"And what's going on here?" Alice asked as she entered the living room, amusement coloring her words.

"Book club," Liliana answered. Her and Jasper flashed their matching books to the pixie vampire. The corner of Jasper's mouth curled into a grin telling his mate that he knew that wasn't what she was referring to at all.

The Montgomerys had been with the Cullens for just over three weeks and they had blended in with the family seamlessly. John spent most of his time helping Carlisle or Esme with things around the house and training Lily. Liliana meanwhile worked with Edward and Alice to strengthen her gift. And when she wasn't doing that, she was Jasper's new best friend. Currently, her head was laying on Jasper's thigh while she read the book. Her presence didn't faze the vampire in the least.

Ever since she had shown the ability to block her scent, and had done it without any expectation or even being asked, the Southern boy had been glued to her side. He told Alice that Lily was a relaxing soul. There were some definite big brother/little sister vibes going on and Alice loved it. It had always been so hard on her mate to get close to people. Alice knew that Liliana Montgomery was good for her mate even if she couldn't see the future when it came to the girl.

"I hope they stay for a while," Alice muttered to Esme as she stepped into the kitchen to help with dinner.

Following her daughter's line of sight to see the two new friends on the couch, Esme smiled. "I do, too. She fits. They both do."

***

Lily had just finished eating when Carlisle and her dad returned from wherever they'd been. She hopped up from her seat and hurried over to them. "Excuse me, Doctor Cullen, but Dad said you could tell me more about the Volturi."

Carlisle stopped short in surprise. At least that's what she thought that expression on his face was.

"I told you that you could ask him to tell you. Use your manners," John chastised.

The girl grinned at Carlisle. "He found me on the street. I keep telling him that he should expect bad manners and a sassy mouth but he keeps correcting me. He'll learn eventually."

Laughter boomed from Emmett while the girl giggled. John could do little else but sigh.

Carlisle smiled. "I would be happy to tell you about the Volturi, Lily, but only if you call me Carlisle."

"Deal." She stuck out her hand and they shook on it.

The two of them retreated to Carlisle's office. He sat behind his desk and she sat in one of the comfy chairs in front of it. She sighed in contentment. "I love these chairs."

"I can see that," he said with a smile. "Now what exactly is it you wish to know. John lived there as well so I'm not sure what I can tell you that he couldn't."

She hummed in acknowledgement. "I wanted to know more about the kings and their trials and such. Dad said I should ask you because you would have a different perspective. He's told me more about Aro than any of them but he said he still has a guard's perspective in spite of the friendship."

"I see. It is true that our roles in the castle were very different. I served as more of an advisor. A friend." He huffed a laugh. "A sounding board more than anything. Sometimes I would just sit there while they all told me everything about a situation. Occasionally I would add my opinion, just as often they'd come to the solution on their own just from having said everything out loud."

"There were times they would spend days making a ruling or deciding on an action. Other times the accused would barely get to speak before they were executed. It may seem harsh but—"

Lily cut him off. "No, I get it. If someone is accused of creating an immortal child and Aro can see with his gift that they did it knowing full well the consequences, why hesitate? There is nothing to debate. To do so would appear as a weakness."

"That is incredibly astute for one of your age." Carlisle studied her but it didn't make her uncomfortable. She was used to surprising people.

She looked away from him. "I haven't exactly had a normal childhood, doc." Before she could get too lost in her thoughts, a wave of calm covered her like a warm blanket. She smiled and held up a finger as she jumped up from her chair and ran to the door. Swinging it open, she yelled unnecessarily. "Thank you, Cowboy."

"You're welcome, Princess," Jasper yelled back.

She shut the door and ran back to her seat. "Sorry."

Carlisle had a calculating expression as he glanced between her and the door. "Jasper answered from the living room. I'm surprised he could feel your emotions this far away. He must be very attuned to you."

Lily shrugged. She didn't know anything about that. She only knew she loved her new friend. In fact, she was becoming rather fond of all of this coven. "Okay, so let's start with Aro. I know many see him as the leader but is he really?"

"The kings lead equally. Aro is the voice. Caius is too short tempered and Marcus has no interest in speaking to anyone since his wife died. He is...morose," Carlisle said.

