We Are The Hunted [Demetri Volturi]

Chapter 7

It was midday when the door to the room opened and Demetri entered. The human read the same Shakespeare book she tried to use as a 'weapon' the other day. Meaning she actually did admire his work. That much was clear when Kahlen didn't pick up her head to acknowledge his presence until finishing the current section of text.

"What do you need?" the young woman questioned.

"Aro requests your attendance in his study," the tracker answered.

He wondered if the human's judgment had already come. That the brothers decided what to exactly do with this stranger.

"Caius won't be there, will he?"

The vampire smirked. "It will only be the two of you."

Well, in that case the proposition looked a little more promising. "Fine."

Demetri thought she'd put up more of a fight. He opened the door like a gentleman and allowed her to exit first. But before leaving, the young woman marked where she left off in the book.

It wasn't as if Kahlen needed an escort to the office. She knew these halls as well as its occupants. But of course having a human wander the halls wasn't allowed. Especially one not trusted. Still, the fact that the tracker didn't have to tell the young woman which way to turn clearly indicated that his suspicions on her being the intruder were confirmed further. This little secret of hers became more intriguing by the minute. Knocking on the door, Aro's voice filtered through allowing them to enter. This time the vampire entered first to bow in greeting and moved out of the way to allow Kahlen to enter.

"Ah, yes, have a seat," the leader grinned.

The young woman gave a fleeting glance towards the tracker for a moment before venturing further inside. "That will be all, Demetri. I will call for you when done." And they were left alone with each other.

From over the desk, Aro watched the human. He studied her pale face, the posture of her form, facial expression, and heartbeat. Yet nothing gave away information as to who she was. Their guest understood control and composure.

"I do thank you for coming to my office willingly," Aro began, seeing as how the young woman would not speak up.

"I'm sure I didn't have much of a choice," she said.

He blinked. "My dear, of course you did." Kahlen highly doubted it, but didn't question him.

"Am I here to discuss my judgment?"

"We can worry about that later."

Her brows pinched in confusion. Wasn't that the whole reason the vampires had not turned on her yet? They were waiting to discover if she'd be an addition to the coven... or their next meal. After all, no humans left the Volturi Castle alive if they stepped foot inside the throne room.

"There has been a matter that caught my attention. I've wondered about it since Alec dragged you back to Volterra. You see we've had an intruder of sorts."

"I was under the impression your walls were the safest territory in the world."

The safest... Aro stared at the young woman long and hard. "You know more than we thought..."

"And what is it that I know?"

This human had a silver tongue. Kahlen was far from stupid. The vampire admired that hidden fire and determination. She wouldn't easily roll over even if faced with a treat stronger than her. A normal person cower in their castle, heart racing loudly, begging for release. But Kahlen did neither. She remained calm, collected, and the fact that the young woman didn't try to escape made him wonder... Did she want to be here? Had her involvement and capture in Austria been deliberate? The answer was no, but Kahlen refused to let him know that. Better to keep them guessing, coming up with their own answers. Even run in circles trying to seek a conclusion whether true or false. In the end they would believe what they wanted to.