We Are The Hunted [Demetri Volturi]

Chapter 44

Chapter Inspiration: Do I Wanna Know? by The Arctic Monkeys

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When Carlisle returned to the castle, Aro escorted him to Kahlen's room. The hunter lounged inside, waiting for his arrival by conversing with Felix. The brother called his guard away allowing them privacy as the doctor got to work.

"Afternoon, Kahlen," Carlisle greeted.

"Afternoon, doc," the hunter said back.

"How have you been feeling?"

"Much better."

"You look it. Have you been moving about the castle?"

"Yes."

"Have you been sparring against anyone in the castle?"

"No."

The vampire gave her a look as if he didn't believe that answer. It caused her arms to cross over her chest and give a mild huff in annoyance.

"The Guard can vouch for me... none would spar against me... even when I asked. Or provoked. Guess the brothers threatened them..."

Carlisle chuckled. "Good. You shouldn't be straining yourself."

"I still have to practice. Maybe not as long, but I need to train in order to keep myself in shape." The vampire nodded. "They won't even allow me to walk around Volterra... please give me the all clear to be in the field again. I'm about ready to climb the walls from boredom."

Smirking, he said, "Well you hide it very well."

"I have to..." she muttered.

He checked her blood pressure, heart rate, eyesight, glands, and prodded her organs once more around the abdomen and diaphragm area. Her strength returned when performing the simplest tasks, balance not an issue, and the reflexes were back in working order.

"While this check-up was positive and things seem to be in order you're not out of the woods yet," Carlisle stated after two hours. "I'll allow Aro to put you back on missions, but you're not permitted to use your enhanced senses. Let's give this two months before we attempt that again. But I don't want you to exert yourself. I've had patients in the past where even when they are in the clear a relapse can occur without warning."

"But if I'm not using my abilities, it shouldn't happen."

"No, it shouldn't. But even when people do the right thing and follow the doctor's orders things still happen. In the meantime, I will continue my studies on your condition and see if there is anything that can be done to prevent this from occurring in the future. Or at least lessen the effects so you can still function."

When Demetri returned for the evening from the market to retrieve something for Marcus, he watched as Carlisle left. Aro explained to the Elite Guard along with his brothers what the doctor reported. That Kahlen would be resuming her role during missions to an extent. The tracker was a bit hesitant to accept this outcome. But he could tell over the course of the last week that being stuck in the castle for such a long period of time wasn't sitting well for the hunter. She grew restless and he slightly worried she'd do something crazy. Like trying to escape the grounds just to see something outside stonewalls. And the young woman would actually go through with it if Carlisle probably hadn't given her a clean bill of health.

Walking into the bedroom unannounced, Kahlen moved about taking a towel and running it through her damp hair from a shower. Her eyes turned up at his entrance, pausing in her actions.

"I feel like I need to attach a bell to my door so when you come in I know it... you obviously don't knock anymore," she said.

He smirked. "Afraid I'll catch you naked?" the vampire teased.

The young woman's eyes rolled. "You've already caught me in my bra." And that had been a lovely sight, seeing all that skin. Just the thought made his mouth water, wishing to sink his teeth in and taste her blood.

Immediately the tracker halted himself from going further. Yes, he'd admit the scent of it was... very appealing to him. Maybe more so than it should be. But it wasn't only the fact that she was a hunter that prevented him from treating her as another meal from the start. Internally Demetri couldn't bring himself to do it. Others would laugh at the fact or say it became an embarrassment to being a vampire. Still... there was another way he could actually taste Kahlen's blood.

"If you were in a situation," the tracker broke through the silence, "and had a choice, would you continue to keep on living?"

The young woman retreated to the bathroom to hang the wet towel, calling back, "Keep on living?"

He listened to her walk closer, entering the bedroom once more with slightly furrowed brows in thought.

"While dying is not in my plan anytime soon, that is a very sudden question." And then she realized what he was getting at. "Do you mean... would I become a vampire?"

"Yes."

Carlisle asked a similar question, but she'd never given him an answer. And with Demetri being the one asking it couldn't be brushed to the side and hope to go away. Or push the conversation in another direction.

"That's against our code as hunters," Kahlen said. "It's a death sentence in itself because that outcome would not be accepted. I'd be hunted down by my own kind and exterminated in the cruelest way possible."

For some reason the answer didn't sit well with Demetri, yet expected it at the same time given her line of work.

"Would it be a nightmare for you?" the tracker asked.

"Nightmare?"

Many mortals would see it in that way. There had been some cases where those turned couldn't cope with their new life and killed themselves. Or exposed themselves so the Volturi could deal with them. So what would Kahlen do?

"No, I don't think so. Blood doesn't bother me with my line of work, and you know I'm not one to shy away from unconventional allies. Still, becoming a vampire without warning wouldn't be ideal. Though I'm not exactly sure, to be honest, what I would think and feel. I won't be begging for it anytime soon that's for sure, but whether I want it or not... I don't know. I can't give you an answer."

And the vampire couldn't force it out of her. He understood her conflict. Demetri knew it was what he wanted all those years ago. Some of the brothers turned guard members in order to activate their gifts if there was knowledge about their existence. Some were last minute life or death situations if one of them saw potential. In the end they were all here for a reason. What Kahlen's would be had yet to be determined.

"However, I can name a few people I would love to sink my fangs in if I had them," the hunter noted.

The two grinned at each other.