This Time Of Year
Written by: wizardtho
Story dedicated to: Bella MacLeod
Chapter 05:
I arrived back in the sitting room to Demetri placing my tray on a small 4 person pub table. I gratefully sat in front of it, humming, “Smells amazing. Thank you,” before picking up my fork and twirling a bit of chicken alfredo pasta onto it.
He nodded but remained silent, so I took it that he was waiting for me. After wiping my mouth, I offered, “I’m pretty used to vampires talking while I eat. If it won’t bother you to stay while I eat this, can you explain the meaning and significance of the sire bond? Aro made it sound pretty important, and something inside me cringed when I saw Rosalie and Emmett’s bonds to Carlisle.”
Demetri nodded, patted my hand on the table, then said seriously, “A vampire’s bond with their sire is second only to a mate bond. As you probably have deduced, a mate bond between two vampires is most precious to us, as it is literally two vampires choosing willingly to bind themselves together for eternity. Once the bond is cemented, there is NO turning back… no divorce or saying ‘I’m done’ after a fight with him or her. The mate bond lasts until both have met a pyre. The vampire who helped Chelsea from the room? That was Afton, her mate. He sensed his mate was weak from using her power, so he took over and rushed her to their rooms, to care for her in private. Aro, or even Caius, could not have stopped him… nor would they have wanted to try. In the mind of a mated vampire -male or female- someone blocking them in any way from caring for their injured mate is automatically deemed a threat needing to be taken out.”
I nodded in understanding, so he continued, “Sire bonds are precious too, but for different reasons. You will be essentially putting everything you are in my hands when I bite you. Your very existence will depend on me being a good sire. For example… if I can not teach you to feed successfully, you have little hope of surviving on your own. If I don’t teach you how to defend yourself, you will most likely end up severely hurt. Our world has many dangers for females, unfortunately. It will be my job to teach you what those dangers are, as well as how to protect yourself. Don’t get me wrong. I will fight for you, on your behalf, against anyone out there.” He pointed out the window to make his point.
I thought about that for a minute, then asked, “So I won’t know how to eat? It’s not instinctive or anything?”
He chuckled as I took another bite of pasta, “You’ll know you want to bite. Newborns are good at biting. It’s just like eating human food, though. Your mother and father had to teach you how to use the tools you were given. You weren’t born knowing how to use a fork and knife. Your first several feedings will most likely be me hand feeding you. It’s not because I don’t trust you. It’s because if I were just to hand you a blood bag or guide you to a human, you will bust the bag or crush the human, making the try worthless. You won’t yet have a handle on your new strength. Understand?”
I nodded, wiping my mouth before saying, “Yes, I do. I’m not one to waste food if it can be avoided, and that sounds like it would piss me off. I guess that’s what Aro meant by saying I would depend on you for even my most basic needs. Feeding is the most basic need, I would think. So this strength gain… I’m going to have to relearn everything, aren’t I? Pressure, grip… oh, Hell. Am I even going to be able to dress myself?”
Demetri chuckled loudly, then said in a calming manner, “Easy, now. Food, clothes, and doors are the first three things every vampire learns again, either through trial and error or guidance. I will be there to guide you, Isabella. To answer your question, yes, at first you will need help dressing. Both the human and vampire species have newborn and toddler periods. You will be a newborn vampire dependent on your sire. Me, being your sire, will teach you all about your new life. I won’t leave you to flounder or guess.”
I took another bite while I thought. After a minute or so, I said, “So it sounds like I’ll essentially be starting over from the beginning. Good to know. Have you sired any others?”
He shook his head, offering only, “My sire was not a good person, and as soon as I was able, I sought out the Volturi. I begged them to help me break the bond. Since Chelsea had not come along yet, the process was long and grueling. I promised myself I would never put another being through that. I would not become a sire until I was sure I could make that lifelong commitment to another being. If there was the slightest chance my wants or desires would overrule what my childe may need, then I wouldn’t do it. Aro and the brothers have asked me on several occasions, but only today did I agree.”
That shocked me, causing my next words to come out in a whisper. “You didn’t want to risk becoming like your sire? I can’t imagine… but why me? Why today?”
He ran his fingers through his hair, then caught my eyes as he swore, “Because I know I can be a good sire for you.” His eyes showed only determination and sincerity, so I nodded in understanding.
That night, I slept surprisingly well, and the next morning, I took the time to think everything over as I showered and dressed. Demetri wasn’t around downstairs when I arrived, so I plopped my damp hair up in a messy bun before fixing coffee from the tray on the table. I took a few sips as I watched a training session on the grounds out the window, then caught the slight glimmer from the bite mark James left on my wrist.
