52 Weeks
by Wizardtho
Chapter 13:
“You didn’t! Caius, I can’t believe you actually spiked Aro’s blood with skunk! Oh, God… I have to ask. Did it taste as nasty as they smell? My dad once got sprayed while wearing his favorite shirt, and I had to throw it away after 15 washes in everything I could think of. The stench just wouldn’t come out, no matter what I used. It was stinking up the whole house.”
Aro makes the most disgusted face I’ve ever seen, offering, “Worse than you can imagine. I was literally scraping my tongue and glutting myself on untampered blood for weeks, Isabella. Weeks!”
Just then, a knock sounds on the door, so I call out while laughing, “Enter!”
Demetri opens the door enough to allow me to see a patch of blonde wavy hair behind him. I call out, “Jasper, get in here! You’re missing the fun,” before Demetri can even announce him.
He walks in and stops in front of me, his bright crimson eyes sparkling as he grins, “Your happiness right now is contagious, Sugar. I love it. I had a li’l fun with Pete and Char on the way up in the elevator because of it. They were rollin’ on the floor, laughin’ so hard they could barely breathe, while Demetri was lookin’ at ‘em like they were nuts.”
I pull him into a tight hug while offering, “I’m glad you’re here, Jasper. The eyes are looking good.”
He gives me a cheeky grin, then nods respectfully to the men in the room before kissing the back of Sulpicia’s hand. When he turns back to me, he asks, “Ready to meet the lug I call brother? He’s waitin’ outside with his mate, seein’ ya didn’t exactly invite him in.”
I look to Caius and Aro, suggesting, “Should we move this little party to your study? I know we have things that need to be settled quickly.”
They both nod, so Jasper guides me to the still-open door. There, standing on the other side of the threshold is a man that could literally be Jasper’s dark-haired blood brother, standing with his arm around a petite ‘girl-next-door’ blonde. What catches my eye, though, are the puppy dog eyes and huge pout that the man is sporting. I let out a deep laugh, “Give it up, Peter. Still not gonna happen. Jane and I have an understanding where you’re concerned.”
Jane chuckles while narrowing her eyes slightly, making my point for me, which causes Peter to grumble, “Damn it, Punkin! That’s just plain wrong.”
Meanwhile, Charlotte just laughs and shakes her head at her mate’s childish games.
Once in the study, I properly greet them before we all take seats. Aro fills them all in while I have something to eat. When he’s done, Jasper comes over to sit on his heels by my chair, saying, “I always knew that ya had an amazin’ heart, Sug. Now, though, I’m just beginnin’ to realize that you’re one hell of a quick thinker. I agree with what ya came up with so far… but I also agree with them, no matter how much I hate to think of the danger it puts ya in. I believe Sulpicia is right about ya havin’ a big part to play in this.”
I nod, having already accepted this, so he asks me, “How well do ya trust Jane and Demetri? What about Caius’ other guard, Corin?”
I shake my head, “I’ve not even met Corin; she’s been out on assignment since before my arrival, so I can’t say about her. My gut tells me that both Jane and Demetri would fight to keep me safe, even if they could lose their lives, and not out of a sense of duty.”
Jasper looks to Peter for a second, who nods, then turns to Caius. “For now, if ya agree, I’d like either Demetri or Jane to be with her ‘round the clock. If neither is available for some reason, call on me or Peter. The fewer people who have knowledge of Bella’s gifts, the better… and her guards will undoubtedly be privy to everythin’ that goes on durin’ trainin’. If they can’t be trusted to do exactly what Bella insinuated -fight for her beyond the call of duty- that means they’re susceptible to the enemy. Greed and power are heady motivators. Do ya agree with Bella’s assessment of both guards?”
Caius nods, not even having to think about it. Then he looks to Aro, who comments, “I agree. Both have pure hearts where Isabella is concerned. They have taken to her outside of their specifications for duty, and would fight to the death for her.”
