Demetri's POV

"Peyton, come on!" I call up the stairs, tapping my fingers rhymically against the banister. "It's not going to be cloudy all day! We have maybe four hours to get in and out!"

"Hold on, D!" She shouts down the stairs, her smooth Southern accent revealing itself in her raised voice. "I'll be down in a second."

I turn towards the kitchen, walking into the clean and modern space. We did put it to use, using the fridge to keep animal blood packs since we'd need to feed sometime soon. Other than that, most of the stainless steel appliances were unused.

Peyton had claimed the center island for her canvas and few brushes since it gave an amazing view of the beach. Already, her still drying canvas she had completed early this morning sat, showing a more abstract version of the landscape. She had also been talking earlier about making a painting similar to Georges Seurat's style before we left.

"Sorry I took so long." I turn behind me to see my mate sheepishly smiling. "The contacts didn't want to behave."

I stare at her now green eyes, the few flakes of gold from her real eye color glimmering. A pair of black sunglasses were balanced on her head, contrasting sharply with her blonde curls. She wore a pair of dark blue jeans shorts with a strawberry colored tank top, which dipped down to show some cleavage. The locket I gave her winked at me under the kitchen light's and a smile blooms on face.

"You look beautiful, as always. Green eyes suit you." I kiss the top of her hand.

"They used to be a green hazel color. I loved them." She trails off. "And may I say, you look dashing in blue contacts, love."

"Thank you." I wrap my arm around her waist. "Now, let's go! I've got so many places to show you."

We had opted to wear contacts instead of displaying our golden eyes when our in public on the plane. Our eyes were prone to darken in color when around each other, and fluctuate based on our moods, and we figured the locals wouldn't appreciate that.

We leave the house, hand in hand, and get into the rental car I had arranged. Sitting in the driver's seat, I quickly prepare to go.

"What do you want to listen to?" Peyton asks, her hand hovering over the radio.

"Anything you want." I reply, beginning to back out of the long driveway.

Peyton begins to flip through the stations, finally settling on one that played alternative songs.

"So, we've got an hour drive, with about another two and a half hours to explore. Where exactly are you taking me?" She questions, tapping her fingers against her thigh.

"Some museums. A couple of spots here and there." I answer vaguely, smiling.

"Come on, D, elaborate a bit!" Peyton pleads, a large grin on her face. Looking over to her, I wanted that look to last forever.

"You'll see, love." I wink, grabbing her hand.

An hour passes by quickly, the silent beaches transforming into loud spots full of tourists. Even inside the car, with music playing, the sounds of laughter could be heard.

"Corinth is a popular travel spot due to a lot of its history being preserved. Both the Roman and Greeks had control of the nation, but I lived in a time where it was predominantly independent and on the road to decline. Right now, I'm taking you to the Temple of Aphrodite." I explain to her. "It's the main temple in the city."

"Seriously? That's cool." Peyton asks, turning to face me.

"Yep." I grin, squeezing her hand. "I figured it'd be a nice place to start since you are my goddess."

"You're sweet." She chuckles.

Thirty minutes later, I pull up to the great temple, parking the car in the shade.

Linking my arm with Peyton's, we begin the trek to the tourist attraction.

"As you already know, my father was a wealthy leader. What I didn't tell you was that this was where he met my mother." I reveal to Peyton. "We had an annual celebration at the temple to celebrate a vital year and sexuality, and he saw my mother, Arina, dancing in the festival. A few months later, I was born."

We continue walking, Peyton flipping her sunglasses over her eyes. "Arina? That's a pretty name."

"Yeah, it means peace. She was kind hearted and very warm. I know she'd like you." I smile fondly.

"She sounds amazing. I bet you loved her." My mate sighs happily.

"I did. When she died, I grieved for a long time. The whole point of my father trying to get me to marry and get me into the military was to get over her death and be more masculine." I continue. "Ironically, it was the same festival that my father met my mother that I met Amun."

We reach the front steps, with people crowding around in clumps. I point up at the temple.

"He stood behind one of those pillars." I think back to when I first saw my creator. "My fiancée was trying her best to get me to dance, but I was so distracted. I remember, later that night, when the moon was the highest, I snuck away.

In a way, I'm glad that my father, however horrible he was, tried to force me into the army. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have met you." I turn to smile at Peyton.

