SLASH BACKSLASH ONE-SHOT CONTEST

Story Name: Ensnare Me in Your Arms

Pen name: LittleCastaway

Pairing: Riley/Demetri

Disclaimer: All characters belong to SM, some of the dialogue belongs to Summit.

To see other entries in the "SLASH BACKSLASH" contest, please visit the C2: .net/c2/68069/3/0/1/

I bit down into the supple throat of the young boy underneath me. He could be no younger than I was, physically at least. I savored his screams as I gulped down crimson liquid that oozed from his veins, my eyes rolling into the back of my head at the sound of his howls. I moaned into the hollow of his neck and roughly thrust into the boy's groin. He was still hard, even though his life had been drained minutes ago.

"Enough, Riley," seethed Victoria. Her high-heeled foot kicked my side impatiently. I growled and continued bucking into the boy. Victoria's fingers latched onto my hair and she pulled me up harshly. "Why must you feel the need to fornicate with males, when you could have me? Am I not good enough for you, Riley?"

I looked her up and down, taking in the shape of her breasts beneath her long, green coat - a "gift" from one of her meals - and her hour-glass waist. I chewed my lip, which was coated in warm blood and distracted me momentarily, before I began considering the correct answer to give her. The truth was, I was not attracted to my creator in the slightest. Not in the way she wanted me to be. Of course, I could appreciate a beautiful woman when I saw one - and Victoria certainly was that. But, I had always thought of women as... strangely unappealing, even in what I could remember of my human days.

Victoria placed a hand gently onto the side of my face and forced me to look into her bright, red eyes. "Answer me, love."

I couldn't. I felt I would never lie to her, but how could I ever tell her that she was unattractive? For that, she would tear me to pieces, war or no war to fight. I nodded, yet avoided her fleeting eyes.

"You are good enough for me," I breathed.

She leaned toward me, pressing her lips to mine, and she smiled. A sudden screech behind us caused Victoria to hiss and spin around to face whoever made the ungodly noise. A burly man, whose name I couldn't for the life of me remember, chased after a loose arm that was crawling like an insect across the concrete, an expression of something resembling pain etched onto his features. He caught up to it and held it to his shoulder, willing it to reattach itself.

Victoria's lean fingers clamped around my jaw once more, bringing my face down to hers, allowing her to whisper in my ear. "Dispose of the weak ones. I cannot have them in my army. They're liabilities and they need to be disposed of efficiently. Can I trust you to do that for me, love?"

"Of course."

I moved past her, striding toward the heavy man. A short flash of fear awakened in his eyes as he witnessed my approach. He averted his gaze, glancing at anything he could that wasn't me and he cowered slightly, hiding his face in the shadows.

He knew what was coming, which only spurred me on more. I recalled the hellish wails of my latest meal and shuddered, my trousers immediately beginning to tighten. How this happens, when we are technically dead, is beyond me, but at that moment I didn't care to brainstorm it. The man whimpered audibly and tried to escape down an alley. I sprinted after him, growling as I slammed him into the filthy brick walls. He was strong, but only the newborn kind of strong. I had experience, which gave me the upper hand.

After quickly snapping his neck and tearing his head from his torso, I threw him to the ground. I ripped off his limbs and fished for the Zippo in the pocket of my worn jeans. Setting the corpse alight, I stared at it in disgust.

I hadn't wanted to become such a murderous person, feared by everyone I came across. When I was human, all I ever wanted was to be liked... Loved by someone who loved me for me, not for something I pretended to be or for anxiety of being slaughtered.

I watched the flames curl around the vampire's charred carcass, giving off a thick, hazy purple fog. The smoke smelled cold and icy and my nose wrinkled. A sudden sense of being watched crept up my spine. I glanced around hurriedly, soon catching sight of four cloaked figures standing on a balcony in the distance.

They stood in a formal line, observing me as I wandered toward them thoughtlessly. Their heads turned simultaneously to gaze over the squalid scrapyard where the army resided when they caught me staring unabashedly.

I could see, even from this distance, that they were vampires; their glowing pallor and bright ruby eyes were obvious giveaways. The two that stood in the middle of the line, a male and a female, were remarkably shorter than the other two men and I wondered how old they were when they had been changed. One of the older guys was huge, at least six-five and had the physique of a body builder.

The last was smaller than his counterpart, both in height and physique. He was lean, yet strangely muscular under his cloak and stood more rigidly than the others, like he was uncomfortable with his surroundings. His head turned slightly, his mousy brown hair shining in the streetlights, and he looked straight at me. His brows furrowed as he examined my form.

I crossed my arms across my chest and rested my shoulder against the brick wall of the alley, feeling bolder than usual. I smirked, challenging him almost, and my brows rose when he licked his lips and bit his full bottom lip as he ogled me. My breath caught in my chest and I palmed my hard dick through my jeans when the absolute god of a man smiled playfully down at me. His crimson eyes widened when I touched myself and he bit down on that lip again.

Those magnificent eyes were pulled away from me when the small girl turned to my god and sneered something at him. His expression turned... sad, almost remorseful, I suppose, and his angelic features turned away from me, all traces of his smile gone.

I wanted nothing more than to make him smile again.

Something grasped my arm and I turned, meeting Victoria's panicked eyes. "We have to go, Riley. Now."

"What? Why?"

"You see them, yes?" Her eyes flickered to the four figures in the distance. I nodded. "They're not from around here. They'll kill us all if they find us."

My expression showed my confusion. "Haven't they already seen us? I mean, they are looking directly at the scrapyard, where the rest of the army are right now."

Realization dawned in her eyes. "They're watching over us, making sure we won't take over their territory," she whispered to herself, and then glanced into my eyes. "We need to send someone up there to listen to what they're saying."

"Well, I'm not going," I huffed.

"Well, I'm not sending you," she snapped back at me.

I glanced back toward the figures, but they were gone. "Looks like we won't need to send someone up there after all."

~o~o~o~O~o~o~o~O~o~o~o~O~o~o~o~

It was three nights before I saw him again.

