Disclaimer: I do not own twilight, Stephanie Meyer does!
A/N: I know it's long, but mom just didn't feel a good place to split it up. So, just letting you know now.
It has been a hectic week for us here in our little nest! So much has happened since our darling Keyria came to us, and not all of it was expected or pleasing, at that!
Our Keyria has a gift; a very valuable one. Unfortunately, this also presents a danger to her, and to us as well. She can hide the sparkle of a vampire's skin! This is a great advantage to us, but it does make her a prize to be sought after, and a target to those who would use her as a weapon or to 'camouflage' themselves in a crowd, in the sunniest of places!
As our second, and one of the best tactical minds in the world, Jasper so delicately put it; "The girl has a bulls-eye on her if anyone finds out, and if she is changed, her range will only expand - vastly! There may even be other facets that would not manifest while she is still human. There are no exact ways to determine how a gift such as this could show itself!"
Evidently, her gift is 'on' all the time, and she had no idea! Just the thought of a vampire like Aro Volturi, or one of the Southern Warlords, kidnapping Keyria is enough to make even a vampire faint; from sheer shock alone!
As we decided, we informed Keyria of what we truly are. To say that she surprised us by her reaction is a major understatement! Although she was a little shocked at first, she wasn't fearful of us. Oh no, her biggest concern was how to protect our secrets! She had been angered by one of the male humans at school, one who had wanted to take her out on a date - without even knowing her name! My sweet boy Emmett 'rescued' her, however.
Keyria was so worried about how to scare off any more such attempts, for their sake's as well as ours. Jasper and Emmett, with her consent, had chosen to have her date Emmett! He is in all of her classes I do believe, but for two. Those she has with Jasper anyway. In this way, she can be kept safe by them.
When Jasper told her of the gifts of our family, she was upset by the thought of Edward or Alice being able to read her mind or see her future choices. At least until she was informed that indeed, like Edward's Bella, they could not; not clearly anyway. However, when her gift was shown to her, she at first feared that she was harming us in some way.
Jasper and Emmett did a marvelous thing for her then, when she asked them to help her plan ways to make sure we would remain safe and secret. Once she understood the importance of her gift, and the need to keep one of us by her at all times, she readily agreed to date Emmett; go on shopping trips with myself, and even go on family outings on sunny days! My Carlisle is so excited! We can blend in so much better now. Keyria did ask that she NOT be made to go anywhere with either Edward or Alice alone. Jasper tells us that she simply cannot trust them. And after the way Edward reacted to the news of her being informed, I do understand why!
Edward's words and actions do trouble me. The way he spoke to her, and of his mate, Bella; something was not right there. He did not refer to Bella as his mate. No, he called her 'my human,' as if she were an animal, or a pet or toy! He claims it was just a shock reaction, but I am not sure of that, not completely.
There is one wonderful thing that came from Edward's verbal attack on Keyria, though. She is Emmett's mate! I had never thought of that possibility! Neither of them had any idea of it. I actually had to have 'the talk' with her, and my poor Carlisle had to speak with Emmett as well. They do seem to be accepting of that bond, and are growing closer everyday.
Something seems to be troubling Jasper though. I have noticed that he seems to be somewhat withdrawn for the last few days. Perhaps he is just trying to determine how to find the trigger for Keyria's gift. She did ask for his help in figuring out how it works, and he gave her his promise to do so.
Alice did not like that he did, however! Nor did she care for the idea of not being able to use Keyria's gift to her benefit! She was on the verge of a monumental temper tantrum, as was Edward, when Carlisle had to intervene. Not as Father, he had to exert his authority as the Nest Master to settle the two of them down! Jasper was so embarrassed and hurt by Alice's behavior.
I feel so sorrowful on his behalf. Alice has been somewhat short with him since Monday. I do not understand that girl at times. She seems to think that Jasper does his duty to our nest just to thwart her plans! She did prevent Edward's attack, and probable dismemberment by Emmett, when she returned to the house. I do think Edward would have tried to harm my darling Keyria had they not intervened.
