Sight Unseen 34

“Look Hank I’m sure you are a great guy but why are you still hanging around?”Bella asked the ghost. Rosalie with her arm wrapped around Bella guided the human through the airport making sure to glare at anyone who stared at Bella while she talked to the empty air next to her. Rosalie was pleased that Bella was comfortable enough with them that she would have open conversations she just wished this ghost would leave Bella alone. Rosalie had to give him thanks for helping Bella learn how to shield everyone’s minds but Bella had finished doing it before they checked out the hotel to make sure Alice and Emmet were shielded. The ghost still hadn’t left though. Bella talked to him about a bunch of random of things but it was nothing important to what they were dealing with now or in the future. It made Rosalie see how much space the ghosts took in Bella’s life. Since meeting Bella Rosalie hadn’t seen her have a single day when she wasn’t working on something for a ghost. Even at the fair Bella got bothered. Yes they did probably save a bunch of people but Rosalie wanted her mate to have a break.

“Hank still hasn’t left?”Kate wanted him to go so she could finally talk to Bella. Hank had been hogging all of Bella’s attention since he showed up.

“No he’s still here.”Rosalie told her.

“I understand it’s exciting to talk to someone who is alive.”Bella paused and listened to Hank.”And I agreed to do that for you in thanks for you helping me.”

“What did Bella agree to do?”Tanya hadn’t heard of Bella agreeing to anything.

“I’m not sure. Irina did you hear Bella agree to anything?”Rosalie had been listening to Bella’s conversation with Hank since he showed up but didn’t hear Bella agree to anything.

”No I haven’t heard Bella agree to anything and I really don’t like that she did without asking us first.”Irina was also annoyed with the ghost because Bella kept her attention on him the whole plane ride and Irina get the chance to snuggle her daughter like she wanted.

“In her defense she has been doing this since she was a kid. I doubt she even realizes that she needs to include the rest of us.”Garret didn’t think Bella gave the group a second thought when making a deal with the ghost.

“Fine let’s get to the real reason you are sticking around. I know it’s something you don’t want to ask when the others are near me. So tell me what illegal, immoral things am I going to be involved with.”Bella was tired of talking in circles with Hank.

“That means we are going on another mission.”Kate was very excited to be doing something sketchy for the ghost.

“Let’s hope not.”Rosalie didn’t want to go any missions. She wanted to have some time alone with her mate before they dealt with Victoria.

“I’ll do it but you understand that it is not very mature of you. I know what she did but.”Bella was cut off by Hank.”You are right. After you are dead you don’t have to be mature and I agree with you she was very wrong to do that. So I will do the first part when I get home and the second might take me a few days because of the other stuff I’m dealing with. I suggest you go follow her around so you can watch the fallout happen right away.”

“I don’t like the sound of that.”Tanya led the group into the carpark towards the van they used. Walking up to the van she unlocked it, opened the back and put her stuff in it. Everyone else following her lead.

“I love the sound of that.”Kate liked anything that involved the word fallout. It meant that something dramatic was going to happen and Kate loved drama.

“Yeah yeah you’re welcome. I just wish you would have gotten to the point sooner.”Bella grumbled.

“I guess that means Hank has been talking to Bella to make it easy to convince her to do what he asked.”Rosalie was very annoyed by Hank wasting all that time.

“Yes I remember the names, email addresses and your wife’s address. Like I said I’ll do the first part when I get home so if you don’t want to miss her reaction when she finds out I would leave if I were you. Sure I will write that. Once again you’re welcome and thank you for the help.”Bella sighed when Hank left. She stumbled into the van only to be caught by Irina and pulled into the seat next to her.

“Did he leave?”Rosalie asked taking the seat on the other side of Bella.

“Only after finally making the request he wanted to ask about before we even said hello.”Bella told her.

“You said there will be a fallout due to that request. What are we dealing with this time?”Kate asked.

“We aren’t dealing with anything. I am going to hack into some bank accounts and move money around, send a few emails then I am going to fill a box with dog shit and send it with a letter from Hank to his widow.”Bella wished ghosts weren’t so petty.

“What the hell?”Rosalie was sure she heard Bella wrong.

“Why are you stealing people’s money?”Tanya felt that was the most important thing to focus on as she drove out of the airport to Forks.