Marcus adds thoughtfully after a second, “Tightly woven bonds… I doubt even Chelsea would be able to weaken them, let alone break them.”
I smile at that, knowing I’ve made two eternal friends. Peter, seeing that an agreement has been made, says seriously, “We’ll need to figure up a game plan for Punkin’s trainin’, Major… and a story for why we’re stayin’. I think the best thing would be to say that -with the whole werewolves adaptin’ thing- ya called us in to help with strategy. Major’s got the knowledge of how the shifters think and fight, which is pretty much where ya think the werewolf mind frame is goin’, plus we both have livin’ through Maria’s special brand of hell under our belts.”
This time the agreements coming from around the room are quick, but the silence afterward bugs me. After a full two minutes, I finally ask, “Have you settled into your suites? Where are your rooms?”
Jasper smiles in response, “Yeah, Sug… we dropped our stuff off before comin’ here. We’re actually just outside the royal suites.”
Thinking about what I had been planning for tonight, I frown slightly. Jasper notices, so I go sit with him for a moment, offering softly, “Jasper, I’m sorry. I didn’t even think when I asked you to come, about how being around a ton of people all the time would affect you. Will you be alright with so many emotions flying around?”
Jasper chuckles, then kisses the top of my head, “That’s what’s buggin’ ya? Thanks, but I’ll be fine. Doncha worry none, Sugar. Come to find out, starvin’ myself on animal blood for all those years made my gift stronger. Well, to put it more accurately... it made me deal with more, which allows me to have a better handle on things now.”
I sigh in relief, “Okay. You’ll let me know if you need a place to take a break from it all?”
He nods with a smile, “You got it, Sug.”
When we break for the night, Jasper walks with us as Peter and Char decide to check out the garden maze. We reach Jasper’s suite, which is literally the first one outside of the hall of royal suites, and I look to Caius, “Give me just a few minutes? I want to talk to Jasper privately.”
He nods before placing a sweet kiss on my lips, so I turn to Jasper, who is holding his suite door open for me.
Once the door is closed, we take seats in his small sitting area. My hands are fidgeting slightly, but I say, “The eyes really do look good, Jasper. You look all around healthier, which definitely makes me happy.”
A slight smirk graces his lips as he replies, “I know, Bella. What’s really on your mind, though? Ya coulda told me that in the hall.”
I nod, then offer softly, “I confirmed that Caius is my mate this morning. We haven’t… and I know… well, I wanted to give you a heads up, is all.”
He hums, then comes to pull me up into a hug. “You’re nervous. Don’t be. Yes, claimin’s are intense, but ya know by now that Caius could never hurt ya.”
I nod, but then say, “I’m nervous, yes… but only because it’ll be a new dimension to our already intense intimacy. I know he’d never hurt me. It’s just from everything I’ve heard from Sulpicia, claimings are very emotionally profound. Add that on top of it being my first time… well, I just wanted to warn you that you might want to steer clear of this area for a few hours.”
I blush, but Jasper chuckles, “Peter already warned me, Sugar, so you’re a little late on the draw. Anyway, once I put my clothes away, I wanna get a feel for the whispers around the castle… see what the walls are holdin’ for secrets. The sooner I can make sure of your safety inside the castle, the sooner we can get started.”
I smack his arm before saying, “You knew, yet you made me say all that out loud? You couldn’t just stop my fumbling and say Peter had a damn all-knowing moment? That’s mean, Jasper… plain mean.”
He laughs outright, then pats my shoulder, “What are brothers for, if not to let ya flounder around for a bit? Go to your mate, Sugar.”
He taps his finger over my heart, then finishes, “Let him know what’s in here. That’s all that matters.”
I nod, pop up on my toes to kiss his cheek, then make my way to my suite.
Entering the bedroom, I find Caius removing his shoes at the end of the bed. His shirt is already untucked, a bit of his lower abs showing where the material was pulled up. I hum at the sight, leaning against the doorframe as I bend a leg up to take my shoe off. He smiles brightly, “Did you have a good day, Sweetling? I know I particularly loved hearing you laugh so much.”
