Jasper Takes Charge

The next day, we gathered in a dirt-filled clearing in the woods to train. Well, I wasn't going to train, I couldn't. I was just going to watch from the back of the truck. The entire wolf pack came in their phased forms. I had to admit, they looked amazing in their wolf forms, so huge and powerful, it was astounding.

"They don't trust us enough to be in their human forms," said Bella, who was reading their thoughts.

"They came, that's what matters," said Carlisle, gently. "Will you translate?"

Bella nodded as Carlisle stepped forward and then Janessa bowed her head at me as I waved at her.

"Welcome," said Carlisle. "Jasper has experience with newborns. He'll teach us how to defeat them."

"They want to know how newborns differ from us," said Bella.

"They're a great deal stronger than us," said Carlisle. "Because their own human blood still lingers in their tissues. Our kind has is never more physically powerful than in our first several months of this life."

He stepped back as Jasper stepped forward.

"Carlisle's right. That's why they are created," said Jasper. "A newborn army doesn't need thousands like a human army, but no human army could stand against them. Now, the two most important things to remember are, first, never let them get their arms around you as they'll crush you instantly. And second, never go for the obvious kill. They'll be expecting that and you will lose."

He turned around. "Emmett?"

Jasper and Emmett faced each other as we watched. This was going to be interesting. Emmett may have been the strongest of all the Cullens, but in this fight, my money was so on Jasper.

"Don't hold back," said Jasper.

"Not in my nature," said Emmett.

Emmett lunged for Jasper like a bull heading for a bull fighter. Jasper held off for a few moments before he was tossed onto the ground and then they went on fighting. Emmett aimed a few blows at Jasper, only for Jasper to dodge them and then knock Jasper flat down on his back.

Jasper smirked. "Never lose focus and never turn your back on your enemy.

I couldn't help but laugh.

Bella and Carlisle went up next. They wrestled one another until Bella pinned Carlisle down by the throat, smirking. She won and looked proud of herself as I gave her a small high-five. That was my girl.

Jasper easily defeated Rosalie in the next match, but when he fought Alice, he lose quickly as she saw every move he did and the best part was, when he had her tight in his arms, she escaped him for a moment before jumping down from a tree into his arms and she kissed him as he smiled.

It was all quite funny, but it would've been better if we didn't have such a crisis on our hands and I didn't feel so frightened at the thought of the battle in three days. I scratched Janessa's ears as she stood beside me and nuzzled my hand, but it didn't make me feel any better. People were going to get hurt and there was a strong possibility I was going lose the people I loved most because it was my fault.

Bella then came up to me as Janessa rejoined her pack.

I smiled as I held her. "You fought well, today."

"Thanks," she said, returning the smile.

I kissed her before she went off to get ready for our date that night which would be in a few hours. We were going out for dinner and a movie. After she left, I talked to Jasper.

"Jasper?" I said. "Are you sure there's nothing I can do to help?"

"Well, your presence alone, your scent will distract the newborns," said Jasper. "Their hunting instinct will take over and drive them crazy."

"Good, I'm glad," I said, nodding. "Mind if I ask you something?"

He shook his head. "Not at all," he said. "But let me ask you something first."

"Sure, what?"

"How did you forgive me so easily after what I did on your birthday?" asked Jasper.

I sighed. "Jas, it was easy because I knew it wasn't really your fault and because you're my brother and brothers forgive each other."

He looked touched by this as he smiled. "Thanks. So, what'd you want to ask me?"

"How do you know so much about this?" I asked. "The newborns and all?"

Jasper paused for a moment. "I didn't have quite the same upbringing as my adopted siblings." He rolled up his sleeves, revealing the numerous, crescent-shaped marks on his arms and wrists.

"Those bites are like mine," I said. I didn't even know vampires could get scars like mine. I unconsciously rubbed my shoulder where James had bitten me long ago.

Jasper nodded as he smiled. "Battle scars. All the training the Confederate Army gave me was useless against the newborns. Still, I never lost a fight."

I stared, slightly surprised by this. Only slightly. "This happened during the Civil War?"

"Yes,' said Jasper. "Edward, would you walk with me for a moment?"

I nodded as we walked through the forest.

"I was the youngest major in the Texas cavalry," he said, letting his southern accent come through. "All without ever seeing any real battle. Until I met a certain immortal by the name of Maria. I was riding back to Galveston after evacuating a column of women and children, when I saw them. I immediately offered my aid. It was dark, so I couldn't see their red eyes. I couldn't sense the danger. Why would I have? For all I knew, Maria and her two friends were just three harmless women."

