help you better if you are laying somewhere comfortable and not on marble floors. A bed would be better."

)()()()()()(

The honeysuckle-rose oil was beautiful against her skin, warm and soft as Caius smoothed it in slowly, working his way down from the nape of her neck, down her spine and into her hip area.

She laid on the bed in his room, hugging the burnt orange coloured pillow to her chest as she had taken off her shirt to let him have access to her back. His bed was much more comfortable than hers.

She felt a hot flash as he did it again, tracing her spine with his soft hands until she released a satisfied sigh into the pillow she was hugging.

"Good?" He asked.

She mumbled into the pillow, "Fuckin' amazin'." She moaned a little as he applied pressure into her upper back, getting into one of the knots there. She sat up, holding the pillow to her chest. "We've got to stop."

Caius let her up, watching her relaxed face as she sat to face him. He took a seat on the edge of the bed. "Why? You seemed like you were enjoying yourself. Did I do something wrong?"

"No, that's the problem," She laughed a little. "You were doing a little too well. You were making me horny, Caius. My upper back and neck are some things that turn me on for some reason. I'm going to jump your bones if you don't stop."

He grinned at that, tilting his very slowly, "What would be wrong with that?"

She raised a single eyebrow at that, dropping the pillow from her bare chest and leaning forwards to put both her hands on the bed. She looked down at his lap before up at his eyes which had darkened considerably and glanced between her bare breasts and her face.

"Is the door locked?" She asked, smirking as he shot up from the bed, using his speed to go over to the door, locking it before he was back on the bed.

"It is now," He said, making her laugh before she moved until she was straddling his lap to face him. His hands went straight to her hips, securing her as she looked at him with half hooded eyes. One of her hands was in his hair, playing with it while the other elbow rested on his shoulder to balance her and keep him at a distance for now.

"You're so pretty, Caius," She muttered, licking her lips faintly. The way her smile brighten as she caught him staring at her lips. "Your hair is so soft and so pristine."

"I only like to mess my hair up in good circumstances,"

"Is this one?" she went for an innocent, wide-eyed look, all he knew was fake.

He smiled at that, his right hand going up and to her waist before it trailed its way to her back and up to her neck. She closed her eyes for a split second as a warm heat went over her as he gently held her closer, getting her close enough to kiss.

He let her have the choice to kiss him or not.

She licked her lips one last time, taking his face into her palms to reign him closer.

It was a beautiful, hot, desperate kiss.

When she stopped, he had to reign her close again because the self-satisfied look on her face was too much with the look of unadulterated lust. The way she grinned and bit one lip in anticipation just made him want to bite her soft lips himself.

Her thumb traced his jawline as he came close again, deepening the kiss to make her lose her breath in intensity.

She leaned back, hand tracing down his chest. "I think you're wearing a little too much."

"I agree," He kept his eyes on hers, holding the middle of his shirt before he ripped it off him. It made her giddy with surprise as laughter erupted from her. "What? Quickest way to get it off."

It took a second for her to calm down but she agreed with it.

She got off him, ready to shuck off her shorts and underwear but he slowed her down. Standing between his legs, he peppered kisses all around her stomach from under the swells of her breasts down her ribcage and to her hips as he pulled the edge of the shorts down a little. He did it to the other side too, hearing and feeling each sigh of pleasure and satisfaction from her.

Her hands were pleasant in his hair, playing and tugging at it as he mouthed his way up and down her torso while his hands kept at her hips, keeping her close as he did so. His hand tightened on her hip just as her hand did in his hair, both revelling in the fact they both really liked this.

Letting him touch her gave her a slight, primal thrill, knowing there was a great danger, a predator in front of her, worshipping his mate with the very thing that had killed thousands.

The danger was very much arousing as he pulled down her soft cotton shorts, layering open kisses down her hips and down the tops of her thighs. He dodged the black thong she wore, teasing her as he didn't even acknowledge the undergarment.

After another minute of this, she seductively stepped back and leaned forward, getting his sight on her bare chest as her hands worked his trousers loose.

"Lose 'em," She ordered and he stood up and did so while she bit her lip. She took a couple of steps back, letting him follow her every step as they were both in their underwear. "I like briefs."

"I am glad you approve," He said, taking a slightly larger step for each of hers. "Why are you walking away, treasure?"

She shrugged, starting to quicken her steps backwards. "Maybe because I know a little secret?"

"What do you know?" His eyes were darker than before, lips curling up into a smirk as he spoke. He never stopped his steps, only slowing them down a little.

Something in her blared warning lights, telling her a predator was in front of her and would soon be ready to attack. Her heart was loud in her ear but she kept calm as something much more primal, something deeper in her told her she was safe.

