Pacing the length of the hallway, Bella had one arm crossed over her chest, the nail of her thumb between her teeth. There was a rock in her gut, and she was finding herself curious if she was still actually capable of throwing up. Her skin was crawling, and it was such an off putting feeling, she kept changing her mind midstep.
Why she decided to do this by herself, she didn't know. She was pretty sure if she asked Demetri would have come with her, but for whatever reason, she hadn't, and now here she was, pacing the hall of the catacombs, trying to clamp down her overwhelming fear and anger.
Most of the twenty-seven hours since Demetri bit her had been spent with Peter, Demetri and Felix being sent to deal with something going on in Rome, and over that time, she had actually figured out which way the pendulum Demetri had spoken about swung when it came to the gruff bastard. While going back and forth with Caius on his behalf was because she felt she owed him, ultimately, she decided she did actually liked the dick.
She also decided she wanted to do something for him. It wouldn't be on par with what he did for her, but she hoped he liked it nonetheless. She had very quickly learned she couldn't pull the kind of shit with him she could with basically every other person that resided in the palace, but she really did hope she could keep this as much of a surprise as possible.
But to do so, it meant she had to talk to Jasper.
She couldn't figure out exactly what her problem was, either. He was behind an unbreakable set of bars. She was completely safe from him, so why was she so terrified to go in there? Every time she got within ten feet of the door, her stomach clenched, threatening to reintroduce her to her last meal, and so far, she wasn't able to squash her emotions enough to get any closer.
Pausing in her pacing, she looked at the metal door that was currently about twenty feet away, her eyes crinkled in the corners, her nail still between her teeth. A small whine slipped past her lips and she snapped away from the sight, her shoulders hunching. This was stupid, she knew it was, but that didn't make it easy. It honestly almost made it harder.
On the verge of a full on anxiety attack, Bella leaned against the wall, dropping her head back, and closing her eyes. Her heart didn't even beat, but it felt like it was about to explode. She had been doing well enough with knowing they were within as close of proximity as they were, but now that she was so close, and alone, she was beginning to completely question her mentality.
She had no idea how long she stood there, begging her body to listen to her and being completely ignored, but when she opened her eyes and lowered them, she saw Caius leaning against the opposite wall, his arms crossed and looking all the world like he didn't have a care in it. His face was level, his eyes clear while Bella was shaking and damn near foaming at the mouth.
He merely waited her out, knowing she would either bolt like she was fighting not to do, or she would find the inner strength she was desperate for. This was, quite possibly, the hardest part of a newborn growing up. They couldn't always run and hide behind their sire. The would eventually have to stand on their own and, regardless of this newborn's mating to, arguably, the most dangerous vampire on the planet, she would be no different. She would still have to stand for herself, and the sooner she tried, the better help that could be offered to her as time continued.
Bella gulped down as much venom as she could, but she still spat out quite a bit before she spoke. "I can't do it."
There was a hum on the air, Caius' head tilting slightly to the side. "Why do we not start with what it was you were attempting to do, and go from there."
Bella was just as quick to shake her head. "It doesn't matter."
A brow slowly slid up Caius' forehead. "Oh? And why is that? Because it's hard?" When she whimpered, he licked his lips. "Stella, you are an infant standing twenty feet from those that killed your sire. You would not have put yourself through what you have for the last hour if you thought it didn't matter. Clearly, it matters a great deal, so tell me what it is, and let me help you."
Ringing her fingers, Bella cut her eyes to the end of the hall, her voice wavering. "I wanted to talk to Jasper." Returning her eyes to Caius when he simply said 'about', she licked her lips and swallowed hard. "I want to do something for Peter, but the only way to do it is to talk to Jasper."
Caius remained silent as he regarded her for a long moment. Clearly, if she was down here, alone, for as long as she was, she was completely dedicated to whatever the cause was she took up for her chosen bodyguard, and if he wasn't with her, she didn't want him to know she was doing it. The problem, from what he could see, didn't fully lie in her emotions, but also the added complication of her lack of control.
So, with that in mind, he gave her more control over the situation when he uncrossed his arms and held one out to the side, looking her in the eyes. "Then, let's go have a chat with Jasper." When she whined, he grinned. "You would be very surprised to find how easy some of the hardest things in life become once you get over that final mental hurdle. Very horrible things are still very fresh in your mind. Honestly, I was quite surprised to find you down here, but here you are, so why would I allow you to walk away when you are this close to obtaining a piece of yourself back?"
Have scrunching and arms dropping, Bella pouted. "What are you talking about?"
Caius just have her a small smile. "Your sense of security, Sella, is what I'm talking about. When it comes to you, there are many truly debatable topics, and many arguments to be made for a great many things. There are very few issues that are straightforward, but this is one of them. They took from you the most important thing we have, and good caretaker or bad, your sire translated directly to your sense of security
"How you would have actually been treated by your sire is fully and completely up in the air. No one person found thus far knows all that much about him. For all we know, his actions toward you could have just been because you were human at the time, and again for all we know, could have changed very drastically after that bite. We can make as many assumptions as we want, but we will never really know.