Had he so much as bruised her, my Carlisle would have tossed him into the fireplace without a second thought; that much I do know. Pity Edward does not.
Of course, having to have the mate talk with Keyria and Emmett was not something that either of us had thought we would need to do for several more years; at least not with her! With Emmett, we had thought that he may find his mate in a nomad female somewhere, or maybe a newborn in the future. But not under our roof; not with our Keyria!
It is good to see him so content though. I had often wondered if he did not think himself lacking after the situation with Rosalie all those years ago. When she left us for Volterra, it was a blow to us in a way. But to tell Emmett that he could not be much of a man if he was not attracted to her, and her blonde perfection, as she called herself; that hurt him and made him doubt his worth. He is a gentle and loving soul, and hides his true self more than we think. Perhaps that is what Keyria will let us see, the man behind the jokes and games.
I wonder? Did Emmett find a way to cloak his true self from the world? How, without the use of pen and paper, could he hide from Edward? Or is Edward's gift not as all-powerful as he thinks, and tries to convince the rest of us it is?
That brings to mind a comment Rosalie made right before she left us: "You only think you know about me, Edward. But you only know what I choose for you to know. Be careful in your judgements, what you don't know WILL come back to hurt you one day!"
She never used ink and paper either, and she did 'raise' Emmett.
I am not sure of the reason why Edward cannot hear Bella's thoughts; Jasper believes she is a shield in her human form. I do know at least part of the reason Keyria cannot be read, heard, or seen, however. She was raised that way; trained for it, if you will. I do hope that she and Bella become friends, they both need someone outside of the vampires in Forks to confide in!
I do wonder how she will react to finding out that Emmett is Keyria's mate. It may do both of the girls good to know that they are not alone in that particular situation.
I do wish that Edward would bring Bella home to meet me, however. I would like to get to know the young woman who is mated to one of our nest's members. When he turns her, she will be living with us and I need to know how well she will integrate into our household.
I do believe I will need to speak with Jasper about how everyone is handling all these recent changes. He will be able to give us a great deal of insight about how everyone's emotions are affecting them. He could help us to ease any fears or stresses in our nest. Carlisle has mentioned that Jasper is a little, surprised, I believe is how he said it; at Edward's feelings toward Bella. He is not sure what they mean, or why they are not closer to what Emmett feels for Keyria.
Perhaps it is because of Edward's inability to use his gift on her, coupled with the fact that she is his Singer. Jasper WILL find out, and be able to help them, I am sure.
It is at times such as these that I am truly thankful for Carlisle's hidden talent. I do wonder why it never passed to Edward. Carlisle thinks it is due to the nature of his gift, and how it may have neutralized that talent in Edward; at least in the aspect of the files and records. It works with my journals as well. I have no idea if Emmett can use that gift, as Rose was the one to change him instead of Carlisle. Carlisle did change her, so it may have passed to Emmett as well.
My mate keeps so very much hidden, and in such an unusual manner, that it does astound me at times! Poor Edward would short circuit if he had an inkling of what Carlisle has discovered in his studies! Edward is not as strong or disciplined as he tries to make others believe he is. His childish tantrum this past week proves that, in no uncertain terms.
His youth and upbringing as a human was quite apparent by his outburst, and even with all his years as a vampire, he has never tried to mature as he should. Carlisle did say he was spoiled and over-indulged by his parents in his human life. I would say that his sense of entitlement and privilege carried over, along with his thirst to know what everyone thought about, well, everything!
My love recalls his need to know what all of the people in the hospital were doing and thinking about while he and the other humans were dying! Edward's constant chant of "What are you doing? What are you thinking? I have to know! I wish I could just hear everything, then I would know!", was a clue to his mind set at the time of his turning. He was very intuitive and insightful before hand as well.
I am wondering, as I often do, why I seem to be the only vampire that shares Carlisle's little quirk. He thinks it has something to do with his venom, and that all of the vampires he sired have that same ability. I think it came to me, and only to me, due to the fact that I am also his bonded mate.
