AN 12/13/18: Some minor edits and a song list for the chapter

Song list for chapter: Leave a Light On by Tom Walker

Revolution by UNSECRET feat. Ruelle

Body Like a Back Road by Sam Hunt

The Devil King's Desires Ch. 3: Welcome Home

*Bella POV*

The plane ride to Italy was quiet for the first few hours as I came to terms with leaving Charlie for good. Sam and the rest of the Pack had promised to keep an eye on Charlie, but I knew that until I was Turned, Charlie would always be in danger. As I stared out the window, Jasper asked, "So, what are you plannin' on doin' about Caius?" I shrugged and said, "No clue. To be honest, as long as he treats me better than Edward, I don't care. But I highly doubt he will."

Jasper frowned a bit and said, "Well, he can't hurt you as that goes against his instincts and the Mating Bond will let him know that. Still, with his personality, I would be cautious in anything you do. He has a reputation for turning at the drop of a hat." "Jasper, how much danger am I in while I'm human?" He sighed and said, "A lot actually. If Caius is smart, he'll make an announcement about you being his Mate and making sure that the castle knows that to harm you in any way is treason. Still, considering that he isn't happy about the Mating Bond, I have no idea what he will do about any actual protection."

Great. I have a Mate that hates my guts, but has to protect me to keep from going mad. How could this day get any weirder or worse?

I got my answer when a stewardess walked up to me carrying a large box and said, "Miss, Master Caius left instructions that you are to wear this on your return to the castle." Taking the box, I found myself intrigued as to what was inside. She walked away as I untied the ribbon and lifted the lid off the box. Inside, I found something that kept me intrigued, yet slightly pissed me off at the same time. I asked, "Jasper, is it normal for a male vampire to decide what his Mate wears?" He shrugged and said, "Some do, why?" I stood up, dropped the box on the table and lifted the first item out: a white, cropped hooded sweatshirt.

It wasn't totally indecent, but definitely a little out of my comfort zone. I put it to the side and grabbed the next, and what turned out to be the last item in the box: a pair of really low-rise hip hugger jeans in a worn-out light blue. They had holes in the knees and back pockets, making them seem comfortable. Putting the jeans on top of the sweatshirt, I looked through the box for what I thought would be the rest of the outfit. There was nothing else. No shirt and no underwear either.

Falling back in my chair, I said," I can't wear this Jasper. What in the hell is he thinking?" Jasper picked them up and after a few minutes said, "I think he might be testing you Bella." "What do you mean?" "Well, vampires aren't shy sugar. We're comfortable in our own skins and we aren't ashamed to flaunt it. I think he wants to see what you'll do when you're 'forced' to wear skimpy clothing." "Jasper, I can deal with skimpy in my own way. I can't wear underwear with this. I can tell that the jeans are too tight and low and the sweatshirt is cut too high."

He put the clothing in my lap and said, "So make him see that you can work it. This might seem bad to you, but remember. Caius is over a thousand years old. He could put in something a whole lot worse than this." Jasper's words hit me like a brick in the face. Tight jeans and revealing top were not the worst thing in the world Caius Volturi could make me wear. To be honest, the outfit wasn't that bad. I used to wear stuff similar to it back in Arizona, but stopped when Is started dating Edward. He hated when I showed too much skin.

Prude

Not giving it anymore thought, and knowing that we were going to land soon, I grabbed the clothes and went to the bathroom in the back of the plane. Dropping the clothes on the counter, I started the shower to wash the grime of the plane off. I was pleasantly surprised to find vanilla and honeysuckle bath products instead of my usual strawberry. It smelled amazing and I was happy with the change. Finishing up, I stepped out and dried off.

Deciding to dry my hair before getting dressed, I dug out my blow dryer and used it, leaving my hair loose and wavy before getting dressed. First, I put on the jeans. They were tight, but a comfortable tight. They hugged my hips nicely and showed off my ass in the nicest way.

Now, to put on the sweatshirt Caius had chosen.

As I had suspected, it was cut too short for me to wear a bra, so I tossed mine in the bag containing my dirty clothes. Zipping it up, I stood in front of the mirror to see how I looked.

Not bad, but definitely different

I hadn't worn anything like this in over a year, so it was slightly uncomfortable.

Caius hadn't provided shoes, so I slipped my black Converse back on to keep comfortable. Gathering my clothes and other things, I walked back into the main part of the jet. Jasper was still seated, but turned when I walked out and looked me over. Standing, he took the hood of my sweatshirt and pulled it up. Sitting back down, he said, "There, now you look mysterious." I snorted and said, "Bullshit Jasper, but nice try." As the jet descended, we took our seats and made small talk. Jasper handed me the packet that contained my diploma, new driver's license, passport and everything else he'd been keeping safe from Jenks. Putting it in my backpack, I tried to relax as we reentered Volterra.

