New Love, New Life
by Momma2fan
Chapter 7
Bella had finally relaxed a few days after her drinking incident. She didn’t know what was wrong with her, but she didn’t like feeling the way she did. She thought perhaps it was homesickness, but she spoke with Charlie. In order to find distractions, she had toured the entire castle, falling in love with the library. The one place she wasn’t to go was the catacombs, but she was fine with that.
She had been in Volterra for a week and there was still no sign of Demetri. She had found out from Felix he had been delayed. He had told her once his team had started boarding the plane, another problem arose.
However, she had seen the Cullens. One afternoon, while she was sitting outside with Alec and Felix playing cards, they were brave enough to approach her.
“Hello, Bella.”
Looking up, shielding her eyes from the sun, she saw them. “Carlisle.”
“Bella, I...” Jasper started.
“Don’t, Jasper. I never blamed you.” Bella smiled at him. “We all know who was really at fault that night.” Jasper only nodded in response.
“How are you, dear?” Esme wanted to hug her, but felt Bella wouldn’t be open to it.
“I’m good, settling in nicely.” She kept her eyes on her cards, not wanting to get drawn back in again.
“Why are you settling in, sweetheart?”
“This is my home now, Esme.” Bella looked at Alec and winked, before laying her cards down. “Gin.”
“What do you mean this is your home now?” Carlisle wanted to know, hoping what he was thinking was wrong.
Felix looked at her and shook his head. “Carlisle, even you should know the punishment for revealing and knowing our secrets.”
“No!” Carlisle roared.
Felix and Alec were suddenly in front of Bella, both crouched in her defense.
“It’s not your decision, Carlisle. It’s not anyone’s but my own. Anything you might have ever been able to say vanished when you and your family walked away from me without so much as a goodbye.”
“Bella, you don’t...”
“That’s enough!” Bella gasped at the voice behind her. She turned and saw her mate standing rigid in the doorway. “Alec, Felix, escort the Cullens back to their rooms.”
Demetri didn’t move until the Cullens were gone and he was alone with Bella. The sound of the door clicking shut behind him, caused him to move and before she could blink he was in front of her.
“Hello, my mate.” Demetri grinned at her.
“Hey.” Bella bit her bottom lip causing him to groan silently. “When did you get back?”
“A couple of hours ago. I had to report to the Masters before coming to find you.” He watched her nod her head, keeping it down and not meeting his eyes. Demetri gently grabbed her chin with his thumb and forefinger. “What’s wrong, Gatáki?”
“Did they tell you about my first night?”
“Ah, you mean your drunken night out with Heidi and Jane? Yes, moró, they did. Not to worry, I will handle the two of them.”
“No, Demetri!” Bella grasped his hand. “Please, don’t do anything to them. It was my idea.”
“Isabella, you are my mate. They are responsible for you when I am not here. Allowing you to get in that state is unacceptable and therefore breaks the rules. There are always consequences when rules are broken.”
Bella felt the tears well in her eyes, not catching the one that rolled down her cheek. She hated that her friends were going to be in trouble. She hated the way she was feeling.
“Agapiménos?”
Bella held up her hand to silence him. “Something is wrong with me, Demetri.”
He looked at her in concern, “What do you mean?”
“I’m not this emotional person. I don’t cry like this. I don’t make stupid choices that get others in trouble. I don’t have a constant ache in my chest that makes me feel like I’m having a heart attack. It's been steadily getting worse since I got here.”
“You’re feeling the mating pull. You could sense me, but since I wasn’t here, your heart was missing mine.” He placed his hands on her face, rubbing his thumbs under her eyes, erasing her tears. “I didn’t think you would be able to feel it like I do, but I should have known you would be different.”
“Seriously? I never felt like this with Edward.”
“He was never your mate,” he growled. “I am. Are you feeling better now that I am in front of you?”
Bella thought about it and noticed the discomfort was easing. “Yes. I don’t want to feel like this anymore, please don’t leave me.” Bella wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head on his hard chest.
