BPOV

After Demetri left to do whatever it was he had to do, I stayed on the bed, in the same spot, still completely flabbergasted at the fact he just kissed me. Sure, there had been little pecks to my nose or knuckles, but he hadn't actually kissed me before. If what just happened was any indication as what was going to come in three days... I wanted a fucking time machine.

It took me a few minutes before I got passed the shock and rolled over onto my stomach, staring at the door, nearly praying he would return, even knowing he wouldn't until he was done with whatever it was he was seeing to. Slowly I ran my tongue over my lips, the lingering flavor of rain coating my taste buds, an appreciative hum sounding from my throat.

Biting into my bottom lip, I sighed and shook my head. I didn't understand what he was talking about before, about it being a bad thing to go too far too fast. He talked like it would hurt, even said as much, but there was no pain with that.

Blowing a puff of air from my lips, I pushed myself up, moving to the side of the bed. Instead of getting up, I just sat there, letting the tortuous memory of his lips on mine caress my thoughts once again. It seemed more like he just didn't want to than he couldn't. I didn't let that thought fester long before I shook my head. No, that wasn't the case. It was as he said, it had to be. With the look in his eyes before he left, there was no way that that stray thought held any merit.

With one last glance to the door, I stood and walked to the double glass doors, looking out into the gardens that were just on the other side of the railing. I watched the birds dance amongst the trees, swooping and diving around each other without a care in the world. Humming slightly, I grabbed Demetri's spare cloak that was hanging over the back of a chair and slipped it on. After taking a deep breath and inhaling his scent, I replaced my mask over my face, doing minor adjustments so it was situated properly before I pushed the doors open when I could no longer smell anything.

Raising the hood over my hair, I stepped outside, squinting against the light. It was far brighter out here than it looked from inside. Once I was no longer blinded by the light, I went to the railing, setting my hands on it and leaning over to see what was going on below me. I cocked my head to the side when I saw a group of guards and a pack of dogs in the grass. They had dogs here? Letting myself think of that a little, I guess it made sense. I mean, any large estate would have guards that were accompanied by them. One thing I have learned over the last few days was Aro was all about appearance and extremely conscious of the outside world and their thoughts about what went on behind the ten foot wall. I also knew there were patrols of the city itself and there would need to be a reason that the guards assigned to do so knew that there was something going on that was out of human's normal hearing range.

Shrugging and dismissing them, I turned my attention to the city that I could see over the wall since I was a good fifteen feet above it. Between the buildings, I could see humans milling about, going about their lives like there wasn't a den of vampires living amongst them. I could hear laughter, a roar of voices that were too jumbled to make out what they were saying. I could also hear their hearts beating. It was a soothing sound, a soft lullaby and hum within the noise.

It wasn't the beating that made my throat flare, it was the knowledge of what it represented, what it did, that lit that fire. I cleared my throat, the action doing nothing to cool the flames. Quickly, I turned away from it. Since there was no scent of blood to go along with it, I was able to pull myself away from it, but only because I distanced myself from it. I knew I was going to get in trouble for leaving the balcony without someone with me, but I wasn't thinking clearly as I lept from the railing to an overhang and then from there into the trees on the other side of the garden.

Landing on a branch, I climb up into the thicker coverage of the leaves. Reaching the highest branch that could support me, I sat and pulled my knees to my chest, plugging my ears and humming as loud as I could to drowned it out. My head was down and my eyes were closed, cutting off everything I had to know what was in my surroundings. I repeatedly took deep breaths of scentless air, trying to convince myself that there was nothing around me.

I didn't know exactly how much trouble I would be in if I gave in, and I certainly didn't want to find out.

*X*

I didn't know how much time passed as I sat in that tree, one leg hanging down and the other on the branch for balance. I had an arm draped over my knee and the other resting on my thigh, my head leaned back again the trunk as I looked through the leaves at the sky before me. I wasn't really paying attention to my surroundings so I didn't realize when it was I was no longer alone.