As the jet pulled into the hanger, the skies opened up and it began to rain and rain hard. Had we been outside, Jasper and I would have been soaked immediately. We stepped off the jet to find Demetri and Felix standing by a limo waiting for us. Our stuff was unloaded and placed in the trunk, neither of us having much. As we reached the limo, Demetri said, "Welcome back Major Whitlock and Miss Isabella." He looked me up and down before saying, "My, my, that is an interesting change Miss Isabella. Trying something new?"

Sighing, I said, "Demetri, my life isn't my own. I may go along with some things to make my transition easier, but rest assured, I'm not going to take anyone's bullshit. So if anyone has a problem with that, speak now or kiss my ass." He laughed, a deep rich sound, before saying, "Bravo Isabella, I do believe that you are going to bring Volterra to its knees. Welcome home."

Yeah, welcome home indeed

Jasper and I got into the limo, followed by Demetri. Felix was driving apparently. As we pulled out of the hanger, Demetri turned to Jasper and asked, "Major, are you going to be in charge of the Guard entirely or just the trainees? A majority of us were wondering." Jasper said, "Mostly the trainees. Since my main task will be guarding Bella, any changes I make will be happen slowly. No offense Demetri, but things do need to change. Having the guard made up of only talented vampires is a mistake. It becomes more about who has the better gift than protecting the Kings and our world."

Demetri nodded and said, "I agree with you completely Major. Unfortunately, that is how Aro runs things. He gets loyalty from the Guard by pitting them against each other. Maybe with you in charge, things will change." Jasper nodded and asked me, "Bella, would you mind if Demetri also kept an eye on you? With his ability, he would be an ideal choice." Remembering Demetri's ability to track any person he ever met on earth, I saw the advantage. Nodding my head, I said, "Sure Jasper, as long as he doesn't mind and as long as he doesn't make me feel like I'm being babysat." Jasper snorted and said, "Don't worry, it won't be like that. He'll just follow you around and make sure that no one in the castle gives you any trouble. It'll just be when I'm training the trainees and the newborns. Other than that, I'll be the one keeping you safe."

Nodding again, I said, "That's fine Jasper. We'll figure it out more once we're told what I can and can't do by Caius." We went silent as we pulled into the castle grounds. There was no underground parking, just a large wall surrounding the castle to keep humans from seeing the secret within. So, when the limo pulled to a stop, I had to run to the entrance, which left me slightly soaked by the rain. Shaking off somewhat, Jasper and I followed Demetri and Felix to the throne room. I saw two vampires take our stuff to a wing of the castle I didn't recognize. As we walked away, I saw the throne room doors open and we were ushered inside.

Walking beside Jasper, I took in the throne room with new eyes. I had been too worried about Edward and my own fate the last time I'd been in this room and now that my fate was assured in a way, I took a closer look around. The room was large obviously, but it was tasteful. Three high-backed chairs were on a platform prominently placed in the middle of the room, one placed further forward than the other two. I knew it was Aro's as he had a thing about making himself more important than his brother kings.

All three men were present in the throne room as we walked in. Marcus was seated, as usual, staring blankly at us. Frankly, the man creeped me out with his staring, but since his gift was the reason behind me keeping my life, I wasn't going to say anything against him. Aro was also seated and he was staring at us, but in a way that made me think he was plotting something. I hoped that whatever it was didn't separate me from Jasper. He was the only person I really trusted around this place, although Demetri was slowly becoming the second. Caius, my disgruntled Mate, was standing by one of the few windows the room had, staring outside at the people below. He did briefly turn as we entered the room, but said nothing at our arrival.

Aro stood and said, "Welcome back Major Whitlock and Miss Isabella. I trust everything is in order?" Jasper merely nodded and I said, "Yes, everything is in order. The problem has been taken care of and my father is safe for the time being." He smiled that creepy smile of his and said, "Now Isabella, I have been informed that Alice was sadly taken from us. Care to explain why she was destroyed?"

I knew it. He never wanted us to get rid of her if she disobeyed his order. We are so screwed.

Looking at Jasper, I said, "She disobeyed your command in regard to Jasper and myself. She risked exposure by conspiring with Victoria to kill me. There were several other attempts to interfere in my return. Jasper and I made the decision to end her before she tried something worse."

Aro reluctantly nodded and turned to Caius. Caius shrugged and Aro said, "Very well, as she disobeyed, her punishment was well deserved." He didn't say much else, but I could tell that he was upset that Alice was destroyed. He turned to Jasper and asked, "Major, what diet will you be adhering to? The true diet or your former coven leader's?" Jasper said, "I will be returning to the human diet, but I will hunt only the dregs of society or the terminally ill. You know my preferences and why." Aro nodded and said, "Of course Major. Now, the newborns are waiting for you. Before you go to them, you will be needed as Caius makes his announcement to the castle."

I could see that Caius didn't want to make this particular announcement, but he had no choice. He walked away from the window and said, "Isabella, you will stand by my side when I speak to the castle. Then I will escort you to your rooms. Understand?"

I hated when people spoke to me like I was a child, but for the sake of peace for the time being, I nodded and said, "Of course Sir." His eyes narrowed at the word 'Sir' but he didn't say anything else as he nodded to Demetri and Felix to open the throne room doors. Caius moved over to the throne platform and held out his hand to me. I gently put mine in his and stood at his side as people from the castle, human and vampire, walked inside and gathered around the platform.

