Chapter 17
Demetri let me sleep late, thankfully, and I woke up on my own around ten in the morning. When I finally opened my eyes, I saw I was snuggling up to a glittering hard body as the sun shined in from my window. The sight of his hard-on just standing straight in the air, reflecting the light around the room, was such a turn-on. I wish I could wake up like this every Saturday morning. After all the fucking last night, he knew I probably needed a good night's sleep, and it was appreciated.
"Morning." I said while yawning. As I stretched, I leaned my body into his, pressing my naked flesh to his, with my leg grazing his hard-on. I smiled, loving the feeling of being in his cool arms.
"Morning sunshine." Demetri said while hugging me closer, so I was resting mostly on his hard body. I raised myself up to his level and kissed him passionately on the lips.
"This feels nice," I said, resting my head on his chest. It was still interesting to listen and hear no heartbeat. I've wondered ever since I met Demetri and found out that vampires were real how they came into being, as they certainly defied the logic of all other living organisms on the planet. I planned to do more research on it once I became a vampire myself.
"It does. You're the first person I've ever stayed the night with and held while they slept. Every now and then, you say something, but mostly, you just like to hump whatever part of me is near you. I'd love to see what you were dreaming. I myself can't remember what dreams are like."
I laughed. "I usually have a hard time remembering my dreams. Whenever I have one that feels important, it seems to get harder to recall whenever I try. But, you're in luck, though, as I do remember parts of my dream last night. I was walking to school, and then I came across you. We were trying to decide if we needed to get you out of the sun. Sometimes dreams don't make any sense. And, I'm pretty sure we were also having sex in a couple of my dreams last night."
"Yes, there was some moaning at times. I hope the dream me satisfied you as much as I do."
"I don't think that's possible. You're the best, period. Screw dream Demetri." We both started laughing at how silly the conversation had gotten. "Give me a minute to go to the bathroom, then let's take a shower and we can get started on the day."
We took an enjoyable shower together; we held back our desires and only had sex once while the water cascaded down on us. After that, I dressed in my running outfit, and we headed out for the day. It was amusing to see Demetri hide any exposed skin as he walked to his car. I locked up the house and got into the car at a normal speed. The interior of the car was the nicest I had seen, with luxurious leather seats. The heavily tinted windows kept Demetri safe from the sun. I felt like part of the rich and famous being driven around in this thing.
"So, what would you like to do today? Our options are a bit limited right now due to the sun," Demetri inquired, turning his gaze towards me.
I took a brief moment to consider. A sense of hunger nudged at me; somehow, breakfast had slipped my mind after our invigorating shower. I really wanted to spend the day testing and training in the desert, but doing so on an empty stomach seemed unwise. "Could we do the testing in the desert today? But could we make a quick stop first? I completely forgot to have breakfast, and if we're going to be testing all day, it wouldn't be the best idea on an empty stomach."
"Testing in the desert sounds great," Demetri replied. "Where would you like to eat? Just let me know, and I'll stop."
I thought for a moment, and a funny thought crossed my mind. But would it be feasible? I thought for a moment, and yes, it would work out fine. "Just keep driving down this road for about 5 minutes. I'll tell you when to stop."
Demetri nodded at me, and I rummaged through the glove compartment, finding a pen and a piece of paper. I hoped Demetri would not mind feeling foolish. He certainly seemed to always have a good sense of humor. I began jotting down a few lines on the paper.
Finally, we arrived where I wanted to eat. "Go ahead and pull into the eatery right in front of us. The drive-through will work. You're shaded from the sun here, so no worries," I assured him.
I was fairly certain that this will be a new experience for Demetri, and I couldn't wait to witness him in action. As he drove into the establishment, pulling up to the drive-through order board, a slight perplexity clouded his expression. The intercom crackled to life, and a voice chimed in, "Welcome to McDonald's. May I take your order please?"
Demetri glanced at me with a touch of uncertainty, so I handed him the paper with my order neatly written. He offered me a wry smile, then turned his attention back to the speaker box and spoke, "Yes, I'd like an Egg McMuffin and an Iced Caramel Macchiato."
"Would you like anything else with that?" the voice from the speaker inquired.
"No, that's all," Demetri confirmed.
"Proceed to the second window, please," came the response from the speaker, guiding us along.
A fit of giggles overtook me. "I bet you never thought you would be doing this in your eternity, did you?" I couldn't suppress my amusement.
