The Blood inside you is the Blood inside me

The Blood inside you is the Blood inside me Part 34

Re above gif: pretend Edward is not in the gif. I wanted the  "What do I do with them now?" Aro.

Aro stood facing Charlotte and Marcus, his hands hanging at his side. He doubted they would agree to be read, but he didn't need his tactile telepathy to guess what had happened. "Excellent job, Demetri."

Demetri was about to open his mouth when Charlotte responded first, wanting to protect her friend. "Demetri found us, Aro, but he did not drag us back home. We returned willingly."

"And from where did you return, my dear?" Aro's calm exterior belied the outrage inside.

Neither Marcus nor Charlotte responded to Aro's ridiculously invasive question, but Marcus stared unblinking into his brother's eyes, never letting go his grip on Charlotte's hand.

Aro observed Marcus' hold on Charlotte, more possessive than protective, and the subtle way she leaned back into him, a small smile on her lips. When she glanced at him, the smile dropped, and her eyes were empty, expressionless. There had always been love, desire, admiration, and trust in her eyes before, and only for him. The sense of betrayal within him almost immobilized Aro. He hid his grief behind harsh words. "So this is the loyalty I am to expect from both of you."

Charlotte gripped Marcus' hand more tightly. She wasn't afraid of Aro. She just wanted this confrontation over with.

The Volturi master's eyes were wide, their colour deepening as his anger grew. They darted from Marcus to Charlotte, who looked at Aro for a half minute, before looking away. It wasn't that she was ashamed at anything she had done, but she didn't want to give Aro the chance to use their bond to reach out to her. That she had always found his eyes hypnotically beautiful in the face she found even more so felt like a weakness to her now.

Charlotte heard the veiled accusation, but had expected nothing else. "You dare speak of loyalty, someone who betrayed both his own sister and brother-in-law, and me! If I decide to bind myself to someone who understands the word 'loyalty', that is my choice, Aro."

"Marcus, if you think stealing my mate from me as an act of revenge will make you feel better..."

"It already has, Aro. But I am not stealing her from you. Charlotte gave herself to me freely. Perhaps we were bound from the beginning, but you two had to be together in order to save the covens. Now that that's been done, what does she owe you, a most unworthy mate and leader to the Volturi" He felt Charlotte shift position to partially face him. "My gift shows the bond she has with you loosening, Aro, while mine with her is getting stronger. It cannot be explained nor can it be ignored."

"She swore she loved me, and would for all eternity!" Aro held back from physically attacking his disloyal brother and his unfaithful mate, but it was taking every ounce of his self-control. He felt as if Charlotte had stabbed him with a blade into the very heart she said still lived despite its nature. But he would not show either of them the pain they were causing him. Aro bared his teeth in frustration and left the room, speeding off to his chambers.

Charlotte turned and hugged Marcus, in spite of the many pairs of red eyes watching them. "At least that is over with," she mumbled into Marcus' chest. She looked up at the tall vampire and whispered to him. When he nodded, she sped over to Caius, and approached his throne. "Caius, Marcus and I have been talking, and we've decided since the other covens will not work with us as long as Aro is in charge, and since we feel he is no longer good for the Volturi, he will have to be deposed."

"What are you proposing, Charlotte?" Caius was willing to offer his support to Marcus as head of the Volturi leadership, his faith in Aro irrevocably shaken.

"You and Marcus would continue to rule the Volturi, and as Aro's mate, I will take his place. I will, of course, defer to you and Marcus, since you two have been here longer. Aro will then have to be placed on trial for his crime. Do you concur? If you need time to think about it, just let us know. We may need to make other decisions as well, brother."