Book 7: Jasper

I felt my body tense before it happened. I heard my sharp intake of breath. My eyes widened and the edges of my sight blurred.

Sam's jaws locked around Alice's tiny waist. A menacing snarl ripped up my throat, drowning out her scream. I jumped over to try and help Alice.

Sam heard my snarl and dodged me easily. Everyone crouched and went to spring but stopped abruptly.

Sam was crouched, holding Alice in his mouth as if to say, Come any closer and I'll bite her in half. Alice's face was twisted in pain. I hated this expression. I would have sworn my eyes had changed their color to red.

Alice punched his muzzle. Sam whimpered but kept his hold on her. He tightened his jaws and Alice screamed.

I realized my mouth had been open and it snapped shut with an audible snap.

Sam tightened his jaws again and Alice screamed even louder. That did it.

I lunged for Sam, not paying any attention to my surroundings.

I felt a sharp pain in my stomach. I looked down and found that Leah had bit me.

Alicia tackled Leah, and I fell to the ground. I flipped up and, in spit of my pain, ran at Sam.

I punched his shoulder and I heard the crack of the bones. I smiled an evil smile. Sam released Alice.

Sam bucked me off like an angry bull. I landed on my feet and crouched to spring again. I stopped dead in my tracks as my per phial vision caught sight of Alice.

She was on the ground trying to get up. Her face revealed that she was in a lot of pain. I don't know how but I got even more angry. My vision shifted slightly.

Alicia and Leah were fighting. Their fighting didn't seem graceful like a dance like when vampires fought. It seemed more like an actual full on mosh pit fight.

They reared up and smacked their chests together like before. Leahh skidded away and landed on her back. Out of instinct, Leah rolled back up onto her feet. She lunged and locked her jaws around Alicia's throat.

I wondered why no one was doing anything. I looked over to my family and they were all paralyzed with fear. They wanted to do something but couldn't manage to find a confident opening. My frame shook as I took in all their emotion. There was so much fear that I lost some of my confidence to fight. I pushed that away.

Over the snarling I yelled, "Stop it! Stop being afraid! It doesn't help to be afraid!"

My family looked at me. I closed my eyes tight and grabbed at my head.

"You need confidence. You're fear is really wearing me down. Find confidence and strength in numbers.!"

I felt them all trying to control their moods. They didn't quite get it. I couldn't help them because their fear made me realize that I was afraid too. It broke down that wall I built against fear. I was afraid for Alice.

I couldn't help them with my power. But I could help them with words. "Alice, Alicia, I need your help. Stop being afraid and have confidence. When can get the wolves to stop, if you help."

I looked to Alice. "I'm here and I'll protect you. I just need you to be confident."

Alicia nodded and her fear was gone. She put up the wall I had originally created for myself. Alice looked at my face and found the hope she needed and her fear was gone as well. She looked confident enough to take on anything.

Just then, Tiffany let out a loud wail and lunged to help Alicia. But Collin got in the way and opened his mouth. Before she got to him, he snapped it shut and ended up head butting her. Tiffany's body was laying limp on the ground.

Seth started to growl. He was shaking uncontrollably. He was absolutely furious. I barely noticed because my eyes were fixated on Alice, who was laying as limp as Tiffany, under Sam's massive body. The only difference was her face. Behind the pain was strength. Alicia was growling and trying to find a hole in Sam's defenses. She found none.

While all this was happening, every Cullen had at least one wolf to deal with. Some two. There were too many emotions to even register.

I thought for a moment. If Sam is distracted, then I could get Alice out of there. I acted upon this.

I lunged for Alice. I grabbed her. Sam then noticed and turned around to snap at me. I moved out of the way carrying Alice. For a moment I was a little frightened. My arms were full and Alice was vulnerable in this position and I had no one to help me.

I was wrong.

Alicia locked her teeth around Sam's throat. Sam fell and Alicia looked up. She nodded her head at me. I nodded back. Sam got up and lunged at her. I heard a yelp but I didn't know who it was from because I had turned around and crouched to jump.

I barely notice that Seth was picking up Tiffany. She was still limp. I looked down to Alice. She was sagging in my arms, struggling to stay conscious. This scared me.

I jumped up through the window that Alicia had jumped through. I laid Alice on the couch. Then Seth walked through the door holding Tiffany.

Tiffany's eyes fluttered open. She looked up to Seth. "Seth? What happened?"

Seth's eyes were wet. "You were head butted by Collin. He knocked you out."

"Why did he do th-" Tiffany's eyes widened in alarm. "Alicia! Where is she? Is she okay? What about-" She looked over to where I had laid Alice. "Alice!"

Seth put her down and she ran over to me. "Is Alice okay?"

I looked down at her. Her eyes were that puppy dog face I had seen her use on Alicia a lot.

I sighed. "I don't know. She's about ready to pass out and she's hurt."

"Oh my God, Alice." Tiffany bent down beside her. She brushed her hand against Alice's cheek.

Alice looked up at me and smiled. "I love you, you know that?"

I smiled. "Yeah I know. I love you too." I bent down to her face. "More that you can imagine."

She leaned forward and kissed me gently. "I doubt that. And don't worry. I'm going to be fine."

Alice's eyes closed and she went completely still.

She was still alive, that much I could tell. I needed to be out there in the fight.

"Tiffany."

"Yes?"

"Stay here with Alice. Seth and I are needed down there." I looked to Seth, questioning my assessment.

"Hey, I'm all for it. Your family needs us down there," Seth said.

"Well the way things our looking, it would seem our family needs us." I looked at Tiffany, then back to Seth. He seemed to understand.

We both jumped out the window. Me then Seth. Seth changed in mid-air. I landed without a sound. Seth, on the other hand, shook the ground.

