Disclaimer: Neither Twilight nor its characters belong to me. Sadly.

Volterra was silent under the cool layer of night. The full moon made the white stones in the pavement glow eerily, and the only motion was the walk of a tall stranger. An inhabitant, a guard, of Volterra, he was unrecognizable nonetheless. Mortal eyes never laid claim to his face.

And if they had, it was usually mere seconds before their imminent deaths.

Demetri walked at a human's pace, his eyes black with thirst. But he wasn't hunting, not yet; he was patrolling the quiet city, keeping his keen eyes open for any sign of intruders or mischievous citizens. Many a teenager had crossed Demetri during a night-time pranking, and many a teenager now locked their windows securely at night instead of roaming the streets.

It certainly wasn't illegal to wander about at night, but the city guards had a creepy air about them that warned the humans away.

Demetri's skin gleamed bright in the moonlight. His eyes were opaque at the moment, but rimmed with barely visible red. He wasn't supposed to be hunting...but technically it wasn't as if he couldn't stop for a snack if someone crossed him. He tilted back his head and breathed in deeply. The air was saturated with the fragrant scent of human flesh.

But, more strongly, a breeze drew him towards the Southern region of the city. It was heavenly. He followed it to the local park, where a large group of teens lounged around in the benches, talking and laughing loudly amongst themselves. He scowled, but didn't move away. Rather, he swiftly climbed a tall oak tree and found a comfortable branch on which he could lean back and relax. There was nothing else going on, and the group smelled so delicious that he might as well stick around to enjoy the delightful smell.

A true tracker, each of the scents registered in his head and connected itself to a face. He lazily categorized scents until he reached one of the girls; her aroma made his breath catch in his throat and his jaw drop, immediately ready to consume. His black eyes burned as he turned his head to see her.

She had dark red hair and gray eyes, and her skin was beautifully fair. Freckles scattered across her nose and under her eyes, and her exotic pink blush made his mouth water with venom. He swallowed several times before regaining his head and holding his breath. His hands buried themselves into the wood of the tree, and he knew that if he moved even the tiniest bit, he would lose control completely.

Aro would be extremely disappointed if he killed in Volterra. He knew they couldn't kill him because of his importance to the coven, but he also didn't want to disappoint his superiors. He fought to uphold the law, and if he himself broke it, then what was there for him to uphold? He would be a hypocrite of the foulest degree.

He reminded himself of his oath to protect the city and its people, and to always obey his leaders. He was an elite member of the Volturi, and had to act as such. His mind calmed, and he slowly relaxed. He didn't dare take a breath, though, or loosen his grip on the tree. Slowly their words edged into his frenzied mind, and helped to distract him.

"Bobby, don't be a jerk." The redhead frowned at the young man sitting beside her. He was trying to hold her hand, and failing miserably as she continued to pull it away. He barked a short, humorless laugh.

"C'mon, Autumn. You know, you're really stuck up for a ghetto girl." The other kids laughed, and the redhead blushed more deeply. Demetri clenched his jaw against the rising temptation to kill.

"Shut up, Bobby," snapped the girl with short brown hair who hadn't laughed, "just because your daddy can pay for everything you want doesn't mean everyone else is poor. It just means you're an asshole." The boy's cruel smile turned into an ugly sneer.

"You're one to talk, Jen. You're the richest bitch in Volterra!" The friends laughed a little more uncomfortably, and several decided to cut the fighting.

"Guys, seriously, lets go to Ihop."

"I'm starving. Let's go. It's fucking creepy out here."

They stood and meandered away, the group undulating as its various members maintained their own paces. Only two remained; the redhead and her brunette friend. Demetri moaned softly, wishing they had just left with the rest of them. Handicapping his sense of smell was a dangerous move for himself and for the city; but he couldn't kill citizens of Volterra. He didn't want to, at least; Volterra was supposed to be safe for humans, and Aro would be upset if he killed within the borders.

Their voices rang out clear in the silence left by the absence of the other teens. Demetri was tired of childish human drama, and wanted nothing more than to leave, but he knew he didn't have enough control to drop from the tree and leave. He hadn't breathed for the last half hour. Luckily, it was only about eleven, and he didn't have to worry about the sunrise.

"I'm so sick of Bobby. Is money all he really cares about? Why does he want to go out with me, then? If he's just going to torment me about something I can't really help, then forget him. I'm not going to lose any sleep over him."

Even though he couldn't smell her blood, his mind reached out tentatively to touch hers; its flavor was exquisite, very close to her fragrance. His throat burned despite the fact that he hadn't taken a breath.

"Don't worry about him. He's a jerk and he'll never change. At least you're going to college in two months! You'll be hours away from him. I can't say I'm surprised that he's not going to college. I mean, he has enough cash to keep him alive for the next few centuries."

