Chapter 6 PPOV

This little human was gonna cause me some trouble, and I didn't need my gift to tell me that. I hadn't seen her since she was a little tyke, so I was slightly taken aback when she walked inside. I wasn't sure what I was expecting to walk through my front door, but that tiny little thing certainly wasn't it. I had something of a philosophy about females, and it had yet to be proved wrong. The smaller the lady, the bigger the pain in the ass, and this little lady didn't even come up to the top of my shoulder. She was gonna be trouble, but what she would learn before long is there wasn't a better player than I was.

Looking at her now, she looked... meek, if I had to name it. I could certainly understand it. She was tossed into a situation she had no understanding of, which generally pissed off anyone it happened to. So far, she had gone with it, which was great, but she was going to have keep doing it.

I watched her lick her lips, but I wasn't ready for the question she was about to ask. "So, um..."

I cut her off. "We ain't got a lotta time for you to be second guessin' now, Sugar." She snapped her jaw shut, so I continued. "There some shit in the works, and I wasn't quite ready for ya when ya called, but I can make it work. I'm gonna keep' ya safe, so you ain't gotta worry 'bout that, but you gonna have to trust that I know what I'm doing, even when it don't seem like it."

She bit that bottom lip of hers, her eyes darting off to the side for a moment before she cut them back to me. She decided to he honest, which was a good place to start. "I'm not sure I trust you, to be honest. When Jasper said there was a friend on the other side of the phone he gave me, I wasn't exactly expecting to come face to face with red eyes if I ever used it. I don't have the greatest experience with human eating vampires, but you probably already know that."

I grinned at her with a chuckle. "Yeah, I know it. As for Jasper... Jasper ain't a friend. Jasper my sire, but he ain't a friend. I ain't got nothin' against him no more, but I got friends, and he ain't on that list. Mostly cause a the eyes."

She clicked her tongue when she worked it out. "He doesn't approve of your eating habits anymore, does he?"

I just shrugged. "I don't rightly give a fuck what he approve of, but no. He done and gone got himself all fucked in the head, and that's a problem for me. I got enough issues without him addin' to 'em."

She just nodded. "Okay, so, can I ask you something?" I nodded, then she licked her lips and let out a breath. "What happens now? Like..."

She trailed off; I cocked my head. I knew what she was trying to ask, but I wasn't sure she was ready actually hear the answer. Humming in my throat, I leaned back and propped myself up with my hands behind me. "There are two answers ta that, and I'm only gonna give ya one right now. You'll figure out the other when the time comes. It ain't really somethin' I can tell ya, more something ya gotta figure out on ya own. Deal?" Though she looked begrudged to do it, she nodded, then I gave her the answer I promised. "We gonna hang out here for the next couple weeks while the last a the pieces are placed, then we gonna end this shit with that bitch that wants ya dead. You free ta do whatcha want, but there gonna be times I tell ya ta do something, and I'ma need ya ta do it. I don't wanna force ya or nothin', but if ya wanna keep that heartbeat of yours, you'll listen, or you gonna get hurt to the point I ain't gonna be able ta fix it."

I knew the moment it dawned on her what I meant by 'fix', and she shook her head. "I don't wanna be changed."

Letting out a sigh, curling my tongue behind my teeth as I looked at her. She wasn't going to like this part, but at least I wouldn't have to be the one to tell her. There was a knock on the door and I hopped off my desk, strolling past her toward it. I didn't say anything about her admission, and she didn't miss it. Opening the door, I stepped to the side when I saw who it was. Bella squeaked at the site of the dark clothing. I glanced at my watch as he slipped past me and shook my head. "You late, Boy."

He just shrugged as he looked away from Bella to me. "Talk to that nomad friend of yours. It's like he's never driven a car before, and wouldn't just let me when I race them for pure entertainment value."

Rolling my eyes, I looked over at Bella, who was trying to make herself as small as possible. "Little Sugar, this is Demetri, and he here to help save your life."

Demetri returned his attention to her while crossing his arms. "Seems you're right again, Captain. It's always the small ones that cause the biggest problems." He then addressed her when I snorted. "Calm down, Stella. You have nothing to fear from me. I own the Captain here a favor, and he called it in on your behalf. I can't grant you a Stay of Execution, but I can ensure you never come face to face with my boss."

She looked back and forth between the two of us, her skin going pale. "You're a Volturi."

It wasn't a question, and that wasn't lost on Demetri. "You know of us."

That was also not a question. Oh, Major... just how deep down the rabbit hole did you let my lady fall?

She nodded, her arms wrapping around herself as she slouched in her chair. "Edward told me about you, or Aro, rather."

Demetri's head slowly tilted to the side, a slow smirk pulling at his lips. "Did he, now? Well, I assure you everything you were told was true, if not massively diluted. You know who told us about you?"

She gulped. "I have a guess. How long have you known about me?"