I had mentioned it yesterday, but now, seeing it again made me want to almost panic. Even after watching him die nearly 9 years ago, any time I thought about James or this bite mark, I freaked out a bit inside.
A large cool thumb brushed the mark right after my own did, causing me to look to the side for its owner. I wasn’t surprised to find Demetri watching me, or hear his next statement. “Tell me about this.”
“The tracker I told you I had a run-in with? He did this… made a game out of toying with me and torturing me on camera. Said he was going to leave it for the Cullens to watch after he finally had all his fun. The more I bled, the more I screamed, the more fun it was for him.”
Demetri caught my eyes, then asked, “Now tell me what you were thinking when I first came in the room.”
I shook my head, not knowing how to explain, but said, “Thinking about him still makes me panic, even after all this time. I watched James die, but I see this bite mark, and it connects me to him. I know -deep in my gut I just know- that if he were to have taken me from the ballet studio after breaking my bones and biting me, he would have raped me. Without a care that I was changing and in excruciating pain, he would have raped me, then done it again after my change was through… for no other reason than to prove he could. So I panic; I can’t help it. It makes me want to run, but I know I can never escape it. It’s branded on my skin forever.”
Demetri hummed as he pulled me into his arms, but made sure he still had my gaze as he explained, “There is no way to get rid of the bite mark, save for carving the damn thing from your skin. That is very painful and has a long healing process, as the process means nothing if you don’t carve all the way to bone. There is a way to override his venom, though, Isabella.”
At the hope that he must have read in my eyes, he said, “I can bite in the same spot. When I start your change, I can bite your wrist. My venom will override the traces of his still trapped in the mark. Think about the traces of my venom you already have from me healing your lip… about my venom racing through your whole system, and tell me what it makes you feel.”
I closed my eyes and tried to picture Demetri’s venom in my healed lip, then him biting my wrist. Instantly I felt safe, even cared for. I felt immensely relieved. Opening my eyes, they caught Demetri’s and I let out a breath, “Safe… relieved. I don’t feel like running, and I don’t panic.”
He nodded, “That’s because I won’t hurt you; you can feel that. It’s a good thing, and is a good start for a sire bond to work from. Now come… I know you need a few things, and since our coming days will be taken by your change, I would like to get this taken care of today.”
I looked at him questioningly, so he chuckled, “An empty closet will become tiresome within the first several hours of your new life, Isabella. If I have nothing to change you into after a messy feed, I’ll be forced to put you in my t-shirts, then fight off every male that has eyes in their head. You will be an unmated and unclaimed female in a castle full of males willing to rip each other apart to get close to you.”
At my wide eyes, he just nodded, so I hurried to his side near the door, saying, “I’d rather you not have to fight for me. I can handle a bit of shopping.”
Demetri chuckled as he led me down a castle corridor, “What you fail to realize, Isabella, is that with the sweet little thing you are -beautiful even as a human- fighting is inevitable. There are approximately 40x as many male vampires on this earth as there are females. You will be a rare commodity… not only in this castle, but to vampire kind as a whole. Lucky for you, anyone wanting you has to go through me first, and I won’t give a single shit about fucking up some male in your defense.”
With a wink to me, he stopped and knocked on a door. A female answered, “Hey, Demetri. I thought you might be by soon. Is this her?”
At his nod, the female stuck her hand out. “Hi. I’m Heidi. Come on in. Demetri, I’ll call when she’s ready.”
I gave Demetri a confused look, so he promised, “Heidi will take care of you. She’s going to explain the changes your body will go through during your turning, so when we shop, you can keep that in mind. I need to check with the brothers before we leave. I’ll be no more than 30 minutes, and here in a flash if Heidi calls me sooner.”
I gave him a nod, then tentatively took Heidi’s still outstretched hand. Her sitting room was smaller and decidedly more feminine than Demetri’s, but I smiled as I sat in one of the deep red chairs. Heidi sat in the other as she offered, “Demetri was only trying to preserve as much of your modesty as possible, considering the circumstances. As you know by now, during your first several months as a vampire, you will need help bathing, feeding, dressing, and many other things. I can not tell you how many bars of soap I disintegrated to dust in my first week trying to bathe on my own. Though we don’t have the normal human bodily functions or sweat to worry about, I was a particularly messy feeder as a newborn.”
She laughed easily at the memory, then returned to the topic at hand, “Remember that it all takes practice and patience. It will be frustrating having to relearn everything, but that is one of the many reasons we need our sires. You look as if you’ve lost most of your childhood features… the soft roundness in your legs and arms, as well as in your face. That’s good. I can give you a more accurate range to work within. Would you mind me taking your measurements?”
