𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐥𝐲

Chapter 20

Hey everyone! My sincere apologies for the delay in updating this story! It's certainly been a red-hot minute that's for sure!

The next chapter will be the last.

#####🚫 Smut warning, skip to the next line if that's not your thing 😊

Aro did not look pleased.

It was moments like these that I felt a bit conflicted.

Aro's unmasked expression made me so happy as it meant that he felt comfortable doing so (granted though, my mates and I were in our private library) but I hated knowing I caused it.

I inwardly sighed as I knew that there was nothing I could do. I refused to hide anything, not that I could hide anything from Aro's powers anyway. My mate would have seen everything, the storming of the base, the rescuing of my niece, the were-creature encountered, and the subsequent execution of Operation Inferno...along with all the events that happened during that.

"In my defense," I quickly spoke as Aro continued to hold my hand, "I didn't know, and Nessie was in danger".

I looked at Caius for support but my mate simply sat stone-faced beside me with his arms crossed over his chest...so it was fair to say that he was still mad at me as well.

Marcus sighed as he surveyed the three of us, "Do I even want to know?".

Aro removed his hands from mine before he took a seat, "The floor is yours, my dear".

"We stormed the base at 2 am as per the plan. We split up as per the plan as well and Renata and myself were the ones who discovered Nessie. On the way to re-group with the rest of the teams, I encountered a mutant werewolf-"

I was interrupted by Marcus, "A mutant werewolf?"

"You've shown me the pictures and told me the stories of werewolves. The creature I came across seemed like a werewolf but not quite a werewolf at the same time. I defeated it by snapping its neck," I explained hoping what I said made sense, "If it was a true werewolf, snapping its neck wouldn't have worked. However, it did".

"We hypothesize that the creature our dear mate killed and the abominations killed by the Volturi guards were former humans who had been experimented on to create whatever the hell they were," Caius added.

Marcus hummed, "Continue".

"Once I disposed of the creature, we initially caught up with Demetri, Alice, and Jasper before joining the rest of the members. That was when Jane and Alec joined us with a zombie-looking Sulpicia," I hesitated for a moment as I glanced at Aro but continued when he said nothing, "Once it became apparent that there were multiple creatures scattered throughout the maze, Operation Inferno was commenced".

Marcus nodded in understanding, "The most suitable method. It would be unacceptable if word of Joham's madness got out".

Operation Inferno was one of the first military tactics I had learnt that the Volturi used. It involved complete annihilation. Nothing or no one was left alive. Once the order was given, it was the sole purpose of the Volturi to destroy and set fire to anything and everything.

Leave nothing behind.

"However," Marcus continued, "I am curious to know why four prisoners were brought back. Joham should be the only one".

"I promised Nahuel that we would consider everything before passing judgment on his sisters," I hesitantly answered, "Two sisters surrendered to us and Felix captured the third".

When the two sisters had surrendered, I had to fight nail and tooth to convince Caius to bring them back to the Volturi with us. Volturi was famous for not showing mercy nor taking prisoners and yet I had somehow managed to convince the least likely person to do just that very thing.