When The Cat Becomes The Mouse 37

“I don’t think we were followed.” Athenodora said as the group which consisted of the queen, Rosalie, Victoria, Bella, Irina and Kate made their way into the villa.The plane ride to Italy had been filled with anxiety and worry.Bella had yet to wake up and the vampires were close to panic.The only good thing was her temperature had not spiked again and continued to be stable.After they landed Tanya, Carmen and Eleazar had broke off from the group to go to the castle to have a meeting with the queens to make any of Carlisle’s spies think Bella was there instead of at the villa Athenodora had driven her group to.

“Just to be sure I’m going to run the perimeter.”Kate wasn’t going to take any chances when it came to Bella’s safety.

“I’ll go with you.”Irina figured it would be good for Kate to have backup incase they actually came across someone.

“Where is the safest place to put her?”Victoria asked.

“My personal quarters are the best place.”Athenodora said leading Rosalie towards the stairs with Victoria trailing behind them carrying Bella.

“You have your own room?” Rosalie asked surprised. She would have thought being mated the triad would share a room.

Athenodora stopped outside of a door and opened it revealing a room with no bed but an oversized couch, tv, bookshelves filled with books, an ensuite bathroom, with walls decorated in various paintings of conflicts the queen had been involved with.”My mates and I find that having a place to ourselves is important so that we can still maintain our individuality and not get lost in our connection like we are prone to doing.”

Rosalie wasn’t sure how she felt about that. She couldn’t imagine not wanting to be close to not only Bella but Victoria as well and she wasn’t even mated to the redheaded vampire. From what she heard the queens were actually mated to each other.”I’m not sure if Bella would like that.”

“After a few centuries you will understand besides even if we have our own rooms we still have a shared one. So we aren’t apart all the time.”Athenodora told them.

“Why is this the safest room?”Victoria asked. She agreed with the queen about having their personal space for each of them but she was more of the thought it would just be for a chance to have private time with Bella. It might be the newness of the bond but Bella had made her displeasure known about being separated from her mates and Victoria doubted once the human was turned that she would suddenly be ok with spending time without them.Not that Victoria minded of course.

“There is a safe room behind that bookcase.”Athenodora moved a bookcase away from the wall and revealed a metal door behind it.”It would take at least a dozen vampires working together to even have a chance of opening this door in less than an hour. The entire room is made of that material so it can’t be easily breached.That would give us enough time for reinforcements to arrive and take care of the threat if we are not able to ourselves.”

Victoria laid Bella on the couch.”That would work out perfectly.”

“Do you have any blankets or pillows?”Rosalie asked.

“I’ll go get some.” Athenodora was happy that Didyme had a fondness for such things because if she didn’t they wouldn’t have any in the house.

Victoria moved to prop Bella up.“Let’s get her to drink some more water.”

“The perimeter is clear. We found no signs of anybody”Kate said as she and Irina raced into the room.

“Any changes?”Irina asked as she looked at Bella’s still body.

Rosalie shook her head.”Nothing.”

“What can we do?”Kate felt helpless as she looked at Bella.She was a woman of action and didn’t like not being able to do anything.

Athenodora came back in the room carrying more pillows and blankets than could fit on the couch.”For now we watch over Bella.”

“Do you think the others will be here soon?”Irina would feel a little bit better when the other three members of her coven were there with them.

“I have no doubt that not only will the rest of your family but the other two queens and some of the elite guard will be here within the hour.”Athenodora was actually expecting her mates sooner than that.

“Wouldn’t that be bad? Rosalie asked.“I mean people would definitely be suspicious if the queens suddenly went on a trip.”

“There is a hidden entrance that we use when leaving the castle.That way no-one knows when we aren’t there.”Athenodora told them.

“That’s good.”Victoria didn’t want to bring any attention on them.

“I wish she would wake up.”Rosalie said earning murmurs of agreement from the other vampires in the room as they all settled down waiting for either Bella to wake up or the others to join them.

After an hour of standing silently watching over their human Athenodora’s predication was proven right.All the vampires prepared for the worst when they heard the front door bang open and the sound of numerous vampires racing up the stairsJust as the queen was about to attack she was hit with the scent of her mates.Relaxing she opened the door not at all surprised when Didyme rushed past her.”Hello my loves.”

“How is she?” Sulpicia asked as she made her way over to Bella.

“No changes.” Athenodora told her.

