Chapter 29
"I'm really proud of you, Bells," Charlie said with a big smile on his face as he watched me descend the stairs in my graduation gown.
"Thanks, Dad," I said, matching his smile. It had been one hell of a year, but I'm really happy I made the decision to come live in Forks. I got to really know my father for the first time. I made some lifelong friends in the Cullens, and when I say lifelong, that will hopefully mean a hell of a long life. I also formed good friendships with some of my classmates, especially Angela, and I wish nothing but good things for them.
Next week, I'll be flying off to Italy for what I hope will be two fun-filled weeks with Demetri. I can't wait to see him again. Even though we talk almost every night now and have our fun time when Charlie isn't around, I just want to be in his strong, cool arms once again.
I'm really hoping I make a good impression with the other members of the Volturi, and I guess you would call them the kings. It's weird that I'll be meeting people that others think of as royalty. I hope they won't expect me to bow or call them some crazy shit like master, as that ain't happening. Being respectful is one thing, but I'm a modern women, and come on, it's no longer the dark ages. Demetri had shown me the Volturi robe he sometimes wears, and I found it hard not to laugh. I'll hold my tongue for now, but if I end up joining them once I'm a vampire and have established some cred, I plan on making a few suggestions. I had to assume the rest of the Volturi had changed with the times. Demetri certainly had.
I shook my head to get my mind on the here and now. I had to focus; it's graduation day!
"What are your plans for after the ceremony?" Charlie asked, a hopeful expression on his face. "I was hoping we could celebrate at the lodge."
"That sounds great, Dad. I have no set plans, so anything you want to do to celebrate is fine by me. High school is done, and I'm never looking back. College, here I come." I had sent in my acceptance letter and will be attending UCLA in the fall. I hadn't decided on a major yet. I think I should keep it broad for my first year till I figure out my interests.
"Your mom is sorry she isn't able to attend your graduation, but she asked me to take lots of pictures," Charlie said, holding up his camera.
"I already told her it was okay. As long as you both can make it for my college graduation, that's the one I really want you both to have good memories of."
"Do you have any ideas of what you might want to do after college?" Charlie inquired.
"Jeez, dad. I haven't even figured out yet what I want to study. Let's give me a little time," I said with a smile. "I do know that I want to see more of the world. I have no idea where yet, but I have an inkling that I might want to live out of the country at some point in my life. If I do decide to do that, we can always keep in touch by phone or email. But who knows what the future will hold? Let's focus on today." I felt that giving him the first hints at my future separation would set the groundwork and lessen the blow.
When we arrived at the high school gymnasium, it was bustling with parents and students all donning their gowns. For some reason, they had chosen an unflattering shade of yellow for our graduation gowns. I would have assumed that the classic black would have been much more elegant. Waving to my friends in the crowd, I took it all in. Soon the ceremony began, and before I knew it, I had officially become a high school graduate. After the ceremony, I exchanged goodbyes with my friends, uncertain if our paths would ever cross again. I made sure to give Angela a big hug and whispered 'good luck' in her ear.
Charlie and I found ourselves in conversation with the Cullens after the ceremony. All five of the Cullens were adorned in their graduation gowns, their faces reflecting varying degrees of boredom, except for Alice, who stood beside me with an uncontainable smile. There was little that could ever dampen her spirits.
"So, where is everyone planning to attend next year?" Charlie inquired, casting a glance at the Cullens.
Carlisle chimed in, "Everyone loves the area, and the kids wanted to stay close, so they'll all be attending the University of Washington."
"That's a good school. Do any of you know yet where your interests lie after college?" Charlie's gaze shifted towards the Cullen kids. Unbeknownst to him, they would be starting over again in a new town. I hoped they would consider making something of their lives. Throughout the year, I had been subtly dropping hints and offered suggestions, aiming to inspire new ideas and aspirations among them.
Alice spoke up, her voice brimming with enthusiasm. "I have a real passion for fashion, and I'm thinking of starting my own fashion line after college. I've got a strong sense of upcoming trends and am sure I can design clothes for both the modern man and woman. Bella's support has been invaluable, and I'm really confident in my abilities to make my visions a reality." She threw her arm around me, and I returned her smile, pleased that I had been of assistance to her. She had shared her vision drawings with me, and we had a good laugh at the styles of outfits Alice envisioned us wearing in the distant future. I'm confident we'll manage to rock those looks. To be honest, a vampire could don rags and still look great.
I knew Carlisle would be staying in Forks for another four years until everyone graduated from college, and then they would all be moving on due to the whole not-aging thing. I suppose I'd face the same issue eventually. The idea of using makeup to appear older crossed my mind, but I decided I could ponder that when I actually reached that stage, which was still many years away.