"Aro's gift is quite useful, you know?" She said, grinning as he stopped so she did too, steps between them were few. "Being allowed to know your every secret, every dark day, every small move. It's surprising to find out that you tell everyone you don't have a gift, at least those who don't intimately work with you."

"Your point is?" He took a step and then another until there was barely an inch between them. He stared into her eyes, her own flickering between his as she smiled knowingly.

"You can control how much fear and distress a person can feel," She said, letting one hand trace up his abs and up to his cheek where she held his jaw softly. Walking around him, her hand traced his shoulders as she went round. "Or if they feel any at all."

"I am not using my gift on you, if that is what you are inquiring about?"

"I know you aren't," She whispered, coming close to his back. "For which I am grateful. I think this is taking a little too long. There's a perfectly good bed right there."

Without a moment to even realise, Caius had lifted her up and over his shoulder before he walked the distance to the bed and plopped her down. She squealed in surprise as she landed, bouncing once until Caius had climbed over her to lay more kisses down

"I agree."

He laid a kiss on her forehead before putting one on her lips which just made her smile like a Cheshire cat and so it made him repeat it several times, making it deeper and more chaotic to appease her nature and his.

She licked her bottom lip, tongue darting out to trace the whole thing from one side to the other before her lips curled up in a proper smile. She sat up a little, using an elbow to prop herself up before taking a decent handful of his hair and yanking him a little closer until their lips almost met.

Releasing his hair, she laid down again to arch her head back a little.

She watched through hooded eyes as his eyes glowed a slight pink in relation to the sight of her bare neck.

The baring of the throat during an intimate scene such as this was the pinnacle of trust for a Vampire, letting another close to an area that could potentially put them in danger if attacked, letting another to see and feel the soft skin of the neck and the pulse of carotid arteries within their sight and reachable.

Caius let his eyes drift down to the two pulse points on her neck, watching it restrict and relax before pulling his head down. He set a soft kiss on both, bringing his mouth back up to her ear as he muttered, "I think you're wearing a little too much."

Erika just twitched an eyebrow in challenge and anticipation before feeling his hands drift down to the edge of her underwear, feeling him rip the sides.

"Oi, I liked this pair,"

He laughed, watching as her ample chest was heaving, flush with arousal as her nipple peaks were taunt and begging to be touched. She had a single silver bar through each nipple, bringing attention to them.

Doing as her body demanded, he lowered himself until he could trail soft, wet kisses down her chin to the centre of her throat, down the trachea to her collarbone and finally to the centre of her breasts. His tongue darted out, tasting the skin there.

Releasing her hands and letting them go to his shoulders and hair, he lowered his lips to one nipple, licking once before capturing it while the other hand kneaded the other and pinched gently. He tugged the piercing very gently, knowing it could be sensitive.

She arched into his mouth, letting him know he was doing a good job as her hands latched onto his hair in a way to encourage him.

After a time he knew would be too short, he switched to the other, getting it as hard and wet as its perfect twin as she arched up again when he very gently put pressure onto the peak with his teeth.

"Master Caius, Master Aro is requesting your presence in the throne room!" It was Felix's voice coming through the door. He knocked again. "He said he wants you as soon as possible. What should I tell him?"

"Fuck's sake," Erika patted Caius on the shoulder, making him get up. Shrugging on his shirt, she went to the door and unlocked it, popping her head out. "Little busy here, Felix. Tell Aro he can have Caius in about half an hour."

Felix looked surprised but he still grinned like a mad man as he nodded, "Of course, Mistress Erika. Take all the time you want. I think Master Aro will understand."

"Felix, fuck off," She said, locking the door again as his laughter echoed in the hall.

As soon as she was near the bed and had shrugged off the shirt, Caius dragged her back onto the bed to relay hot kisses onto her. She moaned as he did so, letting herself be laid on the bed as he kneeled between her legs.

He licked his lips this time when her bent knees fell open, letting him have access.

His hand roamed down, touching and adding pressure to the little bud, flicking it once with his thumb to make her grab at the sheets with clenched hands.

She moaned into his mouth, wrapping her arms around his neck to get him closer to make sure she memorised exactly how he tasted. When she bit on his bottom lip, he had to pause, taking his mouth to her shoulder as she licked her lips.

He let the softest of smiles on his lips before he put them against hers again to appease the hungry look in her eyes. Her pink tongue poked out to lick her lip and just beckoned him to taste.

But there was a place he desired much more.

He began to set wet kisses against her chest again, letting each nipple become peaks in his mouth before he went further down as he shifted his knees back.

