Giving himself a moment in the hall, Alec let out a breath before he pushed open the doors to the lounge the Elites took over as theirs, knowing that's where he would find Demetri and his newborn.

He was right. Stepping inside, he saw Demetri standing behind the bar on the other side of the room, and the newborn sitting on a stool in front of it. He had a bottle of what Alec guessed to be vodka in his hand and the girl had a metal shaker sitting in front of her. She looked ready to vomit, so he was left to guess she wasn't a fan of donated blood.

As he walked across the room, he gave a smile to the newborn. "It's not the greatest, no, but Heidi left to get you some actual food, and should be back in like an hour."

There was hope in her eyes when she looked back at Demetri. "So does that mean I don't have to drink this?"

Cocking a brow, Demetri grinned. "Not in the slightest. Finish it, Neos." He chuckled slightly as she sighed and dropped her head, but turned his attention to Alec, who took up a stool of his own. "So, are the Cullens on a flight back to the US yet?"

Leaning back in his stool, Alec threw one of his arms over the back and grinned. "Nope. They're in the sublevels."

Blinking, Demetri set his bottle down and crossed his arms. "Really?" When Alec nodded, he made a noise in the back of his throat. "Huh... I thought for sure Aro was going to let them off."

A smirk to rival the tracker's settled on Alec's lips as a chuckle sounded from his throat. "So did Carlisle. Dem, Man, you should have seen it." Resettling himself with his forearms on the bartop, excitement entered his voice. "They didn't give us too much shit in Washington because of that very reason. The dumb shit told his followers it was better to face things then, but swore it would be fine and they would be home in a couple of days, so when detainment was called for, he lost his fucking mind. Dude, like... you don't think of Carlisle Cullen saying fuck, in any of its variations, but good God, he's got one hell of a potty mouth. The only one that didn't fight was the empath; which is shocking beyond comprehension, because he's the only one that could have won. We have no defense against his gift, and he knows it, but all he did was lean against the wall while all Hell broke loose in the throne room." He paused then, and curled his lip. "No... I take that back. He also gave Carlisle the finger when Cullen demanded he do something."

Bella was actually paying wrapped attention to the conversation, but didn't have the time to interject with a question before Demetri spoke again. "I'm not all that surprised, honestly. Jasper Whitlock has been a wanted vampire for decades. Something else I'm sure he knows. Personally, I think he's tired of hiding, and finally getting caught has come with a level of relief. Why would he actively make it worse on himself by fighting the inevitable?"

Cocking his head, Alec licked his lips. "Hiding? Is that what you think he's been doing?"

Demetri shrugged. "By all technical accounts, the Cullen Coven is a peaceful one, for as many vampires as there are under one roof. For the last century we've never once had to seek them out for being stupid, and this time was no different. They called us. Residing with a coven most of us think is ridiculous and one where the leader is such good buddies with the leader of the race? It me, it seems a logical conclusion to stick close to people we have no desire to go anywhere near when you're wanted for war crimes. So, either he was hiding and is tired of it, or he realizes just how bad the coven's fuck up was and still retains a sliver of his human military honor so is willing to face the consequences of it."

Tapping his nail against the lacquer bartop, Alec frowned. "See... that's something to take in account, Dem." When his boss cocked a brow, Alec cleared his throat. "He's not the only Whitlock wanted for war crimes."

Demetri snorted. Stepping away from the back of the bar, he leaned over the top and reached his hand into his jacket that Bella was still wearing. Winking at her when she gaped at him, he pulled his cigarette case out of the inner pocket. Retaking his position, he opened the case, took one out and then presented the open case to his charge.

Blinking and clearing her throat, Bella shook her head. "No, thank you. I don't smoke."

Nodding once, he clicked it closed and tossed it to Alec, who did take one, and lit his cigarette. Blowing the smoke from his nose, Demetri shook his head. "I'm not concerned about the Captain. First of all, I'm not even completely convinced the man actually exists and isn't just some made up, imaginary entity that was created in the darkest time of the Major's life. If he does exist, no one has seen hide nor hare of him in what? 73 years? That being the case, either Peter Whitlock is the best player of hide and seek ever created or he's dead."

Lifting a finger and opening his mouth for a rebuttal, Alec paused and after a moment, gave a nod. "Okay... I'll give you your points."