The week that followed was incredibly relaxing. With no school and no obligations, I indulged in sleeping late each day. By the time I woke up, Charlie had already left for work, allowing me to practice my abilities in peace. Emmett's constant requests to be flown around sparked an idea: the more I practiced manipulating large objects, the more control I could attain. I had started taking large trees, slicing them down to human size, and engaging in workouts by moving them in unconventional ways – from spinning them in circles to executing 360-degree rotations, spinning them end over end. My goal was to achieve a level of mastery where I could effortlessly perform any maneuver without using up all my concentration.
Alice, Edward, and I took several long runs through the forest and up some of the Olympic mountains. They showed me some incredible sights that were simply beautiful. I'm sure they felt we were moving at a snail's pace, but for me, it was quite a workout as I pushed myself hard. Some of the places they showed me were quite a distance away. I had them snap quite a few pictures of me, mostly on the top of the tallest mountains. Achieving all of this while still human felt like a pretty big accomplishment to me.
The day had finally arrived, and I would soon be flying to Italy. Alice would be picking me up soon, and we'd head to the airport. However, only I would be boarding the plane. Demetri was on his way in the Volturi jet. It was hard to believe they were sending a whole jet just to take me to Italy. While I'd have been fine flying coach, I was really looking forward to seeing Demetri again. And with a private plane, we could converse openly and freely.
"I'll miss you, Bells. Now, have a good time but don't do anything dangerous. I've heard some real horror stories of girls who go missing while on vacation in Europe. Don't speak to any unusual men."
"I won't, Dad. I'll be sure to be on guard for any dangerous individuals. I'll be sure to take pictures of the famous landmarks, and I can show you all the interesting places I've visited when I get back."
"I'll be looking forward to it. Have a great time in Italy. I've never had the desire to leave the country, but I'm glad you're getting your wish to do some traveling."
It was at this point that the doorbell rang. Charlie and I went to greet who was at the door, and there stood Alice. "Hey, Bella. Are you all set?" Alice asked, her face beaming with a big smile.
"Hey, Alice. Yep, I got my bag right here." I lifted it up to show that I was all ready.
"Hello, Alice. I hope you have a good time in Italy as well." Charlie turned to me and gave me a goodbye hug. "Give me a call when you land, honey, so I know you got there safe and sound. Have a good trip."
"I will. Bye, Dad."
With a smile and a wave, I left and got into Alice's car, and we were off.
"Thanks for driving me, Alice. We'll have to plan some trips we could take together once I'm a vampire. Where would you suggest?"
"I love Paris. We could go when they hold one of their big fashion shows."
"That sounds great. Count me in."
When we got to the airport, Alice dropped me off, and I waved as she sped away. She had told me she was going to do some serious clothes shopping in Seattle. I wondered if she would even be able to fit all her purchases in her car.
Once inside the terminal, I found out I had to go to a special gate where the private planes were located. I made my way there, and there I saw Demetri leaning against a pillar. Damn, he was hot. I keep forgetting how attractive he is during our long separations. I walked up to him, and he must have smelled me coming as his head shot up and he gave me a big smile. I put the suitcase down and gave him a big hug, which he returned. I gave him a big sniff. I had missed his smell as well. "I've missed you."
Demetri held me for a while, and I relaxed in his cold arms. I could feel his chest raising and falling, so he must have been smelling me well. "I've missed you too, Bella. Are you ready to head off? It's a long flight to Italy."
"Sure am. I'm looking forward to seeing your plane. As you can imagine, I've never flown on a private jet before."
"Well, come on. I'm pretty sure the pilot will let you sit in the cockpit."
I hadn't thought of that. I'll get to watch him fly. I always enjoyed new experiences, and everything about this trip was going to be new and different. Demetri grabbed my bag, and he led the way to his jet. When we got to the hangar with the jet, I was surprised by how new it looked. I had pictured a small plane, but this jet looked really high-end. "Wow, it looks so sleek and modern," I couldn't help saying as we went up the stairs. The inside cabin was even nicer than the outside, with lots of comfy leather seats and sofas. It had an open design, so one could move around easily. It wasn't cramped like a regular plane. Demetri stowed away my suitcase and led me to the cockpit. There were thousands of controls. I would have to be careful and not touch anything by mistake.
After he started up the plane, we pulled out of the hangar and made our way to the runway. It was a different one than the commercial planes used, so the wait was not long at all. As we were taking off, he explained how everything worked. Soon, we were flying high in the sky. The view from the cockpit was so different from the little side windows in normal planes.