That smirk on Demetri's lips turned sinister. "Oh, long time, Stella. We have spies everywhere, but all you need to know currently is a coven of three told us. We told them to kill you, but from what I understand, they were the ones that ended up dead; or at least the coven leader. After that, Carlisle called Aro, thinking he was giving him news or something, but really only confirmation to his idiocy. Every few months after that someone from the guard was sent to keep an eye on the situation, make sure you were either still with the coven or dead. You wouldn't believe the fit Master Aro threw when he found out the Cullen Coven left their den and you were still there. It was actually quite funny, if I'm honest."

He glanced at me, so I shrugged. She was gonna find out anyway. So, with my consent, went ahead and finished what he was going to say. "He was barking orders to bring him your head when the Captain showed up saying he would have to go through him to do so. There are very few vampires that shouldn't be crossed, and Captain Whitlock tops that list. The Major used to, but, well... you've seen how far he fell."

She shifted her position and shook her head. "I didn't really know Jasper. He usually stayed away from me for safety reasons. Didn't want to bite me or whatever."

If I had to describe the look that settled on Demetri's face, I would have to call it disgust. "Case in point. Once upon a time, Jasper Whitlock was the most dangerous vampire on the planet. Now he, like the rest of that abysmal coven, can barely be called vampires. It's sad really, if you knew the stories. He was one of the greats, on par with actual legends of us, since he was the inspiration for a good deal of them."

Her eyes lowered for a moment as she scratched the back of her head. "What's going to happen to me since your boss knows?" She then flicked her eyes up and at Demetri. "I already told Peter I don't want to be changed."

He tapped a finger against his arm, clicking his tongue. After a moment of thought on how to word it, he just threw it out there. "That's no longer your choice. It stopped being your decision the moment you took up with Cullens. The only choice you have now is how long until it happens. I'll keep you out from in front of Aro for as long as the Captain needs me to, but if your heart's still beating should you ever cross my Master's path, that's it." He then made sure she understood this next part. "Both you and the Captain here will wish for death long before he'll grant it, if he ever does."

I rolled my eyes. "Jesus, Demetri. And people call me an asshole. Tell the lady the truth, Fucker."

He looked at me with shock on his face. "I am. You took responsibility for her, but you have to know it's not open ended. She will eventually need to die... one way or another. I can keep Aro off your tail for years to come, but I'm not his only tracker. I'm certainly the best, but he always has a backup, as well as a backup for the backup. You will be found eventually. She needs to understand when that happens, all bets are off, all rulings are final, all orders will be carried out."

A smirk pulled at my lips when Bella shot out of her seat, every ounce of unease she had gone as anger took over. "But... that's not fair. How can you bind a human to your rules when the only way we can break them is if a vampire breaks them first?"

Demetri shrugged. "It all amounts to the same thing, really. You bound yourself to our laws when you decided to involve yourself in our world."

She narrowed her eyes, a little more heat entering her voice. "But I haven't broken the rule, because I haven't told anyone. So, if humans are held to the same standards, they should also be given the same consideration if they follow a rule an actual vampire already broke. Believe it or not, we can't find out on our own. We can have suspicions, but they have to be verified, or it's a hearsay rumor.

A brow slowly and smoothly slid up Demetri's forehead. "I agree, which is why came at all. Truth be told, I care if you live or die. You mean nothing to me personally, but you mean enough to the Captain for him to risk his life to save yours. He made a lot of promises on your behalf, and they will need to be fulfilled." He didn't miss the way her face flushed, though he continued before she could explode. "You would long be dead by now if he hadn't done what he had and taken on full responsibility for you. Aro doesn't want another debatical like with the Cullens and those nomads. If he sees you, and you're still human, game over..." he then looked at me, "for both of you." He then returned his eyes to Bella. "He no longer wants you just under the thumb of a vampire. He wants you changed, or dead. Those are now your only options."

He wasn't telling me anything I didn't already know, which was why he was here. All I needed was a couple of weeks, and this entire conversation would be a moot one. I made those promises nearly a year ago. Aro was now running out of patience.

Bella deflated, her shoulder dropping as she leaned back against my desk. "What about those vampires that verified my suspicions? Why aren't they being forced to live under someone else to make sure they keep their mouths shut when they already proved they can't?"

Demetri uncrossed his arms and clasped his hands behind his back. I kept my eyes on her reaction, because this could get ugly. "You have no need to concern yourself with the Cullen Coven. They will be dealt with in the same manner all exposure risks are."

She sucked in a breath and her eyes went wide. "You're going to kill them."

Lifting one shoulder, Demetri made a dismissive noise in the back of his throat. "They knew what would happen when they allowed you to live." His phone rang then, so he reached into his inner jacket pocket. Glancing at the screen when he pulled it out, he hummed. "I have to take this." Looking back at Bella, he locked his eyes on hers. "Do with this what you will, Stella. You are the exposure risk. So long as your heart beats, their necks are on the line. Which is more important to you? Your beating heart? Or seven other lives?"

When he turned to leave the room, I told him he could take his call in my bedroom if he needed quiet. Once he nodded and left, I closed the door, turning my attention to the white as a ghost human across the room. Crossing my arms, I leaned back against the door, propping a foot behind me and clicking my tongue. "Any questions?"