I apologize for the huge delay

Chapter 16: the situation it's getting away from us

Carlisle tried to take control of the situation.

"Good evening Demetri, what is the reason for your visit," he asked calmly.

"Good evening Carlisle. My master Aro was a little uncomfortable leaving you like that. He asked me to offer his apologies," the Volturi guard said equally calmly.

"You didn't have to come in person, you could have called."

"We don't have your phone number," Demetri replied amusedly.

Dr. Cullen raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe I interrupted something," Demetri asked.

"You didn't interrupt anything," Esme replied coldly.

"Carlisle, I've never seen a modern house, could you be my guide and show me the house?"

"No, you have to leave," Mrs. Cullen hissed.

Dr. Cullen saw the amused expression on the Italian vampire's face.

"Esme my love, Demetri is a guest," he said, more to reassure the hound than his wife.

"Aro said you're an architect. Did you design the house, my dear Esme?"

"Yes," he said simply, "Every house we've ever lived in." The woman was as tense as a violin string.

Demetri was smiling. He loved teasing his opponents.

"And the scents instead, who chooses them", asked the Italian vampire.

"The scents!"

"Yes, I smell different scents like that of freshly cut grass, fresh and pungent, I like it. The other scents are not bad either. The smell that reminds of wood and moss takes me back to the woods around Volterra…". Demetri noticed Esmee's shiver. He understood that the woman cared about the person who had that scent. He had understood that those scents did not belong to the essences of the house. "The scent", he continued, "of the sea breeze takes me back to the Aegean Sea. Then there are the others: freshly baked bread, jasmine, berries, orange blossoms and spices. But my favorite is the scent that reminds me of vanilla mixed with ginger. Sweet and spicy at the same time".

Renesmee let out a little cry. Demetri didn't say anything, but looked at the girl out of the corner of his eye. The boy smiled slightly.

-Two people they care about. One is a wolf, the other one is not. Aro was clear about that. There is only one wolf girl. Maybe she is a vampire… maybe, but something tells me otherwise. Vampires don't smell like that. Except for the berry smell. One of them is a vampire- he thought.

"There are also two other scents. One is like Irina's scent, the other is like that of the immortal girl killed almost two years ago."

Demetri watched the Denali girls' reaction.

"Oh, I'm sorry, the memory of your sister is still there." The vampire used a tone of fake pain mixed with a hint of irony.

The tracker looked at each member of the two clans present. They were all hiding something. All except Bella's father who was watching the whole scene with apprehension. His eyes settled on Renesmee and Jacob. He saw how protective he was of the little girl. Aro had told everyone the stories of the packs, of the imprinting. He hadn't said much about the wolf girl. He only said that she was unique, and the only wolf.

He knew how much Aro loved rarities, and even more so unique things and people.

He had lost the battle, but not the desire to have at least a trophy and she was the prize that, for the moment, his master wanted.

-If he wants you so much you must be really special wolf girl- he thought

Demetri looked at Edward. He saw his effort in trying to read his mind, but he couldn't thanks to Bella's shield. The woman had projected it on all the people present. She protected them, and unknowingly protected him from them too.

"So this tour of the house?"

"Why the interest?" Esme asked nervously.

"Just curiosity. We rarely go into other vampires' homes. Most of the vampires we meet are nomads, except Amon. His house is very interesting."

"Yes, it is," Carlisle said with a fake smile on his lips.

Demetri was about to get up and see the Cullens' house when he noticed a worn notebook with a black cover. It was a discordant note compared to the rest of the furniture. He was about to pick it up when Dr. Cullen started talking in an attempt to distract him.

"Do you know Demetri that you have a brother?"

"I'm an only child Carlisle."

"Yes and no. When we bite someone to transform them we also administer a bit of our DNA through the poison."

"So he's talking about Benjamin."

"Yes, wouldn't you like to meet him?"

"Why should I? I don't think he's happy about having a brother who's part of the Volturi guard."

"I was one of you Demetri. And yet here I am with the Denali clan and my mate."

"I wonder how long Denali will last," the tracker said smiling. "And anyway, Doctor, if we really do pass on some of our DNA… then it's as if she married his daughter."

Demetri watched Esme's reaction with amusement. She was shocked and annoyed by the Volturi guard's audacity and rudeness. Eleazar didn't lose his composure, while Carlisle managed a smile. Demetri turned around and saw that the notebook was gone. He turned to the others and noticed that Garrett was throwing the object away. He saw Renesmee looking at the vampire in fear. The vampire gave the little girl a quick wink. The hound stopped looking at them. He wasn't stupid, he understood that the old and worn notebook was very important to them, especially to the little girl. He would take it, one way or another.

"I'd actually like to see the weredog reserve too."

"Wolves, you bloodsucker," Jacob said irritably.

"We have a treaty with them. None of us invade their territory and they don't invade ours."

"Oh, interesting. And your treaty also includes having them among your ranks?"

"It was necessary, you wanted to kill my Nessie." Jacob hugged Renesmee even tighter.

"Oh yes, imprinting."

"How do you know about imprinting?" Jacob asked.

"That's enough. Jake, go up with her," Bella urged.

"She doesn't know anything about imprinting," Bella whispered to the wolf boy.

Jake was about to go up, when Renesmee stopped him.

"Mom I know everything actually."

"What? Jacob I told you she wasn't supposed to know anything about this"

"It wasn't him mom. I had a mental connection with Sabrina. She wasn't able to stop it. It all happened in an instant."

"Who is Sabrina?" Demetri asked.

Eleazar positioned himself behind Carlisle.

"We're too nervous, the situation it's getting away from us," he said in a whisper.

Demetri watched the scene with amusement. Then his gaze settled on Bella's father.

"Mr. Swan," he said politely, "Since you don't bat an eyelid about it, I'd say you know everything."

"He don't know anything," Bella said.

"And I don't want to know anything," Charlie said.

"Then you should step away. I'm going to ask some pretty personal questions. Although you've heard a lot… too much already," Demetri said.

Bella took her father to Carlisle's study. When she returned, she was angry at the way the Italian vampire had looked at her father.

"What do you want to know?"

"I'll tell you the truth. Aro is curious about weredogs."

"Wolves, you idiot. And we're shapeshifters, not werewolves. Tell your boss we're not going to be his guard dogs."

"No, not one of you? Aro was sure there was someone expendable among you."

Renemsee and Edward flinched. They both knew who the tracker was referring to. The girl's father tried again, but to no avail, to read Demetri's mind. He didn't understand why he couldn't. Only Mike could inhibit his power, but he wasn't there. Bella barely touched her husband's hand.

"My love, are you using your power by any chance?"

"Yes."

"Then it's that. Your power protects us from him, but it also protects him from us. I can't read his mind."

"Don't ask me to stop using my gift. I'm afraid of what might happen."

"I know, honey, but I have to read his mind. He's not just here for Leah. Aro knows we're hiding something."

"Ok" Bella said nervously.

Bella was about to pull back her shield when a rather heavy stone hit the Volturi guard.