He tried... he really did.
No matter how fast he was, Demetri was not fast enough to outrun the screams. He hadn't even so much as stumbled in more years than he was able to count, but when that first ear splitting, soul crushing sound assaulted his ears, not only did he lose his footing for the first time he could literally remember since toddlerhood when he was learning to walk, he also cursed his hearing.
He didn't just have the advanced hearing of a vampire, his was heightened even more because of the kind of vampire he was. His ears picked up the sounds from miles further than an average vampire's, and he was able to hear additional ranges in pitch. Other than the first three years or so of his new life, his supersonic hearing hadn't been an issue; at least not once he got used to it. He had learned ways to tone it down some when in more enclosed spaces, but when outside, it never really crossed his mine to do it.
Hand on the ground, he kicked his legs over his head, quickly taking control of the stumble by digging his toes into the grass and sliding to a stop, crouched and facing the way he had just come. Never, in his life, had he been so completely torn before. He knew he couldn't actually be with her, but that didn't mean he didn't want to be. However, he also knew this wasn't about what he wanted; it was about what she did. There was nothing about her that bothered him. To him, she was perfect as she was, but he knew she didn't think so, and if the best thing he could do to help her was physically remove himself from the area so he didn't intervene, then that was what he was going to do.
Besides, for whatever reason, his girl decided she liked the one he left her with, so maybe, if the Gods will it, he can keep her trouble making ass out of trouble.
As another scream tore at him, a growled snarl ripped from him.
One thing at a time, however.
Pivoting on his toes, Demetri was off again in a dead sprint, heading for a patch of wooded area he knew Edward was hoping to take refuge. It wasn't very large, only a handful of square miles, but at 3 o'clock on a cloudless afternoon, it was the only place he could go to provide enough shade for the fact the stupid prick hadn't covered his skin when he took off. Then again, Demetri supposed if someone was about to beat his ass like he was going to do to Edward, he probably wouldn't waste time getting some distance from him, either.
It took quite a bit to catch the tracker off guard, though he would grudgingly admit it had happened quite a few times over the last seventeen days. He knew one had to expect a certain level of fuckary when dealing with an infant, but never in his life had he been given such a shock by someone Edward's age.
Sliding to a stop two dozen feet or so into the trees, he stood slack jawed at the sight he was met with. He was still several miles from the Cullen, but he was able to see perfectly well through the trees and watch as Edward leapt from tree to another, pretty high up in the canopy. One arm crossing over his chest, he rubbed his lips with the fingertips of the other hand, his brows creased. There was no way he was seeing what he thought he was seeing.
"Was that... is he chasing a squirrel... and losing?"
For another two minutes he watched as Edward fucking Cullen continued to be outsmarted by a rodent. At that point, it was simply amusing. He had never seen anything like it, and there was a large part of him that wished the camera on his phone was better than it was. It wasn't really allowed when it came to recording a vampire being a vampire, but Jesus. This was certainly not something one saw everyday, and he was positive he lovely little mate would enjoy watching it.
When the squirrel once again avoided capture, Demetri shook his head. "At this point, death would be merciful." Then he grinned. "Can't have that, can we?"
Waiting in his place, he watched as the squirrel dove, and took off, meeting Edward head-on as he too landed on the ground. As the mind reader was lunging for the animal, Demetri swung his leg, and caught Edward dead center of his face, sending him flying backwards and into a tree. He felt the stone flesh of the vampire's face crumble against his shin, and he chuckled in his throat. The behemoth of a trunk took the impact well enough, but the tree shook hard enough to look like it was going to come down. It didn't, thankfully, but it was close.
Listening as the squirrel darted through the fallen leaves and back into the safety of the trees, he leveled his sights on Edward, slowly closing the distance between them. His voice was deep and colored in malicious amusement. "What's wrong, Cullen? Underfed? Not quite feeling up to par? Senses a little sluggish, are they? I'm curious if there is anyone that can possibly sympathize with your plight."
Edward, who had bounced off the tree trunk, was knelt with his forearms on the ground, his ass in the air, and his face cradled in his palms. Never had he been in so much pain before; not even during the change. He could feel the sticky wetness of his venom coat his hands and slide down in the cracks in his face. But, when he heard Demetri, he acted without a lot of thought. Pushing himself up just enough to use his arm, he pushed off the dirt with his toes and lunged.
Demetri just rolled his eyes as he sidestepped the piss poor excuse of an attack, lifting his knee at just the right moment to catch the vampire in the stomach, abruptly stopping the forward momentum, and grabbing the man by the hair on the back of his head, ripped him backward and forcing him into the ground on his back.
Crouching with him, the fakest look of mock remorse settled on Demetri's features as he took in the damage his shin did to Edward's face. His nose was completely crushed, spider webs appearing in the skin of his cheeks and up between his eyes. His upper lip was fragmented, chip and chunks missing and exposing his cracked teeth.
