There mysterious girl

Chapter 12

Bella was sure her face had never turned red this many times in one evening in her whole life. Not even when Edward forced her to dance at prom with her foot in a cast did she blush this much.

They were taking turns, more or less, explaining the intricacies of mating and their second and third hand experiences of it through the accounts of mated vampires in groups larger than two. They had never met a group as large as the one they found themselves in now, but it seemed that even after three thousand years of life, the universe still had the ability to surprise them.

They had migrated to the larger sofa, and Bella leaned against Marcus while Aro sat beside her. Caius sat on an ottoman in front her, their knees almost touching. A sectional would come in handy right about now, but Bella had a hard time seeing something so modern in Aro's space.

They were getting into the specifics of their own circumstances, and how they would get equal time together. Bella wanted to be fair to all three vampires, but worried about jealousy. She also didn't want to create a rift between them.

"I don't want to come between you," she said to all three of them. "I mean, for all these years you've been... are you brothers?"

"In all but name, piccola," Marcus supplied. "And you could never. Our relationship is stronger than most siblings by blood, and now strengthened even more by our connection to you."

"Does a vampire only get one? Mate, I mean," she asked.

"True mate, yes," Marcus replied. "But if they do not meet their mate for many years, or even centuries, they may pair up or marry in that time."

They had mentioned that earlier, she recalled. It must be a messy business for a married immortal to run into their true mate. Bella didn't think she would risk it, but then, she had never wandered the earth for hundreds or thousands of years alone. Who's to say how she would act under those circumstances?

"Did any of you..." she trailed off, not sure if it was impolite to ask.

The brothers exchanged loaded glances, answering her question for her. They'd been married, or at least had other partners. She was jealous, of course, and it was irrational- of course they'd been with other women!

"Yes, carina," Caius responded. "We had wives, but they have been gone for many years. We thought we may never find you... I hope you are not upset-"

"Why would I be upset?" she asked. "You've been alive for thousands of years. I wouldn't expect you to be celibate all that time..."

"You are very understanding, cara," Aro said, squeezing her hand in his. "Truly, we do not deserve you."

Bella went pink again- damnit!

"I'm not sure about that," she mumbled, red-faced.

"I am," he said with an air of finality. "And you've hogged her long enough, Marcus. It's my turn."

He pulled her over to his side of the sofa, which creaked with the movement. The thing was clearly an antique. Bella couldn't completely hide her smile as Marcus rolled his eyes but allowed his brother to abscond to his side of the sofa with her. He snaked an arm around her torso, pulling her against his body.

Every nerve receptor in her body hummed in pleasure with the contact. It thoroughly distracted her from a host of questions that were forming about their previous relationships. Like, where had their wives gone to if they were no longer here? Had they found true mates of their own, or had they left for other reasons? Would they be jealous? Worrying about Edward's reaction to their union was already anxiety inducing enough.

As though sensing her trepidation, Marcus reached out and caught her hand in his. Now they (he and Aro) had completely swapped places. Bella leaning against the leader- for it was clear he was the first among equals here- and Marcus gently stroking the back of her hand with his thumb.