“When Hank died he left his second wife as the executor of his will. They had spoken about it when it was written and his wife agreed that she would make sure that his children would get to take whatever of his belongings they wanted and get a share of the insurance money and the rest of Hank’s assets. When Hank died his wife sold everything she could, took the money and moved to Florida to live on the beach. She refused to let the children have anything not Hank’s belongings, the insurance money or any of Hank’s assets. Hank feels like she only married him because he was wealthy and didn’t truly love him because she ignored his wishes after he died. Hank asked me to take whatever money she has left and split it up between his kids. I agreed.”Bella thought it was a good deed.

“Why didn’t she want to take care of her own kids?”Irina couldn’t imagine stealing from Bella.

“That’s the catch. They aren’t her kids. Hank’s first wife died and the second wife didn’t come into the picture until the kids had moved out of the house. She has no emotional connection to them.”Bella explained.

“It kind of seems she really did just marry him for the money doesn’t it.”Garret said.

“I don’t know how I feel about you stealing from her even if she deserves it.”Tanya felt it was wrong to allow Bella to commit a crime even when Tanya felt the crime was justified.

“I’m sad to say it doesn’t matter how you feel about it. Hell it doesn’t matter how I feel about it if I don’t do it Hank will pester me until I do and let me tell you ghosts are very creative when they want to get to me to do something for them. After all this time I know it’s just easier to agree and pray that I don’t find myself in an abandoned building searching through a dead guy’s pocket looking for a lottery ticket again.”Bella told her.

“Again?! When did that happen?”Kate really hated that she missed out on all the adventures Bella went on before they met.

“When I was 15. A guy died during a drug deal gone bad but bought a lottery ticket before it happened. He actually won a lot of money and had me go to the building and get the ticket out of his wallet and give it to his wife. Who was a lovely woman that deserved better than that guy.”Bella had not been impressed with that ghost.

“How long had the guy’s body been there?”Garret asked.

“Long enough that even the Vick’s Vapor Rub I put under my nose didn’t cover the smell and his pockets were glued to together due to the liquid that leaked from the body.”Bella didn’t think she would ever get used to the smell of a dead body.

“How did you know to put that under your nose?”Rosalie did not like the sound of Bella touching dead bodies.

“Television. I was watching a cop show and they did it. I have used it many times. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn’t.”Bella preferred when it did.

“Do you deal with a lot of dead bodies?”Tanya was going to make sure that Bella told her about all the things she had been involved in over the years. Tanya thought it would be good for her daughter to talk about it because it wasn’t healthy for Bella to deal with it on her own.

Bella shrugged.”More than I would like but not enough to really complain.”

“Bella you are my hero.”Kate was totally in love platonically with Bella. The girl was amazing.

Irina made a note to speak to Tanya about Kate again. She didn’t want her sister to influence her daughter.“Bella you should be complaining about dealing with any dead body. It’s not normal for a human teenager to see dead bodies let alone touch one.”

“It doesn’t matter if it is normal for a human teenager because nothing about my life is normal. I am errand girl for the dead, have two soul mates who I’m set to spend eternity being madly in love with when I haven’t even been on date with Rosalie nor have I met Victoria yet, vampire parents who see me as their child that I have no clue how I feel about them, am destine to save a vampire queen and will likely be hunted by the kings once they find out about both my gifts and how powerful they really are. Oh and don’t forget they all come with families that think I am super awesome even the dead sister and mother.”Bella took a deep breath and looked at Irina.”I was never meant to be normal. Dead bodies are just a par for the course for me.”

Irina immediately reacted by unlatching Bella’s seatbelt and pulling the girl into her arms. She hadn’t realized how much stress Bella was under until right that moment. Irina was actually shocked the girl hadn’t had a mental breakdown yet.”I’m sorry fate has given you such a hard life. It’s not fair to you at all. I’m also sorry that we pushed our way into your life without asking how you felt about it. That was also not fair to you. I wish I could make this better but I am ashamed to say I don’t know how.”

“That’s the thing Irina. Nothing ever makes it better. No matter what I do it never makes a difference.”Bella let Irina hold her because she knew it made the vampire feel better. Bella however would not give her false words. She respected Irina to much to lie to her.

“How can we help you?”Rosalie wanted to make Bella feel better. She knew that Bella dealt with depression but had naively thought that going on the trip and spending time with everyone had brought Bella some happiness. She hated that she was wrong and didn’t notice how hard of time Bella was having.