Demetri wasn't done making them yet, either. "Also, he's said to have... um... fuck..." snapping his fingers, "right, the gift of intuition. If he has even has a scrap of it, he would be wise to stay as far away from this place as he can fucking get."

Once again unable to argue, alec nodded and turned his sights on the newborn with a spark in his eyes. "So, Stella..." propping his chin in his palm, he grinned. "Wanna know what the Cullen's punishment is for what they did to you?"

Demetri jolted. "They've already been sentenced?"

Grin growing, Alec nodded slowly. "Uh huh, and it's... masterful." Returning his eyes to the newborn, who was looking at him with an expression that was a cross between excitement and anticipation. "I don't know what the fuck heartstrings of Caius' you pulled, but he took the reigns for this judgement, and he didn't hold back. Every layer of this serves more than one purpose, and I'm positive Demetri here can figure out what they are. The Cullens will be residing in the dungeons for the next 12 days, each in their own cell, with their very own human. Any Cullen that feeds before the end of the 12th day is to be destroyed."

Bella watched as Alec lifted a brow. She understood the significance of it, and waved him on.

He didn't disappoint.

"Those that don't are to serve a year on the guard, under Demetri, for every day you suffered, with an additional decade tacked on the end for the decision to make the call that led to that." He pointed at the side of her face, and cocked his head. "Demetri..." turning to look at him. "Why do you think Master Caius would make such a ruling?"

Bella, too, looked at Demetri and actually gulped, shrinking into her seat as the look on the tracker's face. There was a nefarious gleam in his eyes and a devilish smirk on his lips. His voice, however was jovial. "Oh... am I going to enjoy this."

Bella gave him a minute to elaborate, but when he didn't, she huffed. "I don't see why this is such a 'masterful' ruling. That's 22 years they'll be here, and I don't want to be within 22 miles of them for 22 seconds."

Alec chuckled as he again leaned back in his stool. "That's because you don't know what it's like to work under this asshole. What this is, for those that make it through the next 12 days, is 22 years of having their collective asses kicked, every single day. Volturi Guards live or die at Demetri's discretion. Gifted or not, those that aren't worth a fuck don't last long around here."

Bella looked at Alec a moment longer before shifting her eyes to Demetri, who's face hadn't changed. All his did was lift a shoulder. "I don't tolerate anyone putting the lives of others in jeopardy. They will either play by my rules, or it's game over for them. I don't give a singular fuck who they are, or what they think they can do. They will either do as I say, or they will discover being a vampire is not, actually, the worst thing that can happen to them."

Once again wiping away venom from her mouth and chin, she cleared her throat. "Remind me to never get on your bad side."

Demetri snorted and Alec rolled his eyes, the latter being the one that spoke. "That ridiculous statement aside, think about it, Stella, and everything you can do them over the next two decades."

Lip curling in the corner, Bella scoffed. "I can't even drink out of a fucking cup." Pointing to the back of her jaw, she showed him the hole and narrowed her eyes. "It leaks when I tilt my head back." Scoffing a huff, she shook her head. "I can't do shit, Dude. That's why I don't want to be anywhere near them. Any time I see them, smell them, or someone even mentions them, I'm overtaken by this... indescribable rage, and I can't do anything about it."

Biting into the corner of his lip, Alec shifted in his seat, and laced his fingers together. "Believe it or not, Stella, I do understand exactly how you feel right now. Well... not physically. I can't begin to understand what it's like to have the mobile limitations you have, but that void you feel? That I know all too well. My sister Jane and I were abandoned by our sire. I can't even tell you if it was a male or female that bit us; I simply don't know. Even now our sire is a topic best left alone. However, because of that I can say with certainty, eventually, that void will be filled with something besides the desire for revenge." It was then he grinned. "Until then," he pointed at Demetri, "you have Satan's favorite demon to do your bidding."

Shifting her eyes to Demetri, she watched as his smirk grew enough to show his teeth and his arms went out to the side. When he winked at her, it was like she was struck with a lightning bolt, and finally understood what Alec meant before about what she could do to them. It wasn't she would be the one to do it, but it would be what she wanted done. Jolting, she gasped. "Oh... okay I get it now." She lit up before the two male's eyes and smiled as wide as she was able. "When do we get started?"

Demetri, laughing outright, shook his head. "In thirteen days. For now, we are going to use the time the Cullens are sequestered under the palace to get you settled in it and on the road to recovery." When Bella nodded, he looked at Alec. "Find Rachel and have her add the unused room at the end of the hall to her list to be cleaned."

