52 Weeks
by Wizardtho
Chapter 16:
Once my little fighter of a mate is safe inside the castle, I take the time to get her washed down in a cool bath, then replace the sheets on our bed with the softest set we have. I know she will be extremely uncomfortable for the next few days, even on these, but it is the only thing I can do right now to lessen the discomfort she is enduring.
I stay curled around her limp and silent form for a full two hours -my ear to her bare chest to clearly hear her pounding heartbeats- before there is a soft knock on the door.
I silently close the bedroom door behind me after whispering, “I will be just in the sitting room, Darling. You are safe in our chambers. I will not leave you.”
I call tiredly after hearing the latch catch with a barely discernible sound, “Enter.”
Aro, Marcus, Sulpicia, Jane, Demetri, and Jasper all file in silently before taking up positions around the room. I cut to the chase, “What happened with Edward? Was he caught? My sole focus was Isabella.”
Aro steps forward, surprisingly gripping me in a tight hug before offering, “Strung up in the dungeon, his head in a torture box across the room. Other than his head being detached and him being placed in the chains, he has not been touched, much to all of our displeasure. Jane is itching to get her figurative hands on him.”
I nod, wanting to exact my own form of torture on the boy for hurting my mate, but instead I say, “No. It is Isabella’s sentence to give… her justice to seek… once she awakens. I want two that we trust fully on guard outside the dungeon until Isabella is ready to pass sentence. No one is to enter that room. Call the entire coven in. Aro, if you read a single thought that one of them knew his plans, that person is to receive the same sentence that Isabella deems fit for the boy.”
He nods silently, but I continue in a deep growl, pacing the length of the fireplace, “He nearly killed my mate, Brother. How were we not informed that he was not with the others? Here we are preparing for the fucking Romanians, yet my mate is nearly drained by a god damned Bambi muncher! I don’t care how long it takes, every single person in this castle is being read. If there is any thought of threat, I want their heads laid at my feet!”
Jane speaks up hesitantly, “Master, I fear this is partly my fault. Lady Isabella made a comment to myself and Charlotte today, on our walk through the gardens. She was suspicious of Corin, Master… suspected that she might be trying to use her power against Milady, to erase you from her mind. The headaches, Master… she explained that they were always worse when Corin was near. With Demetri meeting us in the main hall, it wasn’t safe for me to warn him at post-change, and Lady Isabella begged us for just a small amount of time when we posed that she needed to tell the three of you her suspicions. She feared, with how her temper was at that moment, she would come off as an insecure and jealous bitch… her words, not mine, Master. She promised to calm and find how to word her suspicions, then go to one of you with them promptly.”
I shake my head, then run my fingers through my hair. Though I want to lash out, I can not rightly do so. Instead, I say clearly, “If it deals with her safety in any way, waiting is no longer permitted. Am I clear? The same needs to be said for any royal. If safety is even suspected to be compromised, waiting to inform another is no longer allowed, and will be punishable. Isabella will be informed of such upon her awakening.”
Marcus catches my eye when I finish, offering, “The castle is on lockdown, as of Peter’s order during Isabella’s abduction. If you have no further need of me or Aro at this time, we will start weeding through the castle to rid of any suspected threats. Once a team of 4 is trustworthy, they will be sent to bring the coven in.”
I nod, then offer, “Alec is not a threat. He loves his sister too much to ever hurt someone she loves. Today clearly could have gone differently if we had been properly informed, but Jane loves Isabella immensely. You may still read him, of course, but allow him on the mission once he has cleared the protocol.”
Marcus and Aro nod before quickly exiting the room, but Sulpicia stops in front of me. She takes both of my hands, squeezes them gently, then offers in a quiet tone, “Buzz me if you require anything… and please, let me know when you feel comfortable enough to let me see her.”
I nod, pecking her once on the cheek before replying, “I will, Sister. Allow me just a bit of time to let things settle in. I promise to buzz you the minute I am ready.”
I receive a pat to my cheek and a sad smile in response before she leaves to catch up with her mate.
The room is silent for a long moment once I turn to the remaining few. I take a deep breath before saying what must be done, “Jasper, I want you and Peter on the cleared guards. Have Aro or Marcus give you a map of the old passageways and tunnels. Section guards are now required to check each tunnel entrance several times during their shift. They need to make it covert, though, in case eyes are watching. If they find a scent not belonging to another guard while passing the area, or the entrance looks disturbed in any way, we automatically go Code Red, and our mates are secured. I want Charlotte and Jane with them if that should happen… a fighter and a gifted guard. Should Peter have any issues with my choice, have him speak to me directly.”