Mate bonds are the strongest and a bonded mate is exponentially stronger yet! Even Jasper has agreed with me about that!
What the devil? Who is roaring and growling? How annoying! Why am I suddenly so irritated? Who...?
"Jasper? Is that you? What is wrong?" I asked, as I realized the anger and irritation I felt were not my own.
"I am in my office; please join me. And stop projecting so strongly!" I snapped out.
"I do apologise, Esme. I'm trying to get a hold of myself. I just cannot seem to manage it very well right now!" He exclaimed, frustration and annoyance rolling off of him like a thick fog, with anger and an extreme sense of protectiveness swirling into the mix.
"Sit down, Jasper, and tell me what has you so very aggravated. Maybe talking about what is bothering you will help." I said, as he paced like a caged tiger.
"Edward!" That name exploded out of Jasper's mouth, with a growl that shook the windows in the house.
"He, he just can't seem to be able to leave anyone any privacy at ALL, Esme! Carlisle and Emmett both told him to just let the girls have a nice sleep-over, but he just could not allow that! Emmett said he had just left Bella's house, maybe five or ten minutes before he and Keyria got there yesterday. I know that Bella asked him NOT to come to her house after school. She told him in front of ALL of us at lunch. She asked him, Esme, and when he ordered her to inform him why, she told him the truth. She wanted to make sure that she had everything ready for Keyria's visit, and that he would only be in her way. 'I don't need you under foot, Edward. I am perfectly capable of managing snacks and dinner on my own. I have been most of my life, and that did NOT change when I moved to Forks!'
"His anger at her words was not normal, he should not have even been angry!" Jasper looked up at me, his hand gripping his hair so tightly I feared he might rip it out!
He saw my pen still on the paper, and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Jasper, I will sit here, pen to paper, all day if that will ease your mind. You are aware that anything you and I discuss will go into the journal, and so be hidden from sight or hearing?" I thought that part of his problem was the inability to speak of his concerns without Alice seeing or Edward hearing it from someone's mind.
"I, along with Carlisle, guard the privacy of others zealously. Yours is no different, so it will be kept safely in the pages of the journal, Major." His eyes darkened a little, and he let go of his hair.
He nodded, and with a tiny smirk, he spoke again.
"I thank you most kindly, Miss Esme. There are some emotions I feel from Edward, and from Bella when he is with her, that I am having difficulties trying to understand. Perhaps if I explain everything to you, it may help me to figure out what is happening. I so appreciate your assistance, ma'am." The smooth, dark, East Texas drawl of Major Jasper Whitlock washed over me, and his sudden calm and sense of duty did with it.
"Is it easier for you, Miss Esme, if I maintain a small part of the Major for the time being? Only until Jasper regains control of his emotions enough to stop projecting them, I do promise."
"Thank you, Major. It is a more difficult climate to withstand when Jasper loses his hold on his emotions, anger and frustration in particular. Can you continue with the explanation of the actions, words, or events that have caused such a state of emotional turmoil in him?" I asked, being respectful but in no way submissive to him.
He may be the most feared and dangerous vampire in the universe, but I am the Mistress of this Nest!
"Most assuredly, ma'am, while you and your pen delicately record everything with your usual grace and dignity." He chuckled out.
I could not help the smile I gave him in return.
"I do no understand why yesterday's events are affecting Jasper today. Surely he did not say or do something after then? If so, I do need to know what it was, and who he is offending. He has not tried to hurt Bella or Keyria, has he?" My concern for both of the girls clear in my voice and question.
"Not in the way you would think, ma'am; he has not hurt either of them physically. But there are things he ahs been doing, in an attempt to control both of them. Edward has been using his hunting allure on Miss Isabella, and has tried to do the same to Miss Keyria. That, and his strange emotions where they are concerned, has me; um, puzzled." I looked at him as he spoke, worry written clear to see on his face.
And this was the Major! He never worries without reason!
"Explain." I said, flatly.
