Previous chapter: Demetri - DPOV

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."

Demetri - DPOV

What the hell? I'll just know. How cryptic is that? Why not just give me a date? My internal rant, however, is interrupted as Aro finally dismisses us, and I can focus on Bella. I notice she's tired, so it's time to show her my quarters. My dead heart almost beats again as Bella gives me a thankful smile as I say, "Come on, tesoro. Let's retire to my room for the evening."

I gently pick her up in bridal style and smile as she rests her head against my shoulder as I carry her out of the throne room. Just as the large wooden doors close behind us, I hear Caius say, "Demetri, a romantic? I don't think I'll ever get used to that."

I shake my head and smile as Aro snorts before saying, "Nobody would believe that you have a romantic bone in your body, Caius. But I'm quite sure Athenodora will claim otherwise. Let him be; he had to wait long enough to find her."

The rest of the conversation gets lost after the doors close, and I couldn't care less. I smile at the beautiful woman in my arms as I speed through the hallways toward my room and find myself carrying my Bella inside my quarters a minute later. I take a deep unneeded breath as nerves suddenly erupt inside me as I put her down in the middle of the living room. It feels as if I am frozen in time. My hands stay rested on her hips, and I can't seem to let her go. However, Bella doesn't seem to notice my sudden nervousness as she looks up into my eyes and puts her hands around my neck. Her eyes wander over my face as if she's trying to find the answers to her questions. After a few minutes, she sighs before smiling softly and saying, "I don't know what I did to deserve you, but I'm forever grateful."

I smile softly as I rest my forehead against her and say, "Cara mia, I am the grateful one. You're my beautiful angel. I don't deserve someone as pure as you, but I already know that I can't live without you. Will you let me love you, Bella?"

Bella's smile falters as she nods and says, "Of course, Demetri. I would be a fool to deny this bond between us. I simply need time."

I nod as I take a small step back and say, "I'll wait forever for you, tesoro. You're all I'll ever need and all I'll ever want. I love you, cara mia."

Bella – BPOV

Demetri must be the most thoughtful person I have ever met. He has no intention of rushing or pushing me to do something I'm not ready for. He has no idea how much that means to me. It makes him so different from Edward. It makes me feel like his equal, even though I'm still human. My heart fills with joy as he tells me he loves me, and I find myself wanting to say it back, but somehow the words don't vocalize out loud. I guess my head might be ready, but my heart most definitely isn't. But that doesn't mean I can't already see myself loving this man sooner rather than later.

I quickly try to cover up my internal struggle by saying, "I think I need some human time again."

Demetri nods as he motions to one of the doors and says, "Of course, let me show you the bathroom and the bedroom. Maybe you can take a bath and relax a bit. The last two days were pretty stressful."

I can see in his eyes that I'm not fooling him, but I'm grateful that he doesn't comment on it. He smiles as I say, "That would be great. Are you sure you don't mind?"

Demetri shakes his head as he shows me around the bathroom and says, "Of course not, amore mio. Take your time. I'll be right outside this door, in the living room, if you need me."

I stumble a little as I fight the urge to grab his arm. I know Demetri can see the fear in my eyes as he strokes a loose strand of hair behind my ear and says, "Amore mio, I'm not him. I will never leave you. I promise you I'll be right outside that door every second you're in here."

I take a deep breath as I try to stop myself from freaking out. God, Bella! He'll only be in the next room. Demetri gives me a soft smile as I nod and say, "Sorry, Demetri! I know you're not him, but I guess old habits die hard."

Demetri snickers as he gives me a soft push toward the bathtub and says, "No problem, Bella. Now shoo, go relax. I'll be waiting."

I shake my head as the door closes behind him a second later. Demetri is right, though. I seriously need to relax. I take another look around the bathroom and smile as I notice the size of the bathtub. It's freaking huge. I immediately turn on the water and add some of Demetri's bath foam. The bathroom starts to smell like him, and I smile as I sink into the warm water with closed eyes. I didn't realize how much I needed this quiet moment until I sunk into the deliciously warm water. I keep my eyes closed as I reminisce about what happened in the throne room. Everyone was so friendly, and they all looked so normal; except for the crimson-red eyes, of course.

I mean these vampires should have freaked me out. I was supposed to fear them, but I didn't. It makes no sense at all. Suddenly I recall Edward telling me this story about how Carlisle spent several years of his immortal life here in Volterra. That's why Aro called Carlisle his friend earlier. Edward was so convinced the Volturi are pure evil, but Carlisle wouldn't have stayed here if that was true. It's like Demetri said; he is ruthless and deadly when he needs to be, but that doesn't mean he's evil. He might even be the sweetest man I have ever met.