He was on the balcony, watching... waiting. For what, I wasn't sure, but his expression seemed impatient, like the thing he was waiting for was taking it's own sweet time to come to him. His foot tapped as his gaze swooped over the scrapyard, searching. He closed his eyes, squeezing them shut for a moment in what seemed to be concentration, before they met mine.

The man breathed heavily and his stringent posture relaxed when he saw me. I smiled awkwardly and he tilted his head, examining me in the same way as he had a few nights before. He suddenly lifted his pale hand and beckoned me with his fingers. I swallowed nervously but moved toward him, glancing around to make sure I wasn't being watched by Victoria or one of the 'soldiers', who would run along and tell her I was 'fraternizing with the enemy', without a second thought.

I took the stairs leading to the balcony two at a time; I hadn't felt this strange mixture of nervousness and extreme excitement before and I almost had to steady myself on the railing. I reached the top and peeked over to the handsome man. He was watching the sky, his hands placed behind his back in a business-like way, yet I knew that this meeting was going to be the complete opposite of business-like. His chisled features shone in the moonlight and it made him even more alluring than he already was.

"You took your time," he said, his foreign accent making something stir in the pit of my stomach.

"Sorry." I couldn't think of anything better to say.

He chuckled silently at my words. "No need to apologize, bello. There is no reason to rush for our kind."

When I moved to stand next to him, I noticed that he was at only a couple of inches taller than my five-ten. His dark-blonde hair was neatly combed and I instantly had the urge to pull it in one hundred different directions. His jaw was so strong, so angled that it made me want to run my tongue along the length of it. His lips were full and begging me to touch them with my mouth.

He chose that moment to glance at me, smirking slyly at the vacant look I had adopted whilst I ogled him.

"Haven't you ever seen a beautiful man before, il mio bello?" he asked, a mischievous glint in his dark eyes.

"Not until now," I replied without thinking, and then cursed myself inwardly.

He leaned in closer, our noses almost touching. "Have you ever looked in a mirror?" He grinned widely when my gaze flickered from his eyes to his mouth, and then back to his eyes again.

All I could think about was how he would taste on my tongue, how his body would feel pressed against mine... how big his cock was. I licked my lips, trying to cure the itch that told me I needed to have him.

"Do it," he breathed huskily, as if reading my mind.

"I can't," I whispered, my thoughts reminding me instantly of Victoria.

What the fuck, Riley? My mind screamed at me. What the actual fuck? Just fucking kiss him!

"I want you to," he coaxed. "Please."

My breathing hitched when he placed his palms on my cheeks and leaned closer to me, but I shifted my head at the last moment, making him lean into my neck instead. He sighed into my throat and pressed his forehead to my shoulder, still grasping onto the hair at the nape of my neck with his fingers.

I laughed humorlessly. "How can I kiss you when I don't even know your name?"

"Demetri," he said, before I had even finished my sentence. "My name is Demetri."

"Demetri," I smiled, testing out the sound of his name emerging from my tongue. "What is that, like Italian or something?"

"Greek, actually. I was born in Italy in 1769, but my family were originally from Greece."

"How can you remember so much of your human life?" I asked incredulously. "I could hardly remember my own name after being turned!"

Demetri grinned and looked back at the moon. "Everyone is different," he whispered. "The venom affects different people in different ways. That's why some of us have gifts, but others don't."

I glanced at him inquisitively. "Gifts?"

"Your creator hasn't told you about gifts?" I shook my head and Demetri sighed, bringing his hands to his face. "What have you been told exactly?"

My brow furrowed, remembering what Victoria had said to me a few days earlier - 'They're watching over us, making sure we won't take over their territory'. "That has nothing to do with you! I'd prefer it if you kept your nose out of our business, thank you very much."

Surprisingly, Demetri simply smiled at my outburst. "You're feisty," he said, moving closer to me again, since I had stepped away from him during my rant. "I like it."

I dodged his eager kiss once more, using the unnatural speed we both possessed to sprint away from him. I had to laugh at his dumbfounded expression and he tried to hide his chagrin with a small scowl. I pressed my palm to his cool cheek; he leaned into my touch and breathed heavily, closing his eyes.

"Not so fast," I laughed, resting my cheek on his jaw. He gasped and threaded his fingers through my hair, willing my body to melt into his. I moved away from Demetri's clutches. "So, what is it you do for your army then? I mean, I'm the one who disciplines the soldiers, but what do you do?"

Demetri looked at me, a million questions in his eyes. "Well," he began hesitantly. "I track people... Other vampires that have broken the law."

"Law? What law?"

"There are not many laws for our kind. In fact, there are only two main laws that I know of - keep our kind a secret and don't make a spectacle of yourself. You were never told any of this by the person who made you?"

"Um, no. To be honest, we weren't ever told much at all. And if you tell that to your people, I will gladly tear you apart with my bare hands."

He sneered. "As if you could! You're nothing but a newborn. I have almost three hundred and fifty years worth of experience and you think you could beat me?"

If I were human, my heart would have stopped beating. Nothing but a newborn. Demetri's words cut right through me, like a knife had stabbed me in the chest repeatedly. I glared at him and as soon as he caught the emotion laid plain on my face and realized the implications of what his words, Demetri gasped, the shock evident in his eyes.

"Oh, merda! No, I didn't mean it like that, I swear!" He gripped my shoulders and forced me to meet his eyes. "Please, Riley, forgive me. Perdonami, bello, perdonami."

And I did forgive him. Instantly. How could I not, when he whispered my name so huskily, so full of despair that he had offended me.

"I do forgive you," I said, and then caught his words once again. "Wait, how do you know my name? I never told you my name."

Demetri hesitated, sliding his hands down my chest, before they rested by his side once again. "I said I was a tracker," he tried.

"Yeah, but that doesn't explain ho-" I caught on swiftly. "You've been tracking me?"

"No, I've been tracking Victoria, your creator. When I begin tracking an individual, I hear the tenor of their mind, and that's how I find them. As soon as I found Victoria's mind, I got images of you in my head and your name. She thinks about you a lot."