“I can’t promise you that.” He pulled her away from his body so he could look in her eyes. “My duties may sometimes lead me away from here, but I will always return to you.” She nodded her head and gave him a small smile. “Now, come on. I want you to go get ready, I am taking you out tonight.”
Bella’s smile grew, “When do we leave?”
“Three hours.”
Bella courageously kissed his cheek and ran toward her room. Walking into the bathroom, she started the bath and added some bubbles. She started some music from the custom stereo system in her bedroom and eased her body into the hot, steamy water.
Demetri walked by her doors and smiled hearing the music and sweet aroma coming from his mate’s room. Tonight he planned to wine and dine her, perhaps even get her closer to falling for him as he was for her.
After her bath, Bella pulled on some red lingerie and applied some light makeup. She left her hair to dry in waves down her back, the ends brushing her waist. When she was satisfied, she pulled on her dress, thankful her friend liked to shop and had found something for her. It was a solid sheath dress in red, with a glitter ombre overlay that brushed her ankles. She finished her outfit off with some black heels.
A knock sounded on her door as she finished strapping on her shoes. Walking to the door, she swung it open and met the crimson gaze of her mate.
Bella had finally relaxed a few days after her drinking incident. She didn’t know what was wrong with her, but she didn’t like feeling the way she did. She thought perhaps it was homesickness, but she spoke with Charlie. In order to find distractions, she had toured the entire castle, falling in love with the library. The one place she wasn’t to go was the catacombs, but she was fine with that.
She had been in Volterra for a week and there was still no sign of Demetri. She had found out from Felix he had been delayed. He had told her once his team had started boarding the plane, another problem arose.
However, she had seen the Cullens. One afternoon, while she was sitting outside with Alec and Felix playing cards, they were brave enough to approach her.
“Hello, Bella.”
Looking up, shielding her eyes from the sun, she saw them. “Carlisle.”
“Bella, I...” Jasper started.
“Don’t, Jasper. I never blamed you.” Bella smiled at him. “We all know who was really at fault that night.” Jasper only nodded in response.
“How are you, dear?” Esme wanted to hug her, but felt Bella wouldn’t be open to it.
“I’m good, settling in nicely.” She kept her eyes on her cards, not wanting to get drawn back in again.
“Why are you settling in, sweetheart?”
“This is my home now, Esme.” Bella looked at Alec and winked, before laying her cards down. “Gin.”
“What do you mean this is your home now?” Carlisle wanted to know, hoping what he was thinking was wrong.
Felix looked at her and shook his head. “Carlisle, even you should know the punishment for revealing and knowing our secrets.”
“No!” Carlisle roared.
Felix and Alec were suddenly in front of Bella, both crouched in her defense.
“It’s not your decision, Carlisle. It’s not anyone’s but my own. Anything you might have ever been able to say vanished when you and your family walked away from me without so much as a goodbye.”
“Bella, you don’t...”
“That’s enough!” Bella gasped at the voice behind her. She turned and saw her mate standing rigid in the doorway. “Alec, Felix, escort the Cullens back to their rooms.”
Demetri didn’t move until the Cullens were gone and he was alone with Bella. The sound of the door clicking shut behind him, caused him to move and before she could blink he was in front of her.
“Hello, my mate.” Demetri grinned at her.
“Hey.” Bella bit her bottom lip causing him to groan silently. “When did you get back?”
“A couple of hours ago. I had to report to the Masters before coming to find you.” He watched her nod her head, keeping it down and not meeting his eyes. Demetri gently grabbed her chin with his thumb and forefinger. “What’s wrong, Gatáki?”
“Did they tell you about my first night?”
“Ah, you mean your drunken night out with Heidi and Jane? Yes, moró, they did. Not to worry, I will handle the two of them.”
“No, Demetri!” Bella grasped his hand. “Please, don’t do anything to them. It was my idea.”
“Isabella, you are my mate. They are responsible for you when I am not here. Allowing you to get in that state is unacceptable and therefore breaks the rules. There are always consequences when rules are broken.”
Bella felt the tears well in her eyes, not catching the one that rolled down her cheek. She hated that her friends were going to be in trouble. She hated the way she was feeling.
“Agapiménos?”
