Born in Flames / / C. Volturi

{27 The Lone Wolf}

TW: light gore

Caius Volturi

Caius' immortal body ran stiff with ice-cold adrenaline as his hands wrapped around the neck of the russet-coloured mutt, the panic and agony still running rampant in the very corners of his subconscious and almost fresh in his mind. The old memories began to resurface, tearing through the barriers of his will as he was forced to confront the one thing he had ever come to fear.

A slave to his own psyche.

And yet, somewhere deep in his soul, he was able to scrounge together just enough self-control that he held his pale hands firm against the now whimpering Jacob as he looked on in disgust. Caius felt weightless. Like the adrenaline in his veins had caused his soul to ascend beyond his physical body, praying that the mutt was far too scared of his own fate to detect the ever so microscopic trembling of his hands against his throat. But Caius knows more so than anyone that he needs to keep himself together for the sake of his family and coven, but it was becoming difficult. The overwhelming stench of wet dog became almost overstimulating as it tangled with the long-lost sensation of the claws that ripped through his porcelain skin. But Caius would hold it together, he would always hold himself together if it meant that he could ensure the protection of his family. 

"How interesting, and here I thought we could come to an agreement" came the sadistic mocking of his wife as she turned a perfectly arched eyebrow to look at the alpha wolf. The wolf stood tall, taller than the others in his pack, fur an almost midnight black. His mouth began to morph into a ferocious snarl as spit began to foam in his jaws, looking almost rabid. But Caius fought down any simmering fear and pushed it deep, deep down into his chest. For as long as his mate would stand against the canines, then so would he. "Change back" the command was simple but held every ounce of threat that was intended from the words. The atmosphere was palpable, so tense that it was almost viable. Every single muscle that opposed the coven of four was tensed almost painfully.

But no one seemed willing to make the first move.

"Well, you don't seem to be able to listen very well, an unfortunate trait you seem to share with our dear Cullens here so let me explain this in a way that you might understand. We are going to kill him, anyone that holds a threat to the Volturi, to my family, must simply be eliminated for their safety. However, I am offering you a chance to explain yourselves, and do not take that fact lightly boy. The Volturi do not give second chances" Adela spoke clearly.

The growling of the pack only grew louder but Caius knew it within himself not to worry. The pack had no idea who they were dealing with. The once taught muscles of the wolf beneath him grew slack as even Jacob himself had come to realise the outcome of the situation before him. It was almost pitiful in a way Caius thought to himself, to watch such a creature with fire and fight in them give up so quickly. But that is the way that it would always be. It was such the fate of the children of the moon before them. 

"Caius my dear if you wouldn't mind?" Adela asked sweetly, head turning just enough to catch his attention. Caius took his pale hands and began to sink them deep into the muscles of the wolf's neck, skin giving away easy like paper under his stone-like nails. The tearing was audible just under the whine that Jacob could give out before the crunch of his vertebrae severing gave way to the silence. The Cullens seemed to deflate under the impact that their actions have caused. The guilt-stricken agony of Carlisle boosted Caius' mood ever so slightly.

He had never favoured the blonde immortal.

Caius firmly believed that vampirism was a gift, that only the worthy were bestowed. Those who were not deemed fit by the venom simply perished during their transformation, and Carlisle truly wasted his gift. Made even worse by the children he had presented with him.

The alpha at the front left briefly to revert back to human form as he returned to face the court adorned in nothing much more than shorts.

"Care to explain yourselves?" Caius demanded with simmering thunder, eyes glaring harshly into his form.

"Jacob was convinced that Bella was his imprint, the equivalent of his mate, so we agreed to fight against the newborn army to both save the lives of our own down on the reservation as well as try to keep Bella safe for Jacob's sake" He spat out furiously, brown eyes blazing as he looked on at the Volturi.

"And did you know that we do not honour truces with any wolf kind? children of the moon or other? Carlisle knows this, of course, he did live with us for a fair few centuries" Adela asked plainly and upon the alpha shaking his head, there was an unspoken agreement made between Caius and Adela, after so many years conducting trails together it seemed to be a trait that came naturally upon them.

"We have done more for less mutt, consider this a warning for the future, you will cease your involvement with the Cullens from this moment onwards. We do not want to have to return" The strength behind his words seemed to snap both clans out of whatever stupor they had fallen under. Any bite that the wolves might have fought back with was lost quickly under the agonising gaze of Jane's power as Alec took joy in removing all other senses from them.

It was a quick warning. A small warning. But it was enough to send them scampering back to the other side of the ravine that they had come from. But now all that was left was to deal with the remaining vegetarians, as after all Caius pondered.

Someone needed to take responsibility for what has happened here today. His own words sounded almost foreign to his ears as they dripped smoothly off his tongue.

"Oh dear Carlisle, How did you allow for this to happen?"

Thank you for reading~

And thank you for being so patient with waiting for this update, we moved house recently and there was a fair amount of construction that needed to be done and left me without internet for a while, but I am back to writing again now and will hope to write more consistent updates in the future~