Jasper nods, then offers, “I’ll go right away, if ya have nothin’ else for me to do, Sir. It’d be good to feel productive right about now, seein’ as I can’t be trusted near the chamber. I’d be too tempted to go in and torture the li’l bastard myself.”
I chuckle my agreement, “You and me both, Whitlock... you and me both. Isabella deserves this opportunity, otherwise, I would have already had his flesh carved crudely from his bones. Go.”
He nods, a devilish glint in his onyx eyes, then leaves the room quickly.
I turn to the final two in the room, Jane and Demetri. “You two have the most important job right now. Isabella is at her most vulnerable until she awakens. As such, my sole concentration needs to be on her. We have no idea whether the Cullen boy had a backup plan, or if any members of the coven were in on it with him. Until further notice, one of you will be posted inside this suite and one outside. You may switch posts every few hours, but make sure to stay well-fed. You both need to be at your sharpest while I am occupied with Isabella.”
They both nod seriously, then Jane offers, “I just had a bag of blood before the alarm, Demetri. I’ll take post outside for now.”
I give her an approving look, then give my final demand. “No one other than a royal, a Whitlock, or either of you is allowed to enter this suite until I give word otherwise.”
At their voicing in unison, “Yes, Master,” I turn on my heels and head directly to my mate. She has squirmed slightly in my absence, causing the silk sheet to hang precariously from the side of the bed, but she has yet to cry out. Her temperature has risen again, so I whisper as I carefully pick her up, “Time to cool you down again, Sweetling. We’ll have you more comfortable in just a moment.”
Over the next several hours, my beast naturally calms, being able to take care of Isabella’s needs solely on my own. My little mate never once cries out, but occasionally she snuggles more closely into my arms while choking out my name. She calms slightly at my touch and the sound of my voice, but I know the tension will not completely leave her body until the fire of the change sizzles out. So, I do all that I can to keep her comfortable, holding her close while retelling her the stories of her life that she related to me. I remind her of our journey thus far, and I tell her in as many ways as possible how special she is to me.
I’m so wrapped up in all of the minute changes happening to my mate as I tell her all of this, that I barely register the turning of pages in the sitting room. When I do notice, I realize 7 hours have now passed, and Isabella’s change is well underway. I smile down at the tiny beauty in my arms, then whisper, “You may enter, Sulpicia, but please keep your voice low.”
I’m not surprised when I hear the book being placed on a table before Sulpicia pokes her head inside the bedroom doorway.
“Are you sure, Caius? I’m content waiting as long as you need, Brother.”
I shake my head, “I’m calm, Cia. Come in.”
She slowly approaches the bed after closing the door behind her, then gently moves a lock of hair behind Isabella’s ear. She smiles fondly at my changing mate, offering softly, “She’s incredible, isn’t she? You know… I thank the stars for her being brought into our lives every night, Caius. Just look at how much closer we are as a family… how much pure love she has given all of us without pause. I was so scared when I saw you giving her CPR from the tower window. I thought… with how long you were tending to her…”
Her last words are choked out, so she shakes her head before continuing. “My heart broke at that very moment, both for you and us as a family. Seeing her lifeless as you carried her in, I was sure we’d be losing you soon, but then I saw the relief in your eyes. I saw the life returning to them as you whispered to her.”
I nod as I stroke Isabella’s cheek, “It was pretty shaky for a while. Cia, I know you never said anything to point out what a stupid decision it was not to allow her to train with mock attacks, but please, promise me you will remind me of this moment if I ever make a stupid decision regarding Isabella’s safety again. If I had just allowed Jasper’s suggestion, Isabella could have had the means to protect herself from the moment Edward entered our suite. We could have gotten to her before he even had the chance to abduct her… hurt her.”
She shakes her head, then explains, “I could see both sides of the situation, Brother. I could sympathize with both points. That’s why I didn’t involve myself. Granted, I thought it best that she be as prepared as possible, both mentally and physically… as I assured Aro that all royals be from now on. Just because she will wake as one of us soon, doesn’t mean she is out of danger completely, Caius. We still do have the Romanians to deal with and Didi to find. It would be beneficial to both Isabella and me to learn as many fighting techniques as possible. I do not plan to be in the midst of the battle, as you know Aro would never allow it, but I still need to be prepared for a situation such as an attempted abduction, or someone trying to get at Isabella while she is with me.”