I smiled fondly. "What does she think?"

"I can't be sure," Demetri grimaced. "I don't hear actual thoughts. It is too hard to explain."

I hoped to myself that Victoria had only thought of me in pride or love. Still aware that Demetri was gazing over my face, I smiled to myself again and he swallowed loudly.

"You are so beautiful, bello," he breathed, stroking my jaw with the pad of his thumb. "How did I find you?"

I shrugged, dazed by his touch, and he snickered. "Can you... Would you be able to read my mind, see what I'm thinking right now?"

"I can try. You should hide, so you can see how strong my powers really are."

I ran, pushing my legs to go faster than they had before, trying to decide on a place to hide. Realizing that he could be watching my mind at that very moment, I decided to not think about a certain place. Thinking about Demetri finding me turned me on a little, so I focused on that instead of a hiding place. I thought about what he would do to me when he found me, shaking in anticipation, and immediately felt my jeans grow tighter. I gasped at the intense feeling in my groin - I had never been this aroused before. Ever.

My erection started to press against my zipper painfully, so I unfastened my belt and top button to relieve the pressure, my hands shaking, imagining that it was Demetri opening the front of my jeans. My breathing deepened as I palmed my cock languidly, willing myself to stop.

He'll be here any minute, I remembered.

But that thought only spurred on the mental imagery of Demetri finding me in such a state of physical need and I slid down the wall I was leaning against. Lifting my hips slightly, I pushed down my pants a few inches, letting my cock spring free. I let my head drop back, thudding on the wall behind me, as I softly touched the sensitive head of my cock; I nearly jumped in my seat, bringing myself out of my fantasy. Chewing my lip - old habits die hard, I guess - I sat for a few moments, debating whether to continue my ministrations or not.

I took a peek down at my cock as the dull Seattle sunrise shone on it. The tip was glistening with precum. I pushed my pants down below my knees and spread my legs. The sun warmed my bare thighs and I instantly envisioned that the heat was Demetri's hands. Taking hold of my cock once more, I slowly began moving my hand up and down, up and down, up and down. The speed of my fist increased with every downstroke. A sudden flick of my wrist had me moaning loudly and bucking my hips.

In my mind, Demetri sat behind me, his own hardness pressed against my ass. I gulped, thrusting up into my hand. My imaginary lover moved behind me, pressing into my lower back and the faster he thrust, the faster I stroked myself. I was coming undone. My fingers brushed over my head. I heard a gasp, but couldn't process what it meant at that moment.

"So close, Demetri," I told the illusionary man. "God, I'm so fucking close."

I felt a warm palm on my cheek and my breath caught. Damn, this fantasy is realistic, I thought. But when I heard him speak, my eyes shot open.

"Look at me, Riley."

I stared into his darkened eyes as they drifted over my half naked body, lingering on my cock, which I was still fisting rapidly. I couldn't stop, not even when I realized that I had been caught. Demetri's fingers trailed down my side, tickling my ribs on the way down, until he reached my hipbone. My stomach tightened when he looked back up at me, his eyes filled with lust. Seeing that look, one of complete and utter want etched on his face, coupled with the feeling of his hand on my skin, almost tipped me over the edge.

However, it was when Demetri's tongue touched my throat as he placed open-mouthed kisses there, that finally made me reach my peak. I squeezed my eyes shut and lifted my buttocks off the concrete. My back arched and I screamed out in intense pleasure, my orgasm ripping through my body violently.

"I found you," he said as I came down from my high.

I smiled, my eyes still closed. "Indeed you did." I stood up, pulling my jeans back on. "I'm, uh, sorry you had to see that." To tell the truth, I was a little embarrassed that he had caught me jacking off in an alley; I didn't want him to think that I did it with just anybody.

"Well, I'm certainly not sorry that I saw it," he smirked.

If I were human, I would have blushed.

Suddenly noticing the swiftly approaching sunlight, my eyes widened. Victoria would be waiting for me to do the morning patrols of the scrapyard, counting the soldiers, checking for absences and the unlikely event that someone had turned a human in the night. These patrols, she had said, were necessary in order to maintain control of the young ones, to show them the seriousness of what we were up against.

"I have to go, Demetri." Something in my chest pained at the sight of his disheartened expression. "Victoria needs me, but I will see you soon."

He nodded. "And I will be waiting for you."

I glanced back at him sullenly before I disappeared in the sunlight. I saw the bright rays nestled amongst the snow as a good omen - today will be productive, I thought.

~o~o~o~O~o~o~o~O~o~o~o~O~o~o~o~

Victoria told me that we needed to attack soon. The Cullen clan were getting more dangerous as the days went by and we couldn't afford to wait much longer, sitting like ducks as we anticipated their attack. No, we needed to end them as soon as possible. And now I had one more reason to protect my territory.

Demetri.

I could not allow these power-hungry beasts to come anywhere near him and I would willingly fight to the death to protect him.

We had been meeting almost every night, feeling very much a modern day, vampire version of Romeo and Juliet. It was kind of tragic actually, but also terribly romantic. Every night we would greet each other with a chaste kiss on the cheek or neck - with the occasional ass grope on my part - and we would begin the morning with the same ritual, bidding each other farewell with the same words as the first night.

"I will see you soon," I would say.

And he would reply with, "and I will be waiting for you," as he peppered my cheeks, nose and jaw with kisses, making me giggle like a girl.

It took every ounce of effort in me to turn away from him as the sun warmed our faces. Knowing that one of these nights could be our last, only made the separation that much harder for me. I was sure he knew on some level that I was going to leave him one day, but he never mentioned it and neither did I. To physically leave him was heartbreaking, but to speak of it was another matter entirely.

He often caught me staring at him, either in complete adoration or sheer want, but he was always the gentleman, which made me wonder how old-fashioned his concepts were.

Victoria snapped her fingers in front of my eyes, making me focus on the current morning's patrol. "You need to stop daydreaming like that, Riley. The wanderings of your mind could cost you your life. Remember what we spoke about earlier in the week?"

