Believe me Chapter 18

The sisters had talked about when the right time would be to bring up their recent discovery. They all decided with so much going on and Bella’s life in danger, it would be best to wait until after James had been killed and Bella’s life went back on track. They didn’t want to overload the teenager more than was necessary and having a vampire tracking trying to kill her was more than most people could handle. Yet Bella seemed to be taking everything in strides. She even took to being influenced by pheromones better than even most vampires.

But Irina was much too quick to anger when it came to her family and having Bella placed in what she believed to be the most dangerous situation a human could find themselves in was pushing her too far. She wouldn’t stand for it. But with Kate siding with Jasper and Jasper’s friend, well, there was only so much sway she had when it came to deciding war plans; especially since war wasn’t her forte like it was for Kate.

Since she couldn’t keep Bella away from the fight no matter how hard she tried or what she said, the next best thing would be to add her pheromones to Bella. It wouldn’t harm the girl or make her act any differently, like what had happened with Edward, it would only let vampires know the human had a vampire protector. That was all she wanted, her scent on Bella to be used as added protection, it was an instinctual need on her part. She meant nothing negative about it.

“We meant to explain everything once James and his newborns were dealt with. We didn’t want to add more to your plate Bella.” Irina said, having moved from her seat to stand with her sisters, with her mates, across from Bella.

Tanya placed a hand on her sister’s shoulders to provide the woman with some the strength to control her emotions. Tanya had seen the maternal bond with other vampires and knew everyone reacted differently to it. Kate was a fighter, she would fight the world for Bella, which was another reason she wanted Bella near her during the fight: to keep her under Kate’s watchful eye. Irina would sooner smother Bella with her love than leave her to face any sort of danger; she would rather lock Bella up to protect her from the world than risk Bella facing any sort of hurt the world may offer. But Tanya, Tanya just wanted her to live her life to best of Bella’s abilities. She wanted to make sure Bella had every opportunity to accomplish what she wanted, to be able to do what she enjoys and if that meant protecting her from her likely overbearing sisters, well, it wouldn’t be the first time she had to step in when her sisters went too far.

“There are several bonds vampires are capable of forming.” Tanya said in her coven leader voice, garnering everyone’s attention and ensuring the Cullen’s wouldn’t dare interrupt her. “You see, just as humans have bonds, so do vampires. Humans are able to bond as parents, children, siblings etcetera. But as vampires, we don’t have those blood relationships as humans do to force the bond unto us, instead, whatever power that is that allows vampires, shifters and werewolves to exist, also gives us an ability to form those bonds. Some see it as a way to try and tame our aggression towards humans.” Tanya said, doing her best not to sneer towards the Cullen’s.

The Cullen’s talked about having bonds with each other, about having these sibling and parental bonds with each other, when in fact they did not. They liked to float the bonds they created and say they are comparable to actual bonds when in fact, they paled to actual bonds. It irked her on most days that Carlisle would continue his lies when most of his coven didn’t believe him; but that was his own life to live, not hers.

Bella looked towards Victoria to see what she thought about what all the Denali leader was saying, but Victoria wasn’t giving anything away. She only kept a steady grip of Bella’s shoulders, keeping Bella pulled into her; which Bella didn’t mind one bit. But it also meant she didn’t know what Victoria thought about what Tanya and her sisters were saying. Bella had a good idea what they were trying to say, and taking a really long time to say it. But she didn’t know what to think about it. After what she was led to believe about the Cullen’s and her connections with them, she was loathe to believe other vampires. Except for Victoria, there was no mistaking how she felt about the redhead. She didn’t know what she felt about these new blondes yet.

“We have a maternal bond with you Bella.” Tanya said, deciding it was better to come out with the bond than dragging out the explanation even more. She didn’t want to be compared to the Cullen’s who apparently didn’t want to share anything with the human. But sharing everything with her could leave to information overload. Bella was more than capable of asking questions if they didn’t tell her enough. “What Irina was doing was using her pheromones but not in the way Victoria thinks.” Tanya, stopping herself to both allow Irina to explain her own actions and because of Victoria’s warning growl.

Bella’s face scrunched in confusion, she didn’t want pheromones used on her regardless of if what was in the same way as Edward or not. She’s had enough of pheromones and vampires, she was sure Victoria had only used hers to make her smell like the redhead and nothing else; not like Edward. She wanted nothing to do with vampires and their pheromones and vampires that did what they wanted with or to Bella without any consideration to Bella herself.

