Ban Together Chapter 12

Bella was at a loss of what to say. She wasn’t really sure why she had blurted out to not attack Rosalie or Emmett. Well, that’s not entirely true. Emmett had always tried to include her and have fun with her. He always had a smile on his face when she was around and had always tried to make her laugh when she was mad at Edward for something or annoyed with Alice and her Bella Barbie time. Emmett was a good buffer to have when she was at the Cullen house and things were getting to be too much. He was always able to read her moods without her having to say anything; not that she would actually ever say anything but with Emmett she at least didn’t have to.

Rosalie though, well, she had always been a bitch. Plan and simple, the blonde didn’t like her and likely never would. The blonde was always quick to point out how Bella never belonged in their world. The blonde was a fan of reminding them all how there would be a lot of dire consequences if Bella was ever found out by other vampires. Now that Bella truly knew the dangerous situation Edward, and extension Carlisle because the coven leader never did anything to stop his oldest turned, had put them all in, she was actually impressed that Rosalie did all she could to try and protect her family; regardless of how fruitless her attempts were, it was still admirable that she tried.

Because of those facts, Bella was sure there was more to the story of what exactly the Cullen’s had done, were doing and why. The had to be a lot more to the whole story about everything than what they were aware of and the only way to do that would be to talk to someone that knew; to talk to one of the Cullen’s.

“Rosalie never lied to me.” Bella found herself truthfully saying. It was the best defense she could come up with on the spot; the only explanation that made her talk in defense of the blonde and her mate. “She and Emmett have always been honest to me and never made me do anything I didn’t want to do. Rosalie was always warning me about getting close to her family, about how much danger I was putting everyone in. Emmett just wanted me to be happy and even saved me from arguments with Edward and being dragged along with doing what Alice wanted when I really didn’t want to.”

“Alice was always too pushy for her own good.” Kate muttered, “Always thinking her visions made it so she could always get what she wanted, never realizing that regardless of how manipulative she was, if someone didn’t want to do something, she really couldn’t, or shouldn’t, force them.”

“What exactly did Alice force you to do?” Jane asked in a deadly serious tone that had Bella answering her as quickly as she could. If that little runt, she was ignoring the fact that they were basically the same height, made her mate do anything untoward or out of line, Jane would take pleasure if torturing the little seer. No one forced her mate to do anything.

“She forced me to play dress up.” Bella said with an exaggerated frown and even made sure to shiver in disgust; that vampire was way too obsessed with looks for someone that already had vampire looks on their side. The look Jane gave her mate was a ‘seriously?’ look and Bella couldn’t help but jump to defend herself, even as several of the other vampires in the room chuckled at her. “What? I’m not a person that likes dressing up all the time; I prefer just wearing whatever clothes I can afford and to be comfortable. Alice always tried to get to wear a couple different outfits a day because she claimed every occasion has a different outfit and would always buy tons of clothes for me to try on. It was not only really boring but always made me feel uncomfortable.”

Kate quickly wrapped her arm around Bella, pulling the human into her as she looked over the brunettes shoulder to look at the blonde that didn’t seem very convinced that Bella had been slighted, “Trust, if that pixie gets her claws on you to try on clothes or to go shopping; it’s basically an all-day event if not longer if you’re a vampire. I’m sure Bella was probably forced to try on things or go shopping and then guilt tripped into not taking bathroom or food breaks to optimize their time to do what Alice enjoys.” Kate explained, trying to sound serious even though being forced to dress up or go shopping were the least of their concerns when it came to the pixie like vampire.

“It can be her own form of torture.” Irina added in a dry tone with a small grimace. She definitely liked shopping, but the one time she went with Alice, it felt more like a mission of life or death than something to do for fun or even functionality.

“Well, then I assure you, you will not have to go on day long shopping excursions if you do not want to.” Jane added, wanting to assure her mate she could protect the human against something she didn’t like, regardless of how insignificant the thing is.

“Such a fierce warrior.” Athenodora said with a snort. She never thought she would see the day that one of her most feared warriors would be protecting someone from shopping trips. Even with all her years, the world could still be such a strange place to her.