I relax in the tub until the water becomes too cold and smile as I reach for the huge towel that Demetri left behind. I carefully wrap it around me while inhaling Demetri's delicious scent. It reminds me so much of freshly baked bread and olives. It's quite distracting, but I love it so much. It fits him perfectly. I don't realize just how distracting his scent is until I step out of the tub, only to slip on the wet floor. I yelp as I scrap my ankle on the side of the cupboard before landing on the floor with a heavy thud. Oh, for fuck sake, why do I have to be so clumsy all the time? I look at my ankle and cringe as I see blood spilling out of the cut. Oh no, typically me! Cutting myself in a castle full of vampires... Yeah, my life isn't exciting enough already.

Demetri – DPOV (in the meanwhile)

I walk over to the large window in the living room and look at the town below. When I left here four days ago, I couldn't have imagined that my life would change this dramatically, but I'm so glad it has. Everything seems brighter now. The colors look more vibrant, and the sounds of the city are more musical than before. I sigh as a soft knock on my door pulls me away from the window. What is Alec doing here?

"It's open, Alec. You can come in. What's up?"

Alec quickly looks around as he enters the room, and I raise my brow questioningly as he relaxes when he notices Bella is not in the room with me. He smiles as he hands me a piece of paper and says, "Master Marcus send me over with this note. You are to read it without Bella seeing it. The Master was quite adamant about that."

I nod as I take the paper from him and say, "Okay, I will read it before she finishes her bath. How was everything here? Did I miss anything these last few days?"

Alec snorts as he shakes his head and says, "No, not really, we were all bored out of our minds. But you finally found your mate. I can tell you that was quite a surprise for all of us. I'm happy for you. I know you almost gave up on finding her."

I smile as I glance at the bathroom door and say, "Thanks, Alec. That means a lot."

Alec nods as he turns around to leave and says, "Well, I'm off to the training. Jane wants to spar. She is frustrated that her gift didn't work on Bella, so she needs to blow off steam. Lucky me…"

I chuckle as I move to close the door behind him and say, "Good luck with that. You know how your sister gets when she can't win. I don't envy you right now. I'll see you and Jane when Bella and I return from the Alps. Take care, brother."

Alec sighs as he nods before speeding away. I look at the note in my hand and slowly walk back to the window to read it.

'Demetri, I want to congratulate you once more. The purity and strength of your bond remind me of the one I shared with my Didyme. You will never experience a love stronger than this. Cherish her and keep her safe; she will do the same for you. Love her with all you have, and she will love you equally in return. Believe me when I say: you'll know exactly when it's time to change her.'

Dear gods, Master Marcus is the vampire who experienced the greatest love of all time. We all saw how his whole world collapsed when Didyme died. To know that he is comparing the love between Bella and me with theirs is overwhelming. I wish I could see the bond for myself; it must be magnificent. I smile as I walk over to the couch to lie down while thinking of ways to court Bella.

I mean, the cabin in the Alps is quite a romantic hideout. I can see why Aro would pick that place over the other Volturi hideouts in Europe. It's the perfect place to win Bella's heart. I'll take it slow, knowing that's what she needs, but everything I do will show her how much I love her. I will make sure she never doubts that.

I smile as I hear Bella humming in the bathroom. I'm glad she's taking that bath I suggested. My imagination quickly runs wild and before I know it, I feel jealous of bath foam and a washcloth. Fuck! I can't help but wonder what it will feel like to run my fingertips over her arms and down her sides. God, I would love to wash every inch of her gorgeous body and kiss her all over. A bang from inside the bathroom pulls me out of my daydream, and I quickly run over to the bathroom door to push it open slightly as I say, "Bella, what happened? Are you alright, cara mia?"

Then the most delicious smell hits my noose, and it can only mean one thing: Bella is bleeding. I instantly feel the burn in my throat, and I know my eyes are probably pitch black now. Fuck, I can't wait to make her mine.

I shake my head as she says, "Demetri, you can't come in. I slipped, but it's nothing. I have a small cut. You can stay there."

I snort at her words. There's no way in hell, I'm staying out here when she's hurt. I hold my breath as I push the door open further and find Bella sitting on the floor, wrapped in one of my towels with a small cut on her ankle. I smile as I move to her side and say, "Come here, tesoro. Let me take care of you."

Bella squeaks as I pick her up from the floor, and I chuckle as I carry her to my bed and gently put her down. I quickly take one of my white T-shirts and rip it into long pieces so that I can use them to bandage her ankle. I carefully wrap her ankle before sitting down on the bed next to her. I smile as she looks at me with wonder in her eyes and says, "How did you do that? I was bleeding, and your eyes were black, but you never tried to ... you know…"

I can only smirk as I say, "Kill you?" Bella blushes as she nods while feeling embarrassed. I chuckle as I say, "Well, Bella, you truly have the most tempting smell I've ever encountered, but I want more than your blood. I want you: mind, body, and soul for eternity. And knowing what you mean to me makes it easier to resist the bloodthirst. I fed yesterday; I can go without feeding for a couple of days without problems. Human blood is more potent than animal blood, so we need less. We don't run around wanting to kill humans 24/7. That would never work."