The faintest of kisses and nips and bites were put onto her breasts, then to their underside and then her soft stomach before he worked his way down to her hips.

Caius nipped at her hips gently.

She bit the inside of her lip, propping herself up with her elbows to watch him.

Instead, Caius reached for the pillows, making her sit so she could lay on the pillows instead of randomly in the middle of the bed.

"Comfortable?" He asked, once against kneeling between her knees.

"Yes, thank you,"

He leaned on her once again, lathering her with hot kisses before she bit his lip gently.

Caius had to pause again, taking time to calm the beast before he put his mouth to her neck again to nip there and get a couple of new noises out of her. She whined when he bit into the skin, denting it with Human teeth and strength to tease her as a hand went down.

"Don't bite me, Beloved," He almost growled the words out, words vibrating into her skin as he ran his nose down her artery. "Otherwise, I will be tempted to return the favour."

"Hmm," She licked her lips, whispering in his ear, "Maybe later that can be arranged."

"Temptress," He muttered into her mouth as one hand cupped her jaw and the other was playing with her now exposed pearl of nerves. She gasped into his mouth again, almost thrusting her hips into his hand to get some more friction. "Beautiful. We will see how beautiful you can be."

He stopped his hand, putting it into the area between her trimmed pelvis and her thigh and making her spread her legs wide so he could kneel closer. As he moved so he could kiss his way down her torso, down both breasts to her ribs to her stomach and finally pelvis and then the trimmed area of hair that hide her most intimate bits, she grinned.

Caius had a hungry and feral look in his eyes, making her clench and perhaps even a little wetter with the way he smiled with teeth too sharp and dangerous.

Damn, she had a thing for danger.

Getting her permission again, he moved until he was perfect in view and the grin he had as he went down just made her quiver. There was nothing to muffle her noises, each groan, moan and gasp was out into the air but luckily there was a sound barrier already placed around the room.

When he swung her legs over his shoulders, getting her closer to his talented mouth as his tongue searched for her honeypot for the taste he desired and craved, her hands latched onto his hair.

Going up one side and then around the clit but never quite touching it, his tongue traced down again. He flicked the bud with his tongue, making her thrust up but his hands kept her in place as he stared upwards at her, eyes locked but Erika couldn't look away.

The sight of him there, tongue deep in her as he brought her pleasure was too beautiful.

Caius kept an eye out for any hesitation or discomfort, keeping track of each and every emotion he felt in the air and in their slowly building bond. He had to adjust once because he noticed that her right hip was starting to ache due to the angle, so he moved down until it went away and continued his ministrations on her cunt and clit again.

Her hips thrusted upwards but he kept her in place as he ate her out like she was a glorious dessert. Each lick made her groan because he would stop before he got to the clit, but on every third try, he would tongue around it before going down to the entrance again.

Somehow she kept quiet, only letting out noises instead of words so he set out to get a way for her to be a little louder.

He brought her higher and higher on the hormones of bliss, waiting until he started to feel her clench around his tongue and fingers before completely stopping.

She swore.

Loudly.

"Are you fucking kidding me?!"

It had a long whine at the end as she cursed his name as he raised his head away from her.

She was a sight.

Skin flushed with the palest shade of pink, pulsing to life with Magic as it flourished in her. She playfully glared at him as she flexed her thighs to get some sort of friction but nothing works. He took pity and traced a finger down the lips there, up, around, and down, close to the clit but barely not there.

Erika propped herself up again, "Is this how it will be? Okay then."

She grabbed him by the shoulders, getting him to sit where she had been while she straddled his hips. He barely had time to react before she was grinding down on his clothed cock.

His hands flew to her hips, trying to still her but she pinned them so they were just above his head. As she rolled her hips, getting a little bit of friction but not enough to get off, he realised she was doing it for his pleasure, to get him hard and aching for her just as he made her.

Her breasts were barely brushing his chest as she was leaning over him and moving her hips. The sight was hypnotic for him, her beautiful face, her breasts moving along with her pelvis grinding against him.

The only thing that would have made it better would be if he was inside her but that would be rectified soon enough. He would allow her to have fun.

Caius allowed the rhythmic movements of her hips grating against him as he saw pleasure start to build in both of them, but he didn't want to end this prematurely. He had to get her to move a little as he ripped off his underwear, revealing his cock as it strained in the air.

She wrapped her hand around his cock, gently stroking it up and down until it pulsated in her hand and his hands were clenching the sheets.

"I'm really glad for the fact that Vampires can't get anyone pregnant," She muttered, bringing her mouth to his tip and letting her tongue do a quick swipe over his slit. He gasped with the warmth of her mouth around him, but it soon went away because she sat up, rubbing a finger down the edges of her lips. "Just means we don't need condoms."