Demetri's voice was a mix of bullshit sadness and empathy as he shook his head and tsked through puckered lips. "Ooh... that looks like it hurts. I could be wrong, but it might be a little hard for you to eat in the time to come. So sorry."
Face falling into a mask of indifference, he let go of Edward's hair, shifted his weight, grabbed the son of a bitch by the throat and hoisted him off the ground. Whipping around, he slammed Edward against a different tree as his eyes ignited. Getting nose to hole with the mind reader, Demetri spoke low. "I take no pleasure in harming those that cannot defend themselves. Believe it or not, it actually makes me ill. But creatures like you? Those that force themselves on others? Those that think they have a right to touch someone who doesn't have the ability to prevent it? Those so vile they believe themselves so superior to others they feel they are not only owed something, but design to take it without care of recourse? Those despicable monsters are a different matter entirely, and creatures I take great pleasure in destroying."
Looking at the blurred and fuzzy image of Demetri that was too close to really make out, Edward tried to listen to his thoughts, but he couldn't make it out. It was too loud and distorted, making understanding what he was hearing impossible. Attempting to swallow, Edward choked on the venom that got caught under the pressure of Demetri's hands. "Then just kill me."
It was with a snap of his teeth, Demetri barked his response. "No. There is no punishment in death, and no lesson learned when dead. I personally guarantee you will survive to serve every day of your sentence; promise every day to be worse than the last. And when you can physically take no more, when you are mentally broken, I will turn you loose and watch with glee as you lose the last morsel of your humanity. When I destroy someone, it's in every way possible. When I'm done with you, you'll walk into your pry of your own free will."
In an attempt to once again gain the higher ground over Demetri, Edward glared. "Then I'll just walk in front of a human and take that choice away from you. You'll have to then."
What Edward didn't expect was the spark that entered Demetri's eyes and the grin that formed on his lips. "That certainly would have worked... until you opened your mouth like a dumb fuck." Letting go of Edward's neck, Demetri then stepped on the back of his neck when Edward hit the ground. Reaching into his inner jacket pocket, he pulled out his phone. As he began to whistle, he shot off a text and closed his phone again, dropping it back into his pocket, crouching down and tilting his head to the side. "For future reference, it's a really bad idea to let someone in on your plans that are so easy to thwart."
From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Edward's hand, and his eyes narrowed. Was that the hand that he touched Isabella with? What that the used to keep her from being able to call for help? Was it the one that pinned her in a way she had no escape? Thoughts and visuals of the picture she painted in the dungeon danced through Demetri's mind, every one stealing a little more color from them. There was a decent amount of time he spent staring at the appendage, his teeth clenched and jaw ticking.
Reaching for it, he took Edward's arm in both hands and, after a slight readjustment, snapped Edward's in two over his thigh, almost tittering at the very female like scream that came from the male vampire. Tossing the severed arm in the air, he glanced at it as it flipped, contemplation on his face. "I don't think you'll need this anytime soon." Looking back at the side of Edward's shattered face as he heard the approach of the summoned vampire, he voice was off hand and matter of fact. "And if you ever touch my mate again, no one will ever find all the pieces I break you into."
Ignoring the pitiful excuse of a growl from the face planted vampire, Demetri lifted his eyes to Chelsea, standing from his crouch and removing his foot from Edward's neck as she slowed.
Chelsea, who had no idea why she was told to meet Demetri where she was, curled her lip as she caught sight of one of the Cullens that had certainly seen better days. Crossing her arms with a raised brow, she chuckled as he spoke. "What the hell happened to him?"
Shrugging, Demetri hummed. "His face ran into my foot."
Shaking her head with a snort, Chelsea clicked her tongue. "Alright then. What can I do for you, Master Demetri?"
"If memory serves, you once told me how much you have always wanted a pet." At the look he received from her, Demetri grinned wider and waved one arm along the length of Edward's body. "I have a present for you." Through a series of gestures and looks, there was a silent conversation between the two guards, ending with a wide grin on Chelsea's face and amusement in Demetri's eyes. "I trust you'll take very good care of him."
A spark entered the female's eyes as she clasped her hands together in front of her chest, all but hopping up and down. "Oh, Master Demetri, I promise."
Demetri just nodded as he tossed her Edward's severed arm to return at her digression as he swept past her. She wasted no time gleefully manipulating Edward's loyalty bond to a near worshiping level for her, either. Knowing Chelsea as he did, that particular Cullen would be begging for death within a week. He had no doubt that in an hour's time, he would be collared and forced to crawl around on his knees like an actual dog.
With that dealt with, Demetri left Chelsea to play with her new toy and headed back to palace.