I shrugged then stood. Immediately, Heidi took a measuring tape from her back pocket, then walked toward me. She chuckled, “No one will enter, and I need accurate measurements. Down to your bra and panties please.” I blushed but quickly stripped, moving how and when Heidi asked, so she could get her measurements.
The last thing she did which I thought was odd, was lightly pinch the back of my leg, then my belly. When I raised an eyebrow at her, she chuckled, “I was just gaining an estimate of how much your tone and weight will change. I’m sorry to say that you won’t gain much, if any, in height… an inch or so, max, if you gain anything. As for your tone, it’s pretty good already. You must work out. I would suspect you lose 1 size in your bottoms, and gain a size in your chest. You’re a C cup now, right? And you’ve not given birth… so yes, definitely going to gain there. I’ll write everything on a slip of paper for you, so you can refer to it while you shop.”
I nodded as I dressed, “Thanks. So I’ll just go up to a 36D, and down to 7 in my jeans, since I’m a 9 now. That’s not too bad.”
Heidi chuckled, “American sizes are a bit different than here, but the concept is the same. Don’t worry. You’ll have the slip of paper to go by. If you think something won’t fit, you can always try it on. Just remember that you may not be able to button the bottoms yet, not being changed.”
I nodded, then Heidi suggested, “Also. Try to get several things easy to slip in and out of on your own. Things without buttons or zippers will be easier for you to learn with at the very beginning… things like slip-on sundresses, t-shirts, lounge pants with stretch fabric, slip-on shorts with elastic waistbands. You’ll still be getting other things, but make sure you have plenty of the things I mentioned.”
We talked a bit more about what I should be prepared for, even the more sensitive topics, before I heard a knock on the door. Heidi chuckled as she went to open it. Demetri peeked inside, asking, “All set?”
I nodded, hurrying to reach his side, “Yep. Heidi took good care of me.”
She placed a folded slip of paper in my hand, then patted me on the back, “I’ll see you soon, Bella. Have fun shopping, and if you want help when you get back, just have Demetri give me a call.”
I smiled as Demetri and I started walking away, “Thanks again, and I will.” I quickly pocketed the slip of paper so I wouldn’t lose it.
I arrived back in the sitting room to Demetri placing my tray on a small 4 person pub table. I gratefully sat in front of it, humming, “Smells amazing. Thank you,” before picking up my fork and twirling a bit of chicken alfredo pasta onto it.
He nodded but remained silent, so I took it that he was waiting for me. After wiping my mouth, I offered, “I’m pretty used to vampires talking while I eat. If it won’t bother you to stay while I eat this, can you explain the meaning and significance of the sire bond? Aro made it sound pretty important, and something inside me cringed when I saw Rosalie and Emmett’s bonds to Carlisle.”
Demetri nodded, patted my hand on the table, then said seriously, “A vampire’s bond with their sire is second only to a mate bond. As you probably have deduced, a mate bond between two vampires is most precious to us, as it is literally two vampires choosing willingly to bind themselves together for eternity. Once the bond is cemented, there is NO turning back… no divorce or saying ‘I’m done’ after a fight with him or her. The mate bond lasts until both have met a pyre. The vampire who helped Chelsea from the room? That was Afton, her mate. He sensed his mate was weak from using her power, so he took over and rushed her to their rooms, to care for her in private. Aro, or even Caius, could not have stopped him… nor would they have wanted to try. In the mind of a mated vampire -male or female- someone blocking them in any way from caring for their injured mate is automatically deemed a threat needing to be taken out.”
I nodded in understanding, so he continued, “Sire bonds are precious too, but for different reasons. You will be essentially putting everything you are in my hands when I bite you. Your very existence will depend on me being a good sire. For example… if I can not teach you to feed successfully, you have little hope of surviving on your own. If I don’t teach you how to defend yourself, you will most likely end up severely hurt. Our world has many dangers for females, unfortunately. It will be my job to teach you what those dangers are, as well as how to protect yourself. Don’t get me wrong. I will fight for you, on your behalf, against anyone out there.” He pointed out the window to make his point.
I thought about that for a minute, then asked, “So I won’t know how to eat? It’s not instinctive or anything?”