She straddled him again, letting his cock rub against the inside of her thigh but not touching her. She aligned it, grinding her hips a little as his hands clenched onto her hips as she did so. Moaning a little as it hit her clit, she stopped before she aligned the cock with her hole and sank.

They both groaned as they connected, Erika letting him slide right into her wet pussy with ease.

He placed his hands on her hips again, letting her have control for now as she moved and ground against him. She looked perfect there, eyes hooded in ecstasy as she rode him and her hands trailed all around him. She felt good, warm and like home, as she rode him at her speed, slow but long, she kept at it until her knees began to hurt and she let him have control.

Caius held her by her thighs and ass, making sure she was secure before moving so she was on her back and he above her.

Erika locked her ankles behind his hips, keeping him as close as possible as he used his arms to keep from completely laying on her.

She bit her lip as she grated her hips against him, making his pulse in her before he began to slowly thrust into her. She gasped before groaning, clinging closer to him as he began to quickly add different techniques to see which pleased her the most.

He quickly found the one that worked for them both, using his muscles to move his hips and grind into her just right which would make her whine and audible gasp into his ear, which further encouraged him.

Erika pressed her chest into his as he kissed her moaning breaths away. This time he bit her lower lip, suckling it between his teeth to tease her. She groaned, hand in his hair as she kept him close as he moved.

Tucking one arm right at the bend between her back and butt, he made her arch her back to accommodate him and it just allowed him in even more. He dug his face into her shoulder, grasping the base of her neck as he pushed her chest to his. She wrapped her legs around his hips, easily moving with each thrust to help them both.

Her nails raked down his neck and back. She grinned, knowing it would leave marks in his otherwise blemish-free skin. Erika knew she already had a couple of hickies across her breasts and collarbone, but when he suckled on her pulse, she almost came there and then.

She whimpered, a sudden whine came out of her which she hadn't heard before.

His little nips turned rougher, using Human teeth to bite and suckle the skin around her jaw, neck and shoulders, never breaking it but bringing enough force and pressure into his erotic bites to leave his own little signature on her body.

His thrusts slowed with a groan from both of them, neither wanting to slow down at all.

She just raised her head to allow the onslaught of rough and harsh kisses and nips onto her throat.

Her neck was completely exposed as he trailed kisses and nibbles down her shoulders and chest. Erika was completely vulnerable to him and his exploitation of her newfound turn on. He trailed harsh kisses down the side of her throat, suckling the pulse before biting into the meaty bit of her throat with a grunt.

Each and every one of his bites and suckle would leave a mark.

A deep-seated whine came from her, shocking her a little as Caius only laughed into her throat. He appeased her by trailing his hand down to her clit and began to flick and rub at it. Shock went away and was soon replaced with her hips beginning to thrust, trying to chase both of their orgasms.

He shifted until his thighs were just under hers, bringing her closer to him and yet allowing him deeper into her. Her lower half was raised a little more than the rest of her, allowing him access and both of them pleasure. He grabbed one of her hips as he thrusted before putting the hand to good use in pleasuring her.

With each new pass of his thumb against her clit and thrust, her toes curled and her hips thrusted back in time with his. She dug the heels of her feet into his back, urging him further and further into her until he was also a grunting mess above her.

He was beautiful.

She was edged further and further up the high steepness of pleasure, so close to the tip, metres away, feet, inches but she couldn't get there. Her stomach flexed and tried to work a climax out, failing to and causing her to rest an arm over her eyes in frustration as she bit into her lower lip to try and add another layer of something.

"I'm close," He muttered into her neck, his breath hot but somehow sharp against her skin. He kissed her skin, tasting the salt and the electricity of Magic to help stop him from completely biting down.

Erika gasped with each rougher thrust he began. She clung to him now, letting him have more control so she could have more pleasure.

He lowered his mouth to kiss her breathless before his fangs traced her pulse point.

His teeth grazed her throat and pulse, kissing each time a rapid heartbeat sent blood rushing through her. Erika just closed her eyes.

Just as he felt her cunt begin to pulse and clench around him, her back arched to move her hips and pressed herself closer to him. Thighs trembling as each vibration of her pulse. His hips worked her through one climax and his fingers sent her into another one straight away, just as intense and lightning-like as the first.

He came too, hot and fast and beautifully as he groaned into her neck.

Just as quickly as it started, their climaxes were longer and a lot slower to crash, taking several long seconds to realise that it was over.

Caius laid on her as he released and caught his breath just as she. Her hands stroked his back, letting him take his time.