Though I hate to admit it, defense and fighting techniques are a must for every royal female. We can not rely on only their guards to protect them fully. “After today, I am inclined to agree with you. Not out of fear, but a heavy dose of reality. Charlotte would be a good asset in helping you ladies learn. She would not be alive now, had she not learned quite a few tricks in taking on opponents much larger than herself over the years under Maria’s command. You know how ruthless that she-devil is, plus you see clearly from their many scars how fierce the three Whitlocks are. If you would like, after Isabella awakens, I will speak to Aro on your behalf.”
She smiles, but says in reply, “Thank you, but I don’t think it will be necessary. He was quite rattled by the condition you found Isabella in last evening.”
We sit in silence for a long moment, until Sulpicia smiles down at my mate, “She was beautiful by human standards, but she will be stunning as a vampire. More importantly, though, I am eager to see how your relationship flourishes from this point forward. Even the morning of our first shopping spree, I could see how wholly devoted to you she was, as were you to her.”
I give her a questioning look, but she just chuckles as she shakes her head.
After a moment, she concedes, “Instead of being frightened away by your beast, she begged me to enlighten her about all the ‘lover instincts’ you’d be having, so she could understand what makes both of you tick. She said something to me that I would not have known to look for otherwise… that she knew you fought harder than you let on to all of us, in order to keep your beast calm. She said your beast was calmest… most content to merge with your human side… while you were intimate. She even went as far as admitting to me then that she sees no separation between beast and man when you are together… that you are one in her eyes. That was after only one night of partial intimacy, Caius.”
I am honestly shocked by this revelation, which Sulpicia clearly sees in my expression. She nods seriously, then offers, “So, you can understand why I am eager to watch your mating bond flourish. She’s your home, Brother… your calm away from the storm. It’s good to finally see this side of you coming forth.”
Without another word, Sulpicia kisses both my and Isabella’s cheeks, then silently exits the room.
Once my little fighter of a mate is safe inside the castle, I take the time to get her washed down in a cool bath, then replace the sheets on our bed with the softest set we have. I know she will be extremely uncomfortable for the next few days, even on these, but it is the only thing I can do right now to lessen the discomfort she is enduring.
I stay curled around her limp and silent form for a full two hours -my ear to her bare chest to clearly hear her pounding heartbeats- before there is a soft knock on the door.
I silently close the bedroom door behind me after whispering, “I will be just in the sitting room, Darling. You are safe in our chambers. I will not leave you.”
I call tiredly after hearing the latch catch with a barely discernible sound, “Enter.”
Aro, Marcus, Sulpicia, Jane, Demetri, and Jasper all file in silently before taking up positions around the room. I cut to the chase, “What happened with Edward? Was he caught? My sole focus was Isabella.”
Aro steps forward, surprisingly gripping me in a tight hug before offering, “Strung up in the dungeon, his head in a torture box across the room. Other than his head being detached and him being placed in the chains, he has not been touched, much to all of our displeasure. Jane is itching to get her figurative hands on him.”
I nod, wanting to exact my own form of torture on the boy for hurting my mate, but instead I say, “No. It is Isabella’s sentence to give… her justice to seek… once she awakens. I want two that we trust fully on guard outside the dungeon until Isabella is ready to pass sentence. No one is to enter that room. Call the entire coven in. Aro, if you read a single thought that one of them knew his plans, that person is to receive the same sentence that Isabella deems fit for the boy.”
He nods silently, but I continue in a deep growl, pacing the length of the fireplace, “He nearly killed my mate, Brother. How were we not informed that he was not with the others? Here we are preparing for the fucking Romanians, yet my mate is nearly drained by a god damned Bambi muncher! I don’t care how long it takes, every single person in this castle is being read. If there is any thought of threat, I want their heads laid at my feet!”