Sulpicia laid a hand on her mate’s shoulder, more as a way to keep her mate from saying something offensive than from wanting physical contact with her; though that was always a bonus as well. “I’m sure Jane means well and if it means something to Bella, then that’s all that really matters.” Sulpicia meant well, but the mirth in her eyes said that she found the whole thing just as amusing as most others in the room.

Bella could easily see the hurt look that just for a second passed through Jane’s eyes, clearly offended and put off that she was being made fun of for ‘protecting Bella’ from shopping. “Don’t worry Jane, I really appreciate it. I really don’t like shopping and some of those trips with Alice would take days of recovering because of all the walking and heavy bags I had to help carry.” Bella said with a small frown.

Those words were more than enough for Jane to perk right up at being praised by her mate, especially since Kate hadn’t received the same treatment. Jane brought her hand to cup Bella’s face, leaning in as close as she could without touch either Bella, as a sense of teasing, and not touching Kate’s hand or arm out of a sense of disgust, “I will always be your first line of defense against anything you don’t like.” She purred, only to get zapped by Kate before she could even see what type of reaction she got from her mate. “Don’t you dare do that again.” Jane growled at the smirking blonde, making sure not to lunge forward because she didn’t want her mate to get hurt. The soft touch on her mate’s cheek turned to her hand gripping her shoulder. What comfort touching her mate brought was practically thrown out the window at the smirk Kate was giving her.

“Do what?” Kate asked with such faux innocence that Jane couldn’t help but lean closer to sneer better at her. “I was just making sure to keep your ego in check.” Kate said as she leaned forward, into her mate to make sure Jane knew her sneer/glare wasn’t scary at all to the blonde succubus.

“Says the one with just as big of an ego.” Irina said with a snort, Tanya’s hand on her shoulder making sure she didn’t add further insult and take up Kate’s attention. As much as Tanya would never admit it, Irina knew that Tanya, and everyone else watching for that matter, was very much amused with the new dynamic that was Kate, Jane and Bella. It was interesting as hell to watch the two very much big ego vampires bend to the will of the human that was much, quite literally at the moment, stuck in the middle.

Kate only managed to give her sister the middle finger before Jane took her attention again, “My ego has nothing to do with you electrocuting me because I let our mate know that I am willing to protect her against anything.” Jane growled, this time inching closer to the offending blonde, pressing deliciously against her mate. If it wasn’t for how annoyed she was at the blonde, she would have given herself more time to truly take a moment to think about the joy she was feeling at touching her mate.

“Don’t exaggerate!” Kate yelled, “I did not electrocute you. But I can if you want.” She said with an evil glint in her eye, “I didn’t think you had that kind of kink given what your gift is.” Kate said and instantly had a Jane lunging at her.

At least, she would have if there hadn’t been a human in the way.

Bella, for just a moment, was incredibly worried that there was a chance that she was about to be in the middle of a vampire brawl of who had the biggest… whatever they were comparing.

As Jane had launched forward, much slower than she would have normally because even in her anger her subconscious still recognized that her mate was right in her path and very much human, Bella wrapped her arms around the angered blonde.

“Don’t fall for her tricks,” Bella told Jane as she wrapped her arms around the blonde, causing Jane to stop in her tracks and just feel her mate against her. “I haven’t known her long, but I already know she likes to cause trouble and isn’t against annoying people for her own kicks.”

“I do not.” Kate said, only mildly offended but not really, because her mate wasn’t wrong. She did take advantage of pressing against her mates back; no reason not to look a gift horse in the mouth right?

“I’m getting a little hungry, there is food here I can cook, right?” Bella asked, only realizing she was asking if a castle full of vampires had food. They could very well have a lot of food to keep pretenses up since they did technically live around a ton of humans. The Cullen’s had to, certainly the Volturi did as well with how many of them there were and with all the tours going in and out of the castle.

All of Jane’s anger and annoyance had immediately melted away and needed and being able to provide for her mate. With just a quick glare towards the annoying blonde that didn’t know when to act her age, she stood from her seat and held a hand out towards her mate to help her up as well, “We do have food and we also have a kitchen that you are more than welcome to utilize.” She said as she inwardly preened at the fact that Bella didn’t hesitate to place her hand in her own.