I jumped slightly, but looked to the ground when I heard a throat clear below me. Glancing through the branches, I saw Marcus standing there, looking back up at me. I didn't say anything to him and he also stayed silent for a long moment before I heard a quiet sigh.

His voice was friendly and light. "I had thought you were not allowed to be running around the grounds on your own just yet." Though he couldn't see it due to my mask, I bit my lip, a slight nod in response. He clasped his hands behind his back and tilted his head. "Then might I ask what you are doing out here on your own?"

I sighed and lifted a shoulder. "Sitting in a tree."

He nodded. "I see that." What he did next surprised me since I had only ever heard of him keeping to himself. He actually leapt up into the branches and took up residence in one slightly below me. Once he was settled, he looked up at me. "I will be honest. I do not see the allure." I smiled a little behind my mask as he shifted a bit. He then looked back at me. "You seem troubled and with one your age, that is something to be avoided. Do you care to tell me what has you so knotted? Perhaps one that is not so close to the issues can give you a little perspective that maybe you have not thought of."

I looked into his deep red eyes and thought about the offer. What could it really hurt to get a different opinion on what I keep going around in circles about? Besides, he was one of the rulers. Wasn't it his job or some shit to do this? Might as well make him earn his paycheck today. So, I told him everything I had been running through my mind about this thing between Demetri and I. There were times he couldn't make eye contact with me and, admittedly, I wasn't as girly about some of the things I said as I probably should have been, but hey, whatever.

When I got to the discussion we had just before he left and the fact that when he kissed me the pain he talked about wasn't there, thus contradicting what was said, Marcus hummed and nodded slowly while I shook my head and look at my knees. "I guess I just don't understand."

Marcus was silent for a time, letting everything I just dropped on him run his thoughts before he looked at me again. "I can understand that. The year following a transformation is extremely confusing and often times can seemingly contradict itself. I can assure you, however, that this time it did not. Allow me to clear this up for you. A show of affection is not the same as cementing a bond between mates. What Demetri was referring to before was, when you two become bonded mates, there is another bite involved which will introduce more of his venom into your veins. Regardless of how much there already is, foreign venom does still burn the system that it does not belong to. He did tell you that it takes nearly a full week for your entire inside body to become dead, didn't he?"

I nodded. "Yeah, he said that but I don't get that either."

He chuckled. "There is a lot in a human's body that humans need and we do not. It takes quite a bit of time for everything to die and decay. While venom has no problem traversing the veins, it has a harder time seeping into organ tissues and the like. The three days it takes to get through the worst of it is only venom destroying your blood and redesigning your DNA. Everything else happens after you wake and your movements keep the venom circulating.

"Now, as far as cementing a bond goes, though there is very little venom needed to finish the job, it does take some and the more there is, the more pain it causes the female. You two could finish your bond tonight but the pain it would cause you to do so is something that Demetri refuses to bestow upon you. That is not something worthy of faulting him for. It is his job to protect you from harm and pain, not be the one to cause it. Patience is a virtue, Young Lady. Do not be in such a rush. Good things come to those who wait."

He paused a moment before he continued. "I do not make this common place, but let's put your mind at ease, Isabella. Now, even before your bond is fully established, it is a very strong one. Do not fear or think that there is anything wrong. Demetri is over two thousand year old and has learned not to rush things that shouldn't be. Relax and just let things happen. You will not be disappointed."

I opened my mouth to respond when there was a hell of a commotion. Both Marcus and I snapped to attention when the sounds of frantic voices carried on the breeze to us. My eyes widened when I heard my name and I looked down at Marcus. "I got to go. I am in so much trouble."

Before he could say anything, and as rude as I knew it was, I just dropped from the tree and looked across the gardens to where I could hear both Demetri and Alec. When their voices got louder, I knew they were on their way here. I didn't even attempt to move, knowing it was pointless to try and get back to Demetri's room. He already knew I wasn't there.