Previous chapter: Bella - BPOV

"Oh, this must be Bella! I'm so thrilled you're finally here."

Demetri - DPOV

I sigh internally. Only Aro has that much energy. I swear he tries to compensate for the lack of energy Marcus and Caius have every chance he gets. I gently lead Bella to the center of the room and deliberately take a step to the left. That way, I'm still standing next to her. I can feel she's very nervous, even though she puts on a brave face for my coven members.

I quickly scan the room and notice that there are a lot of guard members present. Let me guess. Everyone is bored to death and came to watch the show. Well, one thing is certain; they are in for a shock. My protectiveness for my newfound mate kicks in as Aro takes a tentative step in her direction. I can barely stop myself from pulling her behind me to shield her as I raise my hand to get Aro's attention and say, "Masters, if I may, I would like to add one finding to the report given over the phone before you talk with Bella. I believed the finding was secondary to the facts given, but I've come to see otherwise. It holds great importance to me."

Aro raises one brow questioningly as he fixes his attention on me and says, "That's so out of character for you, Demetri. I can't wait to see what that finding might be."

Aro slowly walks down from the dais and offers me his hand. I take a deep unneeded breath as I put my hand in his, realizing there's no way back now. His eyes widen slightly as he reads every thought I had since meeting my Bella, and he looks intrigued as he lets go of my hand and says, "Very interesting indeed, you never cease to amaze me, Demetri. I would have never guessed."

I watch as his eyes wander from me to Bella and back. Fuck, I would love to know what Aro is thinking right now. His eyes settle on me after a few seconds, and it doesn't surprise me as Aro smiles softly before saying, "Marcus, can you check Bella's bonds, please?"

My eyes snap to Marcus as Aro turns around and walks over to his brother, who is studying my Bella with great interest. I smile as I notice a quick flash of surprise in his eyes, but they return to their usual boring state so fast that I would have missed it if I wasn't looking straight at him. I wonder what it looks like, that beautiful bond of true mates that binds Bella and I together.

Bella takes a deep breath as Marcus slowly reaches out so that Aro can touch his hand. I can almost feel her nervousness from where I'm standing. The contact between Marcus and Aro is brief, but Marcus must have seen something, because Aro lets out a delighted laugh as he claps his hands and says, "Oh, this is wonderful news, Demetri! The devil knows you've waited long enough to find your mate. Congratulations!"

The whispers that fill the room when Aro speaks the word 'mate' are numerous. I smile as I spot Felix, Alec, and Jane at the far end of the room. I snicker as Felix gives me a thumbs up with a big smile on his face while Alec is being Alec. His face is showing no emotion, but I'm sure he's happy for me. He never was one for grand emotional gestures in public. Jane looks like her usual bored self, but the small smile that quickly passes over her face tells me all I need to know. She's also glad I finally found my mate.

I smile as I step closer to Bella before pulling her into my side and saying, "Thank you, Master. I had almost given up on finding her. I am the luckiest man on this planet at the moment."

Aro smiles as I purposefully keep my arm around her waist, making it clear to every vampire in this room that she's mine. I notice the mirth in his eyes as he steps in our direction and says, "This will take some getting used to, that's for sure. Now, let's see your story, dear Bella. Will you do me the honor?"

Bella surprises even Caius as she offers Aro her hand without hesitation and says, "Of course, Master Aro."

I smile proudly as Aro gives her an approving nod before taking her hand in his and closing his eyes for a few seconds. The surprise on Aro's face is audible in his voice as he reopens his eyes to look at Bella in wonder and says, "Interesting, I see nothing. It seems Demetri is right, Bella. You can block my gift. You could very possibly be a shield. That's great news! I wonder if you're immune to all our gifts. Shall we test that, Jane?"

I growl as I turn to face Jane. The smile on her face tells me she likes Aro's suggestion way too much, and I don't fight the urgent need to warn her before she tests her wretched gift on my mate. "Careful, Jane, if you hurt her more than necessary for this test, I'll gladly kick your ass."

Jane rolls her eyes as she smirks and says, "I would love to see you try."

Aro quickly raises his hand to gather Jane's attention, and I can't help but feel grateful as he says, "Now Jane, Demetri is right. Just a very small dose of pain will suffice. Bella is Demetri's mate. We don't hurt one of our own."

I tense as Jane nods before turning toward Bella, and I can barely fight the urge to jump in front of Bella and protect her, but I know such an action won't stop Aro from testing her. I just stand there and grind my teeth as I stand my ground... for now...

Bella - BPOV

"Pain."

I don't feel a thing as Jane continues to stare at me. She looks angrier and angrier with every second that passes. I guess that means I'm able to block all mental attacks. A giggle from Aro interrupts Jane, who scowls at me as she returns to stand beside Alec and Felix. Aro reminds me of a kid in a candy store as he claps his hands and says, "Remarkable, you confound us all. Your gift will make for an intriguing immortal, Bella. Now that we established just that, I think it's time you tell us your story. Caius would love to hear how you came to know about vampires."

Fuck, I knew there had to be a downside to being gifted with a shield. I hope this is the last time I have to tell the whole story of the Cullens again. I want to forget they existed, just like Edward wanted. Demetri gives my hand a reassuring squeeze as I start telling them my story. I don't leave anything out. I tell them everything, and I don't think I ever had a more rewarding audience. They even hiss as I tell them that Edward sucks out the venom to stop my change after James bit me.

And when I come to the part where Edward dumped me and left me in the forest, they all look pissed off like hell. It's probably a good thing Edward is nowhere near Volterra right now because Jane looks like she would gladly kill him. I jump in surprise as Jane lets out a low growl and says, "And they have the nerve to call us monsters! How dare he do that to her?!"