"When I'm a vampire, do you think you could teach me how to fly?" I inquired, looking over the vast array of switches and buttons.
"Of course. Once you're a vampire you'll find lots of things will come much easier for you to learn due to your improved memory. Things like learning to fly will be a piece of cake. I also think you will enjoy learning to speak other languages. A vampire can pickup a new language very easily. I personally can speak every major language fluently."
"That's so cool. Yes, I would like to learn other languages, I guess the first one should be Italian. When we get to Volterra will they be speaking Italian or do they speak English?"
"When I first joined the Volturi around two thousand years ago, the common language we spoke was Latin. We continued speaking that language well past the time the rest of the world gave it up in favor of newer languages. Eventually, we switched over to Italian as our standard for well over a millennium. It has been only recently, in the past century, that we have transitioned again to speaking English as our common language. Unfortunately, we've learned that the majority of new vampires do not have the drive that you have to learn and expand their minds. Since English has become the standardized language of the day, we have adapted to fit with the times."
"I'm glad I won't be lost when people are talking. And I do want to learn all those languages, including Latin. Oh, and I'd love to learn Egyptian Hieroglyphics. There's just so much, but I guess time won't be an issue." I smiled just thinking of everything that will be within my grasp. "So, tell me what I should expect when we reach Volterra."
"Well, I am going to be introducing you to the main members of the Volturi and to the kings. Now, Aro already knows of you, but the others do not. I would expect no issues from Marcus, but Caius is a bit of a hothead, especially regarding humans. Expect him to be very gruff or condescending to you, as he views humans as a lower species compared to vampires. I know you and know you won't take being disrespected, so stand up for yourself, but do not disrespect him. Once he sees that you are not the common human, that should mollify him, but you should not expect him to treat you as an equal until you are a vampire. He is very set in his ways, so don't expect a new best friend."
"I understand. Thanks for explaining. What about the other members of the Volturi?"
"I don't think you will have any issues with them. Jane is very volatile, so I'm really hoping her ability does not work on you. But if you should fall down in agony, you will know where it's coming from. I'm sure Aro will stop her immediately, as he is quite interested in you eventually joining us."
"Good to know. Hopefully, whatever stops abilities from working on me will continue. I don't particularly like pain. So after the official meeting, what sort of things can I expect?"
"Well, hopefully you will fit right in, and we can do some activities so you can meet and become friends with the other members. You'll be staying for two weeks, so we'll have more than enough time to see the sights. I'll take you to Rome and Florence and any other places you would like to see. The only thing holding us back will be movements in the daytime, so prepare to see a lot of Italy at night."
"Great, I'm really looking forward to it. So, does this jet have an autopilot?" I asked with an innocent expression, although I could tell that Demetri knew my asking was anything but innocent.
"Sure does. Did you want to do anything particular that would require the autopilot?" he smirked at me.
"Well, I've heard of this thing called the 'mile high club.' I never imagined I would join, but this is a private jet. I hear a voice in my head, and it's just screaming 'fuck like crazy' the whole flight. Or... maybe you're not interested. Do you have a deck of cards? I could go play solitaire in the back all by my lonesome."
Demetri laughed. "I've missed your sass, Bella. You know, I think I hear that same voice, and it's saying the same thing in my head. I'm sorry, but I don't think you're going to get a chance to play any solitaire on this trip. At least not when I'm around." He grinned, and I watched hungrily as he licked his lips.
He leaned in and kissed me on the lips. I wanted to respond, but I didn't like the idea of getting busy in the cockpit. Knowing me, I'd kick the controls or something when I came. "Let's move this to the main compartment. More room to get wild," I suggested with a smile.
"Great idea." Demetri stood up and led me to the main cabin. "What would you like to do first? There are still 12 hours left to the flight, so you name it and we'll do it."
My mind started remembering all the wild ideas I had imagined for when Demetri and I would be together again. So many thoughts flooded my mind that it was challenging to decide what to do first. Finally, I said, "I've been fantasizing about us being together again physically for a year," I admitted with a mischievous grin. "One of the many fun scenarios I thought of was you holding me upside down, and we pleasure each other. I'm not sure if I'll actually enjoy that position, but it certainly played out well in my head while I was pleasuring myself in bed."
"I like the way you think," he grinned in response. Our clothes were hastily discarded, his nimble movements besting mine as he stood there, looking like a naked god, while I was just pulling down my underwear and tossing my bra onto the seat beside me. His dick was already hard as a rock, and I moistened my lips as he lifted me effortlessly, flipping me upside down. My legs high in the air, my face aligned with his hardened cock, I wasted no time and leaned forward, eagerly taking him into my mouth. Meanwhile, I could feel his skilled mouth lapping at my core, his tongue weaving its magic.