I apologized swiftly, recalling the day when she sat me down and told me about the powers that the Cullens possessed. She had warned me about one particular vampire that could read your thoughts and twist them into something else. I shuddered at the memory, thankful that none of the soldiers had that gift, for my own sake.

"Riley, I'm putting you in charge of the day we attack."

My eyes widened. "What? Why can't you make the decision?"

"My decisions are being watched by them. As soon as I decide to attack, they will know, so I'm giving the decision to you. I trust you, Riley." Victoria grabbed my mouth as roughly as she always did, making my thoughts wander to Demetri's soft caresses once again. She shook my head to make sure I was listening. "I need you to do something else for me."

I looked at her warily, but agreed that I would do whatever she needed me to do. It was what she created me for, of course. After I had received my assignment I awaited the darkness, willing to come faster, so I could see my Demetri again.

"I have to go away for a while," I said to him, my eyes downcast.

"For how long?"

I could see that he was fighting with his emotions; the war in his deep, burgundy irises was obvious. I pulled his body to mine in a tight embrace, unable to stop my reaction to his inner conflict.

"It will only be for a few days, I'm sure," I soothed him, not really sure at all of when I would return.

"I can survive without you for a few, mere days, I think." He laughed humorlessly, avoiding my eyes.

I wanted to kiss him, but knew that I shouldn't. Knowing what he tasted like would only make it harder for me to leave when the war started. I told him this and he agreed, saying we would be together when the war was done with.

We both knew that was unlikely.

The last few weeks had simply been preparation for the army. We had collected new recruits, disposed of them, built them up and knocked most of them back down again. Now, there were only twenty two of us left. Twenty two of the strongest vampires in the world. And together, we were going to win this war. Together, we were going to end the Cullen clan.

~o~o~o~O~o~o~o~O~o~o~o~O~o~o~o~

My assignment had gone off without a hitch; I was back at the scrapyard before the sun was even up. Victoria was extremely pleased with me. The army was buzzing with excitement at the coming event, deciding to hunt in celebration. This led to lust flowing freely into the air, which led to some of the vampires 'fornicating', as Victoria put it, in open spaces. A male and female were busy in one of the beat-up cars, when another male came across them. He claimed the female to be his mate and began fighting with the other vampire.

We lost three of our strongest fighters that night.

Losing three recruits so late in the game was frustrating. Victoria went crazy, screeching that hunting was forbidden until the day of the battle. However, even with only nineteen of us left, we still had the upper hand. All was ready, except for the date.

"You can't put this off any longer, Riley," Victoria hissed as I walked away from the scraypard one night. "We already have the scent that will lead us to the Cullens. The rest is simple. Everything else is already prepared, we just need the date. Personally, I think that we should go tomorrow, but the decision is yours to make. Hurry up and make it while we still have control."

I sighed. "Then, we'll go tomorrow, if you insist."

She smiled and pecked my cheek with her lips. "Love you," she whispered. I saw the apprehension in her eyes. Shaking it off as nervousness for the upcoming battle, I turned away from her.

"Love you, too."

Demetri was waiting on the balcony, as usual. Everything was the same as every other night; we greeted each other with small kisses on one another's jaw and cheek and began walking, hand in hand. The only difference was that I knew when I was going to be leaving. I needed to tell him, I knew, but was afraid. Afraid of losing him. Afraid of walking away from him, from us, from what we had.

"Tomorrow morning," I blurted out. His perfect brow furrowed in confusion. "That's when we leave for battle. I only decided it before coming here."

Demetri looked distraught. "So soon," he mused. "We have so much to do, but we don't have the time."

"Well, do you remember what you said a few nights ago? We will do all those things after the war. We'll be together. I'll come back for you."

Neither of us believed my words, but I just wanted him to be happy for the short time we had left. I wanted him to smile again. We spend most of the night simply holding each other, whispering words of affection and breathing in each others' scents. Turning to me as we sat in the trees, Demetri closed his eyes and sighed. He reached around his neck and took off a heavy looking gold chain. He handed it to me and I examined it, flipping it over and over between my fingers.

The crest at the end of the thick chain was gold, too. In the shape of a V, it had a small coat of arms in the middle. The coat of arms displayed two eagles, each with their wings spread, and two bare trees. At the very top of the crest and also at the very bottom, was a small ruby, sparkling in the moonlight. The design was very elegant and screamed Victorian-esque style with it's simple, almost floral curves.

"It's beautiful, Demetri," I whispered, my breath momentarily escaping me.

Demetri edged closer to me, his elbow resting on his knee. "I want you to borrow it. It will give you a reason to keep yourself safe, so you can return it to me. So you will come back to me. If you don't, I'm afraid to say I won't be very happy with you." He smirked slyly.

"I will return it," I said, ogling his features, my breath still nowhere to be found. "You have my word." I slipped the chain around my neck, hiding it beneath my t-shirt.

He suddenly grabbed me by the shoulders, wrapping his lean arms around me protectively, and nuzzled my collarbone. He pulled me into his lap and rocked us back and forth as he murmured words in Italian. I soon realized that he was singing the words, not saying them.

"Mi manchi," he sang. "Quando il sole da la mano all'orizzonte. Quando il buio spegne il chiasso della gente. La stanchezza addosso che non va più via. Come l'ombra di qualcosa ancora mia."

A lump formed in my throat and if were able to cry, my cheeks would have been damp with tears. He continued rocking my sobbing body until the sun began to peek over the horizon.

And then, it hit me. This would most likely be the last time I ever saw him.

The nagging feeling that the army would fail in our attack hadn't left the pit of my stomach for days. It was only when I told Victoria about these feelings, that she informed me of the powers the Cullens had. The new information did nothing to ease my nerves.

"The sun is rising," I said when Demetri had finished his song. I stood up, wanting to make this separation as easily and as swift as possible. "I have to go."