*X*
It had been about twenty minutes since he took Bella to her room, and currently, Peter was leaning over her, one knee on the mattress, a frown on his face. He had a pretty uncomfortable decision to make, and he wasn't sure how much he really wanted to be the one to make it.
Since the graft he used was a piece of her sire, he hadn't used any of his own venom to fuse it in place, because then it wouldn't come off in the future like it would otherwise. It was her sire's venom in her veins, so it should have fused to her like it was her own, but the graft wasn't taking as well as he'd hoped without extraordinary measures.
Before he went that route, there was an easier way, and he would try that one first.
Pushing himself to his feet, he didn't leave the room, just poked his head out of the door, looking up the hall to the twin that had gone back to fixing the security panel. Curling his tongue behind his teeth, he blew a short, high pitched whistle, and waiting until Alec looked his way. When he did, Peter glanced over his shoulder before looking back. "She ain't gonna be able ta wait for her fella ta get back. She needs ta eat now if that graft gonna stay in place." Pointing a finger at him, "and don't offer no bagged bullshit, neither. That shit barely take the edge off hunger, and ain't gonna do nuthin'."
Brows creasing, Alec bit into his bottom lip, thinking about whether or not there were any humans around that could be sacrificed. It was still several hours until her normal feeding time, and that was exclusively seen to by Demetri, so Alec wasn't even sure if there wasn't, where the last place her meal was picked up from.
Dropping the wire cutters in his hand, he stood. "Give me a minute and I'll see what I can do. There is a room down the hall that the Mistresses use for feeding. Let me talk to Caius, and I'll meet you there. You'll know it by the smell."
There was a look of actual disgust on Peter's face as he crossed his arms, leaning back on the door jam. "Y'all don't just take her huntin'?"
Pausing, Alec looked back over his shoulder, his own lip curled. "She's a month old."
Peter did not understand what that had to do with anything. "So? Ya mean ta tell me none a y'all can handle one baby out in the world? Ain't all y'all trained ta be the biggest and the baddest, and you gonna stand there an' tell me one infant 'round humans too much for ya? I've taken groups a changlin's ta hunt, alone, and ain't ever had a issue."
Sighing hard, Alec turned fully around and crossed his arms. "No one feeds within the walls; no exceptions."
Face losing all emotions, Peter quipped back. "If there ain't no feedin' in the walls, where the fuck all y'all eat then, huh?" When Alec remained silent, Peter grunted. "Kinda what I thought." Then a look of contemplation settled on his face. "Course, were it me and I knew one way or the other if the shit I'd been hearin' the last few days held any truth, I'd be a might less concerned 'bout Aro findin' out a townfolk went missin' than I would be a her fella findin' out I was told his lady needed help, and I didn't do it." Shrugging a shoulder, he then turned back to Bella's room. "But like I said... that just me."
One thing that had always amazed Peter, though at this point in his life it really shouldn't, was just how fast someone changed their tune when a lady's fella was brought into a conversation. This female was perfectly capable of dealing with the twin, but it wasn't until Peter brought up Demetri that he paled, which was an odd sight to see when dealing with the already pigmentally challenged. It was no secret the vampire race was absolutely a male dominated 'Boy's Club,' but it was just flat out stupid to think a female couldn't handle her business when she had to. Sure, it was the prerogative of a male to make sure she didn't have to, but that didn't in any way mean she wasn't capable of it.
The most perfect example Peter could offer someone was his own mate. Charlotte was a fucking scrapper. She didn't take shit from anyone, under any circumstances. She could absolutely hand someone their ass with a smile on her face and giggle in her voice. The point was, Peter damn near went out of his way to make sure she didn't have to. He didn't care who she pissed off, or if it was intentional on her part or not. The ship of her putting him in fights over bullshit had long since sailed, but no matter how many times he was pitted against someone because her, he would never make her fight her own battles, even knowing she would knock it off if he did. There was a part of him that enjoyed it, so there was that.
What he was positive the vampires around here had missed learning in their own pampered ass lives was, a pissed off female was a far deadlier creature than any male could possibly fathom. There was also a huge difference between a female that was mad, one that was angry, and one that was down right pissed off. They weren't all that much difference than their human selves in that respect; the difference being their ability to whoop someone poor bastard's ass are greatly improved. The problem was, everyone was so ball shriveling terrified of her male to give her the consideration she actually deserved. Thing about that was, she was actually the more dangerous of the two, because where Demetri was susceptible to the gifts of others, Isabella, so far, had proven she was not. Demetri could be stopped if someone was that stupid, but Isabella would keep on truckin'.
The smart fucker sure chose wisely when it came to who he wanted by his side for the rest of eternity, Peter would give him that. Then again, he also supposed that wasn't really a fair statement to make. It wasn't so much a quote 'conscience decision' on the tracker's part. An attraction wasn't an indication of anything but wanting to fuck. Two vampires could spend centuries together and part ways on a moment's notice, or hit it and quit it same day, but the desire to make her a mate was either there or it wasn't. It didn't happen over time, only a matter of hours.