“I think I need a good nights sleep. When I wake up in the morning things will look different. They always do.”Bella couldn’t offer anything other than that.

“When we get to the Cullen’s we will keep the others away from you so that if any ghosts want to talk to them they will have to wait.”Tanya didn’t want Bella to get bothered.

“Bella you said you talked to someone’s dead sister. Who was it?”Kate was going to brainstorm with the other about ways to make Bella happy. She was sure that they could up with something.

“Anne is Victoria’s biological sister and her coven mate.”Bella told her.

Irina started putting the pieces together in her head. If Anne was a dead vampire and Victoria was with two men one that was faking a mate bond that meant.”Is the rest of Anne’s coven alive?”

“No all but Victoria and one other are dead. Victoria thinks that person is dead though. Other than that it’s not my place to tell her story.”Bella felt like it was betraying Victoria by telling her secrets. She wondered if that was the bond already working.

“How much do you know about Victoria?”Rosalie asked.

“I know everything about Victoria. From her human life since she was child to her turning, living with her first coven, them all dying except Victoria and the other person, how she got involved with James and Laurent, what they have been doing all these years and how she really feels about James’ sick hunting game. Anne didn’t leave anything out. I dare say I know Victoria more than the two men she has traveled with for centuries.”Bella knew that Anne told her so that she wouldn’t shun Victoria for her choices after her coven was killed.

“That’s crazy to know everything about someone you have never met.”Kate said.

“I know a lot about many people I have never met. Ghosts love to talk about everything even if you don’t want to listen.”Bella knew more about strangers than she did herself.

“How are you feeling about this Victoria situation?”Tanya wanted to gauge Bella’s mindset.

Bella took a moment to answer.”I know you all don’t trust Anne but I think she was being truthful about the mate bond. If not she would have just asked for my help outright. How I feel about it though I fell horrible for Victoria. In her grief and feelings of guilt over her coven being killed she got entangled with two men who abuse her and use her for her gift. The horrible part is that she knows they mistreat her but she thinks she deserves it for surviving. I feel like if I am her mate then I have a responsibility to save her and give her a chance at a better life.”

“She might not be your mate though.”Rosalie was hoping Victoria wasn’t.

“I am positive she is. I already feel protective of her and have a feeling of unease that settled over me when Anne told me about the mate bond.”Bella held up her hand.”Before anyone says anything this isn’t the typical feeling of unease. I never felt like this before and I have been involved in some fucked up situations.”

“I just don’t want you to get to invested in case it is not true.”Irina would support the bond if it was real. She just didn’t want Bella to get tricked by Anne just to make Bella save her sister.

“I think even if Anne was lying about the mate bond that it wouldn’t be right not to help Victoria. Anne sobbed telling me Victoria’s story. Ghosts don’t fake emotions. They can lie but they can’t fake how they feel. It consumes them. I don’t know if that is because they are just manifestation of their souls and that makes them more sensitive but Sasha told me that ghosts feel things a hundred times more intensely than when they were human.”Bella explained.

“Why haven’t you asked Sasha about Anne?”Garret heard from Kate how close Bella was to Sasha. He would think she would ask the old woman for her opinion about everything.

“I’m blocking Sasha right now.”Bella wanted to speak to Sasha in private.

“I thought you couldn’t block ghosts.”Rosalie figured Bella would have done it already if she could.

“It depends on the ghost. I’ve come to understand there is some type of order the ghost that come to me in. Like Ralph said to me he skipped the line. That leads me to believe that everyone has a different level of priority to speak to me. That being the case anyone who is just visiting I can block out. I wish it was like that with all ghosts but the ones who are in line have some kind of skills to keep me from sending them away.”Bella wished that she could block out all of the ghost.

“Why are you blocking Sasha?”Tanya wanted to know why Bella wasn’t talking to her adopted grandmother as Tanya and her sisters had come to understand Sasha was to Bella. The woman had been with Bella since she was a small child and had been a major influence and presence all Bella’s life.

“I would rather speak to Sasha in private and I haven’t had a chance to. Knowing that you all could hear my conversations I am glad I didn’t. The reason I am blocking her is because I can feel her guilt and shame. That being the case I know that she is going to tell me something that I am not going to like to hear and I would rather deal with it privately.”Bella still hadn’t talked to Sasha about what she told the sisters. Now with the vampire revelation Bella knew that Sasha likely had other things to tell her. Things she should have told Bella a long time ago.

