The three kings of the Volturi had become much more protective after the trial. Caius and Aro in particular had not left my side the entire day. I was not used to having such little personal space. The kings' presence was not overwhelming, simply unusual.

I had not seen any of the guards. I suspected that they had either been ordered to back off or had simply stayed away so that the kings and I could bond. I had just met them and would need to get closer to them before I could truly consider becoming a vampire.

The thoughts of my eventual turning had gone through my mind ever since Edward slipped up in front of me. The Cullens had assured me that it would never come to that, said that I could live as a human if I wanted. Actually, it was more like Alice and Edward said that I could live as a human if I pleased. Carlisle would just divert the conversation and Esme would offer me food.

Edward and Alice knew that they would be unable to stop what was meant to be. I would become a vampire at some point. While my transformation was not being rushed like Isabella's, it was still clearly being talked about. Unlike Isabella, I had no problem with drinking human blood. In fact, I had often licked my own wounds and liked the taste of my own blood. Almost like I was made to become a blood drinking vampire.

The only Cullens that had outright said that they would support me no matter what were Rosalie and Carlisle. I knew about how Rosalie was turned, how she never chose immortality. Unlike Isabella, Rosalie seemed to think that me turning was a good thing for me. She had said she would rather have me in the family than Isabella.

When Edward had exposed their species to me, Rosalie and I had gotten really close. We both loved fashion and jewelry, often comparing our own pieces. I had made quite a lot of money before Forks, during my years as a babysitter and retail worker in my foster homes. Thankfully, all of my former foster parents allowed me to keep the money that I would make. Rosalie cared about me like the sister she never had. We may have looked quite like opposites, me having dark hair and much softer features, but we both found ourselves having a bond like no other.

I did not know if I could find the strength to return to the Cullen household, no matter how welcoming Esme, Carlisle, and Rose would be. Edward and Isabella would shun me for all time over something that I could not control. They expected me to pick them over my own happiness. What I had wanted in life was to be loved, the kings could give me that and more. I would become an enforcer of the law, just as I always wanted. They were my perfect fit. Yes, I would break human laws in order to live, but life is a game of give and take.

One of my true beliefs, one that Carlisle had agreed with me on, is that people are not who their family are. People are not their skin or their god, or who they claim their lover. Isabella is not Edward, I would not judge them for what the other does. Yes, they do tend to do the same things, but I do not judge them based on each other. They judge me based on who my mates are. I may not like what Alice had done, what she had allowed, but I would never hold something that she did against Jasper, who was and is my friend.

"What are you doing, cara mia?" Caius asks from the bed. I had taken my time in exploring the castle with my mates, who had shown me around, keeping me protected at all times. When day had turned to nightfall, Caius had shown me back to his quarters.

"Just thinking about how stupid Isabella and Edward are," I retort, coming back near the bed. Before, I had been messing around with a trinket that laid nicely on his desk. Caius laughed and pulled me on the bed.

"Anyone who says such cruel things to my mate must be a moron," Caius says proudly, placing a kiss to the top of my head. I giggle and turn over, finally facing my handsome mate.

"Those who speak so cruelly about my mate must be idiots. I mean, was that the only time Isabella and Edward met with you three? Besides when Edward was trying to kill himself obviously," I ask. Caius nods his head. "How can he get a read of who you are based on your thoughts at one meeting? That just makes no sense to me. He claims to be such a good vampire, but in the end that kind of thing just makes him a shitty person. I mean, what good person doesn't give someone a chance to show love, to care about someone? It's not like it was his decision whether or not I accepted the bond. So controlling of him."

"Well, as you know, the entire guard read those letters you left. They now hate those two and love Rosalie and Carlisle. The latter are lucky to have found some allies here in Volterra. If something were to happen, I bet half the guard would come to their aide. That is, of course, unless they are suspected to have broken a law," Caius informs.

"Are they really that protective of me?" I ask. Caius groans and nods his head.

"The guards of the Volturi are known for their loyalty. They have become so loyal that our enemies have claimed that we have some person here that can brainwash someone into joining our cause. I guess that Chelsea could do that, but Marcus would be able to notice. I know her power is quite powerful, but I don't think that her gift would last longer than a few months at most. Our guards love you. Aro and I's ex-wives were cruel to the guards. Athenodora would constantly complain about whoever was her guard for the day, claiming that they weren't doing enough for her," Caius groans at the memory.

"Hey, you were the one to marry that witch," I point out.