Demetri stood, too, quickly and gracefully. He placed both his hands on my cheeks, his crimson eyes panicked. "Don't go," he breathed. "Please, Riley, run away with me now. Don't fight the Cullens, please."

Looking at his pleading gaze, I almost broke. "I have to. My loyalties lie with Victoria and the army. It always has. I can't give up on them now. I love you, Demetri, I do. But I can't just leave them to fight without me. I'm their leader - they need me, just as your army needs you."

He pulled me into his enveloping, protective gasp once more, bringing on another round of unshed tears. "I want to kiss you so much right now," he uttered into my neck.

I shrugged out of his embrace. "I have to go." I took a stuttering breath, my throat seizing up. "I will see you soon, love."

"And I will be waiting for you, il mio bello," he whimpered.

~o~o~o~O~o~o~o~O~o~o~o~O~o~o~o~

Emerging from the water just outside Forks, I shuddered. I couldn't feel the cold, none of us could, but it seemed so right to shudder. Demetri's chain brushed against my chest, reminding me of him every time it did. It took the upmost effort to refrain from breaking down and crying like a child.

I have to be strong, I chided, leading my army of lethal vampires into the outskirts of the unsuspecting little town.

We had hunted just hours before, and so we were the most powerful we had ever been as a group, as a united front. Everything was planned strategically. I would lead the nineteen remaining soldiers into the battle ground, locate the Cullen clan and commence battle. I would fight by their side until every last one of those leeches were dead, with Victoria close by, ready to intervene when the time was right.

I gestured for the group to follow me as I sprinted for the trees, dodging them expertly. The wind thrashed around my head, sending my hair into a flurry. I was suddenly glad that Victoria had cropped it shorter when she turned me; she was so practical. Seeing a flash of red, I knew my creator was close by. That thought comforted me - she had my back. I halted, just covered by a thin band of pine trees, glancing at the empty clearing before us. This was it... This was the end. As I prepared to step out into the clearing my acute senses were hit with a musky, repulsive stench. Victoria rushed into my view.

"Change of plan," she said in a hushed voice. "Send the rest into the clearing, but you must come with me now."

I had a million questions, and then some, but I told the army to go ahead, before I followed Victoria hurriedly. She lead me up a hill, which was still covered in snow from the small blizzard three days ago. Even the thick snow didn't deter us from our mission. Reaching the top, I breathed in the crisp air. The disgusting smell from the clearing was almost gone; there was still a lingering odor. However, in it's place was something delicious. Something that made my mouth fill up with venom.

A human.

I stepped toward it and saw Victoria's wild eyes. The potent scent filled my nostrils and I walked forward to see a large, white tent in the middle of the snow. I glanced around before my hungry, ruby-tinted eyes met large, scared, brown ones. Moving closer to the fearful girl, I caught sight of a tall, extremely pale man. Every thing about him screamed vampire, but when I searched for the defining redness in his eyes, I saw none. In the place of the usual rouge orbs were amber-colored irises. This both intrigued and concerned me at the same time. The girl looked up at the strange creature, who I noticed was nearly smirking in my direction.

"Edward?" she questioned.

Edward inclined his head toward the girl, but kept his foreign, butterscotch eyes on me. "He's wondering what I am," he said. I heard the laugh in his voice.

"You're the mind reading one," I realized.

Edward nodded. "And you are Riley," he observed. "You're Victoria's puppet, right? Is she here? Or did she send you to fight her battles, like a coward?"

Before I was able to speak up, Victoria emerged from the trees. "No, I'm here, Edward. I wouldn't want to miss a fantastic opportunity like this."

Edward sneered, whereas the girl hid behind him like a timid animal. I was starting to think she was a little pathetic. At this thought, Edward gave me a sharp glare.

"She's lying to you, you know," he snapped, his eyes on Victoria. "Every kiss, every fleeting glance. She doesn't love you, Riley."

I shook my in head in disbelief. "She does. I know she does."

He turned his head toward me, his hair glistening in the early morning sunlight. It was a reddish sort of color, not like Victoria's whose was like a halo of flames, but a strange, bronzy color. It suited him.

"Do you honestly believe that what you saw in her eyes was love? She's using you, Riley. She knew you were from around here; she used your knowledge of the area to get ahead."

"Victoria loves me," I stated again.

"No," he whined. "She still loves her old mate, James." My brow furrowed and he chuckled humorlessly. "She never told you about James?" I shook my head. "James was a tracker and he was after my mate, Bella," he gestured to the brown-eyed girl hiding behind him. "He told her that he had kidnapped her mother, so she went after him, falling right into his trap. He tortured her, until myself and my family found them in Phoenix. Bella was almost dead. With the help of my brothers, I killed James, just as you've killed so many of the newborns you call your army."

Victoria hissed in his direction. "He's lying," she spat. "He's twisting your thoughts, Riley, like I said he would."

I blocked out everything they were saying. I could still hear the words but none of them processed through brain. Only one word in Edward's little speech stood out for me.

Tracker.

That one, simple word kept repeating itself over and over in my mind. Images of Demetri flashed before my eyes before I could remember that Edward was listening. I knew he had seen my runaway thoughts by the shocked look he gave me.

Edward spoke softly now, as if he was suddenly nervous. "I'm not lying to you, Riley. She is one who is lying. Her whole existence for the past two years has been a lie. She never loved you."

I glanced at Victoria, searching for answers. "I love you," she attempted, only confusing me more.

"You've seen the apprehension in her eyes, Riley," the mind-reader said, sounding like he was grabbing at any piece of information he could to save his own ass. The only catch was... He sounded calm as he spoke. "You shook it off, but it was still there. You never doubted her, because you thought she loved you. But it was a lie, Riley. Please, you have to believe me!"

"I don't have to believe a word that comes out of your filthy mouth," I hissed.

"I can give you a better life!" It sounded like a question in my ears. "You want to be good; I can see it in your thoughts. And my family can make it happen, if you surrender."