"Now, I am going to ask you keep as open of a mind as you can when I say this; you are well within rights to feel whatever you do when it comes to that coven. Everything is justified, but the only emotion you feel for them when it comes to James' death is anger. Everything else stems from the mountain of deplorable decisions that followed that event. You had a relationship with them. You had good memories with them. They also meant something to you. At one time, they made you feel almost as safe as Demetri does. Somewhere in your mind you know you are not the vampiress you should have been, and you are very likely never to become her... because of them. The time you spent on your own destroyed whatever chance of that you had, and the only way to get back what was stolen, is to take it back... By force if necessary."
Unable to help it, a barely there smile formed in the corner of Bella's lips. "Are you advocating violence, Caius?"
There was not a bone in his body that said otherwise. "If it comes to that, you bet your ass I am. I fully condone it, and oftentimes, greatly encourage it. What I am advocating for is justice, and there are many, many ways to serve it. Justice for you will not be considered had until you are whole, and if you have to take everything back that was stolen from you by physical force, I support it full heartedly."
The longer she was a vampire, the more she was realizing just how fucked up the race was. She wasn't quite as flattered by his words as she had been by some of the things Demetri had said to her, but she still let out a little giggle at Caius. "I don't think it'll come to that."
Caius just shrugged. "Pity, but if it does, just know you have me in your corner." When her head bobbed in a shallow nod, he again held his arm out to the side. "Now... shall we go have that chat?"
It took her a solid three minutes, long enough for Caius to think she was going to say no before she let out a long breath and pushed herself off the wall with another nod. She had taken that time to consider everything she had been told, and she was at least willing to put what she was told to the test. If she really was only afraid of them because of what happened after she woke up, then the best thing she could do was face it, because that fear wouldn't ebb with time if she didn't.
Even still, she kept herself a couple of steps behind Caius as he tapped the side of his fist on the metal door that housed who she wanted to talk to. It was always slightly humorous when one of the Kings was revealed to someone who wasn't expecting it, but she didn't savor Carlos' shock as much as she actually wanted to. If she didn't just do it, she wouldn't, and she really wanted to do this for Peter.
Slipping her body through the space between Caius and the doorway, Bella once again felt a rock in her stomach, but with another hard breath, shook it off as best she could as she walked down the cell block to Jasper's cell. Looking in, she saw him sitting against the back wall, his knees bent up, his arms draped over them, his head down and his eyes closed. She would have thought he was sleeping if she didn't know that was impossible.
Licking her dry lips, she did her best to ignore the other two in the room as she crouched down to Jasper's level. "How do I get ahold of Charlotte?"
Jasper opened his eyes, and looking through his bangs, locked eyes with the newborn that was looking back at him. He didn't actually need to feel her emotions; he could smell them. He really never did like it when a female was afraid of him, but the one before him, who he actually cared about, prompted what was probably the worst thing he ever personally felt about himself before. He thought he hated himself when he was in the army, but he was wrong. The feeling could get worse.
Even still, she was now mated to someone more dangerous than he was, and Charlotte was his own offspring. Like hell was he going to make the same mistake twice. He kept his voice level, but it still carried a decent amount of force. "You're joking, right? Do you really think I'm going to tell you that so you can ruin someone else's life when you run to that male of yours? If you do, you're out of your fucking mind."
Okay... now she was pissed off for another reason entirely. Eyes narrowing and crinkling in the corners, Bella's lip curled as she scoffed. "Nice to see your balls finally dropped and you're actually protecting a girl against something she couldn't possibly have the ability to face, but seriously? I ruin lives? Because I'm the one that got involved with a human, right? Because I'm the one that directly challenged a nomad, right? Because I'm the one that chased your asses all over Northern Washington, right? Because I'm the one that called a pack of fucking wolves and turned them loose on you, right? Yeah, Jasper... I'm the one that ruins lives. How fucking dare you? If you wanna see someone who ruins lives, I'll get you a goddamn mirror, Major."
There was a staring contest between Bella and Jasper as the very stark realization that Peter had been telling war stories gripped Jasper and hard. He could absolutely not dispute he had spent a great deal of his life as a monster, and clearly, 60 years wasn't long enough yet to atone for it.
After a very tense thirty seconds, Bella rolled her marred shoulder and lost the glare her expression had settled into. "As for Demetri, he and Peter have a deal, and unlike you, he's actually a man with enough integrity to mean what the fuck he says. Besides, Demetri has Peter, you dipshit. If he actually cared about Charlotte, don't you think he would have gotten her by now? He already knows exactly where she is, so I mean, it's not like it would be hard."
It took Jasper a moment to register the fact Bella Swan actually stood her ground against someone, but even once that happened, he still didn't give up the goods. He just leaned forward between his knees, his own eyes narrowing. "Then what the hell are you asking me for?"
She gave him back the same damn attitude. "Because I'm not here on behalf of Demetri, and believe me, he doesn't need me to be."
Jasper just snorted hard as he leaned back against the wall of his cell. "You're his mate now. Everything you do is on his behalf."
Grunting as she stood up back up, Bella's lip curled high in disgust. "You have to be the most hard headed son of a bitch to ever walk this Earth, Jerk, but fine... I'll do it your way and have Demetri track her down. Wonder how well she'll fare and how Peter is going to feel when he finds out whatever psychological trauma caused by Demetri just showing up at her door could have been avoided by a fucking phone call. Real smart pissing off the only two people that have ever truly had you back."
It took a lot to catch Jasper that much off guard, but finding out just how many stories Peter had been telling was enough to do it. When Bella turned to leave, he shot off the floor, grabbing the bars of his cell. "Bella, wait." She only turned part way back to him, and he signed when she just crossed her arms and cocked a brow. "She's not safe here."