“The rooms in our house are all soundproof. Except the living room, kitchen and my garage. You can use any to have your conversation.”Rosalie offered.

“Are you sure you don’t want one of us there for moral support?”Irina would like to hear what Sasha had to say to Bella and what Bella had to say to Sasha.

Bella moved to make herself more comfortable on Irina’s lap. She didn’t think the vampire was going to let her go anytime soon and wanted to get comfortable.”No thank you. This is something I need to do by myself.”

“That’s fine just know that we will be there for you the second you need us.”Tanya like Irina would like to hear the conversation between her daughter and her grandmother.

“Speaking of rooms. Do you have an extra one for me to stay in?”Bella asked.

“I was hoping you would stay in my room.”Rosalie wanted her mate to share her room when the human officially moved into the Cullen’s home.

“That’s kind of moving this relationship a little bit faster than I am comfortable with. I mean we haven’t even gone on a date yet and now you want us to share a room?”Bella didn’t want to do that. She wanted her own space.

“That’s a very good point.”Irina didn’t want Bella sharing a room with Rosalie. She wanted Bella to share a room with her and Tanya but she knew that Bella would think that was weird so Irina wouldn’t push to make Bella do it.

“I think it would be better to have her own room. That way she has a place to go to have some privacy if she wants it.”Tanya once again like Irina would prefer Bella share a room with her mothers but wasn’t going to push it.

“That’s a great idea.”And it would give Kate more opportunities to speak to Bella alone without her sisters hearing what they were talking about. Kate was desperate to find out what kind of illegal stuff Bella owned. She was sure that there was other cool things that Bella didn’t mention due to not wanting Tanya and Irina to know.

“Is there anything I should know about the other vampires that live at the house? I have only heard you mention Edward, Eleazar and Carlisle. I know there is another one that goes to school with us but I don’t know his name.”Bella wanted to be prepared.

“Edward as I’m sure you can tell is not liked by anyone. He has the ability to read minds and uses that gift to collect people’s secrets to use against them. Carlisle who is the Cullen’s coven leader and Edward, Rosalie, Emmet, and Carlisle’s mate Esme’s sire has had to do many things to calm the offended party enough so they don’t turn Edward into the kings for the crimes.”Tanya explained.

“It’s actually Carlisle’s full time job to do damage control for Edward. That is when he is not catering to Edward’s every whim. All of us know that Edward is Carlisle’s favorite even over his own mate. Carlisle is the one who should be in charge of all decisions in regards to the coven but he always follows Edward’s lead using the excuse that Edward knows best because of his gift.”Rosalie hated the pair of them.

“A gift that you made useless while you were a freakin human. Which is not only incredible it is unheard of for a human to be able to do something like you did by giving us the shields. When you are turned you are going to be beyond powerful.”Kate was going to brag about the fact that her niece as a human built shields around other people’s minds to anyone who found out about them.

“Anne said that my gift is actually physical as well and that I should try going someplace sunny with you guys. I don’t know what she meant by that though. I didn’t ask because I was focusing on other things and it didn’t seem important.”Bella hadn’t really cared.

“Wait you don’t think that means Bella can block the sun’s effects on us do you?”Rosalie would love it if she could go out in the sun. Then she could travel all over the world to places vampires didn’t have the chance to go.

“It would be amazing if she could.”Tanya had a list of places she had been wanting to go that she couldn’t since she was turned into a vampire over a thousand years before. The world had changed drastically since then and Tanya had always wanted to see the new cultures and check out the reminders of the past.

“Could you imagine all the places we could go? I could finally check out those pyramids that are to dangerous for the humans to enter and steal all the treasure.”Kate had studied the pyramids in detail in hopes of one day being able to visit.

“I would like to visit the sight of were my brother died and leave a headstone.”Garret thought it would give him some closure now that he knew the truth and had a way to speak to his brother.

“I can bring you to where they buried his physical body for you to do that if you want.”Bella offered.

“You know where he was buried?”Garret hadn’t expected that.

“No but I can always ask him. He will know.”Bella was positive Freddy would know where they buried him.

“I would like that. Thank you Bella.”Garret thought that a headstone where his body was buried was a lot better way for the world to know who his brother was.

