Chapter 3

The next day, the sun was bright and hung high in the sky most of the day. Everyone stayed in the forest close to the huts and Huilen assured them that no one ventured out to the land, so they were safe from exposure. With Nahuel's permission, Benjamin decided to rebuild Nahuel's hut to make it bigger and sturdier. He used his ability to gather more wood, rocks, and mud to create a spacious hut that more people could fit in. Tanya watched her mate with awe as he worked and once he was finished, she sweetly kissed his cheek with a smile.

"You seem to have an easier time now using your gift," she informed and he nodded as he wrapped her in his arms. She ran her hands through his midnight hair as he smiled.

"It is because of you," he confessed, but she shook her head.

"No, it is because you are gifted and talented. You learned how to harness your abilities."

"That is not true. I remember when I first realized what I could do. Amun was thrilled because he knew I would be special. It is why he created me. I was his experiment. I spent so many years living in fear that my ability would make me a target, a fear Amun instilled in me. He used me like his puppet." She winced at the sadness in his voice knowing how much it pained him to speak of his past.

"Benjamin…."

"I did whatever he wanted because it was easy. I was afraid of what would happen if I didn't. He told me not to use my abilities in front of others, so I didn't. He was always so mistrustful even of someone as trustworthy as Carlisle. He thought Carlisle wanted to steal me, like I was a weapon, a possession. He controlled my entire existence, even who I was supposed to love. He said Tia was my mate and no one dared to disagree with him. I don't know if he truly knows what a mate is. I didn't until I met you." She leaned her forehead against his and smiled.

"I thought I found mine years ago as well and if he wouldn't have rejected my advances, we would have been together, but not truly in love. He found his mate and I found mine in you. I never expected it to feel so consuming, powerful."

"It is powerful. I felt it the moment I saw you, but I was scared. When Amun left, I stayed because of the Cullens, but a part of me also stayed because of you. That night in the clearing changed everything for me. Standing strong while Amun ran away gave me courage to take back my life. And being with you has helped me understand that I am more than just a weapon."

"You are much more Benjamin. I didn't know true happiness until I met you and I will always stand by your side." He captured her lips in a passionate kiss and she pulled him closer as her fingers got lost in his soft hair. Their kiss was interrupted by someone clearing their throat and they looked up to see Edward with one hand over his eyes causing them to laugh.

"Sorry to disrupt your moment, but some of the Volturi have arrived," he informed and Tanya giggled.

"You can look Edward. We are decent," she teased and if he could blush, he would have as he read Benjamin's mind.

I never got the chance to properly thank you. If you would have accepted Tanya's advances, I would not be with my true mate.

"Nor would I," mumbled Edward as they followed him into the forest and Tanya looked at them curiously, but neither said a word.

When they reached the rest of the group, they noticed Alexander standing beside a tall, slender woman with black wavy hair that cascaded past her shoulders. Her eyes were the same golden brown as Alexander's. Both were dressed in black cloaks and Alexander introduced her.

"Cullens, friends of the Cullens, this is my mate, Lena. She is here to help resolve the issue," he announced and Edward smiled as he read Alexander's mind.

"So Lena, you are one of the many secret weapons that Marcus has these days," said Edward and she smiled at him.

"You must be Edward, the mind reader. I have heard much about you. Yes, I suppose I can be of help from time to time." Jasper walked over to her and observed her stance. He glanced at her attire before bowing his head.

"You are of Mayan descent and an assassin," he said and her eyes widened.

"You could tell all of that by my appearance," she questioned and Jasper pointed to the black leather band wrapped around her left bicep.

"You have the Mayan symbol for fire on your band and as for being an assassin, I could tell by your stance. You are always on guard like at any moment you would be ready to strike," he explained and Alexander winked at her.

"I told you he was an expert in the art of war, which apparently means he can also spot a warrior quite easily," he teased his mate and she kissed his cheek before looking at Jasper.

