NOTES: I am so sorry for the delay in this update. I am aware I left you all on a bit of a cliff hanger with the last chapter so I hope having this now will make up for it. The chapter may raise more questions but I hope it reassures you all that our girl makes it after my cruel little ending last time. Be patient, I cannot predict my next update as I'm still unfortunately homeless but it will answer any questions that arise from this chapter.
Again, a massive massive thank you for all the support you have continued to show this story and my other works, it truly is an honour and a pleasure to wrote for you all. Shout out to my baby sisters Kaz and T who have just discovered I write on here. You two are an absolute blessing and I am so thankful for your love. You truly do give me the strength to keep fighting every day.
All my love Nell xoxo
Chapter 14
"NO!!!, GET AWAY SHE'S MINE" Bella vaguely hears as wind whips in front of her face and the teeth are gone from her throat in an instant. A loud snarl of protest escaping her would be killers lips as she blinks her eyes open to see what had or whom had saved her. Through the blurry haze of fear she sees the backs of Sulpicia and Didyme crouched in front of her, relief flooding through her momentarily before the reality of just how close she came to dying at the hands of Edward Cullen forces her throat closed and her lungs to restrict painfully as she feels the cold sensation of her own blood trickling down her neck from where his teeth had started to pierce through her skin.
Looking around her she tried desperately to see what was going on around her as the fighting continued, the sounds seeming to grow as the seconds passed. Snarls angrier and growls much more fierce. Though she can't see much, just snippets here and there of vampires she recognises. Victoria is in the furthest corner from her fighting what looks to be a body builder, her fiery red hair startling in the grey of debris. Rosalie and Emmet are fighting back to back and from what Bella can see they make an impressive team. Neither moving without the other. So in sink she'd compare them to those synchronised swimmers she saw one summer with her mother when she had accompanied the scatter brained woman to her hobby of the week down at the local leisure centre. Though she knew better than to think there was any comparison, the beauty and grace of her vampire sister could not be rivalled, except by her queens of course.
Athenadora had Carlisle in a headlock, seemingly unaffected by the man's desperate thrashing as he tried in vain to free himself from the much more powerful vampires clutches. His head slowly being pulled from his body in a way that Bella would guess to be extremely painful. She couldn't see much else of what was going on around her, the other vampires moving much to fast for her eyes to pick out any detail of the fight. Blurs of colour and the clashing of bodies the only indication that anything was happening at all.
She had no idea just how things had got so out of control, she hadn't considered her family losing but the longer the fight drew on the more room doubt and insecurity had to fester in her mind. The thirty or so scraggly looking new-borns should not be posing the level of challenge they seemingly were to her very skilled and gifted vampires. Yet she couldn't help but worry the fighting would all be for nought, not being able to see clearly what was going on was not helping her in the slightest as her heart continued to beat frantically, as if it were meaning to beat right out of its protective cage within her and she did not know her body could produce so much sweat as it ran down her spine, her fear palpable, no doubt driving every vampire in the room more and more into a frenzy because she knew every vampire present was working on instinct and the scent of her blood and fear would not be helpful.
She still couldn't see all of those whom she had come to love as her family and the worry for their safety only worked to add to her fear. She understood why the queens were fighting, why they were all fighting for her but she doubted her life was worth the possible catastrophic loss her family would suffer in her place. Doubt filled her heart, she truly wasn't worth the destruction around her. These vampires, her family were sacrificing themselves for her. Rosalie her sister, the woman whom had a past that very much mirrored Bella's own, creating an unbreakable bond between blonde and brunette that rivalled the importance and strength of both the mating and maternal bond. Esme her ever loving, patient mother whom had been everything she could wish for in a parent. Giving her a taste of the security and complete unconditional love she should have always known. Her queens, her stubborn, beyond beautiful inside and out, courageous, level headed, possessive mates and Tanya, her mother by name and bond only, their time together stolen by an already madman teaming up with a recently emerged madman strung and completely intoxicated on the scent of his singer. She hadn't had a chance to properly get to know the woman, her demeanour much more commanding than even her mates could be, her presence demanding respect and complete obedience in a way that equally confused and terrified the brunette. She may never get the clarification on that, if things didn't go there way here, no matter how hard she so desperately desired them she thought as her midn continued to spin.