Demetri chuckled, his voice warm. "No, I can't say that I ever did." He navigated to the window, paid the employee, and collected my drink and the food bag.
He handing me the food, "Thanks." I replied, "Why don't you park over there while I eat quickly?" He found a shady spot beneath a towering tree. As I savored the Macchiato's exquisite taste, a contented hum escaped my lips. "While I'm eating, would you tell me a story? How about the first time you ever came to America?"
Demetri seemed lost in his memories for a moment, then he began. "Alright. This is a story I think you'll find quite intriguing. I actually visited this land long before the country was known as America. It was around 1800 years ago, and I had been with the Volturi for only a couple hundred years back then."
His words captured my attention as I continued to eat, savoring the story he weaved even more so then my food. He recounted the tale of his thrilling adventure while I listened intently. After he concluded his story, my Egg McMuffin was a thing of the past, and we prepared to continue our journey toward the desert.
Both Demetri and I were interested in conducting tests on my skills. I would be lying if I didn't admit I wanted to show off a little, as I was quite proud of how much I had learned. I loved experimenting with my powers, exploring all that was possible, and trying to figure out new ways to use them.
"What sort of tests do you have in mind?" I asked, looking over at Demetri.
"I'd like to do some tests with your shield ability that stopped the car that one time. It would be interesting to see if it can block a vampire's strength and speed," he replied with a smile. "For more personal reasons, I'd like to see if you can levitate me. It sounds like fun floating in the air."
"Sure, we can try those," I grinned. "I'd also like to have a race with you. I only want you to match my speed; I know you would win. I have never tried to run at my fastest when I'm out in public. I just want your opinion if I'm running any faster than a human should be. Additionally, I'd like to ride on your back again while you run. We'll start slow, of course, and I'll tell you to increase your speed. I want to see if there are any differences since the last time."
"Those all sound like good tests as well. I have a cooler in the back if you get thirsty or want to cool off from the heat," Demetri said, smiling at me, showing his thoughtfulness.
While we drove, I asked what sort of things the members of the Volturi liked to do for fun when not working.
"Oh, we all have different interests. Some like to paint, some are into human games. We have several game rooms in the castle. It's an eclectic group who all find things to do. Sometimes we go out in groups to nightclubs around Italy. Some go to dance, some to eat," he said, giving me a cheeky wink. "There is one club in Florence that we like to frequent often as it's run by a vampire, and we can get drinks laced with blood. Everyone is happy going there."
"They don't have humans hooked up to spigots in the back, do they?" I chuckled at the absurdity of the idea.
"No, nothing like that," Demetri replied with a smirk. "They just have deals with blood banks to get the extra blood they can't use."
We finally arrived at a location where Demetri thought we wouldn't be disturbed, perfect for conducting our tests. We began with my speed test. Demetri grabbed a bottle of water and tucked it in his pants as we prepared to run through the desert. I started off slowly to let my muscles warm up. When I felt ready, I unleashed my full speed, sprinting as fast as I could. The feeling of the wind rushing past was exhilarating, and I couldn't help but steal a glance at Demetri running alongside me. It was a breathtaking sight.
After a few minutes, I considered that the distance we had covered was likely a good test length, so I gradually slowed down until we came to a stop. Glancing around, I saw nothing but vast desert stretching in every direction, with only some large rocks nearby. Demetri handed me the bottle, and as I drank, he began to share his observations. "You did really well. While it wasn't vampire speed, we covered a little over 2 miles. I don't know what the human world records are for running, but that is certainly a lot faster than I've ever seen a human run. It would be best that you never go all out when in the company of humans."
"Oh I know. That was actually the first time I ever pushed myself that hard. It felt really good to let go and run that fast. Could we do the test where I ride on your back? I remember how nauseous I felt last time when you went all out. I'd like to see if there is a difference now."
He nodded and got on his knees so I could climb on his back. "Okay, remember to start slow and let me say when to go faster. We don't want any accidents." Demetri nodded, and we were off. It felt good at this slow speed. We were already moving faster than I had been running, and we had only just started. "Faster!" I yelled. Demetri kicked it up a notch, and off we went. I kept saying faster, and I was amazed at the speed we were going. I continued asking him to increase his speed, and surprisingly, I was not getting sick. He kept increasing, and I yelled "Faster!" But then he started to slow down until finally, he stopped.
"That's really about the fastest I can go, Bella," he said, not winded at all. That was impressive.
"You mean we were going 100mph? I didn't get sick. I was enjoying it. That's good to know," I said, smiling.