I wanted to believe him. I wanted to follow him when he said he could give me a better life... That they could give me a better life, away from all the violence and bloodshed of this war we were fighting. I willed my feet to move, to walk with him into his life and out of mine. I wanted to go, I really did, but I couldn't. My loyalties laid firmly with Victoria. She was my creator and I would fight for her to the death.

"No! I'll never surrender to you and your family!"

"Then, I'll have no choice but to kill you! And for what? Her 'love'? If that's what you are willing to die for, then you'll die a fool, Riley."

My head was all over the place. I didn't know who to believe, what to believe, or what to do.

"He's lying, love," Victoria breathed, her eyes frantically searching between me and our enemy. "It has always been you." She was panicking. I could tell by the way she moved - she didn't stand still like I knew a vampire could, her scarlet irises never stopped flickering from one person to the next. "Riley, you know I love you."

Something awakened in me then. I wasn't sure if it was an instinctive reaction, or if I was simply being paranoid, but I felt the need to act quickly. I needed to kill him before he killed me.

I turned to Edward, smirking slightly. "You're dead."

My smirk transformed into a sneer, my narrowed, determined eyes set on the target - the yellow-eyed vampire and his human bitch. Flashing forward at top speed, I couldn't hold in the growl that rumbled through my chest. I swung out my arms, very nearly catching him in my grasp, but I was suddenly knocked back by a force so strong, it knocked me from my feet and into the snow. A set of large, incredibly sharp teeth snapped at me, and then latched onto the collar of my dark blue jacket. I immediately understood that I was being swung around by an enormous, sandy-colored beast. I thrashed around in it's jaws, trying to break free, but the beast would not give in. His teeth locked around my forearm and I heard the metallic screech before I felt it. I screamed in terror when my eyes caught sight of the pale hand crawling across the snow. An agonizing burn soared through my dismembered arm and I screamed in pain. A flash of red began to run away from the scene.

"Victoria!" I pleaded, but to no avail. She wasn't coming back. You should have believed Edward while you had the chance, I thought.

"You'll never get another chance like this again!" Edward yelled after her, but she didn't stop in her tracks like we all expected her to.

The beast continued to tear me to pieces, ripping my other arm from my body. The excruciating pain never ebbed, only got worse. There was only so much more I could take. When a golden chain was spat from the animal's mouth, I suddenly came to my senses.

"No!" I shrieked, attempting to grab Demetri's chain from the ground. The fact that I no longer had hands made my mission all the more difficult. "Please, Edward! I surrender! Please!"

Thoughts of Demetri's kisses and loving murmurs from only six hours ago played in my mind, giving Edward a glimpse into what had been my life for the past few, mere days.

Edward observed me for a second with questioning eyes, and then turned to the beast. "Let him be, Seth." The animal, which I then saw was a wolf, retreated instantly. "You surrendered." I nodded animatedly. "You wish to join our family?"

I hesitated for a moment and the wolf, Seth, stepped forward. Catching my roaming hands between my feet, I reattached them to the ends of my arms, one at a time. Turning back to Edward, I saw the girl again. She still looked terrified, but not as scared as she was a few minutes ago, when Seth was ripping my body to shreds.

"I just... Want to be Riley again." Edward nodded, a small smile on his face. I turned to Bella. "I'm really sorry about Victoria. I had no idea."

Bella smiled too, although her smile was more forgiving than Edward's, whose still had an edge to it. "It's okay," she said. "You didn't know what you were doing. You were confused; I get it." Bella shrugged as if I hadn't just attempted to murder her and her mate.

I tested out my hands, clenching and unclenching them again. They seemed to be in working order. I kneeled down, picking up Demetri's chain, and lifted it back over my neck again. The feeling of the cool metal against my even cooler skin soothed me and I felt my tense body relax.

"How do you know Demetri?" Edward questioned. I smiled fondly as I pictured the first time I saw the man I loved. I replayed it all in my mind for Edward to see, even our little game of Hide and Seek. "So, you are in love with him."

"Yes," I answered simply.

"And you're absolutely sure that he's not using you as Victoria was?"

"You've seen everything. Did you catch him on a lie?"

Edward lowered his head. "I want to help you have the life you deserve, Riley. You've been through enough, but I have to warn you. The Volturi are dangerous people. They're ruthless and don't give a damn about anything else but power and control."

"I was told the same thing about you."

The mind-reader sighed. "I know you were, but I have proven you wrong so far. Come with Bella and myself to the clearing. My sister has just informed me that the battle is over."

Bella snapped her head up to meet Edward's gaze. "Was anyone hurt?"

Edward pinched the bridge of his nose between his forefinger and thumb. "Let's just wait until we get to the battleground to see who survived. Close your eyes, love."

Edward hitched Bella up onto his back and gestured for me to follow him as he took off into the trees. I ran with him, enjoying the wind blowing through my hair as I did so as a free man, with no burdens to weigh my shoulders down.

We reached the clearing in no time at all and I suddenly wished I could keep running forever. I heard Edward chuckle at that last thought and I almost felt myself blush. He allowed Bella to climb down from his back and she brushed her fingers through her windswept hair. I tensed at the scent, but pushed my bloodlust down as much as possible. As if sensing my discomfort, she threw an apologetic look my way and I nodded my thanks to her politely.

Finally, I began taking in my surroundings.

The large clearing was dotted with bonfire, each giving off a thick, purple fog and an icy stench. I was on the brink of tears at the sight of the burning corpses around me. Looking around, I could see that none of my army remained. All of them were dead.

"Riley?" A small voice gasped.

I turned to find six vampires, all standing in a line as they crouched down, ready to fight. They were all so different - three of them were brunettes, whereas the other three were blondes; one of the females was tiny in stature, but one of the males was huge, at least six-four of pure muscle - except for one recurring feature in their flawless faces. The eyes. All six had the same topaz eyes as Edward. One of them, a blonde and slightly older than the others, walked toward me and introduced himself as Carlisle.

Suddenly, a petite girl pushed through the line and I recognized her instantly. "Bree?" I rushed over to her, grasping her into my arms. "I can't believe you're alive! The rest of the army are-"

"Gone," she finished. "But I surrendered."

