BPOV

Throwing the body in my hands away from me, I growled in my throat as recent events danced across my mind. How could he just... leave? Just like that? His phone rings and without a word he just takes off with barely sparing me a glance. What the fuck? I mean, I know I'm not the most versed in sex or whatever, but every movie I have ever seen, every book I have ever read, there seems there should have been more... intimacy to follow than what I got.

Standing in the middle of my selfmade chaos, I let my eyes roam the room, taking in the puddles of blood and scattered body parts, hoping that would make me feel better, but it didn't. It just made me long to do much the same to him. A tremor danced my spine at the thought, my stomach revolting against it.

Son of a bitch!

I can't even bring myself to envision hurting the bastard.

With another growl, I dropped right where I stood, in a sizable pool of crimson, and crossed my arms with a glare. There was a whimper to my left and, without even looking, I picked up a random forearm and threw it in the general direction of the sound, chuckling in my throat at the 'thunk' it made before the room fell silent once again. I knew I wasn't alone. I never was since the last time I 'wondered off'. However, Alec wasn't currently a very high care of mine.

Though I had the brief moment of curiosity as to why it was him and not Felix since the huge mother fucker was Demetri's normal choice of babysitter, I didn't dwell on it too long. I was sure that if Alec was picked there was a reason, but I also refused to let myself really hold that thought for long because if Felix wasn't available for babysitting duty, there was some shit going down somewhere, and that would mean Demetri's abrupt departure wouldn't hold grounds to be pissed off about.

I was well aware of his position, and what all it entailed, but still, we were in the middle of something, damn it. That would, if nothing else, warrant a brief explanation I would think. Or, at least, more than the look of sheer annoyance he had when he left.

I looked up to the rafters when I heard a throat clear, but said nothing. I had nothing to say, so if Alec wanted to talk, he was gonna start this conversation.

He looked down at me, his red eyes shining as he took in the mess I made of the room and myself, an amused smirk on his face that transferred to his voice when he spoke. "You seem upset, Stella."

I sniffed at him before dropping my eyes, kicking a foot out and knocking a head across the room like a damn toddler. "Oh, no. I'm just fucking peachy."

I heard him snort, "Clearly", drawing my attention back up to him. Though I didn't think it was possible, his eyes were warm and his face was inviting. His voice, though, was still a little cynical. "But, we can't have a pissed off newborn running around, so indulge me. What's wrong?"

Nope!

Averting my eyes, I shook my head. I wasn't having this conversation, again, with another guy. Why couldn't Demetri entrust my safety with a female? I mean, if Jane was busy or something, there was always Luna. She seemed nice enough, and certainly had my safety in mind. Not just anyone would have the balls to attempt to bite Demetri in my defense, and she did. When Alec prompted me again, I shook my head harder, refusing to say a word. It was bad enough in my head. I wasn't about to put it out there, to one of Demetri's friends no less, that I kinda wanted to kill him. It would, without doubt, get back to the asshole, and that was the last thing I wanted.

Alec, however, didn't seem to care. He dropped from the rafters and landed two feet from me, the blood he landed in splashing beneath his feet, and crouched with his hands draped over his thighs. His face again told me I could tell him what was going on, I just wasn't sure I could trust it.

I groaned in my throat, knowing I wasn't getting out of the conversation, even if I were to attack. I wouldn't win, something I was well aware of, but it certainly crossed my mind. Brushing my blood soaked hair out of my face, I let out a breath and shook my head. "He... He just left. Just like that. No word. No warning. No nothing. He just got up and left."

I watched him blink, the corner of his lip curling. "Demetri?"

My face went completely flat, as did my voice. "No. Fucking Felix." He looked like he felt dumb at that moment. Good. "Of course Demetri. Who else?"

He lifted a shoulder. "Apparently Felix." I made a noise in my throat and he held up his hands. "Okay, not a joking matter. I get it. What exactly happened, Stella?"

Me head fell back on my shoulders and I groaned. I didn't wanna talk about this. I was so far beyond uncomfortable, and it made me twitchy. Still, knowing he wasn't gonna let it go, I sighed. "He left. We were... in bed, his phone rang, and he left without a fucking word... AGAIN!"

I knew the moment it dawned him what I meant. His eyes went slightly wider and one hand came up and covered his mouth. He took a moment before he said anything. "Timing, Stella, very rarely falls in line with our desires. While I can't speak for that particular... scenario, you have to understand there is something pretty serious going on right now, and his job dictates his actions, not necessarily his desires."