"I met her over 3000 years ago, il mio amore, you can not be putting the blame on me. I was just out of the newborn stage when I first met her. She was the first vampire I was smitten with. She has annoyed me for the last millenia, constantly complaining about different things," Caius kissed my head once more. "I am glad that you do not seem to complain about the guards that are there to protect you. You haven't even given them any orders."

"We're a coven, not some sort of Italian mafia. Actually, we may be the Italian Vampire Mafia," Caius laughs, pulling me closer, "The guards are here to protect and serve, not to be belittled and ordered. I just want them to be friendly with me. I could use a few strong friends around here."

"Am I not strong?" Caius questions, "Are Aro and Marcus not strong either?"

"Are you asking to be rejected and friendzoned?" I deadpan. Caius shuts his mouth and whimpers. "I'm sorry, that was mean. I'm never going to reject you or your soul brothers, Caius. I may have only just met you, but you've all made me feel more loved in a day than anyone has made me feel in 17 years."

"Were you not loved? The Cullens have accepted you. Well, almost all of the Cullens have accepted you. That has been a thing for about a year now, as you are almost 18 years of age," Caius asks me. It was a long story, a very, very long story.

"I grew up in foster care. My parents were both drug addicts. I was born addicted to heroin and crack. Yeah, not the best way to be born. Anyways, I was taken when I was young and placed into my first foster family. They were alright I guess, but I can tell now that they were mostly in it for the money. The second family were abusive assholes. I wasn't the best in school because I have severe ADHD. I blurt things out that I really don't mean. I can't focus on things and just get super spacey. The second family didn't like that I made their family look bad so they sent me back. The third family moved around a lot. I could tell that they were nice people, they just really didn't know how to handle me. I was getting bullied in almost every school I went to. They just said to ignore them. I did, but that just made the bullies get more crafty with their insults. Middle school was hell. I used to have friends, but then they turned on me. I became even more of an outcast. I broke for a while," I admit.

"What do you mean by break," Caius looks more worried than ever at what I was about to admit to.

"I stopped functioning correctly. It was kind of like when Isabella went into a depression. I did everything, but I was comatose. I didn't want to live anymore. I gave up on almost everything. I thought that, since the world had given up on me, I would give up on the world. I never said that I was a very smart 13 year old girl. I lived like that for three years. When I went to the school before Forks, I finally came out of the depression. I had finally gone to my final family. I petitioned the judge to grant me emancipation. I think that she took pity when she read my file and granted me legal rights," I finished my story.

"You know, Marcus went through something quite similar. The guards may have told you, but before you came, they had never seen Marcus smile. Some of the guards have been here for over a millenia and have never once seen him smile, yet alone laugh. Marcus was a statue, barely speaking a word during the trials. He had once asked us to destroy him. I think that Aro even considered it, since seeing his own soul brother in such a state was horrifying. No matter how many jokes the guards and I would crack during those first 400 years of his depression, he would not laugh. Not once did he smile," Caius admits.

"I heard that he had a wife before," Caius sighs at my words.

"I think that he will tell you the story of Didyme some other time. I would recommend not bringing the topic up with Aro. Didyme was his younger sister. Unlike us, Didyme was Aro's biological sister. He sired her himself. They were quite close, even with the 9 year age gap," Caius grimaces. "All that I can say about Didyme was that she was a delight to be around, unlike Sulpicia and Athenodora. Almost none of our guards remember her at all. She was gifted, like Aro, but in a different way. Didyme had the power to make anyone around her happy. She was literally a ray of sunshine. She made everyone happy. Corin's ability is much different, but they both have to do with emotion. Corin makes people content with their situation, but not happy. No, only Didyme had the ability to bring true happiness with her gift."

"Everyone says that you were angry. What happened that made you so angry?"

"Everything, if I'm being honest," Caius admits. "I was not always angry. I did not always hate humans as much as I do today. I used to feel for them, to understand where they came from. I had sympathy for the people that I would feed off of. I am no sociopath, if there were a less weakening way to not feed off of humans, I would be the first one to take it. Humans of the last few millena have grown heartless with their pursuits for technology. They will do anything for it, even if it means betrayal. I do not take kindly to liars and traitors. If that is what humanity is going to be, I will not be able to stand by their side as you do. They must earn my respect back."

"Honestly, if you asked most of humanity if they liked humans, they would say no. Humans suck," Caius lets out a loud laugh and curls himself closer to me.

"Ah yes, the joys of having a human mate. Even when you are human, you share the same annoyance."

"I mean, what jokes. Humans are jokes. They are only useful for jokes."

"Only good for Vine and TikTok, you mean," I gasp.

"You know about Vine and TikTok?!"

"Cara mia, I am not uncultured!"