Alec grinned. "You need to keep up, Dem. She's already there. I let her in the wing before I came in here. I also already placed the call to Aurora. She'll be here in the morning."

At Demetri's nod, Bella piped up again. "Who's Aurora?"

Looking at her, Demetri smiled. "Seamstress." At her lifted brow, he grabbed the lapel of the jacket he was wearing and gave it a shake. "Custom tailored. One of the most comfortable things you'll ever wear... when they fit properly." When she nodded her understanding, he cocked his head. "Give what colors you want some thought, and let her know when she takes your measurements. If you don't, you'll end up with a dark grey."

Blinking, Bella grunted. "Not black?"

Shaking his head, Demetri recrossed his arms. "There are seven people within these walls that are allowed to wear black. The three masters and the four Elites; the two of us, Jane and Felix. Everyone else wears varying shades of grey to signify where they rank amongst the guard. Since you are not on the guard, you can wear whatever you want. Blue, green, pink, purple, neon orange, canary fucking yellow. It truly does not matter. The only thing you need it for is to cover your skin when in the sun because, for the fact this is a vampire den, there is a shockingly little amount of shade. That said, if you do want your own in black, no one will say shit to you about it. However, it cannot be solid. You will have to add some kind of design in color because you're not an Elite guard and we don't need any accidents due to someone else's stupidity."

Nose wrinkling, Bella looked back and forth between the two vampires. "What does that mean?"

A new voice answered the question. "It means he's concerned for your safety."

All three vampires in the lounge turned to look at the door, Alec dipping his head to Caius while Demetri merely lifted a brow, but the king only had eyes for the newborn, who had absolutely no idea what she was supposed to do.

After a moment, Caius shifted his eyes. "Alec." When the aforementioned vampire stood from his stool, Caius then jerked his head to the side. "Out."

Nodding without delay, Alec clicked his tongue. "Of course." He then looked at Demetri. "I'll go check on Rachel's progress."

Demetri waited until Alec was about halfway to the door before he called out to him. Waiting until he was turned around, though he continued his exit while walking backward, Demetri leveled him with a look. "Fuck her in your own room. The scent of desperate whore is impossible to get out of the furnishings."

"Ya know what?" Without missing a beat, Alec lifted both arms and gave him the finger with both hands. "Fuck you, Demetri." Dropping one arm, he point at him with the other. "It was one time, and the stupid bitch..." At the sound of a throat clearing cut him off. Looking at Caius for a moment, Alec's head dropped back on his shoulders with a hard sigh. Finally, he looked back at Demetri, bending at the waist in a bow with his arms slightly out to the side. "As you wish, Master Demetri."

Demetri pinched the bridge of his nose with a grunt as he heard the door close, and had his lips pressed together when he returned his attention to Caius. "I do have to work with him."

Caius just lifted an uncaring shoulder. "I will never understand why you allow the other guards to think themselves your equal."

Scratching the under part of his chin, he hummed. "Well, see, it's like this." Crossing his arms, he leaned back against the back of the bar. "When you're in the field and your ass is on the line, and they save said ass, the footing levels out and you tend to not really care what words are chosen during casual conversation."

Clasping his hands behind his back, Caius titled his head. "That's what you consider casual?"

Clicking his tongue once, Demetri cocked a brow. "Was there something I could do for you, Master Caius?"

Shaking his head, Caius continued his way into the room. "No. I'm not here to talk to you. I would like to have a word with her."

Brow rising even higher, Demetri scoffed slightly. "I'm not leaving."

Caius didn't spare him a glance as he took the seat Alec vacated. "I didn't ask you to." Casting a sidelong look at the tracker, he then smirked. "I could use a drink, though."

Demetri rolled his eyes. "You pompous bastard." Even still, Demetri turned and grabbed a glass to make a vodka cranberry.

Caius, however, ignored the jab, and focused on the newest addition to the coven. "I'm sure Alec told you of my decision regarding the Cullen coven." When she nodded, he continued. "I want you to know it was not my intention to make you uncomfortable, though I am quite sure that is a likely side effect of the ruling. This is as much your home now as it ours, and you should not feel as though anything within these walls are a threat to you."