"Yes, you seem to have gotten over your speed issues," he said as I looked around. I could still only see desert in every direction.
I took another swig out of my water bottle. "Do you want me to try and levitate you now?" he nodded, smiling. I went over to sit on a rock and closed my eyes, trying to clear my mind. I always felt like I could do it better when I was relaxed. Finally feeling ready, I looked at Demetri and tried to grab hold of him like I do with the smaller objects in my room. I must have done it right, as he started to rise while I continued to use my abilities, lifting him up into the sky. I knew he could not be hurt if I dropped him, so I kept on raising him higher to see if there was a limit to my range. He got about 100 feet up, but I was starting to feel a stretched sensation, not painful but maybe straining. I began to lose control, and whatever I was doing popped, and I watched Demetri fall to the ground. Of course, he executed a perfect superhero landing on his feet, making it look effortless.
"Fuck, Bella. That was amazing. I think it's almost certain that when you're a vampire, you'll be able to float yourself or someone else anywhere you want to take them. If you can put some speed in your movements, you might be able to make it look like you're flying."
"Holy shit!" I'd always wanted to fly. The thought of one day being able to do it filled me with happiness and determination to improve. "Don't give me too much of a big head," I said, smiling at him. "Flying sounds too good to be true. Let me work on improving my skills as I practice, and we'll just hope for good things in the future."
Demetri smiled at me and nodded in understanding. "Okay, Bella. Can I test how your shield works in relation to vampires now?"
"Sure. The only time I know I've used my shield in that way was when the car was going to run me over. In all my practice sessions at home, nothing has ever happened like that."
Demetri looked deep in thought, finally lifting his head as if he had a solution. "Do you trust me, Bella? I have an idea, but I don't think you will like it."
"I do trust you, but let's hear the idea first before I say yes," I replied, smiling at him.
"Okay, now remember that vampires have perfect aim. I think we should test if you can activate your protection shield due to me throwing a rock at your head. Now, I won't hit you, but I think instinctively you will activate your shield even knowing the rock will pass you by. I won't throw it at vampire speeds. I will do it at a human speed so you can see it clearly."
I thought about it. I did trust he wouldn't hit me, but did I want him throwing rocks at me? "Okay, you can try it, but you better not miss and hit me in the face."
I watched him go over and pick up a rock the size of a baseball. "Are you ready?" he asked.
Was I ready? I guess. I didn't really like this idea. "Yes, I'm ready."
I watched Demetri nod and wind up his throw, similar to how a baseball pitcher would throw. He threw it right at my face. I saw the rock sailing right towards me, and I was scared shitless, but as it neared me, it bounced off something and shattered into several smaller pieces. I was quite surprised. Demetri sped to me and put his hand out, looking to see if he could feel the shield, but it had already vanished.
"Well, that worked. The rock didn't stand a chance, it seems," he nodded approvingly.
"That's good, but let's not throw any more rocks at Bella," I said with a smile.
"Okay, now we know you have access to that shield. We just have to figure out how you can activate it when it's not a life or death situation."
"In the past, the more I've used my abilities, the more in tune I've gotten with them, understanding how to work them. Maybe more attempts at getting the shield activated, and I will start to learn what I'm doing, so I can activate it without any external stimuli."
"That's a good plan. If you don't want a rock, how about I run at you? I will appear to be heading straight for you, but know I could either stop on a dime or just move around you. But like with the rock, I think you will get scared and activate your shield."
"Okay. Even though you're bigger and more dangerous than a rock, for some reason, it does not feel as scary in my head," I told him truthfully.
"I'll move fast, but not vampire fast, so you should be able to see me clearly."
I nodded to him, and all of a sudden, he was off, barreling towards me. He was almost on top of me, looking sure to run me over when all of a sudden, there was a massive boom. I watched, scared and astonished, as I saw Demetri fly back at an awkward angle, landing in a heap on the dirt.
"Demetri!" I yelled, running over to him as he was about 20 feet away. As I got closer, I screamed in horror. His arm was wiggling on the ground. It looked like it had been ripped off him a little below the shoulder.
I felt faint. What had I done? I saw Demetri roll on his back, pain evident on his face. I started to hyperventilate. I had butchered him.
"Bella, calm down," Demetri said, pain evident on his face.
"But... but... I'm so sorry, Demetri. I didn't mean to do this," I was without words as I watched, getting sicker by the second, seeing his arm wiggle around.