I noticed that Jacob had joined Alicia to stop Sam, so she didn't need any help. I looked around to see who had two wolves. Edward had two. I jumped over to help. Esme had two so Seth went over to help her.

Both wolves were lunging for Edward. I jumped in and punched one in the muzzle. He jumped back. Edward had slung the other wolf the opposite way.

He turned to me. "Thanks."

"No problem," I replied. The wolf came at me again. This time my fist connected with his shoulder. The bones crunched under the impact.

I flipped up onto the wolf's back. My hand struck down. He yelped and stood on his hind legs. I realized he was going to crush me under his weight but flopping backwards. I jumped off and he ended up hurting himself even more.

The wolf rolled onto his side. He wasn't dead, he was just immobilized. I wasn't out to kill so I left him lay. He wouldn't be able to fight for a week at least.

I looked around. Three wolves were down. None from our side. Esme and Seth were down to one. Seth stayed, I figured, because he couldn't picture Esme fighting. Neither could I to a point.

I saw that Carlisle had two so I went to help. I picked out one of them being Leah. She was probably sent to Carlisle because Sam figured Carlisle would be easier to take down.

I took Leah.

When she saw me crouch to fight, her eyes widened. She started to back up slowly.

I smiled. "Nope." I lunged and hit her in the chest. She flipped over. She landed on her side and just laid there. To make sure she wasn't faking it, I went over to her and kicked her back. I kicked hard enough that I heard the crunch of bones again. This sound gave me the will to go on.

I wanted to stop and go up to see if Alice was alright, but I was needed.

I looked around. Nine wolves were down. Some people were actually sitting out. I noticed Sam was still up. Alicia, Jacob, and Sam were all breathing very heavy. They were at an even match. So I went over and broke the balance.

Alicia and Jacob looked at me and then at Sam. We all lunged at the same time. Alicia locked her jaws around Sam's neck, Jacob around Sam's back leg. I hopped up onto his back and punched in the spot that had immobilized the other two wolves I took down.

The rest of my family noticed my fighting style. They saw how it worked. There was only two wolves left. They backed up and whimpered.

Jacob whimpered. I looked over to him. He was staring at the two wolves.

Alicia shimmered and was in regular form. She looked to me. "Those two wolves are Embry and Quil. They want to leave. They only participated in the fight because an Alpha's order cannot be refused."

The two that were fighting the wolves, Rosalie and Bella, heard that and stopped. They backed out of their crouches.

"Now go," Alicia said.

They nodded and ran into the forest.

"Now how do you suppose we get these wolves back to La Push?" I asked.

Alicia considered this for a moment. "I think-" She broke off because the wolves began to stand.

"We'll walk, thanks," Edward said. Obviously a translator for Sam.

The wolves slowly walked into the forest. When they were out of sight, I jumped in through the window.

Alice was awake. But she was laying down. She saw me, and then jumped up. She skipped over to me and put her arms around my neck. "Jasper, are you okay?" she asked frantically.

I wrapped my arms around her waist, glad to be able to. "Yes, I'm fine. Don't worry about me. What about you?"

She let go and we stared at each other.

"I feel better. I wanted to come out and help but Tiffany said you wanted me to stay inside.

"That's true. I did want you to stay in here."

"Well, at least it's over. I'm glad everyone is okay." She gasped and was worried again. "Jasper, how is the wound?"

I had forgotten about it until she brought it up. "Now that you mention it, it sort of hurts."

I sat down and Alice sat beside me. I pulled up the bottom of my shirt-I had thrown one on quickly when I got home-and there was a line of wounds. The teeth. Why hadn't this healed yet?

I heard Alice gasp. "Oh my God, Jasper!"

I realized something. "Alice. Check where Sam bit you."

Alice pulled her shirt up, revealing her stomach. The teeth marks were farther over than mine. We both gasped. Sam had gotten more of a hold on her than Leah did on me. Hers were deeper.

She pulled her shirt down. I looked up at her face and she was staring at the ground.

Alicia walked in the door with Seth following.

"Are you guys alright?" Alicia asked.

Tiffany was the only one who spoke. "I am. I don't know about these two thought."

I looked up to Alicia and then it hit me like a wrecking ball. My eyes widened and I took in a sharp breath. The breath caught in my throat.

I swallowed and was able to speak. "Alicia. You were bitten and now you can..."

She was confused at first, then she caught on to what I was saying. "Oh my God."

The rest of the family walked in.

"Carlisle, we have a problem," Alicia said.

Carlisle walked over to her. "What's wrong?"

"Alice and Jasper were bit."

"Yes, I know."

"Think about what happened to me."

Carlisle had the same reaction as Alicia. Confusion, then understanding. Everyone else caught on too.

"Oh, no," Carlisle said.

"This is definitely a problem," Tiffany said.

Alice and I had to stay calm. The werewolf "venom" can't react if we aren't mad. We hoped.

It was going pretty well. But of course it wouldn't last. That day Leah came to get Seth and Jacob. They didn't want to go.

So Alice stepped in. I tried to get her to stop but she wouldn't. She was very easy to agitate today for some reason.

"Shut up, Leah! They don't want to go!" Alice was saying.

"Don't tell me to shut up, leech! Sam wanted them." Leah was yelling.

"For what?" Tiffany yelled as she got up in Leah's face.

Leah got up in Tiffany's face. "None. Of. Your. BUSINESS!"

"Don't yell at her!" Alice said.

"I'll yell if I want to!"

Alice tackled Leah and they busted through the glass wall. They landed with a thud and separated. They were different when they moved.

They were both wolves now. I gasped. I couldn't move.