Demetri

I was called back to Volterra after seven days of hunting for Edward. I couldn't find him. What was wrong with my gift?

I made my way back in the castle. I heard my Bella crying on the main floor all the way up in the elite practice room.

"It hurts, I need him. Where is he? Someone go get him."

I was already running. I was beside my Bella who was on her hands and knees. Her eyes were black. She was clutching her chest. I pulled her into my lap and she sniffed my neck and started sobbing like her heart was breaking.

I couldn't understand what she was saying at first but when she calmed enough to be hearable she was saying "You're back, you're back..." over and over again.

"I'm here little one. I'm with you" I comforted. "I won't leave again until you're older. It's ok my love. Calm. Breathe. You need to calms I love you. I'm with you. I'm with you."

When she was calm she opened her black eyes. "Let's go get you fed my love."

I walked past Jasper and Felix with a steely glare in my eyes. They backed away from the door carefully clearing the way for me. I picked Bella up in my arms and ran down to the feeding chamber.

Bella lunged at the first man wildly. The ferocity of her feeding left me stunned. It was as if she was more animal than vampire. She must not have fed in a while because there were four men in there. She dropped the first and took the second just as greedily showing a savage intensity I'd never seen. She seemed to find a smidgen of control then because she took the third with only the control of a newly awakened vampire. The fourth she consumed greedily but not cruelly.

I started to go to her but she lunged at me. I tried to catch her but she dodged me. I tried to protect myself from her but she foot swept me. Soon her teeth were at my throat. I thought, 'my own mate is going to kill me,' before she collapsed on top of me. She put her arms around me and if I needed to breathe I would have died because she squeezed.

She started sobbing again. I just sat and held her in my lap, stroking her back and trying to soothe her. It took about ten minutes before she was sitting quietly in my arms. I just let her sit there. I soothed her for an hour before she made her first move. She eased up her grip on my neck the tiniest bit. I took a breath of air and she eased up a little bit more. I rolled my head around, loosening the muscles in my neck while they healed.

We sat in the quiet for about half an hour. Finally, she said, "Are you really here?"

"You know I am my love. You can feel it here." I put my hand above where her heart used to beat. "I'm sorry I lunged at you," she muttered. I just laughed. It was such a relief to hear something so normal from her.

"You've learned to fight since I saw you last," I said.

"It was the only thing that made it bearable for you to be gone. I couldn't feed, I couldn't focus, I couldn't have fun. I needed you."

"I'm sorry my love." I felt so helpless.

"It wasn't your fault. It was Edwards," Bella said with what was true hate in her voice.

"Let's get cleaned up my love. Then I have to report to the Masters. I won't leave you. You can come with me instead." I picked her up and carried her slowly to the showers.

I held her under the pounding spray of the shower. After her hair was drenched and the blood was starting to flow down the drain in a pinkish-red swirl he got the soap and gently soaped her body. After that was done he washed her hair. It was soothing. He quickly washed the blood off of his own body and irreverently thought he'd need to get the cleaning staff something nice very soon. His newborn mate was challenging them recently, and he liked them...for the most part.

Turning off the water I got three towels. Wrapping one around her body and the other around her hair he used the third one on himself. Drying himself quickly he then went back to his newborn mate and dried her off slowly and softly.

I dressed Bella in yoga pants and a tee-shirt. She took a deep breath of my scent and started to cry again. I held her wrapped around me like a monkey stroking her back and murmuring soothing words in her ear until she calmed from this last eruption. I waited patiently. The Masters would be angry but they weren't the only ones. He was feeling plenty angry himself. They should have called him back sooner. They shouldn't have let her get that bad. They shouldn't have let his mate suffer.

It took another hour before she was totally calm. She let him go and stood under his own steam. She took his hand and he led her toward the throne room. He murmured more soothing nonsense until they arrived at the throne room door.

He opened the door, walking slowly with Bella who didn't speak, and took Aro's hand, willing him to understand how absolutely incontrovertibly furious he was.

"I'm sorry my son. I didn't know it was that bad. Go be with your mate." Aro said quietly. They turned around and walked slowly back out.

He took deep breaths, trying to calm himself. He couldn't let his anger take control. Later he would blow off steam sparring with the guys but Bella needed him. She still needed him here, right now.