I grin, taking off the other shoe, then drop them both near the end of the bed before crawling onto his lap. With my fingers winding into his long hair, I reply contentedly, “I had an amazing time today. We need to do that regularly… spend time together as a family, I mean.”
He hums an agreement into my skin, causing me to quickly become engrossed in his attention. When I whisper in his ear, “Make love to me, please,” he backs up enough to look me in the eyes.
I don’t understand why he stopped, but he cups my cheeks before asking softly, “This isn’t because of your cycle being soon, is it? We can find a way to keep my beast calm if you need more time.”
I shake my head, then let him see the full force of the truth in my eyes. “This is because I love you, and I know you won’t leave me… because I want you with an intensity I’ve never felt before. I still have another week before I’m due, Caius, and I am not in any way concerned about your beast being gentle with me. I want to feel you making love to me… to feel us together, wrapped up in each other completely.”
Surprise quickly gives way to love and desire in his eyes. Our clothes scatter the dark wood floor in a blur, but then Caius slows to place me in the center of the bed.
Whispered words of love tickle a slow path across my skin.
Lips caress my breasts, my hips, the inside of my thighs… then finally where I ache to feel him most.
Long, elegant fingers press deep, and I’m lost as my orgasm sweeps over me.
My body flushes, nails scraping up my mate’s marble back as I tremble.
Echoes of Caius’s cried out name ring back to my ears, yet another wordless cry pierces the air as I feel him hitch my knee up and thrust deep.
It’s not a cry of pain.
No… it’s a cry of pure euphoria at finally being united with my mate in the most intimate way.
A cry of shocked awe at how incredible his cool length feels nestled inside my warmth.
A cry of raw passion at how much I yearn for him in this moment… at how brightly my desire for him burns.
Every kiss and touch stokes the embers, while every thrust ignites a new flame in our erotic dance.
The ticking of a clock is meaningless… it has no place here. Instead, time is measured in my heartbeats and his smooth thrusts... in our cries, moans, and loving words.
So, when the sting of his teeth breaching the skin at the cradle of my neck instantly turns into rapture, elation, and satisfaction, I know we will never again be complete without each other.
We are one as mates, and Caius has marked me as such.
I pant heavily as the sensation fades, my hands woven into Caius’ hair as he heals my mark. He hums, giving the spot one last lick, then kisses a line up my throat, “I love you so completely, Isabella.”
I bring his lips to mine, placing a gentle kiss on them, then hum breathlessly in reply, “As I love you, my perfect mate. I think you wore me out, though.”
He chuckles as he moves to spoon up behind me, wrapping his arm over my lower abdomen, “Well, as it is now nearly dawn, I am not surprised. In my defense, though, you had a lot to do with me keeping you awake.”
I chuckle, knowing exactly what he’s referring to… our game of extending each other’s pleasure. We’ve become quite good at it since the night on the rooftop, and I happen to have used the tactic quite a few times during the night. “You know you love it… we both do, my sexy king.”
He chuckles into my shoulder, then kisses it before commenting on the yawn I’m currently making. “We certainly do, My Love… and I wouldn’t change a moment of it. Making love to you completely was an incredible experience. Rest now. I will be here when you wake.”
When I wake, I feel too warm. I frown, finding Caius isn’t next to me, but hear muffled voices through the door to the sitting room. Standing, I run my fingers through my hair, then pluck Caius’ button-down shirt from yesterday off the chair. I button all but the first couple of buttons, and I’m happy to see it covers me almost to my knees.
Walking out to the main room, I’m greeted to good mornings from both Caius and Jasper. I yawn out a good morning, heading straight for the coffee. Once I take a long sip, I kiss the top of Jasper’s head before curling up on Caius’ lap. After giving him a tender kiss, he smiles and offers, “I would have been with you, but Jasper stopped in, as you can see.”
