Chapter Three

Jasper tells the children to go upstairs and remain in the playroom with the door locked. Manny ushers his siblings upstairs and carries Annabelle up. I grab his hand and kiss his forehead softly. Manny smiles with a small head nod and I watch him with sad eyes go up the stairs. Jasper puts arm around my waist to kiss my head to reassure me. We walk to the back door to meet this person. I take deep breathe when the door opens, but Jasper keeps his arm around me protectively. The moment we step outside, I catch the person scent and recoil a bit.

"Marinna," the person says. They remove their hood to show us it it Marcus. "I heard you lost your father not too long ago."

"What are you doing here and where is your guards?" I growl.

"Aro allowed me to come and see you when I learned of your loss. I am sorry, Marinna," Marcus says. My eyes sting from trying to hold back my tears. "I know I have no right to be trying to make up for all those years, but I am here for you."

"How did you know about Billy's death?" I ask.

"I was informed in a letter from Matthew and your husband," Marcus says. I stiffen and slowly turn my head to look at Jasper. He looks at me with a calm face, knowing what I am going to be doing next. I step away from him and punch his arm.

"How could you?! You had no right to tell him anything! You are my husband and you are supposed to be on my side!" I scream. Jasper reaches out to touch me, but I jump away from him.

"Marinna, you were heartbroken from losing Billy. He was one of your two fathers, Marcus is still alive and he is still your father," Jasper says. I shake my head and ball my hands up into fists. "Marinna, please calm down."

"How can I remain calm?! My husband betrayed me in telling the man that donated his sperm to make me about my father's death! You had no right to tell him or have him come here!" I scream. My body begins to shake from my anger.

"Jasper did not ask me to come and see you. I came on my own free will," Marcus says. I turn to him and growl lowly.

"Stay out of it, your presence here is not welcome. I told you that years ago that I would not accept you into my life after you abandoned me all those years ago! You let mama die and never came for us, your own children, and defended us! I have no love for you!" I scream even louder. My heard begins to pound with the need to charge at someone.

"Marinna, look at me please," Jasper says. I look at him and see he still has a hand out to me and he is smiling a little. "Look, I only did what was right in telling Marcus. I hoped he might write to you in hopes of lifting your spirit a bit. Billy would not want you hate Marcus."

"Do not tell me what Billy would have wanted," I growl and let the tears fall down my face finally. My heart breaks a little while my body begins to shake.

'Marinna, no matter what, I will love you and always will. I will watch over you and your family from heaven with your mother and Sarah at my side. If your father does come back in your life, listen to him and try not to hate him too much. He might have found you in the hopes he felt it was the right thing to give you a good life,' Billy's voice says. I close my eyes and let out a loud scream. While falling to my knees, I clutch my chest while screaming more and more. Jasper runs over to me and he grabs my arms. I push him away and scream at him. Marcus walks over slowly, falls to his knees and lifts my chin to look him in the eyes.

"Marinna, I am here now. I know I was not there for you in your time of need, but Billy was there in my stead. Now, I am here in his stead forever and ever. I loved your mother with all my heart and I have always loved you and Matthew. I am here for you, my little princess," Marcus says. A small memory that I have never remembered plays. It was of when I was a baby, Marcus was holding me with a big smile on his face. He said something like that and kissed my forehead before putting me in mama's arms.

"Papa?" I say weakly. Marcus smiles with his hands on my cheek, wiping my tears gently.

"That is right, princess, I am here now," Marcus says. I hug him tightly and bury my face against his neck to hide my sobs. Marcus holds me tightly while rubbing my back and cooing to me. "I am never going to abandon you ever again, Marinna. My sweet, darling, Marinna."

"Papa," I sniffle. Something jabs me in my back and I stiffen a bit. Jasper roars and I look up to see he is fighting off a few guards. I look at Marcus to see his eyes are glassed over and then someone walks from the trees. Aro and another girl walks out towards us. I push Marcus away and try to crawl away, but my body is too stiff for me to move very fast.

"You fell for his little trick quite well. Chelsea was able to make him even more loyal from his feelings. It was interesting to see her gift had strengthen with practice from seeing what you did. Now, you are coming with me seeing as how you are unable to protest or run away," Aro says.

"What did you do to me?!" I snap, but whimper at the sudden reaction.

"I had Marcus inject you with some venom of mine. Just a bit, because your wolf side cannot take any venom that is foreign to you. You will not become a vampire, I promise, because I need you in one piece and as you are right now," Aro says. He kneels down to graze his knuckles against my cheek. "You have shown so much potential in gifts and breeding. I wish to create more of you for a few reasons of mine."

"Screw you," I spat. My head falls back against the ground to see Jasper looking at me. I nod my head to him and he closes his eyes for a moment. Aro picks me up in his arms and lays my head on his shoulder.

"Jasper, you will do right to inform your family of this. I expect to see Alice and Matthew at our home in one week's time. I will take good care of your wife," Aro says. My eyes wander to the window upstairs to see Manny standing at the window with Christine and Christian at his side. They have angry looks on their faces, but they remain still at the window. Manny puts his hand to the window to me and I smile at my brave boy. He mouths two names and I slowly nod, before the darkness takes over my sight and I am weightless. Jasper roars out my name when I go limp and Aro takes off with me.