Jane speaks up hesitantly, “Master, I fear this is partly my fault. Lady Isabella made a comment to myself and Charlotte today, on our walk through the gardens. She was suspicious of Corin, Master… suspected that she might be trying to use her power against Milady, to erase you from her mind. The headaches, Master… she explained that they were always worse when Corin was near. With Demetri meeting us in the main hall, it wasn’t safe for me to warn him at post-change, and Lady Isabella begged us for just a small amount of time when we posed that she needed to tell the three of you her suspicions. She feared, with how her temper was at that moment, she would come off as an insecure and jealous bitch… her words, not mine, Master. She promised to calm and find how to word her suspicions, then go to one of you with them promptly.”
I shake my head, then run my fingers through my hair. Though I want to lash out, I can not rightly do so. Instead, I say clearly, “If it deals with her safety in any way, waiting is no longer permitted. Am I clear? The same needs to be said for any royal. If safety is even suspected to be compromised, waiting to inform another is no longer allowed, and will be punishable. Isabella will be informed of such upon her awakening.”
Marcus catches my eye when I finish, offering, “The castle is on lockdown, as of Peter’s order during Isabella’s abduction. If you have no further need of me or Aro at this time, we will start weeding through the castle to rid of any suspected threats. Once a team of 4 is trustworthy, they will be sent to bring the coven in.”
I nod, then offer, “Alec is not a threat. He loves his sister too much to ever hurt someone she loves. Today clearly could have gone differently if we had been properly informed, but Jane loves Isabella immensely. You may still read him, of course, but allow him on the mission once he has cleared the protocol.”
Marcus and Aro nod before quickly exiting the room, but Sulpicia stops in front of me. She takes both of my hands, squeezes them gently, then offers in a quiet tone, “Buzz me if you require anything… and please, let me know when you feel comfortable enough to let me see her.”
I nod, pecking her once on the cheek before replying, “I will, Sister. Allow me just a bit of time to let things settle in. I promise to buzz you the minute I am ready.”
I receive a pat to my cheek and a sad smile in response before she leaves to catch up with her mate.
The room is silent for a long moment once I turn to the remaining few. I take a deep breath before saying what must be done, “Jasper, I want you and Peter on the cleared guards. Have Aro or Marcus give you a map of the old passageways and tunnels. Section guards are now required to check each tunnel entrance several times during their shift. They need to make it covert, though, in case eyes are watching. If they find a scent not belonging to another guard while passing the area, or the entrance looks disturbed in any way, we automatically go Code Red, and our mates are secured. I want Charlotte and Jane with them if that should happen… a fighter and a gifted guard. Should Peter have any issues with my choice, have him speak to me directly.”
Jasper nods, then offers, “I’ll go right away, if ya have nothin’ else for me to do, Sir. It’d be good to feel productive right about now, seein’ as I can’t be trusted near the chamber. I’d be too tempted to go in and torture the li’l bastard myself.”
I chuckle my agreement, “You and me both, Whitlock... you and me both. Isabella deserves this opportunity, otherwise, I would have already had his flesh carved crudely from his bones. Go.”
He nods, a devilish glint in his onyx eyes, then leaves the room quickly.
I turn to the final two in the room, Jane and Demetri. “You two have the most important job right now. Isabella is at her most vulnerable until she awakens. As such, my sole concentration needs to be on her. We have no idea whether the Cullen boy had a backup plan, or if any members of the coven were in on it with him. Until further notice, one of you will be posted inside this suite and one outside. You may switch posts every few hours, but make sure to stay well-fed. You both need to be at your sharpest while I am occupied with Isabella.”
They both nod seriously, then Jane offers, “I just had a bag of blood before the alarm, Demetri. I’ll take post outside for now.”
I give her an approving look, then give my final demand. “No one other than a royal, a Whitlock, or either of you is allowed to enter this suite until I give word otherwise.”
At their voicing in unison, “Yes, Master,” I turn on my heels and head directly to my mate. She has squirmed slightly in my absence, causing the silk sheet to hang precariously from the side of the bed, but she has yet to cry out. Her temperature has risen again, so I whisper as I carefully pick her up, “Time to cool you down again, Sweetling. We’ll have you more comfortable in just a moment.”
Over the next several hours, my beast naturally calms, being able to take care of Isabella’s needs solely on my own. My little mate never once cries out, but occasionally she snuggles more closely into my arms while choking out my name. She calms slightly at my touch and the sound of my voice, but I know the tension will not completely leave her body until the fire of the change sizzles out. So, I do all that I can to keep her comfortable, holding her close while retelling her the stories of her life that she related to me. I remind her of our journey thus far, and I tell her in as many ways as possible how special she is to me.