He moves the collar of his shirt, looking at my mate mark for a second, then kisses the spot. At the question in my eyes, he replies, “Just checking on the healing, Darling. All is well. It healed just as it should have.”
Jasper smiles at us both, so I turn enough to show him. He chuckles at my proud grin, “Congratulations, Sugar. Bein’ fully mated looks good on ya. By the way, your few hours needed to be extended by quite a bit.”
I blush wildly, causing Caius to smirk and kiss my flushed cheek. “Yeah, umm… I did try to warn you. Enough about my mate mark and the feelings that produced it.”
I look to Caius and ask, “Has there been any word from the Quileutes?”
He nods, then offers, “I was just speaking to Jasper about their reply. They arrive the day after tomorrow. From the phone call, two elders and two wolves will be in attendance. All have been placed on the first floor of one of the inns in town, in rooms right next to each other, because one is elderly and one needs the assistance of a wheelchair.”
I nod, explaining to both, “That means Old Quil and Billy are the elders. With Billy being Jake’s dad, that means he is one of the wolves. The other would be Sam, of course, since he is pack master. The alpha of the wolves.”
Jasper nodded, “That’s what I thought, too. Makes sense.”
After a second, he continued, “Once ya get around and have some breakfast, I think we should take the day to work on your mental shield, Sugar. I want Demetri in on this because he’ll be able to tell when he can’t see your mate’s mental signature. We wanna see if we can figure out how your shield works, then if ya can push it out to cover Caius. To anyone outside of our little group, it’ll only look like we’re spendin’ a regular day together catchin’ up. We can play cards, take a walk, tour the castle some, or whatever ya want. The point is, ya already partially shield him doin’ everyday things, so we need to keep that goin’.”
I nod in agreement, “Makes sense. I’ll need to be able to do much more without it breaking my concentration if it, unfortunately, comes down to me being in the fight. The more I can do with my shield surrounding others, the better position we will be in.”
“You didn’t! Caius, I can’t believe you actually spiked Aro’s blood with skunk! Oh, God… I have to ask. Did it taste as nasty as they smell? My dad once got sprayed while wearing his favorite shirt, and I had to throw it away after 15 washes in everything I could think of. The stench just wouldn’t come out, no matter what I used. It was stinking up the whole house.”
Aro makes the most disgusted face I’ve ever seen, offering, “Worse than you can imagine. I was literally scraping my tongue and glutting myself on untampered blood for weeks, Isabella. Weeks!”
Just then, a knock sounds on the door, so I call out while laughing, “Enter!”
Demetri opens the door enough to allow me to see a patch of blonde wavy hair behind him. I call out, “Jasper, get in here! You’re missing the fun,” before Demetri can even announce him.
He walks in and stops in front of me, his bright crimson eyes sparkling as he grins, “Your happiness right now is contagious, Sugar. I love it. I had a li’l fun with Pete and Char on the way up in the elevator because of it. They were rollin’ on the floor, laughin’ so hard they could barely breathe, while Demetri was lookin’ at ‘em like they were nuts.”
I pull him into a tight hug while offering, “I’m glad you’re here, Jasper. The eyes are looking good.”
He gives me a cheeky grin, then nods respectfully to the men in the room before kissing the back of Sulpicia’s hand. When he turns back to me, he asks, “Ready to meet the lug I call brother? He’s waitin’ outside with his mate, seein’ ya didn’t exactly invite him in.”
I look to Caius and Aro, suggesting, “Should we move this little party to your study? I know we have things that need to be settled quickly.”
They both nod, so Jasper guides me to the still-open door. There, standing on the other side of the threshold is a man that could literally be Jasper’s dark-haired blood brother, standing with his arm around a petite ‘girl-next-door’ blonde. What catches my eye, though, are the puppy dog eyes and huge pout that the man is sporting. I let out a deep laugh, “Give it up, Peter. Still not gonna happen. Jane and I have an understanding where you’re concerned.”