"I am from what is known today as Campeche, but when I was born, it was part of the Maya area." Carlisle looked at her curiously.

"Pre-Classic Period," asked Carlisle and she scoffed.

"I am not that old, Post Classic Period, but a woman should never reveal her age, especially an immortal woman," she teased causing them all to laugh.

"Well thank you for coming. Is Marcus coming as well," asked Carlisle and Alexander shook his head.

"No, he and Didyme are staying in Volterra. They are needed there, but many more guards will be arriving by tomorrow night from Italy. We were contacted by Marcus because he knew we were close by," he informed as his eyes locked with his mate's and Edward bowed his head.

"We apologize that we ruined your vacation. Puerto Rico is beautiful this time of year," said Edward and if Lena could have blushed, she would have.

"I must remember I am in the presence of a mind reader, my apologies." Edward shook his head.

"Think nothing of it. Your thoughts are meant to be private, which is why sometimes my gift feels like a curse." Alexander looked at his watch.

"I contacted the guards this morning when I was notified about the issue. Connell will be leading our guards into battle. Trust me, you are in good hands. In fact, Marcus sends his best and wanted us to inform you that you do not have to battle. We know how important your family is and we will have enough guards to handle Maria's army. When you first alerted him last night Carlisle, you seemed to be in a rush and he was not able to ensure that every guard would be available. There has been an outbreak of small battles all over the world as of late. It seems some are testing our authority and their boundaries, so most of the guards have been quite busy." Jasper slowly nodded.

"It still amazes me how quickly word spreads that a great power has been overthrown and yet how long it takes to reinstate one, especially in the vampire world," agreed Jasper.

"Exactly and fortunately we have been blessed with many new guards. It seems that once some realized that Aro and Caius were gone and Marcus and Didyme were in charge of the guards, they were more than happy to vow their loyalty to the new order. We should be fine, you Cullens should go home. I am sure you have been put through enough," explained Alexander, but Carlisle shook his head.

"Usually I would love to take you up on your offer, but it seems this situation is a bit too close to home for some of the members of our family. We would like to stay to ensure that everything is resolved smoothly," said Carlisle and Alexander bowed his head.

"Fair enough, but please stay close to me and Lena. I am well aware of your ability to defend yourselves, but Marcus and Didyme would be very…..put out if anything were to happen to any of you," he confessed, which made Carlisle smile.

"I see. We will be sure to keep that in mind. Alice has informed us that Maria's army will attack tomorrow night. We thought it would be best to intercept them in the rainforest away from the humans," revealed Carlisle and Lena nodded.

"The forest could work. It would be best if there were a clearing of some type so we could decipher between each other and her army. Fighting in the forest could hinder some of us," she explained and Zafrina stepped forward.

"There is a small clearing that was made years ago by a corporation seeking to complete their mission of deforestation. Many did not take kindly to that….let's just say they are no longer around and the area is considered haunted," said Zafrina and Edward hid his smile as he read her thoughts. Renesmee immediately grabbed his hand to communicate with her father and she had to stifle her laugh. Alexander raised an eyebrow.

"Haunted," he asked and Zafrina nodded.

"Yes, for some reason they believe anyone who enters the region, never returns home again. It was enough to make the company cancel their plans of construction," she informed and he chuckled.

"What a pity," he teased.

"Yes, quite," she agreed with a smile.

"Then this clearing sounds like the place to lead the fight," said Lena, but Alice looked up at the sky and shook her head.

"Rain, tomorrow several rain showers will roll in. It will be hard to burn the pieces without a fire," explained Alice and Benjamin smiled.

"What about a cave? I could create a cave in the area using the ground to form one. We could start a fire in there," he suggested and Lena nodded.

"It seems the guards are not the only ones with unique gifts. I have heard about you Cullens and your friends, but I must confess I believed most of the stories to be based on hyperbole." Garrett chuckled as he crossed his arms.