While he was talking, Bella took a drink of the blood Demetri gave her in a metal shaker, her hand over the hole in her face to keep as much of it in her mouth as she could, but it still ended with her having to wipe what escaped and ran down the side her neck. She lowered her eyes when Caius frowned slightly at the sight, swallowing hard and clearing her throat. "Sorry. I know it's not exactly pleasant."

Caius didn't give the statement an ounce of acknowledgment, seeing no reason to, and instead continued where he left off, ignoring the glass Demetri set by his forearm. "I am aware of the biggest issue that revolves around certain members that coven, and I simply wanted to ensure you understood your standing within this one."

Remaining quiet for a moment, Bella shifted her eyes to Demetri as he leaned once again against the back bar. This had been just about the same conversation she had been having with him when Alec came in, so with a shallow nod, she returned her eyes to Caius. "He was explaining the hierarchy to me when Alec came in."

Picking up his glass, Caius hummed as he brought it to his lip and spoke around the rim. "Has he yet gotten to the part of the explanation that defines the difference between the guard and the coven?" When Demetri responded in the negative, Caius licked his lips as he set his glass down. "The coven itself consists of 9... well, ten now including you. Every other vampire is merely a guard of some rank. You can tell their rank by how dark their cloaks are. The darker the grey, the higher they stand. Likewise, the lighter, the lower they stand. You will see guards in white; those are the newest and have yet to be assessed and assigned."

That more or less just reiterated what had been told to her, but she was nothing if not curious what was in the future for the Cullens if they got past the next 12 days. "How are people assessed?"

Caius shrugged as he took another sip of his drink. "I haven't a clue, nor do I care to find out. That is Demetri's job. From the moment they arrive, anyone who is to serve is his responsibility and he has his own way of making those decisions. To my knowledge, he's never been wrong when it comes to where he assigns someone, so no one questions his choices." Setting his glass back down, he crossed his arms. "If he can even explain his mindset for how he does his job, he can explain it to you later. For the moment, how about we get back to the topic at hand and talk about your place amongst us."

When he raised a brow, Bella wiped her chin and nodded, so he continued. "When Demetri took on the position of your guardian, in the eyes of newborn law, he became your legal sire. Before you get upset, no one can, or will attempt, to replaces the one that made you. This is strictly legally speaking. All it means is, he is now responsible for your care, welfare, and upbringing. However, that said, since he is now, for all intent and purpose your sire, it gives you an automatic place within the coven that will last for the rest of your life, regardless of your actual presence with our coven; unless you mate and join another, of course. Now, do not read more into this part than there actually is. His assumed sirehood of you places you on par with any other vampire sired by a member of the coven, and there are two others of that status. Their names are Athenodora and Sulpicia."

Bella sat as silently as she could while Caius talked, forcing herself to remain as calm as she could when he started talking about sires. She couldn't help the response she had to the topic, and she could say with a pointed nastiness, she didn't like it. It made her feel empty and alone, even being in the presence of others. It set a rock of longing in her gut, and it was a literal fight against herself not to whimper, whine, or otherwise make a noise of discomfort.

Even still, forcing herself to focus enough to listen, she sighed. What he was saying made sense, even if it did hurt for reasons she despised. But, she couldn't understand one thing. "What part of that was I not supposed to read more into that what you were saying?"

Demetri cast Caius a sidelong look of pure annoyance. There were plenty of other ways to tell her all of that without the stab to her unbeating heart, even if it was the most direct. There was a nearly silent growl in his throat as he shook his head and looked back at Bella. "Athenodora and Sulpicia are Caius and Aro's mates, respectively."

Seeing Bella's eyes go wider than he thought possible, Caius held his hands up. "That is what you were not supposed to read into. Aro and I turned our mates simply because it makes the bond between us stronger."

Bella ran her mouth over her jacket covered shoulder as she made a deliberate and visibly noticeable attempt to not make eye contact with Demetri as every moment that transpired between them since Washington flashed before her eyes at what she was sure was meant to be a simple explanation. It wasn't just him getting progressively nicer, or his blatant over protectiveness when it came to her; it was how she felt in those moments. When the handful of times she heard him refer to her as his popped into her head, she awkwardly cleared her throat. "I don't... I don't think I, uh... I don't think I want to have this conversation anymore."