“No problem. I am sure he will want to talk to you before we get the chance to go so we can ask him then.”Bella knew the other ghosts would be back sometime soon. They likely were leaving Bella alone because of the Vitoria situation. The ghosts may be annoying but they did try to keep Bella safe while they put her in or when she was involved in dangerous situations.

“Can you ask for certain people to show up or do they come randomly?”Kate wanted to talk to her human mother and human siblings.

“I can ask them to come but a couple of times they didn’t. Then they showed up later saying they had been busy. Doing what I have no clue.”Bella didn’t even ask.

“Do they have to have visited you before or can you ask for someone you haven’t met?”Garret had a handful of people he would like to talk to.

“It can be someone I haven’t met. I just need to know the years around when they were born so that the right person gets called. It doesn’t have to be the exact year just within ten years. If not I get multiple people with the same name.”Bella told him.

“Amazing.”Kate would wait until things calmed down before asking Bella for help. She would talk to Garret about it as well because she knew her husband had a lot of people from his human life that he missed dearly.

“It is amazing.”Rosalie tried to think if there was anyone that she wanted to talk to. She would have to think about it later because she was sure there was someone other than Vera. Maybe her nanny. The woman basically raised her.

“Rosalie see what the weather is supposed to be like tomorrow.”Tanya wanted to test Bella’s shield in the sun.

Rosalie pulled out her phone and pulled up the weather app. Seeing what it showed she smiled.”We are in luck tomorrow is going to be sunny with no clouds until the afternoon when the storm comes.”

“Fuck yeah!!”Kate was beyond excited to see if Bella could protect them from the sun. If she could it just made Kate even more proud that Bella was her niece.

“Bella do you want dinner tonight or is your stomach upset from traveling?”Irina hoped Bella wanted dinner because she wanted the chance to cook for Bella again.

Bella held back a flinch thinking about the horrible food Irina made. She really needed to tell the woman the truth and now seemed like a good time when they didn’t have a big audience.”Can I tell you something that you promise you won’t get made at me about?”

“You can tell me anything and even if I get upset I will never get mad at you.”Irina could never be truly upset with Bella.

“It’s just I hate telling you this because I know it’s going to hurt your feelings and I don’t know if it’s the bond or not but it makes me sick to my stomach just thinking about hurting your feelings.”Bella felt like she would throw up if she told Irina.

“Sweetheart you can tell me anything. As to not wanting to hurt my feelings making you sick to your stomach unfortunately that is likely part of the bond. Something I’m not pleased is happening to you. That’s besides the point. The point is that my feeling won’t be hurt because I know you aren’t trying to purposely hurt me.”Irina worried about whatever was causing Bella so much distress.

“Alright.”Bella took a deep breath and let it out slowly.”The reason I haven’t been asking for meals is that you are a horrible cook. The dinner you made me was literally inedible and because I didn’t want to hurt your feelings I lied and said I wasn’t feeling well to get out eating it.”

Kate laughed. She was definitely was going to tease her sister about this later.”You have been skipping meals because Irina is a terrible cook?”

“I just didn’t want to hurt her feelings so I just said I wasn’t hungry or like with this morning lied and said I craved hash browns. I’m very sorry Irina.”Bella really did feel horrible.

“Oh darling my feelings aren’t hurt. I just wish you had told me instead of skipping meals. That’s the part I’m upset about.”Irina was embarrassed that Bella had been skipping meals because of her lack of cooking skills.

“I had been planning after I told you to ask if you wanted me to teach you to cook? It would not only give you a way to learn to take care of me but we would be spending time alone together while we did it. What do you think?”Bella figured based on what Anne told her about bonds that would made Irina feel better.

Irina tightened her arms around Bella and kissed her cheek.”I love the idea of spending time alone with you learning how to fulfill your needs.”

“I think it is a great idea as well.”Tanya would have to come up with something she could bond with Bella over. She would need to find out more about her daughter’s interests.

“We need to spend some time by ourselves as well Bella.”Kate wanted to bond with her niece and teach Bella some of Kate’s favorite things to do.

“I need to take you on a date soon.”Rosalie needed to step up her game if Bella had another mate. Rosalie didn’t want to get pushed to the side. Not that she thought Bella would do that Rosalie just didn’t know what type of person Victoria was. That is if Victoria was Bella’s mate as well.

“I would like to spend some one on one time with all of you. Even you Garret. I bet based on Freddy’s personality that the three of us could have a lot of fun together.”Bella was only offering to spend time with Garret because of how he reacted to the news of how his brother really died.