Brow rising higher, Bella glanced at Caius before turning back to Jasper. "How is she not? From the stories I've heard, she was a newborn when she broke the law in the army, and she and Peter left before her first year was over. It was only by a couple of days, but if I understand the newborn laws, she isn't accountable for what she did during that first full year; her sire is." Grinning wide enough to so teeth when Caius confirmed her words, her head tilted slightly. "She's yours, isn't she?" When Jasper said nothing, Bella chuckled. "I wonder, Jasper, who it is you're actually protecting right now; Charlotte, or yourself?"
Proud was an understatement on Caius' part as he watched the young vampire stand against that particular elder one. Not many would have the gall to challenge the Southern Major, but something inside that newborn blossomed during their conversation. Anger was certainly a powerful emotion, and it could become one hell of a weapon once someone learned to use it, and not just be ruled by it.
He grinned wide as he crossed his arms and looked at Jasper himself. "Quite the interesting question, isn't it, Major? I look forward to finding out the answer. For now, you had your chance, so now we will do this my way. Carlos." At the expected 'Yes Master Caius', he never moved his eyes from Jaspers. "Bring me the empath's phone."
All Jasper could do was close his eyes. Leaning his forehead on the bars of his cell, he let out a sigh that was even too quiet for a vampire to hear. By the time he opened them, Bella was once again standing in front of him, his phone held in her lightly closed palm.
Her eyes were liquid, but her voice was stone. "Yours, is a life, I look forward to ruining." As she slipped his phone into her pocket, she went to leave, but paused, looking over her shoulder at him. "To answer your question of why, I just wanted to extend an invitation for her to attend the ball. I thought Peter might like to see her, let her know what was going on, and that she is welcome to come and go as she pleases until his sentence is served."
Alice, having all she could stomach as she reached through the bars of her own cell to try and comfort Jasper, glared at who she once thought would be her best friend forever. "What happened to you?"
Stopping at the door, Bella turned back, locking her mocking red eyes on the orange ones of the pixy. "You did."
*X*
Sitting in the middle of her bed, Bella stared at the phone in her hand, debating on whether or not this was a good idea. She knew Charlotte wasn't in any danger, and she really did want to surprise Peter, but at the same time, she knew how protective of her he was, and she wasn't sure how well that would actually go over with this being the place it was.
Still, before she could completely talk herself out of it, she hit send and put her own phone to her ear. She wasn't sure she would answer, but she figured she had a better chance with an unknown number than she would with Jasper's.
Biting her nail, she counted the rings, and just when she thought voicemail was going to pick up, a light hearted voice with a deep southern twang to match Peter's came through the line. "Hello?"
Swallowing the lump of slight fear in her throat, Bella licked her lips and let out a breath. "Hi; is this Charlotte?"
"Yes it is. Who I got the pleasure a talkin' to?"
Scratching her temple, Bella steeled herself for whatever was about to happen before she responded. "Hi, Charlotte. Um, you don't know me, but I uh... I know Peter."
There was a tinkering giggle. "Darlin', that don't narrow down nuthin. That man know way too many people I don't for that ta be a good hint."
Shifting her eyes, Bella cleared her throat again. "My name's Bella, and I only just met him, so I guess I can't say I know him, anyway."
There was a slight change to Charlotte's tone after that. "Didja now? Well, Bella, you wanna tell me what the hell you doin' with my man?"
Well... Shit.
That certainly took a turn she hadn't meant for the conversation to take.
As quickly as she could, she shook her eyes, her eyes going slightly wind. "Oh, oh God not what I meant. What I meant was..."
Cut off from making the situation worse, Bella blinked when there was a bell like laugh in her ear, followed by the very amused sound of Charlotte's voice. "Calm down, Sugar. I know who ya are. Ya didn't think Peter was gonna be spending that much time 'round you without lettin' me know what was goin' on, didja?" There was a slight pause and the clearing of her own throat before Charlotte's voice came back through. "I gotta tell ya, Dolly, I appreciate whatcha did for him. I dunno if I coulda gone that long without pullin' some kinda stupid stunt that would land us both in hot water."
Feeling much better than she did a minute ago, Bella let out a breathless chuckle. "It's nothing compared to what he did for me, trust me. I just wish I could have done more."
"You stop that, now. Peter knew exactly what he was doin' when he took off outta here like he did. Ain't nobody know what gonna happen like he do, somethin' you gonna learn the hard way, seems ta me. Don't take what he did lightly, but don't devalue whatcha did, either, Darlin'. They both pretty damn impressive for the fact you two strangers."
Biting into her lip, Bella picked at her bedspread. "I guess so. Um... I don't know what all he told you about his situation."
"Not much, but he never do. I know he your guard dog for the next year, but nothin' more than that, and if that all he told me, it all I need ta know."
Nodding slowly, Bella hummed. "If you say so. Erm... anyway, that wasn't the reason I called. I wanted to ask you something."
There was genuine curiosity in her voice when Charlotte spoke again. "What's that, Darlin'?"
Biting the bullet, Bella spit it out. "I know it's pretty short notice, but I wanted to surprise Peter by extending an invitation to you to come to this stupid ball in three days as my personal guest."