I frowned. "But, if that's the case, why not just say so?"

Alec shrugged, his voice matter of fact. "He can't. Demetri gets away with a lot, far more than the rest of us, but he still has his own set of rules he is expected to follow. You're his mate, and while I'm sure he doesn't like the fact there are things he can't tell you, until the situation is more under our control and less under someone else', it's for your safety he keeps his mouth shut. Sorry for the expression, but you are a baby in our world, and are subject to massive mood swings and diving in without thinking shit through. You don't know how to do that yet, and no one expects you to. What is expected for you to know is that if there is something you absolutely need to know, he will tell you. Until then, Stella, you have to cut him some slack. He has been doing this for nearly two thousand years, and he's really good at it."

I blinked at him. I was sure at some point I knew the number of years Demetri has been a guard, but it wasn't a piece of information I had readily available to compare to our seven days. I knew how old he was, but I didn't know he was a guard nearly as long as he's been a vampire. In that respect, I guess Alec had a point. He had been doing his job for a really long time to get as good at it as he was, so I supposed I could give him more time to integrate something new into his everyday life. It was grudgingly, but I nodded. "I guess, in the respect of two thousand years compared to seven days, this might take some time, too."

To my shock, Alec shook his head. "Not necessarily, and not under normal circumstances. Like I said, there is some shit about to go down, and it involves you. If he has to give up some cuddles in order to ensure there is a future time to have that with you, he's going to do it. You bare his full mark now, meaning whatever morals he might have had prior to this afternoon are gone. Demetri is nothing short of a fucking demon trapped on Earth under the best of situations. This? This isn't one of those. There are others that think to overstep themselves and he's not going to stand back and let that happen. Hell is coming to Earth, Stella, and you bare the mark of the Devil."

While I was trying to come to grips what what he just said, Alec seemed to look for others in the room, his eyes searching every corner and crack, before he looked back at me, his voice lowering to a whisper so quiet I almost couldn't hear him. "I'm going to let you in on a very closely guarded secret, Bella, something very few know. Demetri runs this shit. He might not sit on a throne, but he doesn't have to."

Somewhere in the back of my mind, there was a spark, words in Demetri's voice floating up and making me blink. "He said that once I think. He said there were only a handful or so that are loyal to Aro over him. You were on that list."

Alec shook his head. "No, I would sooner put myself between a threat and Demetri than I would Aro. Demetri has saved my life many, many times, Aro never has. He has, though, put me in the position to die, and had it not been for Demetri, I probably would have. Mark my words on this; someday, we will no longer answer to three kings. We will answer to only one, and it will be the one being no one, human or supernatural, will ever be able to hide from. As for what happened today, you need to understand something. When Demetri makes a decision, makes a choice, it's done like," he snapped his fingers, "that. No second second guess, no additional thought, no changing his mind. There is, very likely, no greater strategic mind out there, bar maybe two. So, without knowing what happened on the other side of that phone call, can you really be mad about how he left?"

I looked at him a short moment, filing what he said away for later evaluation, and decided to question him instead. "Do you know what the call was about?"

To my shock, he nodded and, to my greater shock, he answered. "Security breach. Someone tripped the alarm when they came into the palace and didn't have permission to do so. All of us Elites got that call. Outsiders assume just because Aro refuses to keep up with the times this place isn't locked down tighter than a virgin's knees. We have far more than a handful of camera covering the outside entrances. No one comes or goes without someone knowing, and that someone is Demetri."

I cocked a brow. "Then how did Demetri not know I left the other day?"

"There was no need to have that particular alarm set because that is, or was, Demetri's room. But, next time you're in there, look at the wall by the bathroom, and you'll see the counsel. This place is wired for sound, Stella, and that is information we don't tell anyone for very obvious reasons."

I jolted. "You want people to break in."

He locked his eyes on mine. "It makes it a lot easier when the condemned come to us. We control everything in this city. Nothing is done on the terms of others within our home. What these intruders are about to find out is, you can get in, but there is no way back out."

I bit my lip. "And, you know who these people are?"

Alec nodded. "We do."

I glanced off to the side a moment before looking back. "And you said they are here for me?"

He nodded again. "They are."

I nodded once and stood, pulling my mask up from my neck to cover my nose. Once it was back in place, I looked at Alec again. "Then it would be rude to keep them waiting."