"Trust me, before I met the Cullens, I would have agreed, but we definitely have a unique group and that makes fighting a whole lot more interesting," he teased and Kate shook her head with a smile as he grinned.

The sun set and evening fell upon them. Kaya and Seth went into her hut to have some time alone to talk. She giggled when she saw a wooden bed frame in the corner where her piles of blankets used to be. They were placed neatly on the bed along with her pillow. She glanced out the hut and saw Benjamin sitting with Tanya on a small ledge of the mountain. He winked at her and she winked back.

"I guess Benjamin was concerned about our sleeping arrangements. He made a bigger bed for Nahuel as well," she informed and Seth groaned as he got into the bed.

"Thanks Ben, you are a lifesaver," he called out and heard Benjamin and Tanya laugh. Kaya crawled on top of him and straddled his waist as he smiled.

"You are so cute," she giggled and he propped himself up on his elbows.

"Kiss me and I will show you how cute I am," he teased. She kissed him swiftly, but then pulled away.

"As much as I would like to christen our hut, everyone is staying close by so…."

"Got it, no awkward moment in the morning with your brother because he heard us having sex," he agreed.

"Thank you! Thank you very, very much," called Nahuel before Renesmee could shush him and Kaya rolled her eyes.

"Sometimes vampire hearing sucks," she grumbled.

"I wouldn't know," chuckled Seth as she got comfortable beside him in bed. She started to play with his hair, something she did on a regular basis and he smiled at her.

"Kaya, where are your sisters? I figured we might see them here." She looked down for a moment and shrugged.

"I honestly don't know. I kept track of them for a while before I even met you, but we were never really close. They are nomads, so they never stay in one place too long. They are my half sisters and our only true connection is Joham. I am not a fan of my father just like Nahuel isn't or wasn't I should say. He was killed by Jane after Demitri tracked him. After Nahuel spoke to the Volturi to save Renesmee, they went searching for him so he would stop creating hybrids like us."

"You never mentioned that before. Now that I think about it, you only really talk about your time with Nahuel, not before that."

"Because nothing before that matters. My story is like Nahuel's. My mother died giving birth to me. I killed her."

"Kaya, it was not your fault." She looked deep into his eyes and smiled.

"You always make me feel like I am special and good in all senses of the word."

"That is because you are, never think anything less."

"After I was born, Joham found me. He already had my other two sisters practically brainwashed and I stayed with them for a while. He told us we were goddesses and that humans were just like animals, only there for us to prey on. We showed no remorse for killing because of it. Then, one day Nahuel found us. He was searching for answers just like I was and we immediately connected. My sisters and Joham were not as fond of him and that made me like him even more. He was different and I felt different too. He said I could stay with him. He would take care of me and he always kept his promise. He brought me back here and we stayed with Huilen. I was so scared when Alice and Jasper came. I wanted to go too, but Nahuel didn't want the Volturi to see me. He wanted to protect me, so I stayed close to home.

"When he came back, he was so different. He told me of the way the Cullens survived off of only animals and we vowed to try their way of life. He talked all the time about Renesmee, about how she didn't kill her mother, her abilities, how she was special, and I wanted to meet her too. I never thought I would get the chance until he started going to visit her. I always knew he was drawn to her even if I didn't quite understand why. Once I saw you, I understood what kept him away and I never wanted to look back."

"Why does Huilen hate me so much? She isn't even related to you and yet she acts like I took you away from her or something."

"That is because you did, whether you meant to or not. Huilen and I grew close because she took care of Nahuel and took me in as well. Our connection is Nahuel and she is not my aunt, but I became a part of her coven. She never understood how the two of us could just venture out, fall in love, and live in America, but that is where we have always differed. Huilen loves the simple life. She is Mapuche through and through and she has never wanted to be more, therefore she never has been. Nahuel and I understand that about her. This is her comfort zone, her home, and we will save it because we know what it means to her. Think of it like the Quileutes on the rez. They never want to leave it because they are connected to the land."

