13. Trip

Salt Lake City, Utah

December 2010

Robyn

After almost twelve hours on the road, Peter finally pulled over. It was dark outside but I had managed to sleep somewhat in the car. The sun had fallen hours ago as I reached up to cover my mouth from the yawn that threatened to explode past my lips. Utah was different than any other place I had been to with the hills and just the air. I tugged my jacket tighter as Peter walked beside me.

Most of the day while Peter drove, I had snacked on the drive through and just groceries in the car. I dealt being stuck in a car for nearly twelve hours almost nonstop. I had a couple potty breaks but otherwise we stuck to the road. Thankfully instead of riding with us, Garrett was using Peter's truck. This also meant that he was probably going be there before Peter and I.

Peter found a twenty four hour diner and took my hand. We wouldn't be staying in a hotel until we made it to Seattle. We talked on the way here and decided it would be simpler that way for me to just continue sleeping in the car. Peter drove so fast most of the time anyway I barely felt the bumps in the first place.

"Tired?" Peter asked just before we entered the diner.

I shrugged. Truth was, I couldn't sleep. My stomach was a jumble of nervous energy. I stood by my word, if Jasper didn't want me and wanted Peter, I'd step aside. Despite being strong in my conviction to that, I still worried like crazy how this entire thing would work out. I could tell that something was different about Peter along the trip. He probably didn't think I noticed but I had.

Peter wrapped his arm around me despite the chill in the air. I snuggled closer as he opened the door.

"Evening! Just have a seat wherever, " said the older waitress.

Peter gave her a nod and we made our way to a booth. Peter stayed on my side as if noticing how out of it I was. I had managed about a couple of hours of sleep on the trip with my nervous stomach.

Peter grabbed a menu and placed it in front of me. I opened it will tired eyes and my stomach instantly growled upon seeing the waffle platter. I smirked over at Peter tapping my finger against the menu on the image of the two teered waffles with bacon and scrambled eggs.

"Sure thing, darlin," Peter smirked at me. My cheeks flushed as I buried my face into the menu. The waitress arrived and took my drink order and I went ahead and gave my regular order. Peter was twirling a finger in my hair when she returned with my drink leaving it on the table before walking away with a smile.

"Nervous?" Peter asked as if he finally noticing my knawing at my bottom lip.

I instead change the subject. "You told me that your money came from the stock market. You just seemed to know what to invest in and when. How?"

Peter shrugged dropping the strand of brown hair.

"I don't know how to explain it. It might be a gift but I'm not quite sure. I just know things. Like for example, the day I stumbled upon you. I had gone out hunting in a different area because something told me to. I just knew that I had to go hunting that day, not another day of the week. Just like right now, I know that things will go well for us, but there's also this underlining feeling that it will also go bad in another way. It's hard to really explain when I don't even know it myself."

I lean my head against his shoulder with a yawn. He presses his lips against my forehead. "Don't worry. Before you know it, we'll be in Seattle moments away from seeing Jasper. Just think, Robin, how happy he's going to be to have us."

I gave him a grin but inside, I was scared.

Jasper probably wouldn't like a weak human girl for a mate. I couldn't see the God of War, as Peter and Garrett sometimes referred to him as, happy about having someone like me as a mate.

Peter

My eyes drifted down toward the sleeping girl in the backseat. She was the most beautiful person I had ever met. I knew without her saying it that the closer we got to seeing Jasper, her worries and insecurities came out strongly. I knew this because mine did the same.

Hell, I was already a vampire, but I didn't deserve either one of them. I was too weak in the army and Jasper made me leave. The more I thought about it, maybe he knew somehow then what I was to him. Or maybe he just didn't want my weak ass screwing up things. I would never really know probably.

What I told Robyn earlier was the truth. I just knew things would work out with us and Jasper, but there was an underlying threat that was looming in the distance. It was going to be caused by what we did tomorrow. The sun was beginning to peer up in the distance and I knew we'd be in Seattle by noon. I raked my fingers through my hair in an effort to cover up the growing nerves.