The rest of her rant passes me by as I sigh a breath of relief because I've reached the end of the story. I smile as Demetri gives me a sweet kiss and says, "You are so strong, tesoro. I know it wasn't easy to relive it. I'm so proud of you."

God, how does this man always know what to say? It isn't until someone clears his throat that we realize we've been staring into each other's eyes for quite some time. Our attention is pulled to the dais where Caius is looking at us with a strange look on his face. Is that a genuine smile? I can almost feel the surprise from all the vampires around me as he says, "Aro is right. It will take getting used to; our ruthless tracker in love. It suits you though. Congratulations."

Silence descends upon the throne room. It seems even Aro is stunned into silence by Caius' words. The look on Aro's face is priceless to say the least. Demetri is the first to recover, and I smile as he bows his head and says, "Thank you, Master Caius."

Caius smirks before his scowl slides back into place, and he says, "By everyone's reaction, you must have gathered that friendliness isn't one of my strong suits, Bella. However, I must thank you for your thorough report of your dealings with the Cullens. You are not to blame for all of this, but we will have to change you. Demetri explained this to you, has he not?"

I quickly nod as I bow my head a little and say, "Yes, Master Caius, he did. Demetri has told me nothing but the truth since we met."

Demetri - DPOV

I smile as I notice that Caius is pleased by the way Bella addresses him. Clever girl; she learns so fast. She's only been here an hour and already has Aro and Caius totally wrapped around her finger. Bella is the perfect addition to the Volturi, and I love her so much already.

Aro still looks thrown by his brother's behavior as he moves to sit on his throne before saying, "Perfect! We established Bella is gifted, and that the Cullens purposefully left her behind alive while knowing of our existence. Please remind me to thank Carlisle for that someday. Don't you agree, Demetri? It's his loss, but we gain so much by having Bella here with us. Is there anything else, brothers?"

Caius looks at Aro as if he sprouted two heads. I can see the anger flashing behind his eyes as he yells, "Thank Carlisle? We need to summon him to Volterra to stand trial for breaking the law. You can't ignore this, Aro."

Aro sighs as he pinches the bridge of his nose and says, "But Caius, it's Carlisle. He is one of my best friends. We'll make him sweat the next time he comes to visit, I promise. You can go all bad cop on him, he'll be terrified, and then he will promise never to do it again."

Caius scowls as he shakes his head in disbelief and says, "If I get one more piece of information that proves he's breaking our law, you won't be able to stop me, Aro. I'll have his head."

Aro nods as he looks at Caius and says, "Of course, Caius, you're right. The Volturi don't give second chances." He then turns to face us again. He looks over at Bella who was watching the interaction between the kings with a smile on her face. Aro looks intrigued as he says, "Bella, my dear, I'm curious. We know now that you were told red-eyed vampires are monsters. Why weren't you afraid of Demetri when he found you?"

I can almost feel the unease coursing through my mate's body as she looks down to the floor and says, "The moment I looked into his beautiful red eyes, I just got this strange feeling deep inside. I feel whole; I feel like I finally belong. With Demetri by my side, I'm finally home. I'm confused beyond measure because my head and my heart are giving mixed signals. I got dumped by my boyfriend mere hours ago. I should be sad because I loved him with all my heart, but Demetri makes that feeling non-existing. I know he loves me and will never leave me, and I feel so bad that my heart isn't ready to love him back yet."

Tears are threatening to spill from her eyes as I pull her into my arms, and I feel myself loving her even more as I softly kiss her forehead before saying, "Shh, cara mia, don't be sad. We'll get there, together, you and me. I don't care how long it takes. I would wait an eternity for you if I had to."

The whispers in the throne room quiet down instantly as Marcus rises from his throne. Hell! When was the last time that he did that in a meeting? Everyone looks shocked as he smiles softly at Bella and says, "I can see the bond between the two of you, Bella. It's one of the purest bonds I have ever seen. It's rare to see such a strong bond while one of the partners is still human. You're a very special creature, there's no doubt about that. Now, don't get me wrong. People will still try to come between you and your mate but they will fail every time. Your bond will grow even stronger when you become one of us and when you let yourself love Demetri with all your heart. Trust in your bond, young one, and you'll find the greatest love of all."

Bella smiles brightly as she bows her head and says, "Thank you, Master Marcus."

Marcus smiles softly as he retakes his place on his throne and says, "No problem, my child. I'm so glad Demetri finally found his mate. You complement him in every way. Your souls are two halves of a whole, and the two of you will be truly happy together."

Marcus is stealing the show at this point. It's clear though that Aro is anxious to take back control of the conversation as he steps out in front of his brother and says, "Thank you, Marcus. Now, there's still one small matter that we need to discuss before you show Bella your quarters. Demetri? Do you wish to be the one to change your mate?"

I nod immediately as I say, "Of course, Master Aro."

Aro nods appreciatively as he turns to look at Bella and says, "Is that also your wish, Bella?"

Bella doesn't hesitate a second as she nods and says, "Yes, I want Demetri to change me, Master Aro. I want to be his in every way possible."

Fuck, that's the sexiest thing I've ever heard in my existence. She will be mine; heart, body, soul, and venom. God, I can't wait to tell her just how much I love her when we get to the privacy of my room. Aro seems to know where my thoughts are as he claps his hands and says, "Fine, that's settled then. I suggest that you take Bella to the cabin in the Alps. No one will bother you there. You will return when the thirst for blood is under control. Enjoy the rest of the evening. You can leave tomorrow morning."

I quickly nod my head before bowing for the Masters and saying, "Is there a date when the change must be complete, Masters?"

Marcus shakes his head, with a smile on his face, as he answers, "You'll know when the time is right to change her, Demetri. You'll just know."

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