A male fell exceptionally fast, and they fell hard and flat on their fucking face. If that desire was there, the male would literally move mountains to have that female on his arm, though there have been times that still wasn't enough and the female said no. It had happened to several vampires Peter knew personally. On the flipside though, he had also seen many a vampire want to be someone's mate, and that someone didn't return the sentiment.
The mark of a female vampire wasn't gonna do shit. Even in a pairing where both batted for the same team, be it male or female, there was always a more dominant partner, and one thing you weren't going to do was force that dominant partner's teeth into your neck. While that male or dominant partner would certainly take care of them for as long as they spent together, it was generally understood they weren't going to shower the same attention, affection, time, or energy on them as they would someone who carried their mark.
One could also absolutely tell the difference between attraction and desire. The girl was gorgeous, even with the permanent disfigurement at the claws of a shifter, and Peter was positive that was why Demetri was so dead set on her having constant protection for the time being. As far as a guy's dick was concerned, she was fair game because she hadn't been bitten yet. In a place where there were over a hundred males, most of which weren't mated, she was in actual danger of not just being forced into submission, but just flat out raped because she only had interest in Demetri and would never give her consent to someone else.
Case in point... her ex. There was no desire for longevity on his part, and actually, Peter was almost positive that for him, it was now just about regaining his control over her, while also getting a one-up over someone else as an added bonus. While Bella was human, Edward made his word law through some fucked up means; namely scent, voice, and lure, and she was left with no choice but to follow him like a lamb to the slaughter. Humans have no defence against a vampire's bag of tricks, but now that she was a vampire as well, the lure didn't have any affect on her, allowing her to fight back because females do actually have a mating instinct.
What female vampires had was the drive to find and accept the interest of the best male they could. For them, it wasn't so much about being ready to become a mate. They could wake up from their change mated and it wouldn't bother them in the least. Every female had a different set of criteria they deemed important, and would not accept the advancement of someone that lacked the ability or drive to provide that to them.
Even if her change was under the best of circumstances, and everything went perfectly to the plan she had in her head as a human, unless she was marked and woke mated, if Edward didn't, those more likely wouldn't, meet her requirements, and she met someone who both would do it, or do it better, and was interested in doing so before they mated, the little lady would have left then, because this other male would provide her with a better life.
Once Demetri not only showed his ability to meet whatever her criteria, but also expressed his interest in her, even if by some miracle Edward had a snowball's chance in hell of regaining her favor, he lost it to someone Isabella herself deemed was just flat out better than him.
Vampires, especially females, were self-serving creatures, and no one could really fault them for wanting the best. Gold-digging, for example, was not an uncommon thing among the female vampire population. Peter had met some shallow fucking bitches in his life; concerned about nothing else than the size of a man's bank account. Chances are, they were the same way when they were human; their only criteria for becoming someone's lifelong mate, was how much that poor bastard was able to spoil her. She couldn't really be faulted for that, because she wouldn't get it if it wasn't offered to her. He was also relatively sure there were at least two females within the palace that were exactly that.
It was only speculation on Peter's part, but with this particular female, and the way her new life started, physical protection was likely pretty damn high on her list, if not the topper. In Peter's mind, she was no different than Charlotte was in that respect. Their upbringing would be vastly different, true enough, but neither one was changed for any other reason than to be a pawn, they both knew it, and they both accepted the offer of the best male they could find to protect them... and they both got very lucky. Newborn females that put their trust in an unknown, grown male, ran a risk that was astronomical.
Just like females, males were self-serving as well, with many, many physical upgrades over a female that could lead to her being literally nothing more than a slave to that male's cock. It has happened before, and it would without doubt happen again. It was absolutely not unheard of for a male to kill a sire for the female they turned just for that purpose, and after a couple of years, once he destroyed her, she was usually killed and he would move on to another. Over the course of vampire generations, newborns evolved to wake up with a skittishness to strangers, and that was just about the only reason that shit was on the decline.
If he were honest, the term 'power couple' came to Peter's mind when it came to the pair. Even only just meeting her, Peter knew Bella would never be happy spending her days lounged out on a bed of fluff, gossiping like an old betty in the hair parlor, with a goblet of blood in her hand. The poor little shit would go insane if that was forced on her, and Demetri would never be able to stand back and allow that to happen. There was the very real possibility, once Isabella was older, the two would partner up in many other aspects than just their love life, because she is the offspring of a nomad, and wanderlust is a thing.
Her man's only mission in life now was to make his girl happy, and a smirk entered Peter's eyes as the voices in his head began to whisper.