that soulmate au no one asked for. the one where you have the first words you hear your soulmate say written on your skin.
kate/demetri/garrett


Felix had been disappointed to be left out of the group. Demetri would trade his position for his in a heartbeat, if Aro had not been adamant in his decision.

"We need someone level headed who's also in my permanent guard present to keep the peace, just in case something goes wrong." Aro had said easily, smiling in his usual annoyingly serene manner that he itched to punch off.

If you want to keep the peace that badly, he couldn't help but thought in resentment, then you shouldn't have send Jane as your representative.

In fact, if Demetri hadn't been in attendance during Aro's conference call with both Carlisle and Tanya, and heard the genuine remorse and sincerity in the Elder's voice, he might have suspected Aro was trying to antagonize the two covens by sending Jane.

Fortunately, in a rare bout of sensibility, Aro had also send Chelsea.

While the coven's Linchpin was proud and aloof, she was also a practical woman who rarely beat around the bush. Perhaps with her presence, the meeting might go on smoothly.

Not that he was expecting more.

They walked right up to the beautiful shingle-style house painted in white. At least the Cullens have good taste, although he disapproved of all that white.

It was all so... human. There was even a yard with a garden full of brightly-coloured flowers.

Instead of Carlisle Cullen, there was a vaguely familiar woman with straight golden hair and sharp eyes waiting on the porch. She was garbed in a pale grey coat trimmed with white fur, to match the wintry cold in the air. Her arms were folded across her chest, her lovely features twisted in disdain, shrewd eyes watching them approached in calculation.

"Kate, it's a pleasure." Heidi said pleasantly.

The other woman's expression darkened, although she managed to muster up a nod at the greeting. Her strange eyes flitted towards the young-looking female standing at the front of the group. Immediately, her expression changed. For a fleeting second, fury twisted her lips into a snarl.

"I guess we can't expect this to be a pleasant visit." Kate sneered, glaring at Jane with thinly veiled hatred.

"Depends on who you are asking." He couldn't resist, his lips curling up in amusement. He was captivated by every expression that crossed her face. He has never met anyone so open with their emotions, who wore their heart at their sleeve without an inch of fear.

Golden eyes snapped towards him in shock, just as the words crawling down his right hip burned.

He was not a man prone to theatrics, or profanity, but at least he was professional enough to keep his well, fucking shit in his head and not out loud.

His spine stiffened, his fingers twitched towards his hip in an aborted movement. With more restraint than he had expected of himself, he managed to drown his panic and shock and forced himself to calm down.

Luckily, no one seemed to have noticed his internal conflict.

"Are we going to be invited in, or are you going to continue to trade barbs out here?" Jane scowled. It was plain that she was taking an immense effort in controlling herself. If Demetri wasn't so disorientated from meeting one of his soulmates, he would have been proud of her. Her devotion to Aro outweighed her loathing for these vegetarian vampires.

"Please," Carlisle finally came out of the house, giving Kate an exasperated look. "Come in. I apologize for keeping you waiting."

Chelsea looked charmed. Especially when Carlisle offered his arm to her.

At least Carlisle was well-versed with manoeuvring around politics and social niceties. Jane might be the representative, but everyone knew that the person you have to please was Chelsea.

He could feel Kate's eyes on him as they entered the house, her gaze making the hairs on his neck stand. A sickly feeling squirmed down his back as he fought not to look back.

As a human child, he was born with no words. That was one of the few rare things he could remember about his mortal life. He reached his twenties with his skin unblemished with any words, and came to accept that maybe he was one of those few souls that possessed no one out there for himself. And then a few hundred years later, his first words appeared over his hip.

At first, he couldn't recognize the words. They weren't Greek, definitely not Arabic or Italian. It looked English, but not the English he recognized back then. But he hadn't cared back then, just surprised and delighted to know that he has someone out there for him.

He wasn't cursed, or fated to be alone. His soulmate just wasn't born yet.

But he never met them. He might be able to find anyone anywhere, but he couldn't find the one person whose words he held. It wasn't until he hit the hundred-year mark and realized that the words still remained fresh and stark on his skin did he start to suspect his soulmate became a vampire.

Ten years, twenty years, thirty—and the words did not scar over.

No human could have lived this long.

Some thirty odd years later after his first words, a second set of words appeared on his left upper arm. Which came as a huge shock, as he has never heard of anyone having two soulmates, but—

He never met his second soulmate either.

By the time the twenty-first century came, he had all but gave up.

He was a jaded, cynical vampire who had long grew weary of life and lost sight of himself, who had lived for far too long and seen too much to remain optimistic any longer. Soulmates was a concept that had longed lost its shine. He had survived for a millennium without them. True to be told, he had forgotten his words. He rarely looked at them anymore. He regarded them as much as he regarded a scar he received from a fight.

He didn't need a soulmate. He didn't need the woman named Kate.

Even without looking at her, he could tell with his ability that she was already mated, her soul so closely entwined with another that he didn't even need to try hard to track her other half. His heart ached with hurt and loneliness, and he was immediately furious with himself.

He's the greatest tracker in the world. He held the prestige and glory of being one of the Volturi's permanent guard. He was wealthy enough, with all the riches he had accumulated over the years. He could have anyone he wanted with his looks. He has everything he could possibly want. There was no reason for him to feel this way.

There was no reason for him to feel as if his heart had been ripped from his chest.


Perhaps it was the shock that came with meeting his soulmate after a thousand years of waiting. He didn't think that he might meet the one who held his second set of words so quickly.

Or that they were just right there under his nose.

He was fortunate to be left out of the meeting. And that Kate's presence as Tanya's second required her to attend as well. Ignoring her agitated stare, he stubbornly pretended that he didn't feel her words burned on his hip.

It wasn't long before he felt another presence joined him. Keeping his eyes closed and his body relaxed, he otherwise did not react as the other vampire sat down in a safe distance.

This one was Kate's mate, his gift sang. Even with his eyes closed, he could see the soft red glow of Kate's mate in his mind eye. It was soothing and playful at the same time. He tasted the earth on his tongue, a solid, unshakable scent that brought him comfort.

Kate, on the other hand, was a sparkling yellow. Her scent was sharp and hot, like a campfire blazing warm in front of him. Even though she was shut away in another room, temper fraying and surrounded by other anxious vampires, he could still smell—and sensed her.

He could sense these two much clearer than anyone else. Perhaps that should have been his first clue. Perhaps he had known, even before Kate's mate opened his mouth.

"Is it true that you can find anyone in this world?" The words rang familiarly in his head, and in spite of the dread and alarm that Kate's mate's words brought, he was answering before he could stop his mouth.

"You doubt me?" He retorted, opening his eyes.

The other man stared at him in astonishment, his mouth snapping shut.

They stared at each other silently for several minutes. Demetri's heart would have been racing if he was human.

"I'm Garrett." The other vampire finally said.

He wished he could do something other than gaped like an idiot. Such an unflattering first impression. Although from the look on Garrett's face, he doesn't seem like he cared much, his amber eyes wide and transfixed, hungered. If Demetri was any other man, he would have felt cornered like prey. But he met that starving stare without flinching, feeling as if he was being heated from inside out.

I don't care, he wanted to scream. I don't want your name. I have waited for more than a thousand years for both of you and you're already together and in love.

There's no place for him here, with them.

Thankfully, he didn't need to answer when the door flung open. Chelsea was the first one out, followed by Tanya and Carlisle. Kate's blond head appeared, and Garrett was instantly distracted by his mate. Demetri watched those amber eyes softened when they rested on Kate, the look of love exchanged like a burn against the blister on his heart.

He quickly left before they could notice that he was gone.