"I will protect her and her land just like I protect my people and theirs. Besides, this hut is kind of comfy now that Benjamin made you a frame. I kind of like it." She giggled as he snuggled under the covers and pulled her closer.

Alice was perched at the top of a large Kapok Tree that stood two hundred feet above the ground. It was the perfect place for her to concentrate on her visions, but one sudden shift in paths almost made her lose her balance as dread filled her.

"Jasper," she whispered to herself and jumped from the tree. Leaves and wind blurred by her until she landed effortlessly on the ground. Before she could run, Edward grabbed her shoulders and shook his head.

"Let him go Alice. Trust him," he advised and she gritted her teeth as Bella joined them. Alice hugged her as she tried not to become overwhelmed with anger and despair and Bella looked at her mate in confusion. Edward gave her a sympathetic smile and wrapped the two of them in his arms knowing that Alice was terrified for her mate.

Even after the blur of years that passed by without being in contact with it, Jasper still knew the scent of Maria. It was spicy like fresh cut ginger and mixed with the smell of leather and amber, a distinct scent that caused his nostrils to flare when he came into contact with the potent aroma. The emotions it stirred in him were anything, but positive. Fear, jealousy, fury, and anger came to mind, all emotions Maria carried with her while they were in each other's company years ago. Her desire for power, but fear of losing it was enough to drain Jasper on a daily basis, but he was not worried about those feelings anymore. He never wanted to be consumed by them again and hoped that once he saw her, it would be over.

Her scent brought him to a river deep in the Amazons and he noticed her right away. Her brown hair was pulled back into a messy bun, strands of it cascading over her face. She wore a brown leather jacket and matching boots that came up to her knees along with light brown, skintight pants and a blouse of the same color. She was petite and her soft, musical voice called out to a man who was quickly by her side. His red eyes glowed with love and desire as he looked at her and she cupped his face.

"Is the army ready Evander? I would like to sweep through Chile without incident."

"Of course my queen, whenever you are ready, they will be."

"Then make sure they are ready to set out by nightfall tomorrow." Jasper stepped on a twig to make his presence known and Evander crouched defensively in front of Maria. Her eyes widened when she saw him.

"Queen, since when did you become royalty Maria," he asked with a charming smile and she smiled back at him. Evander watched their exchange and she flicked her hand dismissively at him.

"Leave us, he is fine," she instructed and Evander stood up to look Jasper in the eyes. Neither man budged. Maria cleared her throat.

"As fun as this stare down has been, Evander, you have troops to rally. Make sure they are fed." Evander gave a curt nod.

"Of course my queen." With that, he left and Maria circled Jasper with a smile.

"It took longer than I thought, but I knew you would miss me. The little mate not keeping you entertained anymore?"

"Leave her out of this and I am not here to join you. I am here to warn you." She laughed at that and the musical sound echoed throughout the forest.

"Oh well Jasper, please do continue. I have not seen you since Calgary when you told me to stay away. Now you are here to warn me. You are a hard man to read."

"I know why you are here….."

"I am sure you do," she said as she crossed her arms.

"But it is not going to work. Word has spread and the Volturi will not allow you to continue your rampage. To make matters worse, you have intruded a habitat of a friend of mine and are planning to lay claim to another tomorrow."

"What friends do you have in Chile? Last time I checked, Peter and Charlotte were roaming around North America, the east coast seems to suit them well."

"It is not Peter and Charlotte."

"Well my Jasper, how you have gotten around," she teased.

"As have you."

"Touché, but why exactly are the Volturi involved? There are no newborns in sight, I am keeping a low profile, and there is nothing wrong with a little domination. You used to be all for it."

"I used to be for a lot of things Maria, but times have changed. You cannot go around eliminating vampires because they are in your way and you are not as inconspicuous as you think. Word has spread all through South America."