As Caius went to open his mouth, Demetri beat him to it. "As you wish, Agapimenos. However, to set the record straight. They are not the only childe of the coven." Eyes cutting to Caius, his voice showed his annoyance. "Felix was sired by Aro." When all Caius did was roll his eyes, Demetri returned his to his charge. Leaning forward and uncrossing his arms, he reached across the bar and plucked a small stick that was stuck in Bella's matted hair. Chuckling, he gave her a grin and changed the subject. "How about a shower?"

Those were like magic words to her in that moment. Lord only knew what else was stuck in her hair, and she could literally feel the seventeen layers of nasty that coated her skin from running through a wet forest for two weeks. Eyes lighting up, she gave him as wide of a smile back as she could, the moment before forgotten. "Please?"

With a snicker, Demetri held his hand out toward the door. "After you, Neos." He waited for her to scramble off her stool before he took the path of least resistance from behind the bar. With a hop and a swing of his legs, he cleared the wooden barrier, landing lightly next to the extremely excited newborn. Looking down at her, he kept his smile on his face. "I'll show you to your room where you can get cleaned up, and after that, we'll see about getting you a real meal when Heidi comes back. Does that sound alright to you?"

Was he stupid?

It was that exact thought that was clearly read on her face that had Demetri chuckling and leading her from the lounge and into the hall after a dip of his head to Caius, and a wave to him from Bella.

It wasn't until they were several feet away from the door that Bella looked up at her 'guardian', and bit her lip in thought. "I'm curious about something."

His hands clasp behind his back as he walked next to her toward the set of double doors that blocked the East Wing from anyone but the Elite guard, Demetri glanced down at her from the corner of his eye. "And what's that?"

"No one actually answered why I can't have a flat black jacket." Rolling her hands over each other, she licked her lips. "I get it's a safety thing, but not why it's a safety thing."

Nodding once in his understanding, Demetri cocked his head to the side as he took in her height next to him. "Black, in and of itself, is a sign of status within our ranks. It is what separates those who are a Volturi, and those who are a Voltalian. It goes back to what Caius was talking about when it came to the difference between the two. Things get very boring around here if you don't have anything to do, so Felix, Alec, Jane, and myself are on the Guard because we want to be, not because we have to be. That said, there will always be four Elite guards, regardless of anything else for reasons I just don't feel like getting into, and you're not much taller than Jane. If you were to have your hood up, it would be very difficult to tell the two of you apart from behind. The four of us deal with an unbelievable amount of bullshit when it comes to those that think if they kill one of us they will take our place, and I have no idea how long it will be until you will be able to defend yourself against an attack should you be on your own and someone mistakes you for her."

Nodding slowly, only partly understanding the explanation, Bella cocked her own head to the side. "So... which is which?"

Stopping at the door, Demetri pushed on a wooden panel on the wall, opening the hidden key pad behind it. Typing in the code to allow them entry, Demetri hummed. "Voltalian is the surname of the coven, and where the shortened Volturi comes from. When you hear others talk about the Volturi, they are talking strictly of the Guard, and what most vampires are so afraid of. Then again, the Guard is 150 strong, and a force to be afraid of." Looking down at her again with a smirk wide enough to show his teeth, he chuckled that same deep, sinister sound he made when he talked about how much he was going to enjoy what he was going to do to the Cullens. "I've made sure of it."

Pushing open the double doors, he saw her brow lift, and he shook head. "Don't look at me like that. I'm a mean son of a bitch, but I am also lazy as fuck. If I could sit on my ass and do my job, I probably would. However, I have a philosophy and not once in over two thousand years has it been proved wrong, so it's not likely to change."

Tucking her lips into her teeth to smother her amusement at the clear offence he took to her questioning expression, Bella looked up at him as they walked down the hall lined with 8 doors, four on each side. "And what's that?"

Stopping at the last door on the left, Demetri looked down at her and clicked his tongue. "If you work smart, you'll never have to work hard a day in your life. The fear my guards strike in the hearts of vampiric society is enough to curb the more tyrannical bullshit and eliminates the need to beat the masses into submission. I did that once and, while it was fun, I'd rather not have to do it again."

Bella nodded slowly as he finished. It made sense, she guessed. Why do the same thing more than once if you didn't have to? It was like chores, in her mind. You do the same thing enough times, you begin to resent them. She had a resentment for dust bunnies, so in comparison, she supposed having a resentment against always having to stomp some poor bastard into the ground could get old if you had to do it often enough.