"But then she changed you," I said.

"She did it before I could blink," said Jasper.

"Was she creating an army like Victoria and Riley?" I asked.

"She was. They were very common in the South. There were constant brutal battles for territory. Maria won them all. She was smart, careful and she had me. I was her second-in-command. My ability to control emotions served her well. I trained her newborns which was an endless occupation, since she never let them live beyond their first year. It was my job to dispose of them," said Jasper, sounding regretful. "But I hated that part of my work as I could feel everything they felt."

I squeezed his shoulder. Jasper obviously still had regrets about his past. "I'm sorry. If there was anything I could do to take away your pain, I'd do it."

Jasper nodded. "I know you would." He sighed. "Anyway, I thought what Maria and I had was love. But I was her puppet, she controlled the strings. I didn't know there was another way until I found Alice." He smiled and the pain in his voice lessened. "Now she'd seen me coming of course."

Alice appeared out of nowhere, right beside Jasper, smiling. "You kept me waiting long enough," she said.

Jasper smiled again. "My apologies, ma'am. I don't know what I'd have become without her," he said.

Alice shushed him and then kissed him.

I smiled as I excused myself and went to prepare for my date with Bella that night. I felt a little cheered up. Seeing how Jasper and Alice were connected, finally seeing the bond all mated vampires shared, it strengthened my desire to be with Bella. I wanted her to be mine in every way possible and love her forever.

The next day, Bella informed me I was going to be hidden until the fighting was over. I immediately objected to this, as I was not going to let the people I loved take risks for me when I could do nothing. Bella firmly insisted the battle would dangerous for me, and easy for the rest of them as with the wolves on their side it was an easy win. But we finally came to a compromise when I pointed out that us being apart made us vulnerable. I had to sit on the sidelines, but Bella would be with me. It wasn't exactly what I wanted, but it was better than nothing.

Janessa didn't comment on Bella's withdrawal from the battle as Jasper accompanied us to meet Janessa in a field later that same day to make plans for the upcoming battle with the newborn army.

She just asked, "What's the plan?"

"This field will give us an advantage in the battle. We need to lure the newborns with Edward's scent," said Jasper. "But it has to end here."

"Bella and I are going to a campsite," I said. "But even if she carries me, they'll still pick up on our scents."

"Your stench, however, is revolting," said Bella. Normally, she wouldn't have been so rude, but she was still kind of mad about the kiss Janessa had given me.

"Girl, you really don't want to start comparing stinks," said Janessa, rolling her eyes.

"Ladies, can we please not fight?" I said, sick and tired of this. Jasper calmed us all down with his empathy power. When both girls nodded, I went on. "What Bella means is that your will mask mine if you carry me."

"Done," said Janessa.

She quickly took me into her arms and ran off with me. Honestly, for a guy to be carried by a girl bridal style, it was kind of embarrassing, but I didn't say a word and silently hoped Emmett wouldn't say a word about it if he somehow found out about this. I'd never hear the end of it from him.

"So, are you going to ask me to sit out from the fight, too?" she asked.

I made a face. "Hey, I asked you not to get involved in this, remember? You said no."

She laughed. "Well, I won't have a choice anyway. Since I let Sam be Alpha Leader, I got to live with the shots he calls."

I frowned. "Wait, you let Sam be Alpha?"

She sighed. "I didn't want to be in a pack, much less its leader. My great-grandfather was the leader of his pack, and so by bloodline alone, I have the power to take command if or when I want to. I let Sam be the Alpha because I wasn't ready to take on leadership. He was more experienced than I was and I wasn't sure how the pack would react to being ordered around by a girl. I'd be the first female Alpha ever," she said.

That, I wasn't expecting. "Chief Janessa," I joked.

Janessa smiled. "Yeah, I opted out, but every choice has its consequences. Some more than others."

"Don't start," I said, not in the mood for another fight over my decisions. "Everybody makes choices. I've made mine and you need to learn to fully accept them."

"I know," said Janessa, softly. "Let's talk about something else."

"Okay, such as?"

"Seth likes the big one, Emmett. He wants to go to a comic book convention with him in a few weeks. Think Emmett would agree?"

I burst out laughing at the thought of Emmett and Seth at a comic con. I just nodded, knowing Emmett wouldn't hesitate to agree, and we went on talking as we continued on our little journey.