Bella held up her hand to silence him. “Something is wrong with me, Demetri.”
He looked at her in concern, “What do you mean?”
“I’m not this emotional person. I don’t cry like this. I don’t make stupid choices that get others in trouble. I don’t have a constant ache in my chest that makes me feel like I’m having a heart attack. It's been steadily getting worse since I got here.”
“You’re feeling the mating pull. You could sense me, but since I wasn’t here, your heart was missing mine.” He placed his hands on her face, rubbing his thumbs under her eyes, erasing her tears. “I didn’t think you would be able to feel it like I do, but I should have known you would be different.”
“Seriously? I never felt like this with Edward.”
“He was never your mate,” he growled. “I am. Are you feeling better now that I am in front of you?”
Bella thought about it and noticed the discomfort was easing. “Yes. I don’t want to feel like this anymore, please don’t leave me.” Bella wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head on his hard chest.
“I can’t promise you that.” He pulled her away from his body so he could look in her eyes. “My duties may sometimes lead me away from here, but I will always return to you.” She nodded her head and gave him a small smile. “Now, come on. I want you to go get ready, I am taking you out tonight.”
Bella’s smile grew, “When do we leave?”
“Three hours.”
Bella courageously kissed his cheek and ran toward her room. Walking into the bathroom, she started the bath and added some bubbles. She started some music from the custom stereo system in her bedroom and eased her body into the hot, steamy water.
Demetri walked by her doors and smiled hearing the music and sweet aroma coming from his mate’s room. Tonight he planned to wine and dine her, perhaps even get her closer to falling for him as he was for her.
After her bath, Bella pulled on some red lingerie and applied some light makeup. She left her hair to dry in waves down her back, the ends brushing her waist. When she was satisfied, she pulled on her dress, thankful her friend liked to shop and had found something for her. It was a solid sheath dress in red, with a glitter ombre overlay that brushed her ankles. She finished her outfit off with some black heels.
A knock sounded on her door as she finished strapping on her shoes. Walking to the door, she swung it open and met the crimson gaze of her mate.
Demetri almost swallowed his tongue when he set his eyes on her. “You’re stunning, Agapiménos.” Bella blushed and Demetri felt his mouth fill with venom from the scent of her blood.
Bella took him in like he did her. Dressed in black slacks and a black shirt with his Volturi cape around his shoulders, he made a menacing, yet striking looking man.
“Shall we?” Demetri presented his arm for her to take and she curled her hand into his elbow as he led her down the hallway. “The Masters have requested to speak with you before we leave, so we have to make a pit stop.”
“Okay.” She followed as he led her into the throne room.
Caius looked up and smiled when he saw his daughter entering the room with the Elite guard. “Figlia mia, sei bellissima.” (My daughter, you look fabulous.)
“Grazie, Padre.” Bella bowed her head in respect.
Demetri looked at his mate in shock. “I didn’t know you spoke Italian.”
Bella looked up at him and smiled, “I think you’ll agree we both have a lot to learn about each other.”
He hummed, but didn’t say anything.
Caius looked at the pair of them and grinned. “Isabella, assicurati di non farlo stasera.” (Isabella, make sure you don’t overdo it tonight.)
“Lo prometto.” (I promise)
“Molto bene, divertiti.” Caius kissed her cheek and sent them on their way. (Very well, have fun.)
Demetri led Bella out to his waiting car, but not before they were seen by the Cullens as they left the castle. This time, the coven stayed silent, only watching as the girl they’d once called family entered a car with someone they perceived as evil.
“This isn’t right, Carlisle.” Esme whispered as she clung to his arm.
“There’s nothing we can do, Esme.”
Jasper stared at the pair and felt what they were feeling. “He’s her mate.”
“What?” Carlisle gasped. “Edward is her mate.”
“No, Carlisle, he isn’t.” Jasper informed him.
Rosalie just stared at her, wondering where that sophisticated looking woman had come from. Emmett just wished he could have his sister back.
“Carlisle, this is not a vacation. We are in deep shit. You need to remember that.” Emmett looked at his sire and walked away, dragging Rosalie with him.