She saw Demetri reach for the handle of the door they were in front of, but took a second to look around and noticed something. "Why is the handle on this door different from the others?"

Pushing down on the lever style handle, Demetri pushed open the door and leaned against it, giving her enough room to enter. "These push down lever style handles are easier for newborns to use because they don't have to grip it, which means less chance they will break it. Once you are in full control of your strength, it will be changed to match the rest."

As she slipped past him into the room, she looked up at him with bright humor in her eyes. "Smart, not hard, right?"

Demetri winked. "Never said it just went for the Guard." Watching her take in the space for a moment, Demetri then crossed his arms. "The code for the doors at the end of the hall is 7672 and, while it would be my preference you didn't go running around by yourself just yet, it is bound to happen sooner or later. With that said, there are certainly places around here that are completely off limits to you while on your own."

Looking over her shoulder at him, Bella's brows drew down. "Like what?"

Demetri lifted a shoulder. "The barracks, the training field, the entirety of the catacombs to name a few. You are not going to care for how this sounds, but the truth is, the palace is no place for a defenseless, unmated female to be gallivanting around by herself. I'm fast, even by vampire standards, but not even I am fast enough to navigate the maze of hallways when there is a threat directly in front of you. It is asking for unneeded trouble, so for now, when I say something is off limits," locking his eyes on hers, "it is off fucking limits."

Rearing back from the venom in Demetri's voice, Bella blinked. He had never spoken to her like that yet, and quite honestly, she never wanted him to do it again. He was absolutely terrifying, and the thought of his bad side had her nodding with wide eyes. "O... kay. Off limits is off limits, I got it."

Rolling his head slightly on his shoulder, Demetri let out a hard sigh and clicked his tongue. "Anyway... this is your room from now on, so feel free to do with it as you please. If it is not to your liking, you are welcome to redecorate or rearrange as you see fit. If you choose to rearrange anything, please, ask for help. You might be capable of moving shit on your own, but you are not capable of doing so without breaking it."

Knowing an absentminded nod when he saw one, he roughly cleared his throat. He could clearly tell he was running out of time with her at the moment, and continued when he once again held the newborn's waning attention. "The only thing you cannot do is change the floor plan itself, and only because it is an unbelievable pain in the ass to put plumbing in this place, so the bathroom stays where it is. However, you are more than welcome to update it if you wish. It's been... oh, probably twenty years at least since it was last done."

She nodded again, and Demetri pushed himself off the door and closed the distance between them. When Bella shrunk back slightly, he paused just long for her to get her nerves in check before he reached for her and began to unbutton his jacket, looking at her as he spoke again. "If you need anything, my room is directly across the hall. Simply say my name and I'll hear you just fine." Slipping his jacket off her shoulders, he turned half way to the side and tossed it on the bed. He said she could keep it as long as she wanted, and she hadn't said he could have it back yet.

As he was leaving her to get cleaned up, something popped into Bella's head and she called out for him to wait. When he looked back at her from the doorway, she scratched at one of the graze marks on her chest through her shredded shirt. "I don't have anything to shower with."

Placing his hand on the doorknob, Demetri looked back at her with a hum. "Since Rachel isn't in here any longer, there should be plenty of towels and toiletries in the bathroom for you. If not, let me know and I'll get you what you need. There is no saving your clothing, so just rip them off and toss them in the trash with whatever else it is you destroy."

With a frown on her lips, Bella looked down at herself, and saw that, to her horror, he was right. She knew her shirt was a lost cause, but she hadn't realized just how much torture she put her jeans through. Not looking up as a sour look settled on her features, she grunted. "Will do."

It wasn't until she heard her door clicked shut she looked up again, still pissed off about her favorite jeans. Letting her eyes roam the room, she decided to redirect her thoughts to what she wanted to change. The furnishings themselves were pretty awesome. It was old, she could tell that, but the woodwork was masterful and she found she really liked the details of the carvings in the head and foot board of the bed and the ones on the dresser. The vanity was certainly going to go, though. It was big and bulky and she had no need for it. Or, maybe she could nix the mirror and instead put shelves in its place and use it as a desk instead.

As her mind took on the task of redecorating her room, she turned and went to the bathroom, only knowing which of the sets of doors led to it because it was left open. It was a basic bathroom, but it was huge. It was easily twice the size, if not more, than what she was used to, and it was all hers.