Both girls laughed, and Demetri growled a little. He desperately wanted to leave, but every brush of her hair, every waving of her hand, every shifting of her legs sent a wave of delicious air in his direction; his muscles were bunched, his lean limbs gripping the wooden branch for dear life. His black eyes gleamed and his mouth overflowed with venom. His lips were drawn back from his teeth, ready to launch at the first sign of his own weakness.

"Well, I'd better go. It's getting late."

"What, you're not coming to Ihop with us, Autumn?"

"Nah, I'm really not in the mood for more of Bobby's assholery." They laughed and got up. Demetri's relief was so overpowering that he nearly fell out of the tree. They waved goodbye and started walking in two different directions.

It didn't take long for Demetri to make up his mind.

She was separated from any witnesses, so there was no one else who he would need to kill to cover up his attack. He had the advantage of being a high-ranked Volturi guard, and therefore did not have to suffer the same consequences as those of a minor guard. Aro, surely, would understand the pull he felt towards her death, and he would never have to worry about running into her tempting scent ever again.

He followed her quietly, not even bothering to hide. He'd hunted too many times to be worried about her reaction. She probably wouldn't even scream, not even when his teeth were buried in her throat. He licked his lips, nearly salivating at the thought (if he could).

But, like all humans, her natural fear of isolation and the unknown caused her to turn slightly to make sure she wasn't being followed. Which she was.

Her first expression was a blend of shock and fear. Her next was shock again, as she saw his face. Then, mingled with awe, suspicion as to why he was following her. Finally, finally, the slow onslaught of terror.

"Hello?" she called, her voice wonderfully musical and trembling slightly. Demetri smiled a little, letting his teeth gleam in the dim glow of the lamplights. His hands were tucked casually in his pockets, and he stood tall, feet apart. His friends hunted like true monsters, using their teeth and speed to tear prey apart; Demetri had a little more class and a little more cruelty. He preferred to draw them to him like unsuspecting flies to honey. The betrayal in their eyes was the icing on the cake.

He whistled softly, his eyes locked on hers. He drew a hand from his pocket and crooked his index finger a little, gesturing her to himself.

"Here, kitty," he purred, his voice sensual and irresistible. The girl, Autumn, stared, her eyes wide and frightened. For a moment she didn't move. Then, ever so slowly, she took a tiny step in his direction. His pitch black eyes smoldered, and she took another little step.

"Come here, my little angel. Come to me, kitten. Come, my Autumn breeze," he whispered, his velvet voice just loud enough for her to hear. With every word she inched closer, but at the last name she froze, and her mouth dropped open. Demetri could have smacked himself.

"How...how do you know my name?" she gasped, her wide eyes flashing silver. Though his insides clenched, his composure did not slip. He took a slow step towards her, and was instantly slapped by her hasty retreat. She scrambled backwards, and he snarled inwardly. His outward voice, though, was much more silken.

"Do you want to know my name?" he murmured, leaving the bait and letting the aura of mystery entice her. She narrowed her eyes, but said nothing. He grew impatient with the game and was on her in a fraction of a second, his lips at her ear before she could blink.

"Demetri," he breathed, brushing her hair aside and kissing her neck. She shuddered and he saw goosebumps slither down her arms. But she didn't run. He kissed her neck again, gloating over the prize. Demetri had always been scolded for playing with his food.

And now would be no different.

"Demetri." Another voice, an interruption, caused him to glance upwards at the cause of the distraction. It was Jane. Demetri bared his teeth at her, knowing that she would do little in the presence of a human. True to her masters, Jane glared but didn't dare to incapacitate Demetri. But he knew he couldn't kill the girl now. At the moment, she was his defense against the sweet little devil just waiting to get her hands on him.

He stepped back, centuries of control on his side. He turned the girl, Autumn, to face him. Her eyes, scared and awed simultaneously, tugged at his jaws, but the fight was over. He leaned forward and kissed her gently on the mouth. She didn't respond, didn't even move.

Then, he turned and walked away with Jane, leaving the girl standing alone in the alley. Only when they were completely out of sight did she fall to her knees, crumpling and shaking with fear. Her tears were silent.

"Aro's not going to be happy," Jane muttered, bowing her head. Demetri sighed. He hated disappointing Aro, but honestly, who would miss an insignificant kid? Demetri's throat ached. He was still pretty irritated at missing such a delectable morsel.

"Aro can deal. I'm dying," groaned Demetri, his hand flying to his burning neck. Jane glowered at him for a minute before rolling her eyes and laughing lightly.