He chuckled as I took another bite of pasta, “You’ll know you want to bite. Newborns are good at biting. It’s just like eating human food, though. Your mother and father had to teach you how to use the tools you were given. You weren’t born knowing how to use a fork and knife. Your first several feedings will most likely be me hand feeding you. It’s not because I don’t trust you. It’s because if I were just to hand you a blood bag or guide you to a human, you will bust the bag or crush the human, making the try worthless. You won’t yet have a handle on your new strength. Understand?”
I nodded, wiping my mouth before saying, “Yes, I do. I’m not one to waste food if it can be avoided, and that sounds like it would piss me off. I guess that’s what Aro meant by saying I would depend on you for even my most basic needs. Feeding is the most basic need, I would think. So this strength gain… I’m going to have to relearn everything, aren’t I? Pressure, grip… oh, Hell. Am I even going to be able to dress myself?”
Demetri chuckled loudly, then said in a calming manner, “Easy, now. Food, clothes, and doors are the first three things every vampire learns again, either through trial and error or guidance. I will be there to guide you, Isabella. To answer your question, yes, at first you will need help dressing. Both the human and vampire species have newborn and toddler periods. You will be a newborn vampire dependent on your sire. Me, being your sire, will teach you all about your new life. I won’t leave you to flounder or guess.”
I took another bite while I thought. After a minute or so, I said, “So it sounds like I’ll essentially be starting over from the beginning. Good to know. Have you sired any others?”
He shook his head, offering only, “My sire was not a good person, and as soon as I was able, I sought out the Volturi. I begged them to help me break the bond. Since Chelsea had not come along yet, the process was long and grueling. I promised myself I would never put another being through that. I would not become a sire until I was sure I could make that lifelong commitment to another being. If there was the slightest chance my wants or desires would overrule what my childe may need, then I wouldn’t do it. Aro and the brothers have asked me on several occasions, but only today did I agree.”
That shocked me, causing my next words to come out in a whisper. “You didn’t want to risk becoming like your sire? I can’t imagine… but why me? Why today?”
He ran his fingers through his hair, then caught my eyes as he swore, “Because I know I can be a good sire for you.” His eyes showed only determination and sincerity, so I nodded in understanding.
That night, I slept surprisingly well, and the next morning, I took the time to think everything over as I showered and dressed. Demetri wasn’t around downstairs when I arrived, so I plopped my damp hair up in a messy bun before fixing coffee from the tray on the table. I took a few sips as I watched a training session on the grounds out the window, then caught the slight glimmer from the bite mark James left on my wrist.
I had mentioned it yesterday, but now, seeing it again made me want to almost panic. Even after watching him die nearly 9 years ago, any time I thought about James or this bite mark, I freaked out a bit inside.
A large cool thumb brushed the mark right after my own did, causing me to look to the side for its owner. I wasn’t surprised to find Demetri watching me, or hear his next statement. “Tell me about this.”
“The tracker I told you I had a run-in with? He did this… made a game out of toying with me and torturing me on camera. Said he was going to leave it for the Cullens to watch after he finally had all his fun. The more I bled, the more I screamed, the more fun it was for him.”
Demetri caught my eyes, then asked, “Now tell me what you were thinking when I first came in the room.”
I shook my head, not knowing how to explain, but said, “Thinking about him still makes me panic, even after all this time. I watched James die, but I see this bite mark, and it connects me to him. I know -deep in my gut I just know- that if he were to have taken me from the ballet studio after breaking my bones and biting me, he would have raped me. Without a care that I was changing and in excruciating pain, he would have raped me, then done it again after my change was through… for no other reason than to prove he could. So I panic; I can’t help it. It makes me want to run, but I know I can never escape it. It’s branded on my skin forever.”
Demetri hummed as he pulled me into his arms, but made sure he still had my gaze as he explained, “There is no way to get rid of the bite mark, save for carving the damn thing from your skin. That is very painful and has a long healing process, as the process means nothing if you don’t carve all the way to bone. There is a way to override his venom, though, Isabella.”
At the hope that he must have read in my eyes, he said, “I can bite in the same spot. When I start your change, I can bite your wrist. My venom will override the traces of his still trapped in the mark. Think about the traces of my venom you already have from me healing your lip… about my venom racing through your whole system, and tell me what it makes you feel.”
I closed my eyes and tried to picture Demetri’s venom in my healed lip, then him biting my wrist. Instantly I felt safe, even cared for. I felt immensely relieved. Opening my eyes, they caught Demetri’s and I let out a breath, “Safe… relieved. I don’t feel like running, and I don’t panic.”
He nodded, “That’s because I won’t hurt you; you can feel that. It’s a good thing, and is a good start for a sire bond to work from. Now come… I know you need a few things, and since our coming days will be taken by your change, I would like to get this taken care of today.”
