The Dark Princess 33

“Hello sweetheart.”Athenodora greeted Bella with a hug and kiss on the cheek.The queen along with her mate,Bella’s mates and Marcus all sought Bella out after the meeting with Bella’s human parents.It was a very emotional meeting and the five of them all wanted to see for themselves that Bella was alright.Seeing her daughter sitting on a blanket on the grass with Didyme enjoying the gardens instantly made Athenodora feel better.It was confirmation that Bella was safe and unharmed.

“Hello mother.”Bella replied easily accepting a hug and kiss on the cheek from her father as well.”Hello father.”

Caius sighed happily hearing Bella call him father.It was a nice confirmation of Bella choosing him over the humans.”Hello my darling girl.”

“How are you feeling?”Jane asked giving her own hug and cheek kiss to Bella.

“I’m happy to be outside.”Bella told her.”Hello Tanya.”

Not to be left out Tanya gave Bella a hug and a cheek kiss.”Hello my love.”

“How did it go?”Didyme asked.She figured not well if her time with Bella had been interrupted so soon.Although sad that she didn’t get to spend more time alone with Bella it seems that the others needed to be with the girl more than her.

“We’ll talk about it later.”Caius didn’t want to bring it up in front of Bella as it would just upset the girl.

“Of course.”Didyme easily understood what Caius meant and wouldn’t push.

“How has you time spend with our niece been?”Marcus asked as he took a seat next to his mate.

“Wonderful Bella has shown quite the interest in gardening.I dare say that I have a new partner to help care for the gardens.”Didyme had been extremely happy with the enthusiasm Bella had shown in learning about her plants and flowers.

“I am very happy for you.”Marcus knew that his wife loved her gardens and it was hard to find others who had the patience for them.

“I can’t wait until I have use of my arm again so I can actually help out.”Bella said.

“Maybe we can find you some books about plants to hold you over until you can.”Athenodora suggested.She was pleased that Bella shared an interest with the other queen.It would just help them build a stronger bond.

“I will get you a few from my personal collection to read.”Didyme offered.

“Thank you auntie.”Bella was very interested in learning.Spending time in the garden was relaxing and Bella wanted to be a part of keeping them healthy so that feeling never went away.

Didyme smiled brightly at being called auntie.It brought her great joy that Bella accepted her and the others so easily.Bella brought new life and happiness to the royals that Didyme couldn’t imagine life without the girl.”No problem Bella.”

“Mom I need to go to the bathroom.Can you take me?”Bella asked Athenodora.

“Of course sweetheart.”Athenodora was more than happy that out of her four bond mates Bella chose the queen to help her.It just proved that Bella preferred her over the others as her daughter asked for her the most.She helped Bella stand and then lifted her in her arms bridal style.

“Mom I can walk.”Bella told her.

“Yes you can but as I have told you before I prefer to carry you.”Athenodora turned attention to the others.”We will be back once Bella is done.”

Didyme waited until they were out of earshot to speak.”So what happened?”

“The humans were worse than we expected.”Caius said.

Marcus put his arm around his mate holding her close to his body.”Aro was so emotional after reading the woman that he began sobbing.”

“Aro cried?”Didyme couldn’t believe that.Even when they were human she had never seen her brother cry.

“He did.”Jane confirmed.

“When asked he refused to tell us what he saw saying that he didn’t want to burden us with the knowledge.”Caius explained.

“My god.”Didyme knew for Aro not to talk about it that whatever he saw was horrific.

“The male apparently was planning on pimping Bella out once she graduated high school.”Marcus told her.

Tanya growled just thinking about it.”He said he had made arrangements with the boys from the reservation.”

“The wolves?”Didyme was even more glad that Bella had come to them when she did.She didn’t want to imagine the poor girl having to go through even more abuse than she already had.

“I think so.”Caius said.”I don’t want Bella to know about it now but I think that once she is turned we let her know.Then we will give her the option of killing the whole pack.”

“I would rather we kill them now but I agree giving Bella the chance to take her revenge would be better.”Marcus would prefer to take out the threat immediately but wanted his niece to get her own justice.

“Do you think we should round them up and bring them to the castle?”Didyme asked.She wasn’t a violent woman but wouldn’t be opposed to taking the chance to show her displeasure to those who thought to take advantage of Bella.

“That was one of the things I want to discuss with all of you.”Caius was planning on bringing it up once they all gathered together.

“Bella won’t be able to travel for a while after she is turned so bringing them to the castle would allow us to keep them alive longer.That would give not only Bella the chance to learn how to fight a shifter but the rest of the guard as well.”Marcus said.

“True not many have encountered a shifter before.”Caius liked Marcus’ idea.He knew his mate would as well.”Jane how big was the pack?”

“There were twelve of them from what we observed.”Jane hoped this meant that she was going to be able to hurt the shifters that not only made Bella uncomfortable but thought they had some kind of claim on Bella’s body.

“What do think their capabilities are?”Marcus asked.

“They weren’t trained at all.We were all over their lands and they never caught us.Felix was in a tree when three walked by him not even acknowledging he was there.I doubt it would be hard to abduct them.We would just need to tranquilize them.That way they don't damage the plane while being transported.”Jane knew it would be very easy to capture the wolves.

Caius took a moment to put his thoughts together.”I want you to be in charge of going after them but Bella is going to be having surgery and then be turned.I don’t want you away from her for that.Plus after she is turned you won’t be able to be sent out on missions for at least a few months if not more.How long would it take you to put a good enough team together and be able to get all of them?”

“If you allow my brother to come with me then he could lead his own group and it would be quicker to round them up.”Jane didn’t want Alec to leave the castle while she was away because he was who she counted on to keep Bella safe but it was important to get this done quickly and her brother’s skill would help accomplish that.

“What do you two think?”Caius asked Marcus and Didyme.

“I think Jane should gather her group and leave immediately.”Marcus said.

“I think so too.”Didyme agreed.Anything that would allow them to punish the boys faster she fully supported.

“I will need to talk this over with my mate, Aro and Sulpicia.”Caius knew the three would agree and his mate’s only complaint would be that she wasn’t able to go on the mission herself.

“Is there anything I can do to help?”Tanya asked.She wasn’t part of the guard but she desperately wanted to be a part of this mission.How to do that she wasn’t sure.

“Actually there was something we were going to bring up.You need to start training with the guard.As Bella’s mate and since you have no gift you need to learn how to take care of not only yourself but Bella as well.”Caius told her.

Tanya first reaction was to balk at the very idea of training with the guard but she held back from objecting.What the king said made sense.Out of Bella’s bond mates she was the weakest.Heck when Bella was changed with her gift she to would be stronger than Tanya.That meant Tanya would have to train and who better to make her skilled enough to protect Bella than the guard.”I will begin as soon as you set it up for me.”

“Good.”Caius was happy Tanya wasn’t fighting him on training.He and his mate were somewhat concerned the animal drinker would be against fighting at all.”With that said I am going to search out Aro.I know he wants some time alone but I don’t think he will mind the interruption.”

“I doubt he would for something so important.”Marcus agreed.

“I will leave you to your time with Bella.”Caius told them as he stood and made his way inside.He knew that Aro was taking some time to himself to pull himself together after what he had seen but Caius was positive that he wouldn’t object to the interruption.Especially because it had to do with dealing with the boys who thought they use his daughter.Caius growled thinking about the human who thought he could use Bella to make money by selling her.The king couldn’t wait until he could hunt the man down and break his body slowly before draining him.If Bella wasn’t so against seeing him and the woman again he would wait until she was turned and give both humans to her as her first meal.