"Heidi is bringing some foreign guests today. Just wait till we get back. And do not follow that girl," hissed Jane, her dark red eyes narrowing. "You know how they feel about feeding in Volterra." Demetri didn't say anything. He wasn't making any promises. Some delicacies are too good to ignore.

"We'll see. So how are our vegetarian friends doing?" asked Demetri, smirking as Jane growled under her breath. Their newest member, charming young Bella Cullen, drove Jane to the point of murder. Jane's power, the ability to render a body nearly helpless with pain, was rather stunted by Bella's own power; a defense of the mind so strong it could shield herself and even others from any kind of mental attack, including Jane's pocket-sized torture chamber. And Jane certainly was pocket-sized; she wouldn't last two seconds against the larger and stronger vampiress.

"Wonderful. Their spawn is growing like a cactus and their guard dogs are as vigilant as ever. And since the Seer is back, she's been watching us for sure. Know how we sent Felix and Alec last week to check on them? They just got back, and apparently the place was completely abandoned. They saw us coming and hauled ass out of there. They even split up and grouped and looped so many times that Felix and Alec were completely lost by the time they figured out what was going on. The Seer must have predicted it, and they set up an elaborate escape route which, of course, she saw would work. Too bad we didn't send you. But it was really just a check-up, so we didn't see the point. They've really got their guard up, though."

Demetri didn't comment. Why hadn't they sent him anyways? Why would they keep him here, patrolling the city, when he could be doing things more suitable to his rank and ability?

But he wasn't to question the decisions of the Leaders. Aro, Caius, and Marcus were to be obeyed, there was simply no questioning that. They truly worked for the good of all.

He sighed again, irritated that he had been left out of the mission. Jane glanced upwards, her short, light brown hair rippling. Her pale skin glittered whenever they passed beneath a street lamp. Though he towered over her, it wasn't hard to see how betrayed he felt. She stopped abruptly, turning to face him, peering up and into his eyes. He frowned.

"Hey. Stop thinking what I think you're thinking. If they kept you back, it was for their own reasons, and it's none of our business why. That's what loyalty is, isn't it? You have to trust them, even if you don't know what's going on." Jane smiled sweetly, but Demetri didn't smile back. Technically, it wasn't loyalty; more like blind obedience. But he would be blindly obedient anyways, because the Leaders knew what was best for him. And, apparently, the Cullens weren't it.

They entered the underground tunnels and took off like bullets, racing through the cold, winding paths in mere seconds. The whipped past Gianna in the reception room, blowing papers and writing utensils everywhere as they exploded through the doors. They reached the Guest Hall in no time at all, and arrived just before Felix shut the doors, trapping the humans inside. Felix grinned toothily at Demetri and Jane as Heidi the dark-haired, stunning vampiress flexed her long legs, enjoying fishing for their meals.

The humans were so unaware, so curious, that it was almost too easy to take them down. Demetri had finished with two before the screaming started, and was on his third before the victim could even blink. Hot, rich blood flooded his senses, and the burn in his throat was soothed immediately. He felt his limbs tremble with renewed strength, and his mind sharpened with every drop. Finally, after his fourth, he stretched and sighed with content, looking around at the others. Chelsea and Corin were already removing the drained corpses from the room, and the Leaders were seating themselves in their chairs again.

Aro smiled benevolently at Demetri, who felt warmth and pride run through him. He loved being useful, he loved being a guard. Aro stretched out his ancient hand.

"Demetri, how was your patrol?" asked Aro, and Demetri didn't answer. He didn't have to say a word. Instead, he lightly touched Aro's hand. Suddenly anxious, he watched his Superior's expression as all of the things he had thought about ran through Aro's mind.

When he pulled away, Aro didn't seem angry. He laughed shortly, and waved his hand.

"Young Demetri, it seems you've had an interesting night, indeed! So clever, such a seducer...you're a naughty thing, aren't you?" chucked Aro, and Demetri smiled a bit. Abruptly, Aro's gaze was too intense. "Do you want her?"

Demetri was startled by the question. Though they seemed to be carrying out other activities, the others were listening intently to the conversation. Demetri ran the idea through his head.

She was pretty, it was true. As a vampire, she would be stunning. She appealed to him, both mind and body. But she was too young. Eighteen, nineteen at oldest, and he was twenty-four. Technically. Maybe in a few years, when she had matured a little more and could prove to be up to the challenge. Demetri touched Aro's extended hand after this split-second consideration, and let Aro read into his thoughts.

Aro nodded, his eyes distant. He pulled away and smiled at Demetri.

"Alright. In a few years, we'll see. But you'll have to keep track of the years, my friend, because my mind tends to forget little things like this," Aro said good-naturedly, patting Demetri on his broad shoulder. Demetri smiled, but it felt hollow for some reason.

Marcus watched them carefully, his scarlet eyes narrow.