AN. Don't own all belongs to Miss Meyer

Chap. 1 BLOOD.

Alice let go of Jasper's hand and skipped forward, all her teeth sparkling in the bright light.

Jasper smiled, too, but kept his distance. He leaned, long and blond, against the post at the foot of the stairs. During the days we'd had to spend cooped up together in Phoenix, I'd thought he'd gotten over his aversions to me. But he'd gone back to exactly how he'd acted before-avoiding me as much as possible-the moment he was free from that temporary obligation to protect me.

I knew it wasn't personal, just a precaution, and I tried not to be overly sensitive about it. Jasper had more trouble sticking to the Cullens' diet than the rest of them; the scent of human blood was much harder for him to resist than the others- he hadn't been trying as long.

What bothered me , though, was why he didn't spend more time around me, after all Edward had to desensitize himself to my scent- which was way more potent to him than any of them.

But in all the excitement of opening the presents, I told them not to get, Jasper had drifted closer than usual to get a good look.

I took the second package in my hands and stuck my finger under the edge and jerked it under the tape.

"Shoot," I muttered when the paper sliced my finger; I pulled it out to examine the damage. A single red drop of my livelihood oozed from the tiny cut. It all happened very quickly then.

"No!" Edward roared.

He threw himself at me, flinging me back across the table. It fell, as I did, scattering the cake and presents, the flowers and plates. I landed in the mess of shattered crystal.

Jasper slammed into Edward, and the sound was like the crash of boulders in a rock slide.

There was another noise, a grisly snarling that seemed to be coming from deep in Jasper's chest.

It took two to three seconds to feel the searing, sting pain of the large gash that ran from my wrist to the crease inside my elbow.

I looked up dazed and pissed off, to meet the hungry eyes of six, black eyed vampires. Suddenly, mayhem gave way and Carlisle was in front of me crouched defensively. I looked beyond Carlisle's back and searched for Jasper, who was fighting the rest of the coven. There was a moment when our eyes connected and his stare was cold and calculating. He wasn't Jasper any more he was what Edward tried to warn me about. The demon that they all tried to suppress.