Jane chuckles while narrowing her eyes slightly, making my point for me, which causes Peter to grumble, “Damn it, Punkin! That’s just plain wrong.”
Meanwhile, Charlotte just laughs and shakes her head at her mate’s childish games.
Once in the study, I properly greet them before we all take seats. Aro fills them all in while I have something to eat. When he’s done, Jasper comes over to sit on his heels by my chair, saying, “I always knew that ya had an amazin’ heart, Sug. Now, though, I’m just beginnin’ to realize that you’re one hell of a quick thinker. I agree with what ya came up with so far… but I also agree with them, no matter how much I hate to think of the danger it puts ya in. I believe Sulpicia is right about ya havin’ a big part to play in this.”
I nod, having already accepted this, so he asks me, “How well do ya trust Jane and Demetri? What about Caius’ other guard, Corin?”
I shake my head, “I’ve not even met Corin; she’s been out on assignment since before my arrival, so I can’t say about her. My gut tells me that both Jane and Demetri would fight to keep me safe, even if they could lose their lives, and not out of a sense of duty.”
Jasper looks to Peter for a second, who nods, then turns to Caius. “For now, if ya agree, I’d like either Demetri or Jane to be with her ‘round the clock. If neither is available for some reason, call on me or Peter. The fewer people who have knowledge of Bella’s gifts, the better… and her guards will undoubtedly be privy to everythin’ that goes on durin’ trainin’. If they can’t be trusted to do exactly what Bella insinuated -fight for her beyond the call of duty- that means they’re susceptible to the enemy. Greed and power are heady motivators. Do ya agree with Bella’s assessment of both guards?”
Caius nods, not even having to think about it. Then he looks to Aro, who comments, “I agree. Both have pure hearts where Isabella is concerned. They have taken to her outside of their specifications for duty, and would fight to the death for her.”
Marcus adds thoughtfully after a second, “Tightly woven bonds… I doubt even Chelsea would be able to weaken them, let alone break them.”
I smile at that, knowing I’ve made two eternal friends. Peter, seeing that an agreement has been made, says seriously, “We’ll need to figure up a game plan for Punkin’s trainin’, Major… and a story for why we’re stayin’. I think the best thing would be to say that -with the whole werewolves adaptin’ thing- ya called us in to help with strategy. Major’s got the knowledge of how the shifters think and fight, which is pretty much where ya think the werewolf mind frame is goin’, plus we both have livin’ through Maria’s special brand of hell under our belts.”
This time the agreements coming from around the room are quick, but the silence afterward bugs me. After a full two minutes, I finally ask, “Have you settled into your suites? Where are your rooms?”
Jasper smiles in response, “Yeah, Sug… we dropped our stuff off before comin’ here. We’re actually just outside the royal suites.”
Thinking about what I had been planning for tonight, I frown slightly. Jasper notices, so I go sit with him for a moment, offering softly, “Jasper, I’m sorry. I didn’t even think when I asked you to come, about how being around a ton of people all the time would affect you. Will you be alright with so many emotions flying around?”
Jasper chuckles, then kisses the top of my head, “That’s what’s buggin’ ya? Thanks, but I’ll be fine. Doncha worry none, Sugar. Come to find out, starvin’ myself on animal blood for all those years made my gift stronger. Well, to put it more accurately... it made me deal with more, which allows me to have a better handle on things now.”
I sigh in relief, “Okay. You’ll let me know if you need a place to take a break from it all?”
He nods with a smile, “You got it, Sug.”
When we break for the night, Jasper walks with us as Peter and Char decide to check out the garden maze. We reach Jasper’s suite, which is literally the first one outside of the hall of royal suites, and I look to Caius, “Give me just a few minutes? I want to talk to Jasper privately.”
He nods before placing a sweet kiss on my lips, so I turn to Jasper, who is holding his suite door open for me.