"Tell me why he's doing such a despicable thing to Bella, his mate."
His eyes met mine, and a look of anger and steely determination making them flash black.
"I am not so sure if she IS his mate; their emotions do not in any way resemble those of the other mated pairs of my acquaintance. I had thought it was due to Miss Isabella still being human, however that is no longer the case. My assessment changed when Emmett mated to Miss Keyria. There is a completely different feel to those two; I can feel the bond, the trust and contentment when they are together. And the love is such a warm and caring sensation, the sheer joy they feel with each other! But then I noticed that Edward's feelings are only of control, domination, suppression, possession; there is no love, or joy, or even consideration for Miss Bella. His emotions are like those of an owner towards an animal or a slave; as if she is an object instead of a person, Miss Esme!" The Major was almost shouting by the end of his report about Edward.
I have to know, how does Bella feel?
"Major, calm yourself! How is Bella coping with this? Is she aware of Edward's use of the hunting allure? Do you know what her true emotions are?" I fired off questions rapidly; this was very important.
If Edward was doing something to put us at risk, I needed to know as much as I could, and quickly!
The Major took a deep breath, and relaxed his rigid stance.
"At first, I do not think she was aware, and her emotions did reflect a certain attraction to him; even before they started dating. But there was never a sense of ease, comfort, or even a real desire to be in his company. She never has felt the sense of safety or concern for him that Miss Keyria feels for Emmett. As a matter of fact, she usually feel frustrated, irritated, and afraid when she is with him. She feels the same way in Alice's presence as well; whether Edward is there or not. I get the sense of compulsion from her, almost like she knows that he is forcing her to be with him. She certainly does not trust him, in the least. If he or Alice are not in the same area as Miss Bella, even if the rest of us are, she does not feel the same sense of dis-ease or suppression. Her behavior is different as well. She will laugh, and joke, talk more freely, and is not afraid to disagree or voice her opinions. She does all of these things with others as well. She also feels like she is isolated from everyone else, and is starting to feel anger, even rage with Edward, and Alice, most of the time. It is undoubtedly to her advantage that Edward cannot read her mind, and with Alice no longer able to see everything now." His concern and feeling of protection for Bella was more and more apparent the longer he spoke, and his very detailed assessment and insight was a clear about these things for quite some time.
"Is there more, Major? You seem to be considerably more upset than I had taken you to be at the start of this conversation." Something else was bothering him about Edward and Alice's relationship with Bella, something he did not approve of or like at all!
"You are projecting a feeling of disapproval and outrage, Major. I know there is a reason, and it has something to do with Edward's treatment of Bella. It also concerns Alice's as well, but to a lessor degree, I do believe. So, what else is there?" The only way I could assist Major Whitlock with Jasper's emotions was to let him get everything out in the open.
Only then will the pressure that Jasper is feeling so acutely be relieved.
He looked at me, almost pained I thought. I wonder why? Surely what he had to say could not be that bad, could it?
"There are other feelings and actions that I need to tell you about, Mistress Esme, and you should be aware that you may become upset. May I be permitted to calm you if your emotions get to be overwhelming?" He asked.
Clearly this was not something that I would be happy to hear!
"I want to explain the actions that I myself, and Emmett and Keyria, even Miss Isabella have questioned. Edward, with help from Alice I am afraid, has been steadily isolating her from others. She is not permitted to interact with the other students unless absolutely required for her classes. He even objects to her spending time alone with her father. Her father, of all people! He even tries to keep her away from the others in our nest, Mistress! She WANTS to spend time with others, and us, but she is not allowed, except for Alice. When he found out that she had invited Miss Keyria to spend the weekend in her home, alone, and that neither Alice nor he were welcome to be there, I could feel nothing but total possessive rage from him. Like another vampire was trying to steal his kill, not his mate! He actually tried to forbid her from talking to Miss Keyria, right from the very first day they met, Miss Esme. I was seriously concerned that he may injure one of them. That, and the increasing feeling of thirst and obsession he is feeling around her, as well as her growing annoyance and withdrawal when he or Alice are close by. It seemed to get worse over this past week, with Miss Keyria being a human in our nest. Edward is acting like a blood-starved newborn, and Jasper finally could no longer pretend his behavior was safe or acceptable! But today; today his words and intentions pushed both Jasper AND myself to the point of wanting to rip and burn, Mistress!" The Major exclaimed, his eyes flashing red flames in their black depths.