They both gasped as they separated, taking a moment to get their breaths.

As they cuddled afterwards, Caius wrapped his arm around her as she laid on his chest to calm her heartbeat. His hand was tracing tiny designs into her upper back.

She didn't feel guilty for having sex because she didn't just scratch an itch. She liked the kings but she wasn't sure of their relationship quite yet.

Physical and emotional relationships were separate in her mind, but theirs was beginning to merge a little, week by week getting closer but she was still unsure.

They took a shower together, washing it all off before dressing again.

)()()()()()(

Living with the Volturi meant Erika had plenty of time for her creative writing, a hobby she treated with care as she finetuned her craft of weaving words together and creating new worlds.

She was at the table in the throne room as Aro and Caius looked at business profiles and books and Marcus was discussing something on the phone to do with the dealings of Nomad Coven messing with a settled Coven's territory.

She had a journal for notes next to her as well as her laptop in front of her and a cup of tea to the side. It was still steaming off wisps as she took a sip before she picked up her pen again to lay the tip against the paper just for her phone to ring.

Her phone rang, and thus her watch did too, alerting her in two ways that she was getting a call.

Picking up the phone, she looked at the screen to see Bella's name. Shrugging, she answered before picking the pen up again to write.

"What's up?" She asked, writing down a note of a specific date and historical event that went with it.

"I, uh, I think I might be pregnant?"

She paused her pen in the middle of the word she was writing, "Excuse me?"

"Well, I'm five days late for my period, and I've been crying, and being sick, and having these strange dreams,"

"Have you peed on a stick?" Erika said, putting her pen down. "If you haven't peed on a stick, don't talk to me about the possibility. How it is even possible?"

"I don't know, maybe because I can change? I mean, my body can change while a female Vampire can't?"

"Right," She sighed. "Go find a stick and pee on it and get back to me. Maybe call Carlisle?"

"I have already," Bella said. "He thinks I am pregnant too. Edward is making arrangements for us to go home back to Forks now. You can't tell the Volturi."

"I can't do that, Bella. You know this," She said. "You're asking me to not use my gift then, or not touch them at all. It's better they know rather than they find out by other means. Maybe they have resources in books about this?"

"Maybe? Fine, tell them. Maybe it is better they know," Bella asked. "Maybe it's best you come to Forks? Edward, he—He—"

"He what?" Erika almost snapped, worried by the tone of Bella's voice. "What did he do?"

"He said Carlisle would get rid of it!" She cried out. "Get rid of my little nudger. The little thing won't stop nudging the inside of me. He keeps calling it a thing and that he will get Carlisle to kill it."

"He doesn't have the fucking right!" Erika snapped again, hearing the tears drip down her sister's face.

The men looked up, watching as she looked furious and had the tips of her hair start to wisp into the air like they were floating. As she spoke with her sister, she became angrier and the air around her crackled.

"Erika."

"I'm fine!" She snapped to her mates. "Bell, I'm putting you on speaker so the kings can hear too, even though I know they've heard everything so far."

"Is it? Is it possible?" Bella asked.

"From our knowledge, no," Marcus said as Aro furrowed his eyebrows in question.

"However…" Aro whispered. "There was talk about women becoming pregnant from Vampire males a few centuries ago. We investigated and found no such thing but they could have gone into hiding. I will advise you to tell Carlise he is not to kill or destroy anything. I fear Erika might hurt Edward if that happened. Bella, would you like your sister with you? We can get her on the plane within half an hour."

"Please. I can't deal with Edward. He is rushing around the room to get us packed as soon as possible."

"I'm gonna pack some shit and be in Forks by the end of the day, Bells," Erika said. "If Edward tried anything, he will have me to deal with."

"I've got to go, we're leaving now," Bella said, ending the call.

Erika was lucky she had put the phone down as she would have tried to crush it in her hands otherwise.

"Damnit!" Erika kicked the table in anger.

Caius winced, "Please do not kick the table. You could hurt yourself."

She pointed a finger at him, "I'm fucking lucky I've had the birth control shot, because if I become pregnant with a-a. If I become pregnant with anything, Human, Vampire or in between, I'm blaming fucking you."

He smirked at that.

"I don't do babies or any of that shit," She said, shuddering. "Gods, Nah. Not for me." She paused. "Which of the Guard are coming with me to Forks? Cause I'm not going alone."

"Ananias, of course, along with Alec and Felix if permissible," Aro said.

"And I," Marcus said. "I have the most knowledge on our history with Humans and Witches. We do not know if Erika's mother had the Witch gene or it was the Swan family."

Erika nodded.

)()()()()()(