Chapter 10 PPOV

Now, this little lady was gonna have to learn to listen.

By the time the strike came, I was already off the bed and leaning on the footboard, looking at her with a flat expression. Hands propped against the frame, I cocked a brow. "You know better than that. All you gonna do is hurtcha self." Her glare didn't lessen. If anything, it darkened, causing me to smirk. "You listen good now, Little Sugar. That humanity ya clingin' to don't mean shit to no one but you. I said we ain't gonna be dealin' with the human world, and I meant it."

Waving a hand at the paperwork in front of her, I continued. "All that shit ain't nothin' but paper. It don't mean nothin'. It's necessary 'cause there ain't no way not to interact with humanity, but I ain't like the Cullens, now. I don't immerse myself in the human world. I literally only do as much as I gotta, and not a damn thing more than that. That said, every one of 'em are legal documents. They gonna kick back if looked at under a scope that they real, includin' that licence. This how shit gotta be. Go ahead and be pissed off 'bout it, but it ain't like you gettin' pissed off gonna change it."

Bella's face darkened as her eyes narrowed. "It's not that these are real. It's that you never told me there was going to be a marriage licence involved. I don't want to be married."

There was a knock on the door before I could respond properly, so I settled on a 'tough shit', before I called out to whoever it was to come in. I cocked a brow at Demetri when he stepped inside. "Whatcha got for me?"

His glowing red eyes shifted from me to Bella, then back again, a gleam in them. "They are on the move."

Pursing my lips, I glanced down at my watch and, after a quick bit of math, I grunted. "Aro losin' his nerve, ain't he?"

His hands vanished behind his back as he spoke with an amused voice. "Were you him, would you come?"

I just grinned at the question. "Course I would, but I'm insane and like ta fight, so..." Then I turned my sights on the human, whose heart had kicked up at Aro's name. "Put everythin' back in the envelope and come ta my office when you settled. Told ya when you first got here I know what I'm doin', even when it don't seem like it. You gonna be just fine..." turning my head slightly, "ain't she, Demetri?"

From the corner of my eye I saw him nod. "So long as I'm alive, she will be, too."

I would have been happy to leave it at that, had Bella not decided to speak in that moment. "But... you're not alive."

I pinched the bridge of my nose as Demetri slowly turned his head to look at her, his face void of all emotion. His voice was just as flat, carrying an air even I couldn't name. "Well then, it would appear you're fucked, wouldn't it?"

I didn't even need to open my eyes to know what her face looked like. The hard suck of air through her teeth was enough for me to know she realized she stepped in it, but instead of letting her dig herself further into the hole she was digging with the wrong sumbitch, I clicked my tongue. "Little Sugar, you gonna wanna keep them kinda comments ta yaself."

I opened my eyes just in time to see her nod, then turned my attention to Demetri. "I'll be right behind ya."

He snorted in irritation, but left without another word as I looked back at Bella, who looked properly regretful. Crossing my arms, I leaned my shoulder on my bedpost. "Listen, Bella. You can say whatcha want to me and most a the people here, but when you dealin' with the one who literally holds your life in his hands, ya might wanna watch whatcha say. It's just gonna be you an' him for the next while, and if ya piss him off too much, he ain't one ta give a fuck 'bout snappin' ya neck."

She scratched the back of her neck, then cleared her throat. "I thought from that conversation before, you would be there, too."

I shook my head. "Nope. I'ma be here, killin' lots an' lots a youngins." Her eyes when wide, so I smirked. "Call it my specialty."

Her hand came up to cover her lips as they began to tremble. I could actually feel her nerves fray as her fear began to permeate the air. I scratched the tip of my nose before crooking that finger at her. I waited for her to climb off my bed and turned myself to face her as she stepped into my chest. Sure, we bickered, but we had ended up forging a pretty decent relationship since she's been under my protection.

I had tried to give her all the space she wanted while at the same time making her feel comfortable, but that was a rather tall order for as simple as it should have been. I didn't want her to feel crowded, but at the same time, I needed her to know I was there. It wasn't going to happen with words. It was something that was gonna have to be proven, and when she tucked her head under my chin, I actually had to smile to myself. Seemed to me I had accomplished that task.

Wrapping my arms around her shoulders, I rubbed her back and growled a deep thrum in my chest, then I heard her sigh. Her voice wavered slightly when she spoke, but she spoke low enough to hide it for the most part. "You have to promise me something."

Wrinkling my nose, I grunted. "I don't make promises."

I didn't need to see her face to know she rolled her eyes. "The fuck you don't." She changed her position so her chin was propped against my chest, looking up at me with her wet, brown doe eyes. "It was your promises that got us into this in the first place."

I pretended to think, but mostly to annoy her before I tisked while giving an exaggerated nod. "Ah, right." Looking down at her with a grin, I chucked at her snort. "I don't make promises I know I ain't gonna keep. I ain't gonna promise ya I'ma be careful. I ain't gonna promise ya I ain't gonna do nothin' stupid. I'll promise ya this, though." When she cocked a brow, I dipped my head so the tip of my nose touched hers, then lowered my voice. "I'ma be just fine." Pressing a light kiss to her nose, I pulled back with a smirk. "This is literally what I was made to do, and I'm good at it, Little Sugar. Damn good, if I say so myself. You gonna go with Demetri. He gonna keep ya safe; tomorrow, this all just gonna be a bad dream."

She remained quiet for a moment before she sniffled and licked her lips, glancing off to the side as a snarky little look settled on her features. She looked back at me. "So, tomorrow we won't be married?"

This... little... shit.

There was no way I was gonna be bested by a human so, heaving a hard sigh, I shook my head and looked at the ceiling. "Damn... shortest marriage in history." Grinning, I looked back at her. "Pitty you seem to want a divorce. We didn't even get to consummate our union."

I had never seen a human turn that shade of red that wasn't set on fire; the look of shocked horror was enough to make me laugh outright as she demanded to be let go. When I dropped my arms, she took a step back to glare at me, but there wasn't an ounce of heat in it. "You're an ass, know that?"

I nodded as I crossed my arms. "Sure do. Now, pack them papers, get dressed, throw some clothes in a bag, and come ta my office when you done. I wantcha off the property in a half hour."