There was a hard snort through the line. "Holy hell, Dolly, you got a lot ta learn 'bout Peter fuckin' Whitlock. Nobody surprises that man. No. Ba. Dy. 'Sides, you got any idea what he would do ta both a us if I showed up in Italy like that? Death would be kind way before he got done."
Bella's nose wrinkled. "I'm... I'm not all that afraid of him."
"Course you ain't scared. You got that fella a yours ta get between ya.
That didn't change Bella's expression. "I gotta be honest here, Charlotte. I'm not so much a fan of you being afraid of him, either."
There was a grunt, followed by a hard sigh. "I ain't, in no way, afraid a my man. Let's clear that shit right up. But, Peter, he... he someone ta be afraid of, but he wouldn't cross no lines like that with me. The thing is, Dolly, I've seen that man at his worst, and he fuckin' terrifyin' when he get goin', and I learned a long time ago not ta poke that bear."
Making a face, Bella's nose twitched. "So you don't want to see him, then?"
"A course I wanna see 'im. I just ain't stupid enough ta think anyone gonna be pullin' wool over that man's eyes." There was a brief moment before Charlotte came back on. "But, if you wanna give it a go, I'm game. Be the first time ever I surprised him. He a good sport when I try, though, always actin' like he ain't had no idea. You just tell me where ta be and when ta be there, and I'm in."
It was almost a cruel looking smirk that pulled at Bella's lips as she giggled. "Just get to Florence in three days, and I'll take it from there."
And what a flurry of activity those three days were, too.
It had become clear that after Demetri bit her, the reason for the party had changed and was being treated more like a wedding than anything else, but unlike Demetri, she hadn't exactly been left to take things in stride like he was. Dora and Pica had told her what the men's roles were, and that was literally nothing more than showing up whereas she was expected to make a million decisions she didn't want to make.
So, since they decided to have their entertainment at her expense and not leave her alone, she decided a little payback was in order, and literally went out of her way to make their lives as difficult as she possibly could. She was getting used to her burning desire for mind games, and also decided they would be her trial victims.
It was five hours until the doors opened to guests, and she had yet to tell them of any concrete choices she made.
"Where is your guardian?"
Not taking her eye away from the crack she had made in the doors to the ballroom, Bella shrugged. "Um... getting his final fitting for his suit, I think."
There was a snort to the response as Caius brought the glass in his hand to his lips. "Peter Whitlock in 4 piece dress attire. After that, I do believe I will have seen everything."
Bella joined in his chuckle as her tongue poked out from between her lips, watching through the crack in the doors as the staff inside began to look at each other, their faces becoming worried because they were reaching the point there was one change or another made, and clearly, they were concerned there was another one coming. With the opening of the doors so soon, they weren't sure they would be able to completely redo the decorations in time.
Caius watched as a spark ignited in the newborn's eyes, and sighed. "You're going to change the colors again, aren't you?" To his surprise, she shook her head, and he cocked his. "Then what are you up to?"
Glancing at him from the corner of her eyes, she giggled. "I'm going to tell Dora and Pica I am. What do you think they would say to neon pink and green?"
Lip turning up in the corner, there was a grunt from the ruler. "I think they would probably attempt to kill you."
There was a very dark smirk on Bella's lips at the answer. "Perfect." In truth, she had not only finalized what she wanted for the color scheme, but also had her own final fitting for her dress in a half hour. So far as she knew, everyone but the two pests in her life had their clothing for the ball, and everything was set to go once the army of decorators were done. The two 'queens', however, kept having to change their whole dress design to go with whatever two colors she picked, because heaven forbid they do things the easy way and just change the colors and not the whole damn dress. Something she had never known was, apparently, certain colors had to be worn a certain way, or... something to that effect.
Caius, who had been listening to his mate prattle on about the constant changes, and hearing the horror in her voice over her new dress not being done, or having to wear one she had already been seen in, found the situation rather amusing, if he were honest. What it came down to, in his mind, wasn't anything about a dress. The party had been intended specifically for Isabella as a way to welcome her into the coven, but was now was a party to celebrate the mating between her and Demetri. However, just like with Sulpicia, she wasn't used to not having a single say in the planning process. Sure, they could make suggestions, but clearly, the newborn was doing shit to them out of spite, which led Caius to hum in his throat.
"Stella?" When he heard a hum from her, though she didn't hand over more than her ear, he tapped his finger on the stem of the glass in his hand. "Might you tell me what they did. The ball is today, and there will never be peace in the palace if this color scheme nonsense isn't sorted out."
Bella, cocking her head to the side, licked her lips. "I'm aware of when it is. I have been assaulted by everyone but a damn caterer trying to shove food down my throat. Anyway, this party was their idea, not mine. As a matter of fact, I have said several times, I didn't want the stupid thing. So, I'm going to make their lives as inconvenient as they have made mine by going through every single color combination I can fucking think of before telling them the truth."
Caius just rolled his eyes. "You don't find that petty? For me, I fail to see how something as insignificant as a ball is any sort of inconvenience, Young Lady. You show up, smile at the guests, and leave. It's not as if it's the end of the world, Stella."
Bella snorted and finally stood up, turning to face Caius fully and crossing her arms. "Of course it's fucking petty. That's the point. They did it first, so I don't feel even a little bad about it."
Pieces clicking together in head like a puzzle, Caius shook his head and grunted. "What did they do this time?" Knowing the two like he did, he wasn't surprised to find out this was retaliatory, but he was rather impressed the lengths in which this particular vampire was willing to go for revenge.