She also discovered Demetri was right. On the counter of the double sink there was a stack of fluffy towels and when she looked to where the shower was, it was like an army of shampoo, conditioner, and body wash bottles lining the low windowsill. The fact there was a window in the shower would have been slightly off putting if it wasn't that frosted block style window. Everything outside of it was distorted to her, and she was pretty high up, so she figured it was more for light than it was for a view. Besides, on the same wall in the bedroom itself was a set of french doors that opened to a balcony, which served to provide her with a beautiful view of the walled in gardens.

She was so excited at the prospect of getting clean, it wasn't until after she did as she was told and ripped her clothes off she was struck with the realization she didn't actually have anything else to put on. She stared horrified at the useless scraps of cloth for she didn't know how much time before she groaned and dropped her chin to her chest. "Son of a bitch."

Time seemed to pass completely different to her as she debated her options. She was quick to come to the conclusion she didn't have many, and with growled sigh, grabbed one of the towels. Opening it and shaking it out, she was heartened to discover it was pretty big, so there was that.

This was also the first time being clawed to shit didn't work against her. It was her non-dominant arm that faced the wrath of the wolf, and she could bend it at the elbow. So, when she was able to get her towel wrapped around her, she used that hand to keep it closed and was able to use her movable arm for opening her door.

Pausing long enough to look down the hall to make sure no one else was present, because she didn't know who the other rooms belonged to, or more to the point if they were occupied, she quickly crossed the ten foot hall and raised her right arm, made a fist, and knocked on Demetri's door.

Demetri, who had also decided to use this time to take a shower, had just pulled off his undershirt when he heard the timid knock on his door. Glancing at it with a creased brow, he picked his watch up off the vanity in his bathroom and checked how long it had been since he left her to her own devices and grunted when he saw it had only been four minutes. "Perhaps I should have turned on her shower for her."

He had thought he was prepared for anything when he opened his door, but he was wrong. Truthfully, what he most expected was to discover a flood from her breaking the shower, but nothing could have prepared the tracker to open the door and come face to face with his charge in nothing but a towel. As quickly as he could he averted his eyes, but he was never going to forget that sight. Clearing his throat, Demetri tsked. "Problem, Neos?"

Likewise, Bella was having just as much of an issue with the eye full of Demetri's bare torso she got, which would be forever burned into her mind since he decided to answer his door in just his slacks. He wasn't even wearing socks anymore. She had a slightly harder time removing her eyes from his exposed flesh, but was able to do so by looking straight down. However, that did little to erase the image of every bite mark and various other scars that littered his upper body. She wasn't sure if it was shocking or not, but to see she wasn't the only person that didn't have perfectly smooth and unblemished skin did actually make her feel a little better about her own scars.

Biting into her bottom lip, her voice showed she was more than slightly uncomfortable. What she didn't know though, was her scent clearly said she wasn't nearly as much as she wanted to be. "I don't have any clothes to put on."

Why couldn't she have just broken the fucking shower? Pinching the bridge of his nose at the shift in Bella's scent, Demetri was almost left with no choice but to cut off his breathing. "Gamó." However, he was granted a slight reprieve when she presented her issue, and he was thankfully able to put a slight bit of distance between himself and her. Backing up, he turned and looked out his own balcony windows, a frown tugging at his lips. Since the day was coming to an end, Jane was likely already out of the palace, so getting something from her for the night, or handing over his credit card for a shopping spree, was out of the question, leaving him with no choice but to improvise for the time being.

Against his better judgement, he signaled his charge into his room, shutting the door behind her. She was in only a towel after all, and he would probably kill someone if they saw her like that. Leaving her standing next to a chair that was situated by the fireplace, Demetri went to his own closet, grabbing a pair of his pajama pants and a t-shirt. The pants had a drawstring, so they should stay up if tied tight enough. But, being that he was a foot taller than she was, he was sure he would have to do something about the length once she actually had them on.

When he was taking her his clothes, something caught his eye, so instead of handing them over right away, he dropped them over the chair arm and turned on the lamp that was on the end table next to it. Brushing her hair out of his way, he took her clawed arm in his grip and dipped his head, getting a good look at them for the first time.

Eyes crinkling in the corners, he made a noise in his throat. With a click of his tongue, he told her to wait there and went to his bathroom. After digging around in one of the vanity drawers, he pulled out what he was looking for and went back to the very confused female in his bedroom, who was trying to find what had caught his attention.