Later he would kill Edward Cullen.

For now, he walked to his rooms, going into the bedroom and laying down. He rolled to his side and she laid down beside him. She rolled over and he pulled her against him, tightly. He let her pretend to sleep as she liked to do. It did seem to calm her. She compared it to meditation. He hoped when she 'woke up' she'd be back to normal or more normal at least. He admitted to himself that he was worried and that was what was behind his anger.

Bella

I came back to reality with Demetri's breath on my neck. It felt good, very good in fact, but I didn't feel like making love right now. I turned over so I was facing my Demetri and hugged him.

"I'm so glad you're back," I said softly. "I attacked you, are you okay?"

"I'm fine my love. Are you okay?"

Bella started to nod and stopped. "I'll be alright," she said solemnly. "Do we have to work today?"

"Yes, Bella. Besides, the quicker you're back in the habit the quicker you'll adjust back to the normal routine. It's time to feed. Are you thirsty?"

"Let's go."

Her feeding was back to newborn levels and all the progress she'd made since waking up was gone. She knew it, she acknowledged it, and she released the stress that it caused her. She would learn, all in good time. She saw Demetri take out his phone and look at something then put it back away.

"You don't have to go do you?"

"No my little love, I'm at your side for the entire day no matter what happens. Shall we get you clean?"

She ran at him but he flinched slightly as if she was going to attack so she took his hand gently and walked to the showers with him.

Their shower was quiet. Bella was feeling sad. It was too quiet and she still felt out of sorts.

Dressed and as ready for the day as she was going to be they walked back up to the training room. When they walked in Jasper took one look at them and said, "Shield work to start the day."

Bella felt pure relief and didn't know why. She liked to spar. Jasper gathered up all the elite guards and had her practice shielding them all. She held it for three hours before she was back on her knees panting to hold the shields where they belonged.

"Drop the shields," Jasper said.

She did it with a sigh of relief.

Now, you guys can go back to training, and Bella and I are going to work on her strength.

Jasper took one of the big rocks off the pile and tossed it gently to Bella. It disintegrated in her hands.

"Catch them like your trying to catch a raw egg in your hands," Jasper instructed, tossing another stone to Bella. That one turned to dust as well.

"You can do this Bella. I know you can. Cup your hands and treat them as if they are raw eggs."

Jasper tossed and tossed and tossed. On the thirty-first try the rock didn't crumble. Bella tossed it back at Jasper who caught it and tossed it back. They played toss for the rest of the day, slowly but steadily going through all the rocks that had been piled up for her use. Demetri stood, all day, his eyes sharply on Bella and Jasper, paying no attention to the rest of the room. Some of the times the rocks shattered when Bella was sneaking covert glances over her shoulder to make sure he was still there. When they destroyed the very last rock Jasper said, "Go feed Bella, I'll sweep then spar with Emmett."

"Yeah, man!" Bounced off the walls from the other side of the room. They all laughed.

I turned around pouncing on Demetri. "Did you see me toss the stone, Demetri? I did it several times."

"I saw my love, I'm so proud of you. Soon you'll be putting on your own clothes and getting your own towels. It's just a matter of a heartbeat of time."

"Let's go feed. I'll try to take off my own clothes afterward." I said.

Demetri laughed and he heard Jasper chuckle as well.

The clothing ripped straight away. Bella didn't manage to take off her shirt or her pants. They shredded instead, but her feeding had gone better, I noted.

I took the shortest shower I could manage and Demetri helped me dress with a few extra touches and caresses. I smiled to myself when he practically grabbed my ass through the towel.

"Let's go up to the rec room and get some wine, maybe play some video games with Alec and Emmett. You need some relaxation time too." I offered.

"Sure let's go." Demetri agreed readily.

Up the stairs and into the rec room they ran, laughing through the hallways.

Demetri went right to the bar and poured two glasses of wine. I waited on Demetri to sit down and sat down on his lap. Resting my shoulder at the junction where neck met his shoulder.

I sat like that until Alec and Emmett entered the room along with everyone else. Demetri called them over and they began to rib each other back and forth Soon Jasper joined in and I asked Felix to get me more wine while the other boys played.