Chapter 52

Demetri hadn't been kidding when he said the pain would be like I was being burned alive; it was all that and more. As the venom ravaged my body, I fought to keep a small part of my mind sane amidst the torment. It was tough to think rationally, but after a while, I managed to become coherent enough to try and create a shield around my mind. I hoped it would act like a wall against the pain. I don't know how long it took, but eventually, I did something with my shield that lessened the torment. It wasn't perfect, though, and every now and then, spikes of fire invaded my sanctuary, making me black out for a few seconds or minutes; it was hard to tell.

The first time I heard anything from the outside world was when I heard Demetri say, "It's been 22 hours, Bella. You're doing great." So, it had almost been a day. Weird, it felt like it had been years of this torture. I tried to go through my memories and think about my life. Many of my friends had told me that going over the events of my human life would help ensure that I wouldn't forget things when I woke up as a vampire. I struggled but went through as much of my human life as I could remember, starting with my earliest memories and progressing forward until I came to today. I thought I remembered all of it, but it was hard to tell with the constant pain in the background. At any rate, after going through my memories, it became obvious that my life had not really started until after I met Demetri.

As I lay there, burning alive on our bed, I couldn't help but wonder about the different paths my life could have taken. What if I had left Amber's house earlier in the day or, when I heard that noise, I didn't go investigate it like a moron? Both scenarios left a gaping hole in what must now be my charred heart, so I quickly shifted my thoughts to all the amazing times I've had with Demetri instead. Off in the distance, I heard Demetri give another update. Hearing that I was halfway there gave me some hope that I would make it through this. I tried to stay positive, but as another spike of molten fire invaded my mind, I let the expletives fly.

I think I was getting used to the pain. It had become a constant part of me, and I had learned to think through it. I tried not to move because any movement only intensified the agony. My mind wandered to the outside world. What were my parents doing? After we landed, I had called and informed them that I would be traveling for about a week with Demetri, exploring Europe. I mentioned that he and I might not be able to communicate much, but I'd try to send them some texts. I hoped that after a week, I would be able to call them, but we would see. I had heard differing accounts about the sanity of a newborn vampire from Demetri and the Volturi. To me, it really sounded like it depended on the newborn and how quickly they adjusted. I, of course, expected that I would be extraordinary, but I'm sure I was biased. "51 hours," I heard Demetri say.

My mind was finally clearing up. Though I could still feel the fire coursing through my veins, the pain had shifted. It was now hotter in some areas and subsiding in others. I sensed my shield and other abilities itching to go haywire, but I kept them tightly under control. I had spent the last five years gaining mastery over them, and no way was I going to let them destroy our home.

I lightly flexed my fingers, and felt no pain. I contemplated what I wanted to do first after waking up and was torn. I wanted to fuck Demetri like crazy and spend the rest of eternity wrapped in his arms, but the more rational part of me thought I should eat first and fuck second. I guess it just depended on how hungry I was.

I wondered what my first meal would be like. I hoped I wouldn't rip off the poor bastard's head in my bloodlust. That would be messy. I wondered what the proper etiquette was when eating a person. Should I talk with them first, or was that considered bad form? Do I kill them quickly, maybe snapping their neck, or do I let the blood loss do the deed? I wanted to feed on criminals. There were women criminals too. Would I drink from a woman or relegate myself to men? So many things to consider.

I could feel the fire shrinking away from my limbs and focusing on my chest. I heard Demetri clearly say, "It's almost over, honey." That's good. Shit, that was painful. I could feel the fire focusing on my heart now, and as my heart beat for the final time, I knew I had made it through.

Demetri POV

Bella was a vampire. And not just any vampire, but arguably the most beautiful one I'd ever seen. Her transformation had refined her body to such an extent that her radiance was almost too much to gaze at directly.

I had been watching her nonstop since I bit her and marveled as I started to see the initial changes in her after the first day. Her transformation had been a little faster than the standard three days, but what struck me as most unusual was her silence throughout the process. Typically, one screams themselves hoarse during the change, but Bella remained remarkably quiet. Maybe it was because most people had no idea what was happening to them, while Bella knew all too well. About 10 hours after I bit her, I gently extricated myself from her arms and quickly got dressed and redressed her. I dressed her in a comfortable outfit that I knew was one of her favorites. In hindsight maybe that wasn't the smartest choice, as more than likely, she'll ruin it when she feeds, and most definitely will when she decides she wants to satisfy her other hungers, as a new vampire does not possess the patience to take their clothes off carefully, nor can they control their newfound strength.

As I watched Bella in her final moments of the transformation, I heard her heart take off, beating so fast it sounded like it would fly away if it could. She looked like she had gained maybe an inch in height. Her breasts appeared the same size but looked a little firmer. Despite already being in top physical condition, the transformation had added just that little extra touch that I knew would most likely make her an excellent fighter. Considering the amount of training Bella had undertaken since I met her, I knew she would only push herself harder now, and there was no limit to what she would want to accomplish. As she lay there looking like sleeping beauty, I knew she would love her new appearance. Bella was not vain at all, but, damn, who wouldn't want to look like that.