"So did I." I grinned at her before pulling her into a tight hug once more. I had never been so happy to see a familiar face.

"Oh no," the tiny Cullen girl interrupted, her eyes focused on something in the distance. "It's the Volturi. They're coming."

We all rotated to face the trees where my army had emerged a short hour ago. One of the Cullens, an older brunette woman, took Bree into her arms, protecting her. I was told to stand behind Edward and the enormous dude and I complied, finding it natural now to obey orders. I looked toward the trees again and saw four cloaked figures appearing from them, their footsteps in perfect sync with each other. I recognized them at once, especially the one on the far left.

His soulful eyes seemed oddly vacant as he stared mercilessly at the grass beneath his feet. His mousy hair was pointed in all different directions, as if he had been harshly tugging on it, and his jet black cloak was loosely hung around his shoulders, like he didn't give a care in the world about what anyone would think about his unusually disgruntled appearance.

Demetri.

As the Volturi stood before us, they each took down their hoods in unison. The tiny female stepped forward, her devilish eyes sweeping over each our forms.

"Jane," Edward greeted bitterly.

Jane ignored his greeting. "Impressive," she stated. "I've never seen a coven escape an assault of this magnitude intact.

"We were lucky," Carlisle said.

A hint of a smirk crossed the miniature Jane's features before it disappeared again. "I doubt that."

The smaller male walked forward to stand beside Jane. They looked very much alike and I wondered if they were twins. I saw Edward nod his confirmation discreetly. "It seems we missed an entertaining fight," he stated.

Jane hummed in agreement with her brother. "You're right, Alec. It's unoften we are deemed unnecessary."

Edward cleared his throat. "If you had arrived half an hour earlier, you would have fulfilled your purpose."

Jane sneered at his lack of manners. "Pity," she spat, her eyes raking over all of us again. They settled on the sight of myself and Bree and she smiled. "You missed some."

Demetri looked up from his distraction in the grass, his interest suddenly sparked. His eyes widened when they took in my form, but he refrained from speaking aloud.

Carlisle spoke again. "We offered them asylum in exchange for their surrender."

Jane's nostrils flared. "That wasn't yours to offer." She turned to Bree. "Why did you come?" Bree screamed out of nowhere and I flinched as she fell to the ground. She began spasming uncontrollably and I knelt down beside her, attempting to restrain her. Jane turned her eyes to me. I saw Demetri turn his head away again. "Who created you?"

A sudden jolt of undescribable pain shot through my body, like I was being burned alive and stabbed with a thousand knives all at once. My back arched and my head thumped against the ground as I, too, spasmed in the grass.

"You don't need to do that," the motherly brunette said.

"Esme," Carlisle warned.

"They'll tell you anything you want to know!" Esme continued.

Jane turned to us both, lying on the ground. "I don't know!" Bree cried. "Riley would never tell us. He said our thoughts weren't safe!"

I gasped and spluttered as the air rushed back into my lungs. "Victoria," I coughed. "Her name... Was Victoria. She created the both of us."

"Perhaps you know her," Edward said bitterly.

"Edward," Carlisle chided. "If the Volturi had any knowledge of Victoria, then they would have stopped her. Isn't that right, Jane."

The petite girl hesitated, before answering innocently. "Of course." She turned her head to the right. "Felix?" The body-builder guy from the balcony stepped forward.

Demetri's head flashed up for a second time, worry evident on his face. I chose that moment to really look at him. His wispy hair shined in the dim sunlight. His jaw was angular, yet soft. His nose was straight and sharp, his cheekbones high, his pale skin flawless. He was handsome... Startlingly so, even for a vampire. His crimson irises flickered to mine, and then to the petite girl's, pleading with her almost. Then he did something none of us expected.

"Please, Jane," he begged. "Spare the boy. He just needs a second chance."

Jane placed her hand on Felix's stomach, stopping him from continuing on his path toward me and my young companion. She turned her head menacingly toward my lover. "The Volturi don't give second chances," she declared. "Take care of that, Felix. I'd like to go home."

"No!" Demetri screamed, turning his beautiful face away.

Felix grinned and strode toward us. He grabbed Bree by the shoulders and I heard her whimpering in fright. Without a second thought, he tossed her into the nearest fire. The flames lapped at her body as she squirmed, effectively being burned alive. She didn't have a chance in Hell of surviving. I pivoted on the spot to glare at Jane.

She held up a tiny hand to halt Felix in his tracks. He gaped at her, but she didn't look at him. Instead, she stared at me, and then at Demetri, who was hiding his eyes. Another sharp feeling of intense agony shot up my back and spread through my limbs, and I let out a screech.

"No!" Demetri wailed. He covered his eyes with his hands as he sank to his knees. Rocking back and forth, he cried tearlessly, repeating his 'no, no, no' mantra over and over.

As soon as Jane released her death grip on me, I miraculously found my feet and stumbled over to my broken down lover. I placed a hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged it away.

"Demetri," I pleaded. "Please, love. Look at me."

Demetri's eyes met mine at once and he grabbed me by the hair. Bringing my face down to his, he whispered in my ear. "The war is over, il mio bello."

I chuckled breathlessly, relieved that I got to hear those words once more. "Yes, love. It's over." He breathed in my scent, and I his, as we sat there on the grass.

"It looks like we'll be a tracker down from now on," said Jane, interrupting our reunion. "I take it you don't wish to return to Italy?"

Demetri shook his head as he looked deep into my eyes. I knew that look. It was the look he had given me every night since we met - he wanted to kiss me.

"Wait, love. We have all the time in the world."

~o~o~o~O~o~o~o~O~o~o~o~O~o~o~o~

The Cullens had invited us to stay for a few days after the battle had ended and the Volturi, now minus one tracker, had left for Italy. We had been offered a bed to share, since Rosalie and Emmett had disappeared on a 'well deserved break' as Rosalie kindly put it. Or they were 'in need of a good few fucks', as Emmett put it.