Once everyone had arrived, Caius stepped forward with me and said, "As some of you may know, I have recently discovered my Mate, who is human. Her name is Isabella and she is not to be harmed in any way. The time of her Change is at my discretion. Until then, she will be remaining human. If I find that anyone has harmed her, they will be destroyed, no exceptions. Am I in any way unclear?"

The entire room spoke as one as they said, "No, Master Caius."

As I looked around at the people in the room, I saw quite a few that I would have to keep an eye on, so to speak. The way they were glaring at me told me that they were not happy that a human was the Mate of a vampire king.

Caius nodded and said, "Back to your duties." The crowd dispersed and left the throne room. Once everyone was gone, Caius dropped my hand and said, "Follow me and I will show you to your rooms." He started walking out and I had to jog to catch up. Once I was in pace with him, we walked in near silence down the hall I had seen when I'd arrived. A few feet down and he stopped in front of a set of double doors. Opening them, he walked inside and said, "These are your rooms. I hope you find them satisfactory." I walked in beside him and took a look around.

The room was a little ostentatious, but I liked it. The walls were a deep burgundy/purple color with white paneling around the windows and doors. The bed was made of white oak and covered in burgundy colored bedding and pillows. The sitting room was tastefully done with purple furniture and white oak tables. I noticed a winding metal staircase next to the balcony and asked, "Where does that go?" Caius cleared his throat and said, "I didn't know what your hobbies were, so for now it is an empty room. You may turn it into whatever you like, just let Heidi know what you need."

Nodding, I dropped my backpack on the bed and said, "I like it a lot. Thank you." Looking around, I saw that only a few of my bags and boxes were sitting in the walk-in closet, not all of them. Walking over and looking at the labels, I realized that the boxes that had all of my clothes were gone. Turning to Caius, I asked, "Where are all of my clothes?" When he didn't reply, I searched deeper in the closet, but found nothing.

I turned back to Caius and asked, "Where in the hell are my clothes?" He walked around me, like a vulture, and said, "I ordered that your clothing be destroyed. While you are here, you will wear what I tell you to. You may be human, but you will be a vampire, so you need to act like one." Feeling sarcastic, I asked, "So what, you want me to dress like a whore?"

His eyes went black as he stormed up to me and said, "Do not get petulant with me girl. I don't want you to dress like a whore, but I want you to dress appropriately. Get over it." I sighed, but didn't argue anymore.

Thank god I used my favorite clothes to cushion my books and other stuff.

He started circling me again and asked, "Do you have a problem with what you're wearing now?" Pulling the hood off my head, I watched him as he circled me before saying, "Not really. I used to wear stuff like this back in Arizona with my mom."

Oh shit! I forgot about Renee!

Going over to my bag, I grabbed my cell phone and dialed her number. It rang 4 times before Phil picked up. Apparently, my mom was out with her friends and had left her phone behind. I told him the same story I had given Charlie and Phil said that he would tell my mom when she got home. I had a feeling that not everything was good between Phil and Renee, so I told him to call or email me if he ever needed to talk.

When I hung up, Caius asked, "Who was that you spoke to?" My stepdad. I completely forgot to tell my mom that I was leaving. Phil will tell her whenever she gets home." He nodded and asked, "Do either of them know anything about the vampire world?" "Hell no. My mother is like an overgrown child and Phil would probably have me committed." Caius nodded again before saying, "Now, there are some rules we need to discuss. First, you will not leave these rooms without a proper escort. Demetri or the Major will be your Guard while you are human. Second, if I tell you to do something, do it. Finally, do not interfere in my business."

"Sure, whatever. So, how am I going to get more clothes? I can't wear these all the time." "Heidi will take you shopping tomorrow. Demetri will go as your Guard since the Major will be working with the newborns."

Wait, he wants his lure to take me shopping? Oh hell no…

Walking over to him, I said, "I am NOT going shopping with her. She's your human lure, I'll end up looking like a high end hooker. I mean, look at what she wears."

Apparently, insulting one of them was not a good idea. Caius grabbed me by the throat and shoved me against the wall as he said, "DO NOT argue with me. You will go with Heidi and get a wardrobe fitting your station. She knows what I do and don't want you in. Argue with me again and you'll regret it." He let me go and stormed out, slamming the door as he left. Once again, I had to massage my throat to prevent any bruising. Looking at the time, I chanced a call to Charlie. He picked up on the first ring and we talked for a few minutes before I said good night.

Already, I had pissed off Caius enough for him to hurt me twice. He didn't hurt me too bad, his Mating instincts obviously preventing him from doing so. But why was he so peculiar about my clothes? He wanted me to show my body off and I wasn't sure why. Deciding to figure it out in the morning, I dug through a bag and found my pajamas that consisted of plaid shorts and a tank top. Climbing into bed, I also wondered one more thing:

When was Caius going to turn me if he hated me so much?