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Isabella scanned the room in front of her again for what must have been the twentieth time, trying to spot as many of her family's faces as possible. Esme, Alice, Rosie, were still in one piece. Emmet, Jasper, Victoria, Jane and Alec also didn't look all that harmed now that they had apparently slowed down enough for the human girl to get a visual on them. Continuing to scan she felt her heart swell in relief when her eyes landed on her mates, all three were currently locked in a battle with five new-borns whom had surrounded them, forcing the queens to fight back to back in a way that Bella was sure they would only ever trust each other to do. And although she wanted to help them desperately she could see that despite the new-borns posing a challenge, her queens were calm in appearance, a stark contrast to how she imagined they would be feeling but she trusted them. If they were calm she wouldn't let herself worry. There was far more to fret over after all. The sounds of clashing bodies having not decreased in the slightest as dust, debris and vampires continued to fly around her in clouds of grey ash.
Though no matter how much of a confidence boost seeing her mates had given her nothing could have prepared her for the sight that greeted her as her eyes landed on Tanya. Isabella felt her heart squeeze, her breath catching painfully as her mind processed what was happening in front of her. Tanya lay on her back on the floor, her right arm missing and her legs twisted at a painful angle, Edward hovered above her his legs pinning her torso to the ground as the blonde hissed and struggled as hard as she could. Edward seemed to have been taunting her and by the blind fury and hatred on Tanya's face it wasn't anything she was likely to want to hear.
" Mama" the desperate, whispered word escaped Bella's lips without permission, Edwards onyx eyes snapped up to meet her own at the same second as Tanya's face whipped round in her direction, Bella could see the desperation, the pain and most prominently the love and conviction in the black eyes of her new found mother, her soul clenched agonisingly as she understood the thousand words of apology and love in those eyes as Tanya said goodbye with just a look. A look that tugged painfully at Bella, burning itself permanently into her mind, one she never wished to have ever seen on anyone she cared for.
No!!! Her mind cried. She couldn't die, Bella couldn't let her die. She had to do something. She had to because she couldn't lose her, couldn't let Esme lose her mate and she couldn't stand the thought of losing the mother she didn't even know she had until earlier that day. She didn't think the thought would cause her so much pain because she had everything she could need in a mother in Esme's ever patient, ever loving and caring manner, she didn't need anyone else but yet she couldn't stand the thought of losing the chance to get to know this woman. This woman who had taken one look at Bella and formed a bond with her so strong that she had willingly walked into a battle to protect her, had willingly put her own life on the line to make sure that she wouldn't suffer the fate of Edward and Carlisle. Something that her own biological mother would never do for her, she couldn't help but feel the desperate longing to at least have the chance to get to know this woman, to know what it would feel like to curl up with her mothers, to have someone else to talk to, to hold her, to love her, someone else she could love just as much as Esme, just as much as she had longed to love Renée all her life. No she couldn't lose her, not yet, not ever she supposed because human or not she felt their bond, she felt it as deeply as was humanly possible and the thought of losing it terrified her.
" NO!!!" Her voice was much louder than intended as Bella reached out toward Tanya at the same time Edward seemed to move to deliver the final blow. The room around them froze at the hysteria in her voice, every vampire turning in her direction as the brunette flung her arms out as she pushed herself of the wall and began to sprint towards where her mother lay, Edward still in motion. At the same time she felt that agonising pressure in her mind again build up and release within seconds, the force of her mental shield flying outward, Edward being propelled backwards, crash landing through the wall by an invisible force that Bella could only assume had correlation with her shield. She stumbled, trying to get over towards Tanya, her mind swirling with only one clear thought.
She had to get to her mother.
Her mind felt like it was blinkered, her soul focus the woman who still lay on the floor, the blondes eyes filled with an emotion she couldn't process at that moment were locked with Bella's own as the brunette continued forward unsteadily. Sinking to her knees by her mothers head.