Bella wasn't even nice about it. "Put their noses in my business and pissed me off. The only relationship they should have any interest in is their own, yet those are just about the only ones they don't care to talk about. They decided to talk about mine and Demetri's, which first off, is none of their goddamn business, but it led to all kinds of awkward. I'm so sorry they lead such a boring fucking existence they have have to find their entertainment in the lives of others, but they're loud, and I do hear them. So, I will continue to do what I'm doing, and... yeah. That's about the end of it."
Caius watched as Bella turned back to the doors, his eyes crinkled in the corners. "And what does Demetri think of the spectacle you're making of this party?"
Glancing at him from the corner of her eye with a sour look, Bella grunted. "Do you really think he's any happier about the shit they were saying than I am?" Snorting with a marked lack of amusement, Bella returned her attention into the ballroom. "He thinks this shit is funnier than hell, and half the color choice were his idea."
Finishing his half of a glass of wine in one swallow, he knew he was going to regret asking, but Caius did it anyway. "What did they say?"
Mood completely shattered, Bella frowned as her eyes lowered. "I heard them talking about how they misread the situation and how Demetri was reevaluating his options and their speculation on who it could be." Standing back up, she crossed her arms and looked at the ground. "I didn't tell him this, but," flicking her eyes to Caius', "they called me his charity case."
Closing his eyes, Caius sighed through his nose. Slowly shaking his head, he clicked his tongue. "And they have no idea you heared that, do they?"
"Does it really matter?"
Pressing his lips together, he had to admit, it really didn't. He was well aware the two liked to gossip, everyone knew it, and no one had ever really paid attention to what it was they said. In this instance, however, he found himself siding with the newborn. She had a right to be angry about that conversation, as well as did Demetri. If all the pair was going to do about it was fuck around with the colors to their own mating reception, he would leave it be, but did make a mental note to have a word with his mate, and ensure Aro had one with his own, so they don't find themselves in a much more precarious situation in the future.
When the newborn first arrived Demetri's intentions for her were made perfectly clear, and Caius had personally said only so many allowances would be made before Demetri made an example out of some poor bastard that crossed the wrong line. He could have very easily killed Aro that day and not thought twice about it, and Aro didn't even directly attack his intended. Now that she was his actual mate, whatever tolerant fuse he had when it came to her was gone, and though he would do it in a heartbeat, Caius did not relish in the idea of going toe to toe with Demetri because Athenodora couldn't keep her damn mouth shut on matters that didn't concern her.
Pulled out of his musings by the ringing of a phone, Caius returned his attention to the topic of his thoughts as she pulled her phone out the inner pocket of her jacket. To him, it seemed as if she was expecting the call because she didn't look at the screen before she maneuvered it open and placed it at her ear.
And, he wasn't wrong in his assessment. Still slightly subdued by the conversation she was having, there was a slight perking up as she turned to her call. "Did you land yet?"
"Sure did, and I gotta tell ya Dolly, it a whole new experience makin' this kind a trip alone when you so used ta havin' someone else witcha."
Making a face as her nose wrinkled, Bella tsked. "Sorry."
"Oh, it ain't no problem, I was just sayin'. So, what's the plan from here?"
It was then she smiled. So far, she was able to make all these different arrangements and as of yet, there was no indication on Peter's part he had any idea. She wasn't positive he wasn't just being indulgent like Charlotte said he was when she wanted to surprise him, but with the way she also said he would blow his top at finding out his mate was on her way to the Lion's den, she figured if he did know, he would have something to say about it. Since he hadn't she was banking on him not knowing.
"Okay, Heidi should be there to pick you up, but if she's not, give her a couple minute and she will be. Just look for the purple eyes. She has your dress, shoes, everything with her, and I got you a room at Tenuta di Artimino." She gave Caius the finger when he snorted at her butchering the pronunciation of the hotel, but she was still learning how to speak Italian, and there were bound to be mistakes. Returning to her call, she licked her lips. "You only have about three and half hours before you have to be on your way, so keep that in mind. With everyone else that's going to be here, Demetri asked Peter to be my escort because as part of the coven, he has to be present to accept the arriving guests. Because of that, Peter will be the last person to enter the ballroom, and I want you already in there. Call me selfish, but after everything I've put into this, I actually want to see his face when he sees you."
Charlotte was quiet for a moment before she spoke again. "So, he ain't said a thing 'bout this? Like, you tellin' me my man might not actually know what goin' on?"
Bella giggled, lowering her voice. At this point, if he found out because she spoke too loud, the level of pissed off she would be would likely end in her not showing up to her own party. "Not as far as I've heard. He hasn't said anything to me, and Felix had been keeping him pretty busy the last couple of days in kind of like a... fallback plan for lack of something else to keep him focused on something and not giving him a lot of time wonder what the hell I'm up to. I'm hoping that's enough to keep him in the dark, but I don't know enough about his intuition to know exactly how to counter it. I have noticed most of the time he talks about those voices in his head, it's because something bad is going to happen. Since this isn't bad, maybe they won't think he needs to know."
There was a snort in her ear. "You talkin' 'bout them voices the same way he do, and it just as annoyin'. Those fuckin' voices damn near rule that man's life, and they drive me fuckin' bonkers. Anyway, I think I see the lady you said ta look for. At least, it betta be the way she flappin' them arms a hers like a damn duck."