"Good, it should, they should fear what is coming."

"And that fear has called panic, which leads to hysteria and we both know vampires and hysteria do not mix well. They start to forget their surroundings and can be exposed. The Volturi will not risk that. I am here to warn you. Leave now, disperse your army and everything will go away." She was quiet for a moment as she studied his face.

"You are serious?"

"Yes, I would not lie to you." She looked up at the moon, a sliver away from being full, before giggling and shaking her head.

"I'm sorry, but no. You think that after all I have done to gather these vampires, to grab their attention and train them to be fit for an army, after all that, you think I would just surrender? Dear Jasper, what happened to your fight? The Volturi are not the same. I suppose I have you to thank for that. I heard you took out Caius yourself, impressive by the way. I see this as an opportunity. I will battle them, win, and then head to Italy to start my reign as the new power."

"That will not happen. You could never defeat what is coming."

"How do you know? Have you seen my army?"

"No, but I have seen theirs and mine," he revealed and she raised an eyebrow at him.

"Yours," she asked and he gave a firm nod.

"Yes, mine."

"And what reason do you have to create such an army?"

"I told you. My friends…"

"You would really go against me, your creator, all because I took some land that they liked? Wow that takes gall, something I did not think you had."

"Do not belittle me Maria."

"I am simply saying you ran away like a coward and left me with an army that could not be trained."

"Do not act like for one second you cared about me. You did not love me."

"What we had was better! It was passionate, powerful, and it worked." He took in a deep breath and shook his head.

"I will not make this personal. I have given you a warning. Do what you like with it." He turned to leave, but she grabbed his hand.

"And you would fight against me? After everything we have been through together, you would kill me?"

"It does not have to be that way." She smirked.

"Oh, but it would. I have come too far to let you ruin everything now. I made you. I suppose it is only just that I take you out of this existence. It would be like putting you out of your misery." He turned to face her and bowed his head.

"I am sorry you feel that way. You had your chance. You still have time to take it. If you don't then, this is our last goodbye." He disappeared into the rainforest and she huffed as she began to think. Evander appeared by her side and she glanced at him.

"You heard everything?"

"Enough to know you are in danger. We could leave now and be in Spain by tomorrow. The Volturi would take care of the army for us and we could start over in….."

"No, no more starting over and no more waiting. This is our opportunity. Aro and Caius are dead along with the strongest guards they had. To gain ultimate power, you must make the ultimate sacrifice. We are prepared and we will face them even if that means I have to dismember a being I created in the process."

"So he is Jasper, the one who deserted you," he questioned and she nodded.

"Tomorrow, if he has the heart to show, I will be sure that his life ends the same way it began, with my teeth at his throat." Evander smiled and she pulled him in for a passionate kiss.

Jasper sped back toward Laguna del Laja and as he expected, Alice intercepted him halfway there. He stopped in front of her as she shook with hurt and betrayal, something he swore to never make her feel as long as they were together. His arms were around her before she could protest and he exuded every ounce of love, trust, and devotion he had for her. She broke down into sobs as he held her close and rocked her.

"I know you saw our conversation. You know why I went."

"To try to save her," she sobbed, but he shook his head.

"No, to try to save us from more violence and unnecessary war, Alice I did it for you. I did it because I don't want to have to fight her tomorrow, but I will. I hoped she would come to her senses and leave so we could go back home like nothing happened, but I know her. She is stubborn and blinded by her greed. I still needed to try, but darling never think that it means that I love you any less. You're my calm, my sanity even when the darkest memories try to take me away."

"Oh Jazzy," she whimpered and he tenderly kissed her. He held her close as he sighed.

"I guess we are going to war."

"I guess so," she said with a nod before kissing him again. In one night, they would be in yet another battle, but it was different from the others. For the first time, Jasper had to come to terms with the choices he made in his existence. He chose Alice and their life together and he never once regretted it.