As I looked at her, I had to acknowledge that Bella had been right about wanting to wait to grow older. Instead of the very young woman she would have been if I had changed her during our first meeting, Bella now looked like a woman in the prime of her life. I could easily see her pulling off being anywhere between her early 20s to early 30s without having to do anything major to her appearance.

I stood back from the bed, not wanting to startle her. I prayed Bella would have an easy newborn year. If things went poorly, it could be very bad for all of us with the powers she would undoubtedly possess. Even as a human, Bella was probably more powerful than any vampire. Of course, her human body had been fragile, but in terms of abilities, all of us in the Volturi believed Bella was without equal. I had talked with Carlisle, and the way he described what Bella had done to those two vampires she had killed was chilling.

I heard her heartbeat stutter and stop. That was it. She had done it. A little under six years later, and Bella had fulfilled the bargain she had made with me so long ago. I always knew she would, even during our unusual first meeting. Right from the start I could tell there was something special about her, and I instinctively trusted her. It was soon after I left that first time that I started to realize I had real feelings for her. My mind kept drifting back to her, and I felt an ever-present wish to be in her presence again. I knew I wanted her, but she was still so young. I felt it would be best if we built our friendship slowly and made a solid foundation before I admitted my feelings for her, which thankfully she reciprocated.

Now, she was on the verge of opening her eyes, marking the beginning of our eternity together. A few seconds later, her eyes unveiled stunning ruby irises. My god, she was breathtaking. She remained still for about 30 seconds, likely trying to collect herself after the ordeal she had just been through. In the blink of an eye, she stood up at vampire speed. I watched as she stood there, still as a statue, seemingly immersed in observing her surroundings with her new eyesight. I knew it was a significant change from her human vision. Though she hadn't noticed me yet, as my foot lightly brushed against the carpet, Bella's eyes swiftly locked onto my direction. She didn't move, but I saw her eyes carefully scanning up and down my body. Her first words as a vampire were, "Demetri." I let out the breath I hadn't realized I was holding. Thank god she remembers me.

"You did it, Bella," I whispered, careful not to startle her. "How are you feeling?"

Bella straightened up, a smile gracing her face as she examined her hand, flexing and turning it this way and that. "Powerful," she stated simply.

Observing her closely, I watched as her gaze shifted around the room. She seemed deep in concentration, and suddenly, every loose item in the room lifted up and moved gracefully to another part of the room, myself included. Well, it looks like vampire Bella enjoys practicing and experimenting, just like human Bella did. The smile that now adorned her face enhanced her beauty even further.

"This is incredible, Demetri. My mind feels so clear. I can think of hundreds of things simultaneously, even now while I'm talking with you. There's so much going on in my head right now. I apologize if I seem a little scatterbrained; this is all so new, and I'm trying to focus my thoughts on what's most important."

"It's understandable, Bella. You're doing very well. What would you like to do first?"

Bella gave me a leering look. "Well, what I'd really love to do is fuck you silly for the rest of eternity, but practically, I know it's smarter to go eat first. I'm very hungry and it's quite distracting."

"You're right. While I, too, would love to, as you so rightly named it, 'fuck you silly,' we should satiate your thirst first. I know everyone is dying to see the new you. How about we head to the throne room for a quick hello, and then I'll take you outside the city, maybe to Florence, and get you someone to eat? You'll be very surprised at how good blood tastes now. I know you've always wondered if you would like it."

"That sounds good. I'd like to see everyone and then get some food." She started to move but then froze, clearly thinking. "Hang on, before we go, let me go take a peek at myself in the mirror. I don't want the first time I see the new me to be when I'm covered in blood."

As Bella zipped to the bathroom, I noted how composed and rational she sounded. It was reminiscent of the old Bella. This was a good sign, considering that some newborns could resemble mindless monsters for the first couple of months. I heard Bella exclaim, "Holy shit," from the bathroom. I guess she was pleased.

"Do you like your new look?" I teased, seeing her come out with a wide smile.

"It's alright, I guess," she said nonchalantly.

As she approached me, she gave me a big hug for the first time. She squeezed a little too tight, and it felt like I was being crushed alive. Damn, I don't remember newborns being this strong. "A little tight there, Bella. It will take some time for you to get a handle on your strength."

"Whoops," she said, lightening up her hug. "I missed you. It was a long three days. Thank you for staying with me. Your giving me the time every now and then helped a great deal."

"You're most welcome. Let's go meet the others again and then head down to the garage. It's probably best for you to hold your breath while we're driving until we're out of the city. We don't want any accidents if you catch a stray scent that catches your fancy."