That made Lily's heart twinge just a little. How heartbreaking. "How long ago did she die?"

"Nearly 1500 years ago now."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "Were they mates?"

He nodded. "Yes, but they weren't true mates. Their mate bond was one that formed from their love for one another."

"It must have been very strong for him to still be mourning."

There was a beat of silence as they both contemplated a love that deep. "Aro can sometimes appear a little unstable. Who would blame him having everyone's memory in his head? It's mostly an act. He's shrewd, smart and incredibly kind to those he cares for. He could get a bit overwhelmed sometimes though he'd never admit it. Imagine hearing what everyone thought of you in its full unfiltered glory."

Lily cringed. "That would suck."

"Yes. He is not mated, but he has a wife, Sulpicia. She's very beautiful and possesses a very sharp tongue. Her and Athenodora have lived in the tower since Didyme's death."

"Didyme was Marcus's mate I'm assuming and Athenodora is Caius's?"

"Correct except Athenodora is not his mate, merely his wife." Carlisle leaned forward and put his arms on his desk. "Living 3000 years without a mate hasn't exactly helped Caius's disposition any."

She laughed. "I would assume not. Does he have a gift?"

Carlisle shook his head. "No, but he is an incredible warrior. I have never seen his equal."

"And Marcus?"

"His gift is fascinating. He can see the bonds between people. Whether it's a mate bond or a family bond, he can see them all. I don't believe another vampire has ever possessed anything similar."

How incredible to see the relationships between people. That would be amazing.

"That's them if you haven't seen a picture," Carlisle said as he gestured to the wall behind her.

Lily turned in surprise to see an oil painting of four men standing on a balcony. Well, four vampires. She got to her feet to get a better look. Her gaze found Carlisle first. He leaned against a pillar. She couldn't help but think the artist captured his personality perfectly. Her eyes shifted to the left.

A vampire with cropped brown hair and a widow's peak wasn't even looking forward. Sadness radiated from him through the paint. He was utterly gorgeous. Marcus. A little twinge passed through her chest causing her to frown but it went away as quickly as it came. She shifted her attention to the next image. This vampire stood front and center. Aro, of course. He had long dark hair and blazing red eyes. Lily gasped at his beauty and heat flooded her cheeks as another pang came and went. That left Caius with his wavy blonde hair and irritated scowl that did nothing to detract from his appearance. Maybe the vampires choose their leaders based on looks. She would believe it after seeing the three of them.

Warmth bloomed in her chest, a flood of pain coming with it and she hunched forward with a groan. What the hell? She took deep breaths but found herself unable to respond to the people calling her name. Cold hands settled on her back, steered her to a chair. She focused on where the pain was coming from, where it originated and put up a block. With that the pain disappeared completely which was odd. Normally she'd still be able to feel the pain, it would just be lessened.

With the fading of the pain, she could focus on the room again. Carlisle, Jasper and her dad were all frowning at her, obviously wanting some sort of explanation for what just happened. "That was fucking weird" wasn't exactly what they'd been hoping for.

***

Volturi Castle – Volterra, Italy

Marcus Volturi rested his chin in his hand as he watched Aro perform his theatrics with a coven that had revealed their secret to a human. His gift was in full use as it always was during trials. He discovered the most unexpected things sometimes. They were claiming the human was the mate of their leader. Ridiculous their bond was weak and twisted. They were dating at best. Most likely just friends with benefits.

Aro glanced at him and Marcus shook his head. He sighed and shifted his attention to study the bricks in the wall across from him. He was bored. Utterly completely bored of his existence. Then a flash of gold in his vision caught his attention.

He straightened on his throne, his eyes focusing on the color of a true mate bond. So rare, so special and coming from him and his brothers. It led from them before twisting together as one and fading off into the distance. If his heart still beat it would be racing. After all this time. They shared a true mate. The true queen of the Volturi.

Then just as quickly as it appeared, it was gone. Marcus frowned. He'd never seen anything like that before. The bond didn't fade or change color, it just disappeared like it never was. It was something he would need to contemplate on his own time. He didn't wish to give his brothers false hope that they may finally have a mate. A true mate at that. He tucked the memory of the bond away in the part of his mind locked away from Aro and shifted on his throne.

He suddenly wasn't feeling bored at all.