“Thank you Jane.” Bella said as Jane pulled her to her feet. She turned back at Kate when she felt the taller blonde hesitate on releasing her hold on the human. “Don’t look so put out Kate, you can come with us. There’s no need to pout.” Bella said with a grin, knowing the other woman wouldn’t like to be called out.

“I’m not pouting.” Kate instantly said as she stood up. “I’m just annoyed that Jane here has anger issues and attacked me while you sitting with me.” It was a weak excuse because any vampire would know that there was literally zero chance of Jane hurting her mate; but that was the best she could come up instead of admitting that she just really liked having Bella pressed between the two vampires as a Bella sandwich. Kate didn’t think that admission would go over very well.

“You’re annoyed because you didn’t get your way.” Bella corrected as Jane started to lead them out of the room with Kate right next to them. “Whatever it was that you were trying to do didn’t work and now you’re annoyed and pouting like an overgrown child.”

“Because she is an overgrown child.” Jane dryly added as they walked down the hallway.

“Why are you guys ganging up on me? You’re not even ganging up on me in the fun way.” Kate pouted.

The others continued to listen to the triad’s conversation and briefly smelt the human’s blush as Kate continued talking about all three of them being in several different sexual situations. Unfortunately for Bella, Jane wasn’t exactly a prude that many thought she was or even looked like with her sometimes stern librarian type look so Bella wouldn’t be able to look to Jane for help because, even though neither of them would even admit it, they were both likely thinking the same if not similar things.

“So what exactly are we going to do with the Cullen problem and nomad problem?” Tanya asked once the triad was out of hearing range. They would catch those three up later but for the moment, they would all be able to talk and come up with a plan without the newly mated triad getting distracted and distracting everyone else.

“Carlisle is as good as dead as far as I’m concerned.” Athenodora said as she kept her eyes pointed down as she thought about all the threats placed against her new daughter. It was unacceptable.

“And of the rest of the coven?” Carmen asked, “The young human did request keeping Rosalie and Emmett alive; perhaps those two really were doing their best when paired with a coven leader that couldn’t care less about the laws.” The blonde and brunette Cullen’s had always amused Carmen. Those two that acted like mates so much so that their own coven leader thought they were mated. Carlisle hadn’t even recognized that the supposed couple never had alone time in the decades they were first together; if it had been a normal vampire coupling for the first time, they likely wouldn’t have stopped having sex unless they needed to hunt for quite a while. They should have been inseparable but Rosalie had no qualms visiting them on her own every few years for a few months. There was no way Rosalie and Emmett were mates; regardless of what they said.

“We don’t want to pass judgment without knowing the whole story. But for now, especially since my new niece has requested it, Rosalie and Emmett are safe for now.” Didyme assured the Spaniard.

“But the others are as good as dead as far as I’m concerned.” Sulpicia said with an evil smirk as she planned all the gory deaths that would be carried out in the pursuit of protecting her daughter.

“Let them come to us and we’ll deal with them on our own turf.” Athenodora said with deathly promise in her eyes as she stared at the other coven leader, “You’ve done your part of leading them to us by simply letting them know you are here. Victoria is sure to follow for at least revenge and Carlisle won’t care if she dies. Alice will be a problem but not for now because all we’re deciding is to stay here and protect Bella. That’s all she’ll see. We’ll deal with Victoria and her proclivities to create newborns in our backyard.”

“And we will give you our aide as well.” Eleazar spoke quickly, forgetting it was his coven leaders jobs to give their support. When he sent her a sheepish look at speaking out of turn, Tanya didn’t even look his way, not at all bothered.

“As far as we’re concerned, since Bella is Kate’s mate, the human is already our sister and we protect our own.” Tanya affirmed Eleazar’s claim, “We will help in whatever way we can.” She promised.

“Good, the more soldiers we have, regardless of how outmatched our enemy is, is always good.” Athenodora said with a smile that promised of pain, “It will be fun to finally go into anther battle.”