Garrett knew more about this situation than I. He was friends with this Carlisle Cullen for decades. Apparently Carlisle was one of the older vampires in existence. According to Garrett's information, Carlisle was certainly older than he. He had knowledge of quite a bit of things. The fact that his entire group fed from animals instead our natural food source, intrigued me just a little bit. I could also see the appeal for Jasper considering his gift of manipulating emotions interfered with his hunting of humans.

Most humans wouldn't eat a chicken if they could feel everything it felt at the moment right before death.

As the sun continued to rise, I felt a vibration in my pocket. I pulled it out with a sigh.

"Do you want to see Jasper tomorrow? At the rate you're going, you'll be lucky to see him this year."

I growled into the receiver at Garrett's voice. He instantly chuckled.

"I'm serious though. You should probably step on it. According to the weather report, there's rain coming into Forks. This might work to our advantage."

I wondered for a moment what Garrett was thinking.

"Doing this near town might be risky with the two of us. Not to mention there's a little something else I didn't get around to telling you before."

"Garrett, cut the fucking chase. What is it?"

I heard him sigh and just knew again this wasn't going to be something I liked.

"There are a group shape shifting wolves on the reservation near Forks. From what Carlisle told me, he made a treaty with them since he didn't hunt humans. His coven can't venture to their lands or bite a human either to change them or drink from them. This could cause trouble with our red eyes and our passenger."

Fuck. Just what we needed right now.

"Why didn't you tell me before?"

"Honestly? I didn't think they'd be a problem. It'd been decades since Carlisle stumbled upon them. When I talked to Carlisle, he mentioned it again. He said he wasn't sure if they'd be a problem but that I should stick closer to the main area of Forks. Try not to hunt in the area. Though he always tells me that as a precaution. Unusual hunting habits in the area cause his group trouble."

Of course they did. They probably had a field day when nomads came across their lands.

"I'll see you soon, Garrett."

I cut the call short and pressed the gas down a little further. A few hours later, Robyn began to stir from the back seat. I heard her groan as she pushed up rubbing her eyes from the sleep crusts. She yawned with her arms raised and blinked as she looked around.

"You're lucky you don't have to sleep," she groaned bending her back, "because this backseat is not that comfortable to sleep on."

I frowned truly worried about her sleep. She slept perfectly at the house. I think she secretly was going to miss the house after her change. I wondered for a minute how she'd be as a vampire. Her thick luscious brown hair framing either gold, orange, or red eyes. I'd never fault her if she decided to stick with a vegetarian diet.

"Sorry, darlin. I'll make sure we have only the best at the hotel. It shouldn't be much longer. Think you can hold off for a couple of hours for food?"

She gave me a look in the rear view mirror. "I do have some food back here, remember? I can eat a honey-bun for breakfast. It will hold me off."

She quickly dug into her bag of packed food. I could smell the various things she packed away before she came out with something that smelled sweet. It wasn't the same smell as human blood sweet but more like too sweet or something that just made my stomach curl. I gagged and she giggled which made me smile. She stayed in the backseat while she ate apparently too self-conscious about eating in front of me this morning.

"So, we'll see Jasper tomorrow?" she asked when she finished. I watched her toss the plastic out the window with a mock glare.

"That's the plan, doll."

She snickered as she climbed over the seats. I slowed down only a fraction as she fell into the seat with a huff. "That's going to be so much easier when I'm a vamp."

She tugged her jacket tighter with a frown. "I forgot how cold it is in here."

She reached forward and turned up the heat. I felt slightly bad about the fact that I probably was adding to the chill in the car. "Don't even think about it, Petey. I mean really, you aren't doing anything. It's cold outside if you haven't noticed."