As we sucked each other off, I marveled at the sensation, grateful that being upside down wasn't making me feel queasy. Demetri surprised me by shifting his grip—initially holding my waist, he repositioned his arms to hold me up by my ankles, heightening the experience. My head bobbed rhythmically on his cock while my hands caressed and stimulated his sides and well toned stomach. His abdomen tensed, and I clamped my mouth around his pulsating member as he began to spurt into my mouth, sucking on it like a lollipop. Simultaneously, his oral efforts intensified, propelling my climax to the forefront. I shuddered as I came, and he eagerly lapped up everything driving me wild. He flipped me upright and held me close to him as I came down from my high.
"Wow, what a way to start," I exclaimed, hugging him tightly. "Give me a minute, and I'll be ready for round two." I hugged him tight, our bodies pressed together. I loved the sensation of his already hard cock pressed against my stomach. Rubbing myself against him, I felt him growing even harder. I was eager for more, but I wanted to savor the moment. So, I surprised him by jumping up, locking my legs around his waist. Our lips met in a passionate kiss as I lowered myself onto him. The feeling of him filling me completely sent shivers down my spine. With slow, deliberate movements, I pulled away and then pushed forward, our mouths still connected. I had craved this so much during our time apart. Virtual encounters were fun, but they paled in comparison to the real thing. This was just the beginning. I ended our kiss, my eyes locking with his as I started to move my body with increasing intensity.
Over the next 7 hours, we sucked and fucked so many times that it became impossible for me to keep count. I'm sure his vampire memory could instantly provide the number, but I'm content to imagine it was a hundred or some crazy number like that. Eventually, I suggested that I should get some shut-eye to be fresh for meeting everyone as I didn't want to feel like a zombie. He agreed that it was a good idea, and he pulled out a bed from under some of the sofa cushions. "Hang on, we had a bed this whole time? Riding you on the floor of the plane was fun and all, but I'm sure we could have done it a couple of times on the bed!" I had a playful smile on my face, so he knew I was only joshing with him. We lay together on the bed. I loved the feeling of my breasts pushed up against the side of his cool chest, his hand gently stroking my hair. I felt so contented as I drifted off into a peaceful sleep almost immediately.
Demetri woke me up about 30 minutes before landing. I stretched as he told me there was a small shower I could use in the bathroom. He playfully commented that he would have liked to join me, but the space was too cramped for two people. I reassured him that there would be plenty of opportunities for fun during our time together and headed to freshen up. Emerging a bit later from the bathroom, I wore fresh clothes and appeared much more presentable. We settled in the cockpit as Demetri expertly guided the plane in for a landing. Though I could spot the city's night lights, the beauty of the Italian countryside was still hidden in the darkness. But soon, I told myself, I'd get to experience its allure.
Demetri landed the plane and then navigated it to the Volturi's hangar. They had a second identical jet there as well. I was starting to realize they were probably beyond rich. Once the plane was safely in its hangar, we took a sleek European-looking car with tinted windows and made our way to Volterra. I asked Demetri what time it was in Forks, and he said it was the afternoon, so I quickly called Charlie to let him know I had arrived safely. The drive took about an hour, and the sun was just beginning to break over the horizon as we reached the city. The walled city looked very peaceful and quiet as we made our way through its gates, and eventually, we came upon the castle.
I first saw the topmost spires of the castle while outside the walls of the city. However, as we made our way into the city and got closer, the magnificence of the castle became clearer. The castle was truly astounding, standing tall at what seemed to be the highest point in the area. It reminded me a little of the castle you see in the opening of every Disney movie, only it was much bigger and grander.
On either side of the castle, there were massive walls that extended far beyond even my line of sight. These walls were not only impressive in height, easily reaching two stories or more, but they were also adorned with beautifully landscaped shrubs. These shrubs decorated the entire length of the wall, creating a lush and aesthetically pleasing barrier. Clearly, it was meant to provide privacy for the vampires on the other side.
"Are you ready, Bella?"
"Oh yes. Let's go meet everyone."
"Please stay close to me until everyone is informed about your situation. There are some human secretaries inside the castle, but it is very rare for a random human to be walking around who is not meant as a snack. Be on your guard at all times just in case."
"Oh, I'm always on guard. Hopefully, no one will try anything as someone else will be having to reattach their head if they do. I've gotten really quick and proficient at taking care of business."
Demetri gave me an approving nod and a smile. "Good to know."
Let me know your thoughts.