I’m so wrapped up in all of the minute changes happening to my mate as I tell her all of this, that I barely register the turning of pages in the sitting room. When I do notice, I realize 7 hours have now passed, and Isabella’s change is well underway. I smile down at the tiny beauty in my arms, then whisper, “You may enter, Sulpicia, but please keep your voice low.”
I’m not surprised when I hear the book being placed on a table before Sulpicia pokes her head inside the bedroom doorway.
“Are you sure, Caius? I’m content waiting as long as you need, Brother.”
I shake my head, “I’m calm, Cia. Come in.”
She slowly approaches the bed after closing the door behind her, then gently moves a lock of hair behind Isabella’s ear. She smiles fondly at my changing mate, offering softly, “She’s incredible, isn’t she? You know… I thank the stars for her being brought into our lives every night, Caius. Just look at how much closer we are as a family… how much pure love she has given all of us without pause. I was so scared when I saw you giving her CPR from the tower window. I thought… with how long you were tending to her…”
Her last words are choked out, so she shakes her head before continuing. “My heart broke at that very moment, both for you and us as a family. Seeing her lifeless as you carried her in, I was sure we’d be losing you soon, but then I saw the relief in your eyes. I saw the life returning to them as you whispered to her.”
I nod as I stroke Isabella’s cheek, “It was pretty shaky for a while. Cia, I know you never said anything to point out what a stupid decision it was not to allow her to train with mock attacks, but please, promise me you will remind me of this moment if I ever make a stupid decision regarding Isabella’s safety again. If I had just allowed Jasper’s suggestion, Isabella could have had the means to protect herself from the moment Edward entered our suite. We could have gotten to her before he even had the chance to abduct her… hurt her.”
She shakes her head, then explains, “I could see both sides of the situation, Brother. I could sympathize with both points. That’s why I didn’t involve myself. Granted, I thought it best that she be as prepared as possible, both mentally and physically… as I assured Aro that all royals be from now on. Just because she will wake as one of us soon, doesn’t mean she is out of danger completely, Caius. We still do have the Romanians to deal with and Didi to find. It would be beneficial to both Isabella and me to learn as many fighting techniques as possible. I do not plan to be in the midst of the battle, as you know Aro would never allow it, but I still need to be prepared for a situation such as an attempted abduction, or someone trying to get at Isabella while she is with me.”
Though I hate to admit it, defense and fighting techniques are a must for every royal female. We can not rely on only their guards to protect them fully. “After today, I am inclined to agree with you. Not out of fear, but a heavy dose of reality. Charlotte would be a good asset in helping you ladies learn. She would not be alive now, had she not learned quite a few tricks in taking on opponents much larger than herself over the years under Maria’s command. You know how ruthless that she-devil is, plus you see clearly from their many scars how fierce the three Whitlocks are. If you would like, after Isabella awakens, I will speak to Aro on your behalf.”
She smiles, but says in reply, “Thank you, but I don’t think it will be necessary. He was quite rattled by the condition you found Isabella in last evening.”
We sit in silence for a long moment, until Sulpicia smiles down at my mate, “She was beautiful by human standards, but she will be stunning as a vampire. More importantly, though, I am eager to see how your relationship flourishes from this point forward. Even the morning of our first shopping spree, I could see how wholly devoted to you she was, as were you to her.”
I give her a questioning look, but she just chuckles as she shakes her head.
After a moment, she concedes, “Instead of being frightened away by your beast, she begged me to enlighten her about all the ‘lover instincts’ you’d be having, so she could understand what makes both of you tick. She said something to me that I would not have known to look for otherwise… that she knew you fought harder than you let on to all of us, in order to keep your beast calm. She said your beast was calmest… most content to merge with your human side… while you were intimate. She even went as far as admitting to me then that she sees no separation between beast and man when you are together… that you are one in her eyes. That was after only one night of partial intimacy, Caius.”
I am honestly shocked by this revelation, which Sulpicia clearly sees in my expression. She nods seriously, then offers, “So, you can understand why I am eager to watch your mating bond flourish. She’s your home, Brother… your calm away from the storm. It’s good to finally see this side of you coming forth.”
Without another word, Sulpicia kisses both my and Isabella’s cheeks, then silently exits the room.