She began to scroll through the radio channels. A few times I watched her and just listened as she found stations playing a couple songs she knew. Occasionally, she'd come across an absolute favorite with a satisfied grin. I enjoyed watching her relax as she tossed her legs onto the dashboard with a grin. She stared out the window as the sun invaded the entire area. She had seen me once in the sunlight and I think she was in awe of what a vampire's body was capable of.

"When we get to Seattle," I began as I hit the blinker, "we'll need to plan with Garrett. He knows more about this coven than I do. I don't like to admit it but Garrett has an expertise with this group. We don't want to go in blind. Remember Garrett told us that Alice, Jasper's current mate, can see the future. I have a feeling she's going to be bad news. If she can see the future, she had to have known-"

Robyn cuts me off, "That Jasper isn't her mate. I was thinking the same thing when Garrett mentioned it. Do the rest have gifts?"

I tighten my grip on the steering wheel. "I think another does. I think one of them is a mind reader. This means when Garrett goes, he's got to cover his thoughts from this one. I hope that he's out on a hunting trip."

"This could get messy. You don't think they'll cause a fight? You said at the diner that you felt this going right, but you did say that something was going to go wrong."

I turn my head to the window not liking this idea. "Remember I told you about the Volturi?"

She nods her head shutting off the radio. "Yeah, the group in Italy. I could be in danger if I know and our mate-ship is a threat to the coven. So what? As long as they don't find out..."

I turn my head nodding at her as she understands. I continue, "Carlisle having known them for a time creates a risk. The Cullen coven learning about our mate-ship creates a risk. Either one of them could contact the Volturi if it gets messy. The problem is that we won't know about it, they'll do it after we leave. That's why you have to decide shortly after we bring Jasper back when you want to be changed."

Suddenly her face darkens as she quickly turns her head out the window. A smirk plays on my lips as my curiosity is peaked.

"Robyn? What is it?"

I've mentioned the change to her before but she never got that look.

"I wanted to wait until we had Jasper with us, but maybe it would be a good idea to have the plan in motion before. You said yourself that this needs to be thought out. I've thought about it and there's only one thing I want left as a human."

Her face has darkened completely sliding down her neck and staining her chest. Suddenly I smell her arousal which makes me growl. I've smelt it before but it's never been so potent. She smiles at me under her eyelashes and suddenly it dawns on me. My eyes widen and I nearly swerve the steering wheel when the thought occurs to me.

"You want..." I can't even finish it because the thoughts are clouding my head. I'm envisioning it and it's got me as hard as steel in my pants.

She giggles before going quiet. "Of course it's what I want. I told you I wanted to wait until we had Jasper. I wanted Jasper to be apart of the first time we're together intimately. I didn't want just one of you to change me. I want you both too at the height of an orgasm, I wanted you both to change me at the same time. You're marking me as mate to both of you. I could always mark you both after I'm changed. It's the last thing I wanted as a human."

The images are beautiful and erotic. I had, for a moment, thought about this, but it was fleeting. I never really thought she'd agree to it.

"Since," I began swallowing the venom pooling in my mouth, "you've been thinking about this. I know you've thought about a time and location."

She smirks at me innocently enough shrugging her shoulders. "Of course I have. You told me that the south is too dangerous for me. We're too close to the wars going on in the south. We've already decided once Jasper is with us to move up to Canada for my newborn year and to get me away from the wars. I was thinking that I wanted my vampire life to begin with the new year. End one life in one horrible year and begin my forever in another year. New Year's is not that long from now, I know, but I'm not going to change my mind. You, Jasper, and maybe Garrett could pack up the house and if we can find a way to keep me quiet, it'd be easy to get me across the border."

I have to hand it to her, she'd thought this through.

"Of course all of this depends on how things go after we get Jasper. I'm just spit balling here. Everything could change after we get Jasper, whether he wants us both or just one of us. I'm perfectly okay with that, but I won't take him without you. I don't care, it wouldn't be what I wanted."

I reach over and take her hand soothing her with a brush of my thumb over her knuckles.

"If that's what you want, that's what you'll get."

She smiles at me which almost makes me dead heart beat again.