"She's got that much raw power around her. I don't think she is going to need our help," Apollo commented thoughtfully.
"She doesn't know how to control it properly. We need to help her either way." Cosimo glanced around and made sure that Marcella was deep in conversation with the girls. He whispered, "Don't react to what I'm going to say next. She can't know. Not yet."
"What is it? What's wrong?" Reeve whispered, and they all leaned in.
"The dragon says she's my mate," Cosimo replied.
"No fucking shit!" Apollo crowed and then slapped his hands over his mouth.
Lachlan patted him hard on the back and looked over at the girls. "He swallowed a bug! He's fine!"
"We all thought she could be, but we didn't want to worry you if the dragon wasn't confirming anything," Valentine said, andhis smile got wider. "Mutilating Carlo confirmed it for me, but I'm glad you're admitting it to yourself at last."
"So much for 'I'm never going to have a mate again,'" Reeve mocked.
"At least I'm not going to ignore her for five years," Cosimo snapped back.
"Ouch, Dad," Reeve said, putting a hand to his chest dramatically.
"Aw, Dad, that was almost bitchy. I'm so proud," Apollo snickered. His grin went impish."It was the sex that probably sealed the deal that Marcella was your mate. Witch pussy, am I right?"
"First, never say 'witch pussy' around me again." Cosimo pinched the bridge of his nose. "Second, I knew before the sex. And third, no, I won't tell you about the sex, so don't ask."
"You don't have to tell me. You just have to look at Marcella to know she would pop off in the sack," Apollo said, making both Cosimo and Lachlan growl.
"Ignore him. He's being a brat." Bas patted Cosimo on the back.
"One who's going to get tamed later," Lachlan grumbled with retribution burning in his eyes. Apollo only smiled wider, and Lachlan's eye twitched.
"Getting back on track, what's the plan?" Valentine asked impatiently.
"Find Maria, deal with Renata, get Marcella to come home with us, and find the grimoires," Cosimo counted off. "Help her with her magic, find a way to get her house back, offer it to her as a mating present."
Apollo chuckled. "That's quite the list. You sure you don't want to just tell her about the mating thing?"
"Yeah, do you really want to be like Apollo andnotsay anything until everyone in the whole fucking family knows except for Marcella?" Lachlan said, crossing his arms.
Apollo rolled his eyes. "You have to get over that, baby."
"I don't want to overload her," Cosimo said, ignoring their bitching. "There's a lot to deal with right now."
"If you need any help, we are here for you, Dad. We won't say anything unless you want us to," Bas reassured him. "Right, Apollo?"
"I would never, and I'm offended that you would even suggest it, brother dearest," Apollo gasped.
"Maybe you shouldn't have told them," Valentine commented. His expression shifted to one that was almost predatory. "I'm going to go and search my mind palace on breaking bonds on souls. I'm sure I've read something about it before. If Marcella wants to stand up to Renata herself but doesn't know how, I'm sure I could give her some tips."
The knock at the door signaled the arrival of food, and Cosimo caught Marcella watching him with a bemused expression on her face. He only winked at her and shrugged. His family was always like this, and he could only hope that she was brave enough to handle them.
29
It took until close to midnight for Cosimo and Marcella to finally be alone.
Despite Cosimo's trepidation, Marcella had read the statue of Minerva again after dinner. She had described a forest area, and Bridget had used all her maps to find a potential starting point for their search. It was possible that the statue could lead them to it energetically if they got close enough to its original temple. Anything was worth a try.
Cosimo had let them talk and plan around him. He had been thinking about Marcella, her mother, and the magic that was still pulsing out of her.
"You are looking pensive," Marcella commented and refilled their wine glasses.