"Wow, someone wants brownie points." She chuckles, pulling me closer to her. "I love you."

"And I love you."

Peyton's POV

Demetri continues to tell me about his past, telling me about certain spots he used to play in and explore. We end up in a crowded plaza, navigating our way through all the noise and heartbeats.

"Here used to be a big forest, where me and some of my friends played in. As we got older, it became a place where we'd relax from life." Demetri falls silent, before a silent gasp escapes him. Then, I smell it.

"Call an ambulance!" Someone calls, and my heart drops.

"Demetri, let's go." I grab his arm. But he doesn't budge.

The scent of blood plagues my nose, and to be honest, it was affecting me. My control had always been good, and there was maybe one instance with a singer that I almost snapped.

Demetri, on the other hand, hadn't been exposed to much human blood, much less something this potent.

"Demetri!" I call, attempting to pull on his arm. "Come on, snap out of it!"

I tune out the screams of the crowd, the person lying motionless in front of the crashed car, keeping my attention solely on my mate.

He starts to drag me forward, not saying a word. "Demetri, seriously!" I try again.

His eyes darken, the gold looking more black. I wrack my brain, trying to remember if he fed recently. I knew it wasn't too long ago, it couldn't have been more than a few days.

I step in front of him, holding my arms out, but his gaze wasn't on me.

"Blood." He whispers, low enough that I could barely hear it.

Groaning, I wrap my arms around him, beginning to put all my strength into moving him back.

"Come on, D. Come on." I whisper under my breath. Suddenly, his arms grasp my own.

"Get me away from here." He grinds his teeth, his eyes wide with panic. My stomach flutters menacingly.

I continue to push against him, and finally, I begin to make progress. He stumbles back from me, and I begin to try to get him to turn.

"Focus on something else. Tell me a bit about your mother, your past fiancée, anything." I whisper.

"My father wanted me to marry this girl named Cassiopeia. She was only fourteen and the daughter of a wealthy military leader. I remember thinking that she wasn't the one for me, an overwhelming feeling of wrongness. She was sweet and I'm sure she made someone else very happy." Demetri glances back at the scene I was slowly pushing him away from.

"Go on." I continue, moving to stand in front of him and guide him away. The blood was starting to get to me too, especially with the extended time exposed to it. "Tell me more."

"My friends, they told me I was crazy for not falling in love with a girl as beautiful as her. I told them that she wasn't the one, and as cheesy as it sounds, I knew that the one for me would come along later." A strained laugh escapes from his mouth.

"Almost there." I whisper to him, continuing to guide him. I knew that we were almost out of the crowds, towards the edge of the plaza.

I stare into his eyes, seeing the contacts dissolving. His dark, almost pitch black eyes were very evident as I pulled him along, swimming with fear and anxiety.

"Tell me more about your past. How about the Volturi, how you met Felix?" I suggest, ignoring the looks of curious humans.

"He and I were changed around the same time. We trained together and worked hard, and soon, the Ancients were sending us on missions together. It's been that way ever since I met you, and the mission list dwindled down." He continues, his eyes closing. "And it's nice having a break and someone to hold."

"I know." I tell him, before finally stopping at the edge of town. The scent had definitely faded, along with the sounds of people and sirens.

I begin to pull us into a run, trying to get back to the car as quick as possible. My hand never leaves Demetri's.

It takes two minutes to get back to the car, Demetri and I leaning against it in exhaustion. Closing my eyes, I angle my head up at the sun, which had just begun to poke itself out from behind the clouds.

"Thank you." Demetri gruffly whispers, and then, he's in front of me, his hands on both sides.

"It's no problem." I open my eyes, smiling softly. "Let's just get back to the mansion."

Instead of responding, Demetri's lips meet my own, the desperation of today's events hitting my own. I don't know how long we were together, but when we broke apart, the clouds had moved enough to have the sun beam fully down on the both of us.

An explosion of sparkles was between us, and with the fiery passion of our kiss, my heart fluttered.

"Let's go." Demetri murmurs, taking my hand. "It's time to rest."

So, this isn't my best chapter, but I've had writer's block all week, along with a seemingly endless pile of homework. I apologize for it, but I hope you all have amazing days and nights!