”You would be right and I can think of nothing better than the three of us hanging out.”Garret smiled thinking about all the fun he was going to have with Bella and his brother. He had already claimed Bella as his niece and the girl was fearless so Garret had no problem believing that with Freddy there the three of them would have a great time.

“You will have a great time with Bella and Freddy.”Kate was going to have to do something nice to thank Bella for giving her mate a chance to spend time with his brother. Kate was going to ask Bella later why she made the offer as it seemed that Bella hated ghosts. Regardless Kate was grateful. Garret had been a different man after speaking to his brother and Kate knew that if he got more chances to talk to Freddy that Garret would continue to make more positive changes on his outlook on life.

“Maybe we can take Bella camping.”Garret loved going camping with Freddy.

“I will help you plan something.”Kate said.

“You didn’t finish telling me about the vampires I am meeting.”Bella reminded them.

“Oh yes. We told you about Edward and Carlisle. Then there is Esme Carlisle’s mate. Esme lost her child when she was human and has never gotten over that. Like Sasha when she died her emotions intensified when she became a vampire. Now she plays the role of housewife who is the mother of a bunch of adopted children. In reality all those children except for Edward are adults.”Tanya actually worried about Esme trying to fill the role of mother for Bella because she was human.

“Why do they pretend to be teenagers?”Bella didn’t know why anyone would do that.

“Carlisle likes to be a doctor and to fulfill his role it has to seem like we are aging. If we go to high school and start out young every time we switch grades it gives the illusion of us getting older.”Rosalie explained.

“Yeah but what do you get out of it? Do you like going to high school?”Bella hated going to high school.

Rosalie paused hearing the question.”We don’t get anything out of it and no I don’t like going to high school.”

“Then why do you do it?”Bella wouldn’t if she had the choice.

“Well it’s just how we adapt to being a part of the human world.”Rosalie told her.

Bella turned her attention to Irina.”How does your coven adapt to the human world?”

“We live in the wilderness away from humans and take on new identities every time our old ones make us older than we look. We use the fake ids to travel the world and be involved in the human world when we want to be. Mostly thought we don’t have any interest in mixing with humans.”Irina loved the way they lived.

“Does that mean you and your coven like mixing with humans?”Bella asked Rosalie.

“I hate mixing with humans unless I need to buy something or if I want to go to a museum, a car show, or other specific things. I have no want to live a human lifestyle.”Rosalie hated the way the Cullens lived.

“Then why do you do it?”Bella repeated the questions.

Rosalie shrugged.”Carlisle is my sire and coven leader. I have to get his permission to leave and he would never give it. That and I don’t have the resources to go off on my own.”

“If I’m your mate I’m not going to be expected to go to high school over and over again am I because I won’t do it.”Bella would never do it.

“Due to your bond with me and Irina you are going to be a member of the Denali coven. Rosalie will also be given an invitation to join us because she is your mate and would not want to be away from you. Meaning you would live our lifestyle not the Cullen’s.”Tanya would never let Bella be a member of any other coven than the Denali. Especially not the Cullens. Her daughter was superior to all members of that coven and was way to talented to waste her time pretending to be a high school student.

“That’s a relief.”Bella said.”Should I know anything else about Esme?”

“Due to her want to have a child she will likely try to mother you. Being a mother was something she craved since she was human and it didn’t go away when she because a vampire. The problem is that her vampire children are adults who don’t like being mothered. Well Edward does the rest of us don’t respond well to it. That being the case she will see you a vulnerable human who needs to be taken care of as her opportunity to have a child.”Rosalie wasn’t looking forward to the fights between Esme and Irina and Tanya.

“You don’t have to be polite to her. If she makes you uncomfortable tell one of us. It is actually against our laws to try and steal a vampire’s bonded child from them. Esme trying to gain your affection is not allowed. That means that she shouldn’t be making you food or taking care of any of your other needs. If she does you are to tell one of us about that as well.”Irina wouldn’t put up with Esme trying to take her child’s love from her and Tanya.

“I don’t feel comfortable with strangers so it should be that hard to keep my distance. Especially knowing that she isn’t actually interested in me personally. She is just trying to fulfill her need to be a mother. Meaning it didn’t matter who I am as a person.”Bella would have no problem keeping her distance from Esme.