The mental image of that made Bella choke on her breath, but let it go. She needed to get up to her room before Aurora came looking for her, so instead, she just made a noise in the back of her throat. "Alright then. I guess I'll see you in about five hours, then."
"Lookin' forward to it, Dolly."
*X*
"You up ta somethin'."
Not looking up from her shoe as Rachel helped her buckle them around her ankles, Bella just kept holding her dress out of the way as she hummed at Peter's statement of fact. "I'm sorry; what?"
No, no no... it was the final moments! Everything was done. Charlotte arrived ten minutes ago, and he didn't know. He couldn't find out now.
Shifting her eyes to the door where Peter stood, she gave an appreciative hum as she looked him up and down. "You certainly clean up nice... shoes aside."
Peter's lip curled in the corner as he glanced down at himself, taking in the black slacks, black sport jacket, stark white shirt, dark red vest, and matching tie. The only saving grace here in his opinion was he was able to hunt down a pair of black boots that passed the tailor's inspection. With a grunt, he pulled slightly at the collar of his shirt with one hand while he pointed at her with the other. "You leave my damn boots the hell alone, Woman. I didn't even get this spiffed up when I married my ol' lady. Last I knew, I was just a guest ta this shit, so a pair a new jeans shoulda been acceptable attire."
Unable to help it, Bella giggled at the expression of pure personal disgust on Peter's face. "Have you, at any point since you've been here, seen someone wearing jeans?"
Peter's annoyed expression smoothed out at the question. "Yeah... you."
Once Rachel backed off and stood, Bella dropped the front of her skirt and turned to face him, her arms held out to the side. "Do I look like I'm wearing jeans?"
Peter just snorted. "This party is for you, so ya should be dolled up like ya are."
She wasn't sure what it was, because be didn't really say anything that should have sparked the feeling she was overtaken by, but in that moment, it was like the weight of everything settled on her shoulders, and she became very, very insecure. Bottom lip pulling between her teeth, Bella began to play with her fingers, her eyes casting to the floor. Her voice when she did speak again was quiet and completely lacking any form of confidence. "Do I look okay?"
Giving her the same once over she gave him, he tilted his head.
Her hair held more curl than it normally did and was pulled to one side of her head, the strands cascading down the side of her face and pooled on her shoulder. As a male, he knew it was done the way it was because it left Demetri's bite mark completely exposed, but as someone that knows her, he knew it also had the added benefit of covering the majority of the slashes and claw scars on that side of her body.
Her dress was something of a masterpiece for the time spent on it. It was red without straps and a sweetheart neckline, onyx crystals across the bust, down her sternum, and around the waistline, the placement accentuating her natural figure. The skirt had some body to it, but it wasn't overly poofy, and would flow when she walked. She had gloves on that went to just under her elbow in the same color red as her dress, with a black swirl pattern that mirrored the one the stones on her dress. While the coven and guards would all be wearing black and some shade of red, no one but her and Demetri would be wearing crimson.
Realizing in that moment he knew way too much about dresses for the dick between his legs, he hummed. "You look real nice, Little Darlin', and that fella lucky ta have ya. He ever makes ya doubt that, let me know, and I'll beat his ass so bad, his own mama won't recognize 'im when I'm done."
Unable to help it, Bella giggled. "I think I would pay to see that."
Giving her a wink, Peter pushed himself off his shoulder and smiled. "Well, I think they waitin' on us, Little Lady. You ready?"
Looking down at herself, she grunted. "Yeah, I think so."
It wasn't until they were on the other side of the ballroom doors Peter glanced down at her, his expression more serious than she had ever seen it. "I'll tell ya one thing, though." When she looked up at him, he narrowed his eyes. "I see a scrape a denim in that room, I'm beatin' your little ass."
*X*
There were so many reasons Demetri avoided being present at the palace when the Mistresses threw parties, and the biggest one was, he did not like others very much. There were a select few he enjoyed the company of, but the vampire race as a whole annoyed the piss out of him. He wasn't sure if those two invited every vampire in creation or not, but if he was uncomfortable with the number of bodies present, he had to wonder how his mate was going to handle it. She liked others even less than he did, and her temper was a lot harder to keep in check than his was.
Thankfully, he had been present for enough of these parties his friends to know it was wise to carve out a corner to be used as an escape of sorts, and had that shit set up before the first guest arrived. Since the event was now as much for him as it was Isabella, he couldn't hide, nor could he make a graceful, and early, bow out, Demetri resigned himself to playing nice with others.
Honestly, he could not understand why so many invitations were sent out. It wasn't that formal of an event. Even had it stayed its original purpose, it didn't in anyway call for so many attendees. Vampires mated and joined covens all the damn time, and without an ounce of fanfare to go with it. When he turned his head and caught sight of his own sire, he actually felt the vein in his temple pulse.
Knowing how little his mate liked attention, and how poorly she still reacted to large groups, he was positive this was some sort of power play designed by Athenodora and Sulpica, but he could not figure out what it could be to save his life. Isabella was still a newborn, still acted like a newborn, and was still prone to having fits for next to no reason. They were either determined to drive her out after she lost control of herself, or they wanted her self-image so low she never left her room.
Cutting his eyes to Felix, one brow bobbed slightly, getting a popped shoulder shrug in response.