“You were using your pheromones on me, without asking or even telling me? Were you going to try and control me like Edward did?” Bella asked with an angered tone, she wanted nothing more to do with anyone similar to Edward. “You thought that was okay?”

Victoria growled, upset on her mates’ behalf and upset the Denali’s, after promising to help and upset themselves about what Edward had done, did the same thing. When they were done with James and his army, she was going to take Bella as far away from these people and their false promises. In the end, she would do what her mate wanted, but in the meantime, she didn’t mind picturing abandoning them all and living far away from these people.

Irina was mad with herself. She knew better than to use her pheromones to lay claim when she had no right to do so. She was over a thousand years old, she knew better than to act like Kate.

“I’m sorry, I acted much faster than I should have without thought.” Irina said, desperately wanted to hug Bella and beg for forgiveness. She had gotten her and her family in trouble more than once with her quick actions instead of thinking things through; unlike Kate who frequently acted without thought and annoyed everyone around her, Irina seemed to only do so when it involved people outside of her family. She had been told on several occasions from her mates that her quick actions could get her killed some day. “I swear, all I was going to do was put my scent on you, I wasn’t actually using pheromones to do anything besides scenting, that’s it.”

“How do I know that though?” Bella asked, “I didn’t even know you were doing it in the first place without Victoria saying anything. Were you even going to tell me?” Bella angrily asked.

Irina took a step forward, wanting to comfort her human but stopped herself because she had to earn that right and at the moment, she was far from being allowed to comfort her. She had a lot to do in ways of earning that right.

“I am very sorry, I swear I will never do it again.” Irina swore, “I just felt overwhelmed with Kate’s plan and putting you in such danger, I wasn’t thinking.”

“It’s a good plan.” Kate muttered just loud enough for Bella to hear.

“Please Bella, forgive me, coming into a new bond can be difficult for a while as both parties figure out where they stand within the bond, I am learning.” Irina explained, “I was presumptuous and won’t do that again.”

“Perhaps you are mistaken in having a bond with Bella then?” Carlisle interjected, more than aware of his mate’s, or his wife given recent developments Carlisle was still unsure about, disproval of the so-called bond. He knew Esme felt a maternal pull towards the human and was devastated when they had to leave. To hear someone else claim to have a maternal bond with Bella was very upsetting to his mate, former mate; he was sure she was struggling to keep her mouth closed. “Perhaps in all the upheaval of James attacking and coming here, you have misread the situation?”

“Watch your words Carlisle, I’d hate to find cause to question your loyalty.” Tanya threatened as her sisters growled. It was an unspoken law even the Volturi upheld: never question a bond, never lie about a bond.

“Of course.” Carlisle said in an apologetic tone, aware his mate would be giving him an ear full when they were eventually alone.

Irina was about to start pleading for forgiveness again, ready to offer anything she could to get back in Bella’s good graces, but the scent of two unknown vampires reached them, their footsteps soon followed. Every vampire in the room tensed.

“We have two visitors.” Victoria said in a tense tone. Her gift wasn’t warning her, so she assumed they wouldn’t do her or her mate any harm but not knowing who it was, was very unnerving.

“Who?” Bella asked, worried it was either someone from James’ group or shifters.

“It’s not shifters, I would have known.” Leah said, debating with herself it would be worth fighting with Esme to go downstairs to help fight if needed or stay in bed as her imprint had demanded her to.

“If it was anything to be concerned about, Alice would have told us by now.” Esme murmured into he mate’s ear. She had moved to not only sit next to Leah to wrap herself around her wolf, but to also restrain the wolf from getting up when Carlisle spoke up. After their previous fighting about Esme breaking up with him and Carlisle not approving the break up, hearing the male vampires voice tended to set Leah’s anger off. Esme wanted to keep close to Leah incase the impulsive wolf decided to fight someone on her behalf; the wolf had already threatened to do so many times since she was in the bed, Esme was starting to believe the wolf actually would. It was very endearing.

“There’s no need to worry.” Jasper spoke up as he walked towards the front door with a smile, “They are my friends, the ones I was talking about. They’re here to help, to make sure we won’t lose.” Jasper said as the doorbell went off. “Charlotte and Peter are my friends, I promise they mean no harm to us.”

“I believe that’s the most touching thing you’ve ever said about me old friend.” A male voice with a prominent Southern drawl said with a teasing voice. “I think your mate must have a little too much influence with you.” He said, quickly followed with what sounded to Bella like two rocks hitting each other.

“Be nice you two,” A female voice said, “Now, go be a nice gentleman and introduce us to your human you’ve asked us to protect.”