𝐑𝐔𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄, volturi kings

F O U R T E E N

"Perhaps you should speak with the Masters." Demetri mumbled, ending the pirates own murmurs.

Lawrence shot him an amused look, "Now, why would I do that?"

"They're your mates, you'll spend eternity together."

"Who said anything about eternity?" Lawrence grinned wickedly, leaning forward and whispering as though he were sharing a secret. "I was thinking 'free ride to Europe and a fun weekend', I'm not really a commitment person."

Whilst the pirate seemed rather pleased with himself and his decision, Demetri had to hide his horror. Leaving his mates? The Kings? The vampire hoped his father wasn't stupid enough to try, but the spark in his scarlet eyes told Demetri not to hope too hard. "You can't leave, and if you did then the Masters would just send me after you!" He hissed with pleading eyes.

"So?" Lawrence mused, a patronising grin showing just how little he cared about Demetri's concerns. "What's that supposed to mean? Are you some sort of tracker?"

Demetri's chin raised in pride, confirming the pirate's guess. "The best."

Lawrence stopped, pulling Demetri to a halt beside him. The pirate smirked, "But you won't be able to find me." Demetri frowned but found himself nodding along anyway, "not while I don't want to be found."

"Of course not, but how will I know if you want to be found?"

"Trust me," Lawrence assured him, more for the effect he knew his words would leave rather than any actual certainty, "you'll know."

Lawrence continued walking, but Demetri was panicking as he chased after his immortal father, hissing. "You have to undo that before the Masters find out – they'll have my head if you leave and I can't find you."

"Oh, relax, would you? No harm done."

"No harm done?" Demetri spat furiously. "No, not until the Kings rip me limb from limb for losing you!"

"No one's going to harm a hair on your pretty little head kiddo. Now, I'm going to have a chat over there — because I feel like it, not because you told me to."

Despite Lawrence taking some of his advice, Demetri couldn't let him leave as long as his gift inhibited his own abilities. "Fix it."

"Fix it yourself." Lawrence joked, grinning as he strode away, amused knowing that Demetri was despairing over his new situation. He caught up with the closest of his mates, though he was hesitant to call them such. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

"Of course not." Marcus gave a small smile, hesitant but warm and his attempt at a smug grin morphed into a genuine smile of his own.

Lawrence wanted to appear nonchalant but his body betrayed him in the presence of the mate he hadn't seen in years. He recalled how strong Marcus had looked when they met, and how frail he appeared at the confrontation — a side affect from their parting, the pirate guessed, angering himself. How Lawrence appeared unaffected, he wasn't sure but thinking about it made his chest ache. Though his heart hadn't beat in centuries, for a moment Lawrence swore it fell from its steady rhythm. Some form of mockery crept its way onto his tongue, but stuck there in favour of a kinder alternative. "I haven't been to Italy in years, and never to Volterra. What's it like? You seemed proud of it."