There was one shining light in the sea of guests, and that was the single one that was actually invited by either he or his mate. When Heidi returned with the Captain's mate, Demetri snagged the tiny blonde vampire, noticing the moment she entered the room the amount of attention she was getting. He wasn't stupid; others knew who she was because people knew who Peter was. Just because he was able to stay off their radar didn't mean he was invisible. However, since he wasn't currently present and she was, that could have translated into others thinking she was on the market when she wasn't. Finding it better to err on the side of caution, he decided to keep her with him until her male showed up with his mate.
And she was certainly a sweetheart, in Demetri's opinion. She and Peter hadn't been apart that long, but it was still the longest they had been separated in nearly a century, so even though there was a good foot of distance between them, he could still feel her vibrating excitement.
He and Charlotte were talking about nothing really when Rachel finally came into the ballroom, stopping to speak with Aro before she made her way over to Demetri, a smile on her face.
Her eyes were gleaming as she dipped her head. "Isabella and Captain Whitlock are on their way down, Master Demetri."
After nodding to Rachel, Demetri grinned down at Charlotte as he presented her his arm. "Shall we go wait for them?"
Charlotte could barely contain herself as she nodded, taking Demetri's elbow and allowing him to guide her through the crowd. There were so many different levels of excitement on her part, she wasn't honestly sure which one was the biggest at the moment. Sure, she was excited to see him, but she couldn't say that wasn't overshadowed by the possibility of finally being able to surprise him for once.
As Demetri took up his place in the center of the ballroom, his coven taking their places with him, he kept Charlotte right next to him, her arm through his, as the guards cleared a path from the doors through the room. He would be a liar if he said he didn't want to see Peter's reaction to his mate's presence as much as Isabella did, and he had been looking forward to this from the moment she told him what she was up to.
How she was able to pull it off, Demetri had no idea, but there was no stopping the smirk on his lips when the doors opened, Isabella and Peter stepped inside, and the latter damn near tripped over his shock.
Red eyes wide as dinner plates, Peter's breath caught in his throat as he watched his lady light up like the sun when he entered the room. His voice was actually choked when it slipped past his lips. "Char..."
Next to him, Bella smiled as she watched Demetri dip his head, whisper in Charlotte's ear, and release the little Texas tornado. All she did was step slightly to the side so she didn't get tackled.
Char didn't waste a moment before darting straight into Peter's waiting arms, and she squealed when he leaned back and her feet left the ground. The noise was cut off by Peter's lips pressing hard against hers, and she melted when he pulled back. "Hi, Sugar."
Setting his forehead against his mates, Peter was almost at a loss of words. "Baby Girl, what are ya doin' here?"
Charlotte just smiled at him. "I was invited." Then she pushed herself back, patting Peter's chest as she got really excited again. "Now, put me down. I wanna watch."
Though he certainly didn't want to, Peter released her enough to let her turn around before he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back into his chest just in time to see Bella take Demetri's arm Charlotte had just let go of.
Looking back at the reunited couple, Bella chuckled as she whispered to Demetri. "Think we surprised him?"
Also glancing back, Demetri hummed. "I do believe, My Love, we can call your first mission a complete success."
Giving his attention to his Head of Coven when Aro lightly cleared his throat, Demetri took his arm back when Aro presented him with a long, velveteen box. He wasn't kidding when he said there was very little fanfare that went into joining a coven or having a mating officially recognized, and his coven was literally no different. It was mostly about the spectacle, and that was proven when, after Demetri removed the Coven Coat of Arms, clasped the choker around the neck of his mate, and Aro addressed no one but coven, looking at Demetri and Bella in turn.
"May your love be eternal, Master, and Mistress, Demetrius Voltalian." With his eyes on Bella's, Aro smiled at her. "Welcome to our coven.
While the words were exclusively meant for the coven, everyone present heard them, but it wasn't until the coven's bowed heads raised there was a thunderous applause from the gathering.
When his mate turned to look up at him, Demetri dipped his head, his nose nuzzling hers. "I don't think I will ever not enjoy hearing that." Pressing his lips to hers, he pulled back after a moment, looking at her with the most tender expression she had seen on his face yet.
However, with a slight amusement in her voice, Bella smiled at him. "Demetrius?"
An expression full of snark settled on his face as he raised a brow at her. "Isabella."
It didn't take her a fraction of a second to put that together. "Demetri is a nickname."
Nodding once, Demetri clasped his hands behind his back. "It is. My given name is Demetrius, but like you when it comes to your full name, I don't go by it. I did as a human, but where I'm from, it is a rather common name, even today. However, we can get more into that later if it's your wish. For now," unclasping his hands, he held one out to the side, "I believe there is a very excitable guest that wants to meet you."
Unable to help it, when she looked where Demetri was gesturing, she gulped and slid a fraction behind his arm. "And a very pissed off body guard that looks like he wants to strangle me."
Clicking his tongue as he presented his mate his arm, he looked down at her as she took it and he lead her toward the couple. "I do believe I will let you deal with that."
Gasping in near horror, Bella shifted her eyes from Peter to Demetri. "That's so wrong."
Demetri merely lifted his other shoulder. "Actions, My Dearest, have consequences; even the ones done with the best of intentions."
All Bella did was grunt, but she gave Charlotte a wide smile when they were closer, and stumbled slightly as she released Demetri's arm and returned the very exuberant embrace she found herself in.