" Mama" she whispered again, lifting the blondes head up gently onto her lap, stroking the hair back from her mothers face, all the while holding eye contact, unable to look away. Later she'd find out that she was reacting solely on instinct, her body and mind pushing her to protect the woman who it knew to be her other mother despite the newness of their bond. It was what they had meant when it was explained to her about how quickly their bond would develop due to their circumstances. It developing rapidly in a bid to protect them. She's sure if she was thinking more rationally she would have realised that, though currently all she cared for was being by her mother. Certain that if she took her eyes of her even for a moment the blonde would disappear.
All sound had ceased for her, except the sound of Tanya's ragged breathing. So focused was she that she didn't register the fighting had come to an end. Edwards forces neutralised and the vile man taken prisoner to be dealt with by the queens at a later date. Athenadora wanted to take her time in punishing the vile creature before ending his pathetic existence. The usually kind-hearted Didyme and proper Sulpicia agreeing in this instance.
She didn't know how long she sat there staring into her mothers eyes, though it was certainly long enough for the black as night shade to leave Tanya's eyes as they returned to their golden colour, albeit a much darker gold than usual.
A hand landing on her shoulder snapped her out of her daze as she reacted without thinking, hissing and crouching over her mother protectively, not even realising just how like her vampires her current behaviour was. If she had she wouldn't have cared all too much, all she wanted to do was protect Tanya, her mother was hurt and human or not she wouldn't let anyone else hurt her.
"Hush little one it's just me, it's all over now" Esme's voice was tender as the woman crouched down beside the brunette and her mate. Cupping her daughters chin and bringing her eyes up to meet her own. Smiling gently when she saw the moment of recollection in Bella's eyes.
"You have to help her" Bella whispered, her eyes pooling with tears after she had scrutinised Esme for injuries, as she broke away from Esme's gentle grip to look upon her other mother again, who's head she still held protectively in her lap. Now that she had conformation that the danger was over she found herself calming slightly.
"I'll be alright darling" Tanya murmured as she shakily brought a hand up to stroke her daughters face soothingly, attempting to reassure her fragile child despite her own agony.
"Just hold her head like you're doing little one and keep your eyes focused on her" Esme spoke quietly, not wanting her child to witness as she had to reattach her child's other mothers limbs, brushing a kiss against the girls forehead as she stood to move around to the other side of her mate so she could begin helping her.
Bella obeyed, sifting her fingers gently through her mothers hair as she held her gaze, offering up a weak smile in an attempt to pull herself together a little. She didn't understand her reaction to Esme, nor the overwhelming need she had to stick beside Tanya. She had thought she would be desperate to find her mates, her sister but somehow knew deep down that they were okay, it was her mother who wasn't, her mother who needed her now and she couldn't fight against it. She wasn't even sure she wanted to.
"She'll be okay Bella, she just needs fresh blood now and she will be back to normal" Esme told her coming back to sit beside her daughter and placing a comforting hand on the girls lower back.
"Promise?" She whispered though her question was in response to Esme it was directed at Tanya who winced slightly before replying.
"I promise though it has to be human, there's too much damage for animal blood to do much in the way of healing me darling" she explained, looking guilty for having to go back on five hundred years of human blood free feedings.
"It will be a while before we can get someone out to gather a human, this part of the castle is in ruin and we have several body parts missing, that and I refuse to not burn any parts from his little army I won't take any chances of one of them having the sort of gift that would allow them to regrow" Athenadora's voice cut in and Bella glanced behind her in the direction of her mates voice to see all three of her queens plus Rosalie approaching cautiously. Bella noticed her mothers tense as the vampires approached and was a little confused when the reaction caused them to halt in their movements forward. Each one tilting their heads slightly with there palms out in surrender.
Looking to her sister for an explanation Bella raised an eyebrow, having to stifle an annoyed grunt or growl (she wasn't sure which) when Rosalie looked far too amused. At the very least her look was enough to prompt an answer. " Instincts Isabella. Your eldest mother is severely hurt, which means Esme is running on instinct right now. You being human and their shared bond child means that despite me being your sister or the queens your mates, Esme still isn't comfortable with us being too close and she won't be until Tanya is better. Her beast won't like the idea of four vampires near you when her mate is also vulnerable and she wouldn't be able to protect you both at once" Feeling a tad silly for not thinking of that herself, Bella simply smiled in thanks before offering her queens an apologetic yet loving smile before turning back to her mothers. " Mama?" She questioned gently.