Once the door is closed, we take seats in his small sitting area. My hands are fidgeting slightly, but I say, “The eyes really do look good, Jasper. You look all around healthier, which definitely makes me happy.”
A slight smirk graces his lips as he replies, “I know, Bella. What’s really on your mind, though? Ya coulda told me that in the hall.”
I nod, then offer softly, “I confirmed that Caius is my mate this morning. We haven’t… and I know… well, I wanted to give you a heads up, is all.”
He hums, then comes to pull me up into a hug. “You’re nervous. Don’t be. Yes, claimin’s are intense, but ya know by now that Caius could never hurt ya.”
I nod, but then say, “I’m nervous, yes… but only because it’ll be a new dimension to our already intense intimacy. I know he’d never hurt me. It’s just from everything I’ve heard from Sulpicia, claimings are very emotionally profound. Add that on top of it being my first time… well, I just wanted to warn you that you might want to steer clear of this area for a few hours.”
I blush, but Jasper chuckles, “Peter already warned me, Sugar, so you’re a little late on the draw. Anyway, once I put my clothes away, I wanna get a feel for the whispers around the castle… see what the walls are holdin’ for secrets. The sooner I can make sure of your safety inside the castle, the sooner we can get started.”
I smack his arm before saying, “You knew, yet you made me say all that out loud? You couldn’t just stop my fumbling and say Peter had a damn all-knowing moment? That’s mean, Jasper… plain mean.”
He laughs outright, then pats my shoulder, “What are brothers for, if not to let ya flounder around for a bit? Go to your mate, Sugar.”
He taps his finger over my heart, then finishes, “Let him know what’s in here. That’s all that matters.”
I nod, pop up on my toes to kiss his cheek, then make my way to my suite.
Entering the bedroom, I find Caius removing his shoes at the end of the bed. His shirt is already untucked, a bit of his lower abs showing where the material was pulled up. I hum at the sight, leaning against the doorframe as I bend a leg up to take my shoe off. He smiles brightly, “Did you have a good day, Sweetling? I know I particularly loved hearing you laugh so much.”
I grin, taking off the other shoe, then drop them both near the end of the bed before crawling onto his lap. With my fingers winding into his long hair, I reply contentedly, “I had an amazing time today. We need to do that regularly… spend time together as a family, I mean.”
He hums an agreement into my skin, causing me to quickly become engrossed in his attention. When I whisper in his ear, “Make love to me, please,” he backs up enough to look me in the eyes.
I don’t understand why he stopped, but he cups my cheeks before asking softly, “This isn’t because of your cycle being soon, is it? We can find a way to keep my beast calm if you need more time.”
I shake my head, then let him see the full force of the truth in my eyes. “This is because I love you, and I know you won’t leave me… because I want you with an intensity I’ve never felt before. I still have another week before I’m due, Caius, and I am not in any way concerned about your beast being gentle with me. I want to feel you making love to me… to feel us together, wrapped up in each other completely.”
Surprise quickly gives way to love and desire in his eyes. Our clothes scatter the dark wood floor in a blur, but then Caius slows to place me in the center of the bed.
Whispered words of love tickle a slow path across my skin.
Lips caress my breasts, my hips, the inside of my thighs… then finally where I ache to feel him most.
Long, elegant fingers press deep, and I’m lost as my orgasm sweeps over me.
My body flushes, nails scraping up my mate’s marble back as I tremble.
Echoes of Caius’s cried out name ring back to my ears, yet another wordless cry pierces the air as I feel him hitch my knee up and thrust deep.
It’s not a cry of pain.
No… it’s a cry of pure euphoria at finally being united with my mate in the most intimate way.
A cry of shocked awe at how incredible his cool length feels nestled inside my warmth.
A cry of raw passion at how much I yearn for him in this moment… at how brightly my desire for him burns.
Every kiss and touch stokes the embers, while every thrust ignites a new flame in our erotic dance.