This was very serious, in a terrifyingly dangerous way! Carlisle had told me about Major Whitlock, but this vampire was not one who I had ever seen personally. This man scared me down to my very basic self!
"What did Edward say? And what had he intended to do, Major?" If it was that bad, I may have to arrange for protection for Bella, to keep her safe; from Edward!
"I need to know if Isabella needs to be guarded."
"Edward was going to run back to Miss Isabella's house. He threatened to put her in her place, if he could not prevent her from befriending Miss Keyria. He all but threatened to murder the both of them, or at least teach the humans not to disobey his commands, as he put it. Needless to say, Emmett took exception to those statements! He was about to destroy Edward when I caught up with them, ma'am. It took almost everything I had to calm the situation down, and even then if Master Carlisle and Alice had not called to speak to Edward, I do not think even I could have prevented Edward from doing some type of harm to one or both of the ladies. Thank god, Alice was able to talk him into going to Portland for an overnight shopping trip! Carlisle suggested that Emmett and Jasper return, and run a perimeter for Edward, as we would be able to determine if there were any problems with the ladies safety; and could do so without violating their privacy. Edward wanted us to actually inform them that we would not be allowing the two of them out of the house! And that we would be in the house with them! Emmett called Miss Keyria to tell her to be on the look out, just in case Edward gets away from Alice and returns. She was very angry, both of them were, and they were also afraid of what Edward may do; to them or us, when he does come back tomorrow. Jasper simply could no longer ignore the danger to Miss Bella, and he had to get away once he was assured of her safety. The rage and fear were too much, and it was starting to affect Emmett as well. We did not know that you were here, Mistress, or we would never have projected in the home. Can you ever forgive us?" His face and shoulders were relaxing, the tension slowly ebbing away.
His eyes were not so hard, and the fire was no longer in them. I was right; he, both of them, had held all of this inside for too long. Just being able to speak of his concerns was allowing him to calm himself.
I needed to be more active in ensuring Bella and Keyria's safety and comfort, this much was clear to me. Keyria lived with us, but Bella did not. She has never even been here, or with any of us but Edward or Alice outside of school! Which is odd; if she is Edward's mate, then he should have brought her to our nest, long before now! She does know our secret, and can clearly keep it to herself. I will have to encourage the budding friendship she has began with Keyria. It will be good for both of the girls to have someone to talk to - in private! I can see that I will need to speak to Carlisle; he will need to speak to Edward about his actions, and if necessary, order him to back off some!
"Major, are you doing better now? Is Jasper as well? I need to be able to speak to both of you before I can make any plans for the continued care and safety of Bella, as well as ensuring that Edward and Alice do not interfere with those arrangements. What would your suggestions be, and Jasper's? I will want to consult with my Carlisle as well, but if we have tentative plans of action in advance, we can be confident of our success." I knew that Jasper would be listening, and speaking to the Major by the fact that there were patches of amber showing in his eyes now.
His smile, and the relief that suddenly flooded the room, let me know just how worried he is about Bella; more than I think he realized.
"Is Jasper ready to return now?"
He looked up at me, his eyes gold and black spots, and gave me a little half-grin, half-smirk.
"I think I should let you in on a little secret, Miss Esme. A secret only my child and brother Peter is aware of. Both Jasper and the Major are here, together. Neither one more dominant; working and speaking as one. You are the only other person who knows about this. Tell Carlisle; he needs to know, but make sure that no other person finds out, please. Even that evil cow Maria never found out about this; I've kept this quiet for over a century. This is how I can plan so well, and am able to hide from Alice and Edward at times. We will both be here until Keyria and Isabella both are turned. I will need to feed more often, but I can keep Jasper's golden-amber eye color. It may be a shade or two darker, and tend toward reddish, but it shouldn't be too apparent. So, what did you have in that delightfully devious mind of yours, Esme?" I knew immediately that this was my brother, my nest mate.