When Charlotte pulled back, she took both Bella's hands in her her's, a look of mock disappointment on face. "That was the most borin' weddin' ever, Sugar."
Blinking at the statement, Bella licked her lips, but it was Demetri that addressed Char. "The difference between our ways of life, it seems. Marriage is a human institution, and we don't pretend to be humans."
Letting out an exaggerated sigh, Char pretended to pout. "Well, fine then." She then turned her sights on Bella, and smiled for real. "You ain't nothin' like I pictured. You stunnin' Darlin'."
The words were out before she could stop them. "So you thought I was ugly?"
Char, left to trip over her tongue, scoffed when Bella laughed lightly. Pointing a finger in her face, "I like you."
Laughing outright, Bella took her hands back, wrapping them both around Demetri's arm as she braced herself and looked up at Peter. "So... were you surprised?" When he narrowed his eyes, she lightly cleared her throat. "You're not mad, are you?"
Eyes narrowing just a little more, Peter huffed out a breath through his nose. "Naw, I ain't mad. Shocked and slightly annoyed." Reaching out and pulling his mate back into his hold, he looked down at Char. "But I certainly ain't mad."
Licking her lips, Bella glanced up at Demetri for a moment, and when he nodded to her, she looked back at Peter and waiting until she had his attention again. "So, here's the deal. You have two choices." Nodding her head to Charlotte when Peter cocked a brow at her, "She, can either come and go as she pleases over the course of your service, or... she can stay here for the duration, and still be allowed to come and go as she pleases."
This was the second time this little lady surprised him today, and Peter was nothing if not a little skeptical about it. His lip curled slightly and his crinkled in the corners. "What's the catch?"
Quick to shake her head, Bella explained the situation. "There isn't one. Do you really think I'm so horrible as to invite her to come here if there was even the slightest chance something bad would happen?" She gave him a moment to answer, but when he didn't, Bella continued. "She's not in any trouble, therefore there isn't any reason to force her to stay here. Everything she did when she was in army was when she was newborn, and newborn's actions are their sire's judgements."
Lowering her eyes, Bella lightly cleared her throat. "I haven't known Demetri a fraction of the time you two have been together, and it physically hurts when he's gone, and he hasn't even left for more than a day since I've known him." Flicking her eyes back to Peter's, she gave him a half smile. "It's already been cleared with Aro, so now the decision is in your hands."
Holding his mate tight to his side, Peter let out a airy snort like chuckle. "You really are some kind a impressive."
At that, Bella giggled. "I wouldn't go that far. Aro said it was a reward of sorts for having the balls to turn yourself in. Marcus said it was bad idea to separate two such bonded mates for such a long period of time. And Caius said, in all reality, your service is to me and not the guard, so ultimately, what happens with you, or to you as the case may be over the next year, is my decision."
It was then Demetri stepped in the conversation. "However, it changes nothing of importance. Your mate with you or not, you do still have a job to do while you carry out your sentence. I wasn't joking when I said you will spend time in my dungeons if anything happens to my mate while she is supposed to be in your care. If you cannot provide adequate protection for both, then..."
Peter cut Demetri off, and in a way he shouldn't have, "Boy, don't you..."
With a growl, Demetri returned the favor. "What did I say about calling me that?"
Bella and Charlotte locked eyes at the two men started growling at each other, and rolled their eyes after a moment, moving to put themselves between their very alpha males.
Bella smiled at female in front of her as she leaned back hard into Demetri's chest to hold him back. "Well, before these two whip their dicks out and have a measuring contest, I'll just say enjoy the party, and we'll catch up a little later."
Returning the smile in much the same position Bella was in, Charlotte nodded. "Sounds nice, Sugar. Congratulations on the matin', by the way. You two real cute tagether."
Smiling in thanks, Bella turned into Demetri, her hands on his chest, and gave him a shove to start moving. This wasn't the place for him and Peter to find out who was the topdog in their working relationship, and, whether she wanted the party or not, she wasn't about to let two testosterone fueled assholes ruin it.
Charlotte, doing the same with her male, shook her head once there was some distance between him and Demetri, snorting when he called the tracker a pompous dickhead. Looking up at him with a raised brow and crossed arms, she narrowed her eyes. "You some kinda stupid, Pete. I don't give a rat's behind how good ya think ya are, you ain't winnin' shit here. 'Sides, I like that little betty, and I happen ta know you do to."
There was a look of irritation on Peter's face as he crossed his own arms. "I do, but I just... I don't like him."
Charlotte just shrugged. "You ain't gotta like 'im, but Sugar, ya gotta deal with him. Ain't that easier when the ground ain't quakin'?"
A shit eating grin spread across Peter's lips as he grabbed his mate by the hips, pulling her flush against him as he looked her dead in the eyes. "I happen ta like makin' the ground quake."
Giggling in her throat, Charlotte leaned into his chest and looked up at him. "I missed ya, Pete."
Dipping his head, Peter brushed his lips to hers, pulling and smiling at her. "I missed ya too, Darlin'. I'll tell ya somethin', though." Glancing across the room when she asked what that was, he looked at the couple, watching as Demetri spun Bella around and listening to her laugh. Letting out a quiet hum, he licked his lips. "With you here, it gonna be a lot easier ta teach that girl ta fight right." Looking back at her, he clicked his tongue at her confused expression, speaking low. "I ain't got all the details yet, so go sayin' nothin', but somethin' comin', and it gonna be bad."