"It's okay, Bella. I'll be fine," he assured me. I watched him, my eyes wide in astonishment, as he slowly got up and went over to his arm, picking it up, and then went to sit on the rock I had been occupying earlier.
"But your arm…" I was lost for words.
"It's okay. I can reattach it."
"You can reattach body parts? You never mentioned that. Any of them?" I asked, starting to feel a little better knowing I had not permanently damaged him.
"Pretty much. This isn't the first time I've had my arm ripped off. It's really painful, but I can reattach it. You can watch if you'd like, but don't get too close as there is a lot of venom on me."
I watched, fascinated, as he ripped off his shirt and carefully cleaned any dirt from the open areas of his wound. Then, he placed his severed arm back where it should be and held it there without moving. As I observed him, it still amazed me to see him sparkling like diamonds under the Arizona sun. I couldn't help but wonder what I would look like when it was me all sparkly like that, but it was hard for me to picture.
"It will take about a half-hour for it to reattach. It will still be weak until I get some blood to help heal myself. I'll go hunting later tonight after I drop you off at your place."
I took in his words, still amazed by his ability to reattach body parts. A morbid curiosity surfaced in my mind, wondering what would happen if a vampire got split down the center, but I quickly pushed that thought away. Then it hit me that he now had to kill someone to heal. I knew it wasn't my place to say anything, but I felt compelled to speak up.
"If it's possible, please eat someone who is a bad guy. I would feel really awful if an innocent person had to die because of my actions."
"I understand, Bella. I assure you, I will pick someone who deserves it," he said, and with that declaration, I nodded in thanks.
As we sat there, waiting for Demetri's arm to heal, he finally spoke up. "It seems you are going to be more deadly than we thought. What you just did, once you learn how to activate it at will, would enable you to take out any vampire easily. That is some serious power to wield. Even now, it borders on the usefulness of Jane's and Alec's powers. When you're a vampire, it will probably surpass them. Jane's power is only the illusion of pain. You feel it, but she is not actually doing anything to you. Alec's just stops anyone in their tracks if he gets it going, but it is slow-moving. What you can do, on the other hand, can cause actual damage. You are going to be a real badass one of these days, Bella," he said, smiling at me.
"You know, you're not the first one to dub me 'Bad Ass Bella', and I can assure you, you won't be the last." Our laughter mingled, echoing our mutual amusement.
"Now, you didn't fully incapacitate me, but I think once you figure out how to activate your power at will, you would have been able to. To actually kill a vampire, you have to burn them. Fire is our only true weakness. I think you should start carrying a lighter on you in the remote chance you have to defend yourself and take out an aggressive vampire." He took his lighter out of his pocket and handed it to me. "You can have my lighter as a gift. Hopefully, it will help you if you ever find yourself in trouble."
"Thank you, Demetri." I looked at the lighter in my hand. It looked to be made of gold and had the Volturi crest on it. I would gladly keep it on me at all times, and it would be a nice reminder of Demetri once he had gone back to Italy. "Sorry again about your arm. At least it wasn't your head. Can a vampire lose their head and still be alright?"
"Yes, they would need someone else to reattach it, but yes, a vampire can lose their head and still be okay. I luckily have never lost mine. Some of my friends have, and they tell me it is awful as their brain is still working, but they have no way to control their body."
I shivered just thinking about the gruesome prospect of losing one's head. Despite that chilling thought, we continued talking until Demetri felt his arm was healed enough to get back to the car. He requested what remained of my water bottle and used its contents to clean off his arm and remove any lingering venom. Carefully, I hopped onto his back, making sure to avoid putting any pressure near his injured arm, and we took off towards the car.
When we arrived back at the car, I couldn't help but grin with enthusiasm. "Hey, do you mind if I give driving this beauty a try?" I asked giving him a big smile, admiring the elegant vehicle before me. Demetri returned my smile and casually tossed me the car keys. Excitedly, I hopped into the driver's seat, taking in the luxurious interior as I caressed the smooth steering wheel, while Demetri got himself a new shirt from his suitcase in the trunk. The ride was incredibly smooth, making it the most enjoyable driving experience I'd ever had.
Around 9 pm, we reached my house, and Demetri left to get some food to help heal his arm. For obvious reasons, I did not ask to go with him, but I hoped he would be able to quickly find a bad guy to feed on. Once inside, I headed straight to the shower to clean off. Spending the full day in the desert had left me quite dirty.
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