The Major never called me by my name without a title in front of it; he would never use contradictions or tease me in any way either! But the combining of his personas; that was something I did not know about! I could grasp the importance of keeping this secret just that - a secret! And if it could keep our busy-body nest members out of the loop, so much the better!
"I will inform Carlisle, of course. Perhaps he should read my journal, and maybe add his own commentary to it? That would seem to be the easiest, and safest, way to give him this information; do you agree?" I asked, needing his consent for Carlisle to read what I am writing about today.
"That, and can you, will you, be normal; the way Jasper usually is? I am not doubting you, my dear, but too much of a difference can tip-off Edward or Alice that something is different."
He grinned, and rubbed his hands together.
"Oh, I can, and actually do. More than you know! Edward is already aware that I will be keeping an annoyingly close eyes on him, and his accomplice Alice. I made that very clear to him, just before I let go of my emotional leash. So, they will not be aware of any others that I may be taking the pulse of. The two of them will be concentrating on not setting me off, so I can freely keep Bella and Keyria safely in my range. I still think something is off about Alice, but until I'm more certain, I won't say or do anything. Em will be a huge help; he's already wanting to remove Edward's head and put him in cold storage for a month or two! I'd be willing to help him if I thought it could keep Bella safe; or even Keyria safer than Em can! I know that Emmett did tell Edward that he would roast hot dogs over his pyre if he even thought about harming or spying on Keyria; and he was not making an idle threat. I will turn Isabella myself before I see Edward's blood lust make a meal of her, Esme! He is barely under control, and he is acting as a hunting rogue would!" Jasper's fears and concerns were quite evident in his words, but more so by the waves of protective feeling he was giving off.
If Edward has Jasper this concerned, then Bella needs to be kept in the nest, and guarded in her house; and not by Edward. An idea was forming in my mind, and if Carlisle approves, I will implement it immediately!
"Jasper, I think I can help in what would be a perfectly normal way. Keyria and Bella are forming a friendship. That is apparent by Bella's invitation to the sleepover this weekend. It would not be good manners on our, or Keyria's part, to fail to ask Bella to visit after school; and to have her spend the next weekend with us, do you not agree? As for her evening and nighttime guard; Carlisle, myself, and you of course can undertake those duties. And, we can restrict Edward and Alice to more reasonable hours, and prohibit his watching her as she sleeps. Would these suggestions mesh with any plans you may have, my dear?" I did notice the relief in the room growing as I spoke, along with the smile on his face.
"Are there any restrictions that need to be placed upon Alice as well? I myself do not think that allowing her to continue to push you, or any of us, into dressing or constant shopping with her. Will that be acceptable?"
"In more ways than you realize, Esme. Not only would that make life easier on the security details, but Bella herself will be much happier. The only way that Alice is able to coerce her into shopping and dressing as she wants Bella to, is with Edward's dazzling. Bella truly cannot stand high fashion, all day shopping sprees, or the unnessicary make-overs that Alice demands! Edward and Alice both use them as ways to exert their complete control over Bella; while making her feel unworthy, incapable, and as if she is not up to the Cullen standard of beauty and behavior. That has got to stop, Esme; stop completely! For myself as well, it will no longer be tolerated, in any way!" Irritation shown in his eyes, and on his face.
I noticed his own sense of not being up to the Cullen standard apparent in his words as well. But, I thought he was with Alice?
"Jasper, how can you feel the same sense of not being good enough, or worthy of your mate? Your mate can not cause you to feel this way; it is not possible!" I exclaimed.
