MARCUS' POV

For many years I've challenged the minds and teachings of my brothers. We've disagreed on plenty of things, whether they be political or philosophical. Never have we been at arms over the core message of our movement and our rise into power. The Volturi are here to protect, and to do nothing that could possibly go against that. We must put the survival of our species over our whims and wishes for our lives, and while that may be difficult for many, it's gone well enough for us.

Until now.

"I think we have an idea of what is to come," Caius said as he tapped the pencil against his desk. "I don't want this to upset her."

"This decision is important, brother, and the future of the coven may ride on whether or not we do this." Caius frowned. "I want not to upset our mate, but according to tradition, we may have to make some changes to the guest list."

"But it isn't what she wants. I know she'll hate the idea and I can't imagine ruining her coronation over tradition. Can't tradition change? They've ransacked our minds for too long and it's been three years without a peep from them. We should be able to move on and leave them in the past." Caius drops the pen into it's container and sighs. "Aro will agree with me on this one, Marcus. We cannot possibly invite Isabella, Edward, and their Seer into the coronation hall."

"They could be placed in the back ‐"

He cut me off, "What use would that be when we would be able to see him as you place that crown upon her head? Anna deserves peace knowing that she's won against them. They will show, you know that, and they will make our lives Hell during the reception."

Caius hates them most of all. He'd been attacked by Edward years ago and vowed he would never allow the telepath to be near him or our mate again. Even if I sympathized, the chance of the Masens doing something disastrous is low considering how far we went to humiliate them all those years ago.

"Older vampires will be there, Caius, including ones that value tradition. Anna is young, which puts her at risk of ridicule. She is beloved by those close to us, by our allies and our young, but the rest of the vampire world, those who come from their remote homes only to hunt and nothing else, they may not approve."

"To Hell with the ancients, Marcus," my soul brother snarls. "To hell with the lot of the ancients who have no idea what we've been through. Anna will have a peaceful ceremony without those bastard vampire children. I hate them, and I hate them enough to break whatever traditions I have to in order to keep them away from my wife and my children. They're lunatics and we have no place in our home and coven for egotistical ninnies.

"Why should you want to give them the pleasure of seeing our mate become the queen of all vampires?"

I cleared my throat as I felt my brother glare angrily at me from his desk. "This is not a want, Caius, this is me explaining that some changes may need to be made in order to keep this coven held up high in every other coven and vampire's mind. They know we hate the Masens. They know how we humiliated them. They know our laws are concrete. People talk, Caius, and we have to give fair treatment to everyone who is not a criminal."

The blonde grabbed the pencil and broke it between his fingers as if it were nothing. "They are criminals, Marcus! Do you not see that? They've disregarded plenty of our laws, and I have the paperwork to prove it! All of the files are in the library or the dungeons. We can't allow criminals in our house and that is final, do you understand me? This isn't happening. There's no consent from the guard, our brother, me, or the future and forever queen of this castle."

"Do you even remember the last time we fell out of favor with other covens? When we broke tradition last and almost lost our lives and lost dozens who we cared most about? Vampires care about few things but they care about how we show ourselves!"

I didn't want to think about those nights, those hundred years of war that nearly took my life and stole my spirit. At least a dozen dead on our side and hundreds on the other. Thousands of years of knowledge ripped away and burned because we hadn't followed the rule of One King, One Hand, One Throne. A war fought over the idea of a king and we lost too much. I lost too much.

I won't lose again, not like that. There's too much to lose, I have too much now. I won't let myself lose it all again just because I hate three people.

"You wouldn't know, Caius! You didn't see the shit I did! When Octavius took us and destroyed what I thought was the last bit of happiness I'd ever get!" I felt like screaming but I held myself back. My brother just didn't understand. Throughout the war he'd stayed ignorant as always. "The Romanians may be gone, Octavius may be gone, but there are countless others we didn't try and execute. They are out there and it is my job to make sure they don't try and murder my wife again!"

Tensions were high and surely things couldn't have gotten worse. Yet they had, they really had, and of course our argument with one another had to pause with the presence of Emmett , who stood right in the doorway.

"What is it?" Aro snapped, tapping his foot.

"Our kids are missing."

"What the fuck do you mean our kids are missing? They're asleep," Caius asked, knowing that he himself had been the one to see to it that Helios was in his bed by ten at night. "Saw him to sleep. He's probably moved to a couch somewhere in the West Wing. He does that a lot. Perhaps Anora has joined him. They like to be near one another."

Another head popped into the room, the head of my mate. She was frantic, her phone in her hand, furiously dialing numbers into it.

Anna let out an angry sigh and let out an upset giggle that can only come from your mother or wife. If this were in my childhood I'd be getting hit with a hard sandal after this noise was released.

"They are both gone and Helios has left his phone in his room." Buttons mashed together and for a second I thought the phone was going to be destroyed from the force. "Which means they aren't shacked up on a set of couches! He brings his phone everywhere. He did this on purpose so I couldn't figure out where he is."

"He's out after dark," Caius groaned and put his head in his hands.

"Anora is already grounded, Rose is already out searching for her. She only texted me about ten minutes ago about her being gone," Emmett explained as he put a hand on Anna's shoulder. "This shouldn't take less than an hour. She didn't want to disturb you, sis."

"She knows how I feel about after hours and my son being in a place where I cannot protect him!" Anna seethed as she continued to press the buttons on the new phone she'd gotten a few weeks back. "It's only been three and a half years since he was born, three since our encounters with the fucking idiots I won't even name! They hate me, they hate that their hybrid doesn't love them- They would do anything to get their hands on my son!"

We had every right to be upset. Anna had every reason in the book to want to search for our son and his mate with Rosalie.

Yet she wasn't out there yet. She would be, I'm sure. And now because of this I would be too.

I never shared the same worries that my brothers and mate did. Sure, I hate them all, the Romanians and the Mason Coven. I truly do. Every ounce of hatred that I can possibly have is directed towards them. Bonds that should have died once the other person did have stayed alive purely through my hatred.

That doesn't change the fact that Volterra is safe. Volterra has and will always be safe as long as we and our Guard stay here. That is how the world works for vampires.

It is hard for someone as young as my mate to understand how we as vampires are infallible and fallible at the same time. Our dreams can be made a reality if we only push ourselves, but we cannot simply jump off the cliff of illusion and expect to persevere. Our son will be safe, but he does need to come home, and soon. If he is to not be grounded until the very month before the wedding, that is.

Gods, he doesn't usually do things like this.

"We can go and search for the two of them, alright?" Emmett said, wrapping his arms around my mate. "They have to be together. Heelie will have a good explanation, I'm sure."

"They're kids, kids sneak out," Aro added.

"Helios and Anora can't be sneaking out until things die down," Caius snapped.

"They died down three years ago," I reminded him. "After the wedding, we will make a plan for anything new. Hopefully my gift will be back together and working properly in that time."

"This discussion is not over, Marcus," Caius quipped as he got up from his seat, walking right past me back into the hallway.

"No, it is not," I whispered.