Flicking her eyes to Demetri as he came back into the room, she saw what he had in his hand, and cocked a brow at him. "Why do you even have tweezers?"

Demetri just shrugged as he took up a position behind her and once again took her arm in his grip. "Over time, you'll find vampires never actually lose one common human trait that basically everyone has."

Trying to see what he was doing, Bella huffed when Demetri turned her head back away from her shoulder. Rolling her eyes and jutting out a hip, She crossed her arms as best she could over her chest, and snipped at him. "And what's that?"

Glancing at the newborn that was about to lose her shit completely, he chuckled as he shoved the tweezers into the slash and grabbed what was inside. "We never quite lose the desire to..." With a hard jerk of his arm, he ripped the foreign object from her shoulder socket, looking at it as Bella ripped herself free of his hold. "Acquire the most random shit."

Bent at the waist, Bella didn't know what the fuck he just did, but Jesus Christ did it hurt. Hand clamped over her shoulder, that was now on fire, Bella let her tongue go, but couldn't quite finish any particular sentence. "Son of a... Mother... Jjjjjjjjj..." Propping herself against the stone wall, she began to bang the back of her head against it to try and redirect some of the pain she was in. Her breathing was coming out in pants, and she opened glazed over eyes, and dead at Demetri, and whined. "Why? What the fffff. What have I ever done to you to deserve that? All I wanted was some pants. Maybe a shirt." Shaking her head as she clamped her shaking hand over her eyes. "Fuck it, I can live in a towel." Not completely sure her legs would support her, she still pushed herself off the wall, her breathing still hard. "Fuck you, very fucking much."

More than just slightly amused by her reaction, Demetri shot from his spot, leaning against his door, blocking her exit, and holding up what it was he pulled from her shoulder between two fingers. He didn't say a word, just waited.

Bella reared back from his materialization from nowhere, blinking when she discovered he wasn't lying about being fast. She didn't even see him move. It was like... he just transported from one place to the next. Still, she was pissed off and in pain, so she went to snap at him to move when she caught sight of what he was holding, and instead, her lip curled. "What the hell is that?"

Looking at what he was hold himself, Demetri's head cocked to the side. "That... is a broken piece of a shifter's claw."

Not sure at all how to respond to that, Bella's voice was still louder than necessary. "Well.. thank you for taking it out."

Dropping the claw into Bella's outstretched hand, Demetri crossed his arms. "Move your arm."

Head snapping up from her inspection of the claw, she was quick to shake her head. "You know I can't. I haven't been able to since..."

Demetri pushed himself off his door. He wouldn't stop her from leaving again, and he wasn't going to force her to do something she wasn't ready to do. But, he did cut her off as he did so. "The shifter broke it's claw on your shoulder." Leaning on the arm of his chair, he crossed his ankles as he returned his eyes to Bella's. "I told you before, the only way to find the extent of an injury is to put it through its paces." Nodding at the claw in Bella's hand, he continued. "That was lodged in the socket, and since I didn't see any actual damage below the skin of your shoulder, probably because of your jaw, that is most likely what prevented you from moving your arm."

Bella, who was looking back and forth between Demetri and the claw in her hand, frowned. She understood what he was saying, but she wasn't sure she could handle the disappointment if he was wrong and she still couldn't move her arm. Closing her fingers around the claw, she then looked at her shoulder, her frown deepening.

Demetri watched as her thoughts floated across her face, but still wasn't ready to brace for impact. There wasn't a full second between Bella lifting her injured arm and him finding himself flat on his back being strangled by a, clearly, very thankful newborn... that he was very attracted to... who was wearing nothing but a towel.

Bella, who was completely oblivious to the reaction Demetri had to her being stretched out on top of him, squeezed his next one more time with one last exuberant 'thank you', rolled off him and to her feet, and darted from the room, grabbing his clothes on the way out. Never before had she been so excited, and all she could currently think about was how much easier it was going to be to get a shower.

Demetri simply remained sprawled out on his bedroom floor where he landed when he was tackled, closing his eyes when he heard the sound of the doorknob get crushed in his charge's excitement, and sighing when he heard her door slam shut.

Pressing the pads of his fingers between his eyes, he slid his tongue along behind his teeth. Opening his eyes, let out a breath through puckered lips. "Well... shit." Dropping his arm, he then wrinkled his nose "There goes a hot shower."