I looked at him questioningly, so he chuckled, “An empty closet will become tiresome within the first several hours of your new life, Isabella. If I have nothing to change you into after a messy feed, I’ll be forced to put you in my t-shirts, then fight off every male that has eyes in their head. You will be an unmated and unclaimed female in a castle full of males willing to rip each other apart to get close to you.”
At my wide eyes, he just nodded, so I hurried to his side near the door, saying, “I’d rather you not have to fight for me. I can handle a bit of shopping.”
Demetri chuckled as he led me down a castle corridor, “What you fail to realize, Isabella, is that with the sweet little thing you are -beautiful even as a human- fighting is inevitable. There are approximately 40x as many male vampires on this earth as there are females. You will be a rare commodity… not only in this castle, but to vampire kind as a whole. Lucky for you, anyone wanting you has to go through me first, and I won’t give a single shit about fucking up some male in your defense.”
With a wink to me, he stopped and knocked on a door. A female answered, “Hey, Demetri. I thought you might be by soon. Is this her?”
At his nod, the female stuck her hand out. “Hi. I’m Heidi. Come on in. Demetri, I’ll call when she’s ready.”
I gave Demetri a confused look, so he promised, “Heidi will take care of you. She’s going to explain the changes your body will go through during your turning, so when we shop, you can keep that in mind. I need to check with the brothers before we leave. I’ll be no more than 30 minutes, and here in a flash if Heidi calls me sooner.”
I gave him a nod, then tentatively took Heidi’s still outstretched hand. Her sitting room was smaller and decidedly more feminine than Demetri’s, but I smiled as I sat in one of the deep red chairs. Heidi sat in the other as she offered, “Demetri was only trying to preserve as much of your modesty as possible, considering the circumstances. As you know by now, during your first several months as a vampire, you will need help bathing, feeding, dressing, and many other things. I can not tell you how many bars of soap I disintegrated to dust in my first week trying to bathe on my own. Though we don’t have the normal human bodily functions or sweat to worry about, I was a particularly messy feeder as a newborn.”
She laughed easily at the memory, then returned to the topic at hand, “Remember that it all takes practice and patience. It will be frustrating having to relearn everything, but that is one of the many reasons we need our sires. You look as if you’ve lost most of your childhood features… the soft roundness in your legs and arms, as well as in your face. That’s good. I can give you a more accurate range to work within. Would you mind me taking your measurements?”
I shrugged then stood. Immediately, Heidi took a measuring tape from her back pocket, then walked toward me. She chuckled, “No one will enter, and I need accurate measurements. Down to your bra and panties please.” I blushed but quickly stripped, moving how and when Heidi asked, so she could get her measurements.
The last thing she did which I thought was odd, was lightly pinch the back of my leg, then my belly. When I raised an eyebrow at her, she chuckled, “I was just gaining an estimate of how much your tone and weight will change. I’m sorry to say that you won’t gain much, if any, in height… an inch or so, max, if you gain anything. As for your tone, it’s pretty good already. You must work out. I would suspect you lose 1 size in your bottoms, and gain a size in your chest. You’re a C cup now, right? And you’ve not given birth… so yes, definitely going to gain there. I’ll write everything on a slip of paper for you, so you can refer to it while you shop.”
I nodded as I dressed, “Thanks. So I’ll just go up to a 36D, and down to 7 in my jeans, since I’m a 9 now. That’s not too bad.”
Heidi chuckled, “American sizes are a bit different than here, but the concept is the same. Don’t worry. You’ll have the slip of paper to go by. If you think something won’t fit, you can always try it on. Just remember that you may not be able to button the bottoms yet, not being changed.”
I nodded, then Heidi suggested, “Also. Try to get several things easy to slip in and out of on your own. Things without buttons or zippers will be easier for you to learn with at the very beginning… things like slip-on sundresses, t-shirts, lounge pants with stretch fabric, slip-on shorts with elastic waistbands. You’ll still be getting other things, but make sure you have plenty of the things I mentioned.”
We talked a bit more about what I should be prepared for, even the more sensitive topics, before I heard a knock on the door. Heidi chuckled as she went to open it. Demetri peeked inside, asking, “All set?”
I nodded, hurrying to reach his side, “Yep. Heidi took good care of me.”
She placed a folded slip of paper in my hand, then patted me on the back, “I’ll see you soon, Bella. Have fun shopping, and if you want help when you get back, just have Demetri give me a call.”
I smiled as Demetri and I started walking away, “Thanks again, and I will.” I quickly pocketed the slip of paper so I wouldn’t lose it.