" Yes little one?" Tanya whispered.
"Seeing you like this makes my heart feel like it's going to stop, please drink from me, you need to heal" she admitted honestly, blushing a little as she looked down, knowing it was a massive display of her own trust and faith in her mother. She remembers having the conversation with Rosalie, when her sister had spoke about the bonds they shared, she had explained to Bella that feeding within a bond no matter the type of bond was seen as a sacred act. Something that was only permitted if the human in the bond brought it up. Truthfully she had wanted to speak to her mates about it, knowing that it would be a way she could help provide for her queens until she was turned. Rosalie had told her it would help strengthen the bond between the human and vampire. She let her chin be guided upwards to look at Esme as her mother smiled.
"Are you sure Isabella?" The brunette vampire whispered tenderly, her eyes gentle and understanding with something akin to pride dancing in them.
" Yes" Bella responded her voice less hesitant. "Tanya is my mother, we may not know each other well but that isn't through choice, I will not sit back and allow my mother to suffer longer because we can't get out the castle to get her human blood when I can do something about it." She explained, looking away from Esme and locking her eyes with her mother, who's eyes had darkened again, and Bella could only guess it was due to the talk about blood. "I trust you mama" she continued, hoping Tanya could see just how much she truly meant what she had said. She did trust the blonde, trusted the bond between them, she could feel it in the way her shield had reacted to seeing the woman harmed, in the way even still despite the danger having passed she couldn't find the want to move away from her at all. This woman was her mother after all, time they had known each other be damned. Vampire bonds didn't take into account human emotion and attachment, they simply were far more powerful and she wasn't about to try and fight her own instincts on this because she knew it was something she could do to help.
Bella watched as Tanya's eyes filled with venom tears as she smiled tenderly, seemingly lost for words as she offered a weak nod in response before she let Esme lift her torso from Bella's lap and prop her up against the half crumbled wall behind her so she could feed easier. Esme then came back over to Bella and she took the hand offered to her as her mother guided her to sit in her other mothers lap, whom she nuzzled gently as she settled in response to the arm that came up around her waist to hold her tight.
"Your wrist will be best little one" Esme whispered in her ear as she crouched beside them, intent to supervise just in case. Not that she for a second thought Tanya couldn't control herself or that any harm would come to her child from her mate.
Bella nodded, smiling gently again as she lifted her wrist to Tanya's lips, letting herself relax into the woman's hold even as sharp teeth pierced her skin and her mothers eyes turned solid black before closing tight. A small purr of pleasure escaping the vampires throat. Bella felt her mother begin to stroke her side soothingly as she fed, Esme brushing the hair back from both of their faces as she watched on.
The feeling of her mother feeding was a strange one, it wasn't painful as she had expected it to be. Like it had been with James back when he had tricked her into meeting him alone and he had bitten her. It felt a little uncomfortable but wasn't anything particularly unpleasant.
"We can control whether or not we want a bite to her little one, it's why you don't feel any pain because the last thing your mother wants is to cause you harm" Esme spoke quietly seemingly reading the confusion from her face.
"Its all about venom, if venom is used to penetrate the skin it will hurt, your mother didn't do that" Esme continued and Bella closed her eyes, her shoulders slumping as she relaxed even more now she knew what was going on. Resting her head a little awkwardly on Tanya's shoulder due to her wrist being in the way. Letting her mother drink as much as she needed and was safe.
She sat comfortably in silence with her two mothers, at some point she had brought her free hand up to her mothers cheek as she fed, resting it there to let her mother know she was alright. The woman having opened her eyes to watch her with questioning eyes to determine how she was doing as Bella watched the cracks and damage to her mothers face, arms and neck slowly heal.
As Tanya pulled away, she licked the wound, sealing it and placing a tender kiss to the slightly inflamed skin. "Thank you moje milé dievča" the blonde whispered as her eyes met Bella's. They were now a light gold with a shimmer of red through them that Bella thought looked quite beautiful in her mother.
"Anytime" she whispered back, meaning it, throwing her arms around the blonde as she was held tightly. Content to simply let the moment last as she reassured herself that her new found mother was going to be okay now as her body continued to heal.
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Notes:
Moje milé dievča – my darling girl in Slovak.