“Good.”Tanya didn’t want Bella near Esme.”The next vampire you will be meeting is Jasper. He is Edward’s mate and has the gift to feel and manipulate emotions. Something that he has never been able to do with yours and will not be able to do with anyone who you shielded.”

“Jasper was a soldier during a violent vampire war. He is still untrusting of most of us and doesn’t talk much. He is completely devoted to Edward and is the only who can keep Edward under control. Something he only does sometimes. He usually lets Edward throw his tantrums.”Rosalie didn’t respect Jasper based on the way he dealt with Edward. The man encouraged Edward to be extreme in his reactions.

“He is also new to the animal blood diet so it would be best if you are never alone with him.”Kate was going to make sure that never happened.

“Got it.”Bella had no problem not being alone with any vampires other than the ones she went on the trip with.

“The last two vampires you are going to meet are Eleazar and Carmen. They are a mated couple that belong to our coven. Eleazar used to work for the kings because he has a gift that detects gifts in other vampires. For some reason the kings let him and Carmen go with the job of watching over me and my sisters after Sasha died. The couple were more than happy to leave and they have been with us for centuries. They are trustworthy people so you don’t have to worry about censoring yourself around them.”Irina thought that Bella would get along well with the mated pair.

“That’s after I give them the shields. Hank said to give those two and Victoria the shields and no one else for now.”Bella was going to follow Hank’s instructions.

“You aren’t supposed to give the rest of the Cullens the shields?”Garret would have thought that it would be best if everyone had shielded minds.

Bella shrugged.”I thought it would be a good idea but Hank was adamant that they were not to get the shields. He of course wouldn’t tell me why but I trust him.”

“I don’t understand why we would want anyone around you’s mind shielded so that Aro couldn’t get any information on what they see about you. However the ghosts know more than we do and have proven that they can be trusted. Even if we don’t like what they have to say. That means that the other Cullens don’t get the shields.”Tanya didn’t like having vulnerable minds around Bella but the ghosts had more information to work from than they did.

“We don’t know if they are telling the truth about Victoria.”Rosalie wasn’t going to believe the bond was real until she saw it fall into place.

“Let’s not mention Victoria or anything about anything else we have learned in front of the rest of the Cullens. I want Bella to shield Eleazar and Carmen’s minds before she goes to bed. Then I will take them out on the pretense of hunting and fill them in on everything.”Tanya wanted all of her coven’s minds protected then informed of what was going on.

“No problem with me.”Bella didn’t feel the need to talk to the other Cullens at all. She probably was going to have to because they likely were some of the people Ralph made deals with for ghosts to talk to them.

“We are almost there. Bella do you want to cook tonight or do you want to order something?”Irina asked.

“I feel like having some Chinese food. Can you find a place close by?”Bella was craving fried rice.

“I will happily find you a Chinese restaurant.”Irina was pleased that Bella asked her for something specific.

“Thank you.”Bella said.

“When we get inside Rosalie take Bella and her things to her room. I’ll send Eleazar and Carmen up there to get shielded while I get rid of the other Cullens for the night. That should prevent any ghosts from bothering Bella to speak to one of them.”Tanya at least hoped it did.

“I’ll go with Bella just incase there is a fight about them leaving or the shields.”Irina wanted to be there to interfere if something happened.

“We will back Tanya up.”Kate hoped it came to a fight so she could beat on Edward.

“It seems we have a plan.”Tanya just hoped everything went smoothly but knew that it was probably going to go to shit. Everything Edward was involved in usually did. Tanya could admit that she felt extremely smug that her very human daughter made his gift useless. The boy bragged about how powerful he was and that nothing could stop his gift every chance he could. The fact that Bella being a human had a gift powerful enough to make others immune to not only Edward’s gift but all other mental gifts was extraordinary. Tanya was excited for Bella to meet Eleazar. Not only did Tanya want him to read Bella she was hoping that he would have a way to help Bella control the gift that let her talk to ghosts. Tanya hated that Bella was so overwhelmed by the ghosts and had been most of her life. The girl deserved a break once in a while. Even just one day off. Tanya wished that she knew who was in charge of letting the ghosts visit Bella so she could plead with them to not send so many ghosts. Tanya heaved an internal sigh as she pulled up to the Cullen’s home and pushed those thoughts aside. Now she needed to focus on dealing with Edward.