"You're welcome to stay in our bed," Emmett smirked. "Just don't get cum on the sheets. Esme went crazy last time."

With a last playful slap upside the head from Esme, Emmett had gone with Rosalie in tow. As soon as they walked out of the door, Demetri had dragged me up the stairs. Shutting the bedroom door, he slammed me up against it, his palms on either side of my head. He licked his lips and his mouth descended quickly onto mine. I moaned loudly and he took the opportunity to slip his warm tongue into my awaiting mouth.

"Demetri," I groaned as he bucked his hips into mine.

Demetri mouth fell from mine and peppered open-mouth kisses along my jaw and throat, grinding into my pelvis again and again, creating the most delicious friction. He pulled the hem of my t-shirt out from where it was tucked into my jeans. As he was running his fingers gently over my ribs as he kissed me wetly, my dick became harder and I found it hard to think.

This man constantly invaded my thoughts, captivated my soul and did dangerous things to my body without even touching me.

"Please," I gasped. He bit me softly behind my ear. "I need you, love."

Demetri grasped my thigh, hitching it up so it rested on his hipbone, and then did the same to the other. He lifted me with ease and carried me over to the king-sized bed in the middle of the room. I ground my ass into his groin, which made him drop me on the bed, his strength suddenly failing him. I licked his earlobe, before I sucked it into my mouth, nibbling on it roughly. I couldn't help the feeling of rejection when he pulled away from me.

"Relax, bello," he laughed huskily, removing his shirt.

I felt my eyes grow darker at the sight of his pale chest and toned stomach. I ran a hand along his abs and shivered in delight. He resumed his kisses on my neck, before reaching down to unbutton my shirt. Deciding that there was not enough time for silly buttons, I tore the shirt, not really caring that it was only borrowed from Edward. After pulling me up from the bed by my belt, he hastily unfastened it and pushed his hands into the back of my jeans to cup my ass. Squeezing it, he moaned and shoved his erection into mine wantonly.

"I can't wait to be inside you," he whispered, causing me to bite his lip as he pressed a kiss to my mouth.

He tugged off my pants and boxers and threw me onto the bed again. Resting on my elbows, I glanced at him from beneath my lashes. He pushed off his own trousers and I soon discovered he wasn't wearing underwear.

"Fuck, Demetri." My eyes rolled back into my skull.

He swayed toward me, all lean muscle and hardness, and I grabbed his hips. I guided the head of his cock into my mouth, swirling my venom-coated tongue around the slit at the top, tasting the sweet precum there. Demetri laced his fingers into my hair and pressed his lips tightly together to keep from screaming. His hips instinctively thrust into my eager mouth and I swallowed him whole, relaxing the back of my throat to take him deeper.

"Dear God, bello," he groaned, his accent more pronounced than usual. "I want to make love to you. Please let me."

I moaned around his cock, the vibrations driving him crazy. I released his thick dick from the confines of my mouth slowly, teasing him. Demetri's lips crashed onto mine and he tasted himself on my tongue.

"I don't want you to make love to me, Demetri," I said, gasping when his mouth latched onto my nipple. "I want you to fuck me."

His gentle hands ghosted up my chest, brushing my neglected nipple on the way. He touched my lips with his fingers and I opened up my mouth. With his chin rested upon my shoulder, Demetri watched as I suckled his fingers, his eyes almost onyx with want. When his fingers were wet enough, he brought them down to my entrance, slipping one finger gently in as he stroked my dick. Entering a second finger, he slowly scissored them in and out in time with his stroking. Before I knew it, I was bucking onto his hand and he had added a third and fourth finger. I felt my orgasm approaching quickly. Screaming out when those fingers nudged my prostate, I was sure I was coming to cum before he was even inside me.

"Demetri, please. Do it already."

The bastard smirked so deliciously that I couldn't help but moan. He removed his fingers, making me pout as he reached into Emmett's bedside table and pulled out a bottle of lube. Demetri squirted some onto his fingers and warmed it up in his hands. He coated his cock, and then reached down to push his fingers back into me. I growled at him, meaning to sound terrifying. It came out as a squeal.

"Get on your knees and hold on to the headboard."

I did as he said and he moved to stand behind me. After giving my ass a light slap, Demetri grasped my hip, spreading my legs with his knee. He leveled up his cock with my entrance and slowly pushed forward, inch by slow, fucking inch. I growled in pleasure, feeling no pain whatsoever as I bucked back onto him, letting my head fall between my arms, which were clutching the headboard so hard I thought I would have broken it by now. Once his cock was buried to the hilt in my ass, Demetri flopped forward onto my back, breathing heavily.

"Move, love. Please!"

He nudged forward a centimeter and I thrust back into him forcefully, trying to make him move. He finally got the message and drove into me. Hard.

"Faster," I said through gritted teeth. Harder, baby, please!"

Demetri finally complied and thrust into me harder and faster than before. I whimpered, unable to make any other sounds. He tucked his arms under mine, pulling me up until my spine was flush with his chest, giving us a whole new angle. Fisting his hair, I screamed as the head of his cock stroked my prostate.

"Oh God, yes! There! Right there, baby."

He bucked harder than I thought possible and grabbed my cock in his hand. He strokes on my dick matched the pace he was setting as he drove into my ass with abandon. I was so close. I felt my balls tighten and my stomach go taut.

"Ungh! I'm gonna... I'm gonna... Oh shit, I'm cumming!" He hit that spot again with his hard thrusts and it tipped me over the edge. I came hard, spilling into his hand and shooting my seed onto my chest. He followed seconds after, swearing profusely in Italian before collapsing on the mattress below us.

We slowly came down from our peaks, kissing and touching and just being together.

"I'm going to get a shower," I breathed into the crook of his neck. "I will see you soon."

Demetri grinned. "And, I will be waiting for you. Always."

A/N: I want to say a huge thank you to Lorna and Katie, without whom, this story would not be completed.

I guess all that's left to say now is:

I hope you enjoyed my entry, please review and don't forget to vote!