The ticking of a clock is meaningless… it has no place here. Instead, time is measured in my heartbeats and his smooth thrusts... in our cries, moans, and loving words.
So, when the sting of his teeth breaching the skin at the cradle of my neck instantly turns into rapture, elation, and satisfaction, I know we will never again be complete without each other.
We are one as mates, and Caius has marked me as such.
I pant heavily as the sensation fades, my hands woven into Caius’ hair as he heals my mark. He hums, giving the spot one last lick, then kisses a line up my throat, “I love you so completely, Isabella.”
I bring his lips to mine, placing a gentle kiss on them, then hum breathlessly in reply, “As I love you, my perfect mate. I think you wore me out, though.”
He chuckles as he moves to spoon up behind me, wrapping his arm over my lower abdomen, “Well, as it is now nearly dawn, I am not surprised. In my defense, though, you had a lot to do with me keeping you awake.”
I chuckle, knowing exactly what he’s referring to… our game of extending each other’s pleasure. We’ve become quite good at it since the night on the rooftop, and I happen to have used the tactic quite a few times during the night. “You know you love it… we both do, my sexy king.”
He chuckles into my shoulder, then kisses it before commenting on the yawn I’m currently making. “We certainly do, My Love… and I wouldn’t change a moment of it. Making love to you completely was an incredible experience. Rest now. I will be here when you wake.”
When I wake, I feel too warm. I frown, finding Caius isn’t next to me, but hear muffled voices through the door to the sitting room. Standing, I run my fingers through my hair, then pluck Caius’ button-down shirt from yesterday off the chair. I button all but the first couple of buttons, and I’m happy to see it covers me almost to my knees.
Walking out to the main room, I’m greeted to good mornings from both Caius and Jasper. I yawn out a good morning, heading straight for the coffee. Once I take a long sip, I kiss the top of Jasper’s head before curling up on Caius’ lap. After giving him a tender kiss, he smiles and offers, “I would have been with you, but Jasper stopped in, as you can see.”
He moves the collar of his shirt, looking at my mate mark for a second, then kisses the spot. At the question in my eyes, he replies, “Just checking on the healing, Darling. All is well. It healed just as it should have.”
Jasper smiles at us both, so I turn enough to show him. He chuckles at my proud grin, “Congratulations, Sugar. Bein’ fully mated looks good on ya. By the way, your few hours needed to be extended by quite a bit.”
I blush wildly, causing Caius to smirk and kiss my flushed cheek. “Yeah, umm… I did try to warn you. Enough about my mate mark and the feelings that produced it.”
I look to Caius and ask, “Has there been any word from the Quileutes?”
He nods, then offers, “I was just speaking to Jasper about their reply. They arrive the day after tomorrow. From the phone call, two elders and two wolves will be in attendance. All have been placed on the first floor of one of the inns in town, in rooms right next to each other, because one is elderly and one needs the assistance of a wheelchair.”
I nod, explaining to both, “That means Old Quil and Billy are the elders. With Billy being Jake’s dad, that means he is one of the wolves. The other would be Sam, of course, since he is pack master. The alpha of the wolves.”
Jasper nodded, “That’s what I thought, too. Makes sense.”
After a second, he continued, “Once ya get around and have some breakfast, I think we should take the day to work on your mental shield, Sugar. I want Demetri in on this because he’ll be able to tell when he can’t see your mate’s mental signature. We wanna see if we can figure out how your shield works, then if ya can push it out to cover Caius. To anyone outside of our little group, it’ll only look like we’re spendin’ a regular day together catchin’ up. We can play cards, take a walk, tour the castle some, or whatever ya want. The point is, ya already partially shield him doin’ everyday things, so we need to keep that goin’.”
I nod in agreement, “Makes sense. I’ll need to be able to do much more without it breaking my concentration if it, unfortunately, comes down to me being in the fight. The more I can do with my shield surrounding others, the better position we will be in.”