Bella smiles as she rests her head on my shoulder and says, "Thank you for taking care of me."

I smile as I place a kiss on top of her head and say, "Get used to it, amore mio. I will always take care of you from now on. Do you want me to stay here with you while you rest?"

Bella stifles a yawn as she lies down on the bed and nods as she pulls me closer. I can hear her breath slowing as she closes her eyes, and her voice is barely above a whisper as she says, "I wouldn't want you anywhere else than here with me, Demi."

My heart would have stopped beating right there and then if I was still alive. Demi… She called me Demi, and I love it. I give her a sweet and gentle kiss on her bare shoulder. She's still wearing only a towel, so I quickly pull out a blanket to wrap it around her. I lie down next to her again and pull her close to me. Yep, I'll never grow tired of having Bella in my arms.

Bella slept peacefully for more than three hours before the nightmare started. I sigh as I gently pull her closer while running my fingers through her hair. It seems to calm her, and that's progress from when she had that nightmare on the plane.

I scowl as she mumbles, "No… Edward… You're wrong…"

Well, I already lost count of the number of reasons to torture and castrate Edward Cullen. One day he's going to pay for hurting my mate. You can bet your life on it. And after today, more than a few people will love to help me. I can only imagine what Jane will do when she comes eye to eye that idiot.

Bella shakes her head as she mumbles again, "No… Edward… Demi… loves me…"

I smile brightly as I lean down and whisper in her ear, "That's right, tesoro. I love you, now and forever."

Bella smiles in her sleep as she grips my shirt with her fist and pulls me even closer. I chuckle as I relax next to her. I slowly close my eyes while inhaling her delicious scent of oregano and basil and wonder what it would feel like to sleep beside her. I bet that I would have loved waking up to her beautiful face on the pillow beside me.

With about one hour till the sun rises, I decide it's time to wake my sleeping beauty. Her head is resting on my chest while one of her hands is gripping my shirt. Our legs are intertwined, and it's taking a lot of self-control not to start kissing her all over. I snicker as I kiss her nose and say, "Wake up, amore mio. We have to get ready soon."

It's obvious that Bella's not a morning person. She growls softly while she turns her head into my chest before mumbling something incomprehensible. Her hand moves to my hair, and her fingers start making little circular movements through it. Oh my god. That feels so good I almost start to purr. I close my eyes briefly before quietly whispering in her ear, "I love how possessive you are of me when you sleep, amore mio."

Bella – BPOV

Wait… What? The fog in my head clears as my mind registers how I'm lying in bed. Not only, is my head resting on Demetri's chest, but my left hand is also gripping his shirt while my right hand is stroking his hair. And, if that's not bad enough, my legs are intertwined with his. Oh no, how did that happen? I quickly try to get away, but Demetri stops me and says, "Where do you think you're going, tesoro? I was quite enjoying this, to be honest."

I can imagine that. Fuck, it seems my subconscious is already completely on board the mate train. I carefully peek through my lashes to see his face, and I squeak as Demetri flips us over and pins me down under him. God, he is so sexy when he takes charge. I can feel my heartbeat quickening as Demetri kisses me along my neck before stopping at my pulse point. A loud moan escapes from my lips as he sucks it hard, and I find myself putting my hands in his hair and trying to pull him closer. Fuck, I want to kiss him so much it hurts. Demetri smiles as he gives in, and I try to pour all my feelings for him into the kiss. I might not love him with all my heart just yet, but even I can't deny the obvious connection between us.

Demetri - DPOV

Bella kisses me so passionately that it stuns me for a second. I let her take control of the kiss, realizing I'll never get enough of her. After a few minutes, we break apart, and I realize my eyes must be pitch black as I say, "I want you so much, amore mio."

There isn't a trace of fear in Bella's eyes as I trail the length of her arms with my fingertips, and I watch in rapture as goosebumps form on her skin. I smirk as she shivers from desire, and I eagerly pull her closer. I realize too late how close her leg is to my rock-hard member, and Bella goes rigid the moment her leg makes contact with it as she notices firsthand how much I want her right now. I smile softly as I carefully cup her cheek and say, "What's wrong, tesoro? I'll never pressure you into something you aren't ready for, but I can't hide how much I desire you."

Bella nods but is still not looking at me. I gently turn her face, so she is facing me again and nod encouragingly as I say, 'Talk to me, cara mia."

Bella takes a deep breath as she closes her eyes and says, "I want you too, but I… I don't really... I mean… I've never… done…"

I frown as I try to figure out what she's trying to tell me. She is talking so quietly that I'm glad I'm a vampire, or I wouldn't have heard half the things she was mumbling. She had never done what? Oh, wait a minute… no way. I gently stroke Bella's cheek as I say, "Bella, amore mio, are you untouched? Is that what you're trying to tell me? Are you a virgin?"

Thank you so much for reading my story

The update will follow soon

Please review!