"Good thinking," Bella said, grinning. "Let's go."

We both zipped towards the throne room, but halfway there, Bella stopped on a dime. She looked behind her with the biggest smile. "I can't believe how fast we were just going. And we haven't even run at our full potential yet. This is amazing. After I get some food, we need to go out into the forest so I can really let loose. Do you guys have a device that can measure how fast I'm running? If not, we really should, or I guess you really should pick one up tomorrow. Oh, I won't be sleeping anymore. Is there still a tomorrow, or is every day today?" She shook her head, chuckling. "That was a stupid comment. My brain is moving faster than my mouth can speak. My god, there is a lot flying through my head right now. Hopefully, it will calm down soon."

I chuckled as Bella spoke. She was the most rational newborn I had ever seen, and it was entertaining to witness her in this new element. "Your vampire brain is only a couple of minutes old, Bella. It will get a lot better very quickly. Don't fret if you find yourself easily distracted. Most newborns usually have a hard time getting a sentence out after first waking up. Usually, it's just a mad dash to find blood. Not many stop to analyze every small detail of their new life. We'll have time for everything. Let's keep heading to the throne room."

Bella smiled and nodded, and we took off again. We arrived there a few seconds later and stopped in front of the thrones. It seemed everyone had wanted to see the new and improved Bella, as the room was packed with almost all the members of the Volturi. Bella and I exchanged smiles with everyone as I noticed Aro begin to address her.

"Bella, my dear," Aro greeted, rising from his throne. "You look absolutely ravishing. Vampirism certainly becomes you. How do you feel?"

Bella beamed at Aro. "I feel great, Aro. I just wanted to say hello to you and everyone before we go get some food."

"Of course, Bella. I can imagine the thirst..." Aro's sentence remained unfinished. Bella's head snapped around as we all heard a scream that grew louder and louder until the main doors of the throne room smashed open. One door came off its hinges as Olivia, our current receptionist, came flying towards Bella. In an instant, Bella caught her in her arms and bit down right in the center of her throat underneath her jaw. Shock rippled through the room.

Olivia's body jerked several times, her long blonde hair just reaching the floor as Bella drank greedily. Olivia's eyes stared up into the rafters, first in shock, then slowly turning a glassy hue as she died in front of us. I moved closer to Bella but was halted by a shield that surrounded her. I lightly touched it, but I already knew it was impenetrable.

"It appears Bella won't have any issues eating properly. I was concerned the Cullens might have planted some of their crazy notions in her head," Caius declared with a broad smile.

Soon, the secretary was completely drained, and Bella slowly came back to her senses. She lifted her mouth off the throat of the now-dead woman and stood up straight, dropping the lifeless body to the floor. The resulting thud of the dead weight echoed through the room.

"Well, shit, and here I was hoping I'd have some super control abilities and I would be able to walk among humans right away. Well, that plan just went out the window," she said shaking her head, looking down at the dead woman. "At least I wasn't friends with her. Hmm… I'm still hungry." She turned to address me, "I think we should take one or two more people with us just in case, Demetri. I don't want to cause any exposure issues."

"That's a good idea. Your sense of smell must be highly enhanced. I hadn't detected her scent at all."

I turned my head as I saw Felix walking into the throne room, stepping around the fallen door; the other one was partially hanging off its hinges. "That's because she was all the way back at the reception lobby. It seems Bella used some crazy power and instinctively had her meal come to her," he grinned, turning to Bella. "I'm surprised you didn't just slice off her head and have the blood fly right into your mouth in one long stream."

Bella snorted, clearly amused. "Don't give me any ideas, Felix." She looked down again at the body. "At least I understand what everyone was talking about with the blood. Damn, that tasted good. I feel like ripping her open and trying to get some more out of her. But don't worry, I know that would be wrong." She smiled at us, clearly proud of her restraint. I couldn't help but smile. Her actions were typical of a newborn, but with an awareness and demeanor that were unique to Bella. From just this first hour, I knew the next year would certainly be entertaining. "I'm also relieved I don't feel as much remorse as I thought I would in taking a life. I had been worried about that. Still, try to keep me focused on criminals. I don't want to make slip-ups like this a habit, Demetri."

"Of course, Bella. I hadn't foreseen anything like this happening. Felix, Heidi, would you like to accompany Bella and me? I was thinking Florence."

"Sure, come on, Bella. I'll show you how to tempt a criminal to follow you into a dark, secluded alley. You'll love it," Heidi said, approaching Bella and leading her towards the garage.

Bella turned her head back to everyone in the throne room. "See you guys. Wish me luck." Felix and I followed as Bella and Heidi started chatting about feeding techniques.

What do you think of the new Bella? Sadly, the story is coming to an end. The next chapter will be the last regular chapter, and then there will be an epilogue. I hope everyone has enjoyed reading it, and thank you for all the feedback.