"I'm starting to realize that Alice probably isn't my mate, Esme. Yes, I did have feelings for her, and she for me; but over the period of time since Edward met Bella, I have noticed that Alice treats me as he does her. Like a pet, a dress-up doll, or a guard dog. So, how can she and I be mates? That, and the lack of the bond between us that I can feel with Carlisle and yourself, and now with Keyria and Emmett. I don't even think she cares, as long as she can be a Cullen!" Frustration and disenchantment poured off of him, mixed with sadness and a singular feeling of loneliness.
"What you feel from me now Esme, is how Bella feels as well," he stated quietly.
"Just add a feeling of isolation, fear, and annoyance, and you have Bella. That is what we can't allow the two of them to continue doing to her. Or the rest of us." I sat, open-mouthed, just staring at him for a few seconds.
He just made me think of hos my late, un-lamented husband made me feel before his death. If Edward is doing the same things to Bella, then we must give her the immediate and complete protection of the senior members of our nest; and restrict both Edward's and Alice's access to her!
"Jasper, I am going to have to do something I normally would not do, but I feel that I must. Without consulting with Carlisle, I am now issuing an order, for yourself, Major Whitlock, and for Emmett. I will want you to let him know as quickly as you can, so you will contact him by phone as soon as the order is given. Is this clear to you, Jasper Whitlock?" At his startled and wide-eyed nod, I continued.
"You, Emmett, and Keyria will be either with Bella or close by at all times, starting now! If I understood you correctly, Emmett's still on watch close by Bella's home, correct?" At his nod again, I kept going.
"Alice and Edward may object, throw their tantrums, and be generally disagreeable to this next directive, my boy, but that will not change or modify it in any way. You will be her night guardian, making sure that neither of them are in her home, or alone with her. By now, we all know her daily and weekly routine's and activities. No more shopping trips, spa-days, or make-overs unless Isabella herself request one. I will make sure that Keyria invites her to our home, and to all of our family outings. Until Isabella Swan is a vampire, she is never to be out of the sight of one of the four of us. Is that agreeable, Major?" Not that he was being given much choice, but I did think that he needed to be given the chance to change something if he thought it would work better.
"No, Mistress Esme, there is nothing to change about this protection detail. However, if you could have Miss Keyria inform My - I mean, Miss Bella of what we are doing, that would help immensely. She does not like being lied to or kept in the dark. Her cooperation may be needed at times, and if she knows our plan for Keyria and herself, she will be more willing to tolerate any restrictions we may need to put on her. Would you do that?" He asked, looking happier and more relaxed than I had ever seen him.
I also caught the little unconscious slip! Now his anger and protective urges made more sense. I think that one Isabella Swan is a vampire's mate, just not Edward's. That means that Alice is not Jasper's mate after all, and has been lying to us for a very long time about that fact!
"I had planned to ask Keyria to do precisely that, Jasper. I also want you to stop allowing Alice to rule your life, my friend. If you feel the need, I will help you regain your own self, as well as your own space in the house. Will that be of assistance to you as well?" I asked, hoping I was not offending him with my assumption.
He grinned at me, eyes sparkling with glee.
"Esme, my friend, my sister; you have no idea how much easier that would make things for us. No idea! There is an empty guest room and bath next to my study. Perhaps I, we, could take the door and move it; so that there is no access other than through my locked study door? How long would it take to remodel, my dear sister?" He was practically giggling!
"Trust me when I say that within the next week or two, Alice will be throwing me out! As for the tantrums, whining, and complaining; well, I will be giving it back, double! All I will need from you is one: say you are expanding my study/library; and two: when I get kicked out, make it very clear that Alice is only here because of me, not as she and Edward think; that I am allowed to live here because of her! You will need to clear that with Master Carlisle, but I have no doubt that he will be agreeable. Is this okay with you? And how long will I have to be a nasty, objectionable male, who has no concept of all the work that Alice has to do to make sure that I'm not left without a roof over my head? Also, before you ask, both Edward and Alice rub those words in my face at every opportunity they can find, or make! It is only recently that I have been made aware of what the two of them try to do, to all of us Esme, no just me." He had a look of hope on his face, as if he was almost begging me to help him with this.