Didyme ran her hand over her daughter’s face.”Even sleeping she is gorgeous.”

“We got word a little while ago that the vampire you captured has woken up.”Sulpicia said unable to keep her eyes off of Bella.The queen was afraid if she looked away the girl would disappear.

“Thank god.”Rosalie sighed a breath of relief.”That means Bella will likely be waking up soon.”

“It was less than an hour after Kate woke that she did last time.”Victoria felt a bit hopeful hearing that news.

“Have they questioned him yet?”Athenodora asked.

Sulpicia nodded.”The man was not only very confused but extremely afraid.He apparently has a gift that renders him invisible to those who are looking at him.”

“So a shield then.” Eleazar concluded.

“No it’s more like he can influence the mind to look the other way.”Sulpicia explained.” His gift has never failed him and the fact that he was not only caught but was attacked has him beyond traumatized. I was informed that the man gave up all the information he knew because he was afraid he would be hurt again.”

“At least something positive came out of this.”Tanya would have preferred Bella hadn’t been hurt but at least it made the prisoner more cooperative.

“The man has told us that while Carlisle has people surrounding the property and knew that vampires showed up they didn’t know it was the guard. The man was sent to get close so that he could get the number of vampires that were on the property and get the identity of the allies that Tanya called in.”Sulpicia told them.

“Vic.”Bella mumbled catching the attention of the entire room.

Victoria squeezed the hand of Bella’s that she was holding.“I’m here Bella.”

“Bella can you hear me?”Rosalie asked as she lay her hand on Bella’s cheek.

“Bella we need you to wake up.”Athenodora said.

“Dora.”Bella groaned.

“That’s right. Now you need to open your eyes.”Athenodora softly demanded.

Bella whimpered.“It hurts.”

“I know sweetheart but you need to open your eyes so we can make it better.”Rosalie told her.

“Ugh.” Bella didn’t think she had the energy to actually open her eyes. She was tired and her head was killing her.”I can’t.”

“You can.I know you can.”Victoria encouraged her.

Bella opened her eyes confused because she was not in her room in Alaska.She actually didn’t know where she was at all.”Where am I?

“Shit.”Rosalie cursed.

“What’s wrong?”Kate asked rushing to Bella’s side.Looking at Bella’s eyes she cursed as well.”Shit.”

“What is it?”Didyme asked in concern.

“Bella how is your vision?”Victoria asked.

Bella looked around at the random faces of the vampires in the room confused at the shock on each one.”I see just fine.”

“How many fingers am I holding up?”Rosalie held up four fingers.

“Four.”Bella answer.

“So you can see everything around you?”Athenodora asked.

“What is going on this time?”Bella hated when they were cryptic with her.

Victoria picked Bella up and brought her to the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror.”Now you see why we were concerned.”

“What the fuck?”Bella whispered as she saw what was concerning everyone. Her eyes were completely void of color. No pupil, no rises, no ring of black.Nothing.There was just a white that almost looked silver when the light caught it where there was supposed to be.”How am I not blind?”

“I don’t know.”Victoria didn’t understand what was going on at all.

“How’s your head feel?”Rosalie asked as she joined them in the bathroom.

“It hurts.”Bella told her.

“Do you want to take a bath or a shower now that you are awake?” Victoria knew that Bella would want to wash the sweat off after being out for so long.

Bella nodded not able to take her eyes off her lack of eye color.”Yeah a shower would be nice.”

“Why don’t we have Rosalie help you with that?”Victoria would like to join them but they were still in danger and she didn’t want to let down her guard just yet.

"Are you sure?”Rosalie more than wanted to but didn’t want to be selfish.

Victoria nodded.”I’ll get you guys some clothes.”

“Thanks.”Rosalie said as she started undressing Bella.She was worried because Bella hadn’t taken her attention away from the mirror.Bella also wasn’t reacting to Rosalie removing her clothes. Rosalie had to physically lift Bella’s legs to get her pants off.After she finished undressing Bella and herself she turned the shower on.Rosalie wasn’t sure what was going to happen but Bella needed to be changed soon. Her eyes were more than enough proof that next time she used her gift Bella wouldn’t be left unscathed. With the dangers coming Bella definitely wouldn’t be safe as a human any longer.Rosalie dreaded having the conversation about it because she knew the queens would want to have a say in who was actually going to turn Bella.Hopefully Bella would get her bearings back by then because Rosalie knew she was the only one who would be able to calm everyone down.