I could not believe what Alice and Edward have been doing! HE WAS RIGHT! They have been doing these things, to all of us, not as overtly as to Bella and Jasper, but they did still try to manipulate our nest the way they wanted. Well! No more! Maybe Emmett's thought to send various body parts across the country was a good idea! Time to finish this up, so Jasper can call Emmett.
"Jasper, brother, it will take about seven to ten days for the expansion and remodel of your study to be complete. I can even have Bella and Keyria assist me with the decor and furniture selection. And, please, make sure that both of them are in your gift training and understanding courses. And the 'vampire 101' training I know you will be giving. Knowledge is power, and the more the both of them know about vampires, and what is and is not accurate, the better off they will be! Find out exactly what Bella has been told, and if she has been given false information, I am to be told at once. Is this acceptable?" I asked, hoping he would agree to these suggestions.
"Oh my god, Esme! Aren't you the most devious and wonderful sister in the world! Those are the most perfect, and most wickedly wonderful ideas you've ever had! The seven to ten day timing is just right; nine or ten days will be best if possible. And yes, please have Bella and Keyria help. Bella has similar taste in color, and books to me; and Little Miss.. I mean Keyria, can help her a lot. As for the gift and vampire training, I agree completely with the both of them needing all the information myself, you, Carlisle, and Emmett can give them. I don't think Edward or Alice have given much honest or truthful information to Bella, and I will make sure to find out exactly what the little lady had been told. As soon as I find out, I will tell you. Just make sure you can record my findings." He was bouncing, bouncing, in his seat, and the excitement he was throwing off almost had me bouncing as well!
I have never seen, of felt, this degree of happiness and just deviousness from Jasper; not in almost sixty years! I am certainly looking forward to the next few weeks and months.
"Let me call Emmett now, and make sure he knows our orders. I can relieve him in a couple of hours, after I hunt. We didn't have the chance to get in a good hunt before Edward started to be difficult. And I will have to hunt more often from now on, with both of us being present, so to speak. You can call Carlisle while I speak to Em. He needs to know what the plan is concerning Alice and Edward, before the two of them return from Portland Sunday." He smiled and stood up, moving to the far side of my office to make his call.
I got out my cell phone and sent Carlisle a text: Are you alone? I need to speak with you, privately! Mistress Esme.
My phone rang almost immediately, just enough time had passed for the text to get to his phone.
"Yes, My lady? I am alone; Edward has accompanied Alice to shop in Portland. What can I assist you with, my dear?" He asked.
"Can you meet me in Olympia in about an hour? At the usual place? It is extremely urgent and important. I will need you to be prepared to look over my journal for any mistakes, and make any corrections to it if you think it nessicary." I said, knowing that he would understand and be instantly on alert.
"Certainly, my dearest. Perhaps we can enjoy a hunt with each other while we are out. I am about thirty minutes away from there now. I will wait for you, my mate." He said, letting me know that he understood what I was telling him was not to be made public; to Alice's sight or Edward's hearing.
"Make sure that you are careful on your way. I love thee, and adore thee, my precious delight. Until I see your beautiful face, in Olympia, sweet Esme."
"And I see your handsome visage, my darling Carlisle." I said, hanging up the phone.
I looked at Jasper, who had just disconnected with Emmett.
"Will Emmett be good to stand watch until you have hunted your fill?" I asked.
He smirked a little as he replied.
"Oh yes. He surprised a bear on his second perimeter sweep, so he's good for a bout the next week or so. He also spoke to Keyria, and let her know that he and I will be keeping Eddie out of their hair. He did say that Bella was overjoyed to have a free weekend. His opinion is that not having to deal with Edward or Alice is a great relief to her, and that she was over the moon about that fact. If there isn't anything else, I'll be off to hunt myself now. Have a good evening with your mate, Esme. Goodnight."
A/N: So, there it is! To all of our faithful followers and reviewers, have at it! Next chapter will be up soon, hopefully... :)
