Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. I just like to play with the characters.
Additionally, I would like to thank my wonderful beta, EdwardsMate4Ever, and jaspersdoll, for suggesting the title and other creative input.
This is a Jasper-Bella fiction. It takes place in current time. Vampires are in hiding, but have a more structured society. They take human "pets" for food, and some humans are held in captivity to be bled for vampires. They bottle this blood much like humans bottle beer, and it is sold in the underground vampire clubs and bars. There are a number of "designer" blood labels, some of which are very popular. Bella's blood has been featured in a blend called "LaGuerra" and is the most popular designer bottled blood on the vampire black market.
Humans who have been claimed by vampires have a small tattoo on their wrists to mark them as vampire property. The marks are usually a series of dots forming a small triangle or rectangle. The colors and pattern identify both the Vampire Territory
(Bella's POV)
Chapter 14 – Life at Jasper's, the Daily Routine
Over the next few weeks, a routine becomes established at the house Jasper has taken me to.
I have Charlotte as a constant companion. She's reserved, but present. After a while I get used to asking her for what I want. Initially, I don't know if I'm supposed to leave my room, so I spend the first few days in the red drenched chamber, staring and pacing.
The nights are bad, as I relive the kidnapping over and over in my dreams. First waking up with my hands tied in that strange room in Mexico, next waiting for Jasper while frantically trying to reach Crazy, and then finally watching him drive up and get out of that car. My own screams wake me up, and as I look around the room, I realize the nightmare isn't over, as I'm in this red room at Jasper's house.
Charlotte is always there when I wake up, and sometimes she manages to wake me before I scream. And often Jasper is there when I wake up, kneeling next to the bed. Sometimes I feel him stroking my hair as I try to relax and go back to sleep, hugging my pillow, but I recoil from his touch and watch as his expression goes from concerned to impassive at my gesture. He generally leaves the room once I have calmed down, but Charlotte always stays, rocking me for a few minutes before trying to get me to go back to sleep.
After a few days, I start following her down to the kitchen, as that seems allowed.
Eventually, I poke my nose into the various rooms downstairs. No one ever says anything when I enter a room; they just look up then go back to what they were doing. The number of vampires in the house varies, but Peter and Charlotte are always there. There are usually four or five other vampires inside the house, plus I sense a few were outside as well. I never seem to learn the names of these other vampires; I only know Charlotte's and Peter's names.
Jasper has a study on the first floor, lined with books. He appears to spend a lot of time there. The first time I opened the door, he looked around at me, gazing intently as he caught my eyes before going back to what he was doing. As I wasn't anxious to get too close, I quickly closed the door and went to another room, though I felt his eyes following into me as I left the room. As time passed, I noticed he spent most of his time there. He had a computer on a high desk, one he stood in front of, and he seemed to almost always be doing something on it. Sometimes I would find him sitting in one of the leather chairs, talking on the phone. Always too low for me to hear.
After a few days, Charlotte asked me if there was anything I wanted to pass the days. I told her I had been working on my GED, and gave her the names of the books I was studying. Two days later, the books arrived, along with a supply of notebooks, pens, and other supplies.
I also picked out some Sudoku and other puzzles and games to pass the time. They didn't seem to care what I requested, as they just ordered it.
I noticed that after the first few days, Charlotte and Peter relaxed a bit. I'm not sure what they expected me to do, but quietly sitting and working on textbooks seemed to meet with their approval.
I just need to stay as safe as I can until Wenda gets here. Though that thought raised some major uncertainties in my mind. How could she hope to get me out of a house with such guards? I began to worry about her, and though I didn't hope she wouldn't try to come for me, I started trying to think of a way to signal her about the number of vampires in the house. Eventually I decide that since my limited computer use is closely monitored, I will need to get my hands on a phone. Someone is bound to leave one unattended; I'll just have to be patient and seize the opportunity. Having a plan helps me keep from losing my mind, living here in this house, waiting for the next time an immortal decides to feed on me.
One evening, a few weeks after I arrive, there is a long, slinky red dress waiting for me on the bed. I start to try it on, but I feel like a fool in it. It's very low cut and clings to my body in embarrassing ways. I can barely walk on the red sequined five- inch heels that are laid out for me on the floor by the dress.
I decide to take a stand on this. I've let him bite me without any struggle on my part, because Crazy told me on our last phone call in Mexico not to fight him when he wants to feed. My survival could depend on it, she said, as my resistance might excite him and he would lose control. But this dress…it's too much. So I walk out into the living room in my underwear.
That gets a startled response from Peter and Charlotte, and a cocked eyebrow from Jasper, whose eyes seemed to go black as I watched. "Are you ready to go?" he asked in a husky voice.
I nodded. He reached for the front door then paused, his hands resting on the doorsill. "You're really going to wear that?" he asked.
As I stood there, facing off with him by the door, I slowly began to experience feelings of doubt about what I was doing. That was followed by an unfamiliar desire to please him, to do whatever he wanted. I fought that one. "I may be here against my will," I replied in a voice that I had hoped would be steadier, "but I'm not a slut. I won't wear that dress."
He took his hands from the doorsill, to stand in front of me with his arms crossed, watching me. I noticed what appeared to be dust falling from his fingers as they left the doorsill. Under his piercing gaze, I felt my flush go to my feet, but I held my ground, and kept his eyes.
Suddenly I felt Charlotte tugging at my arm. "Put your arm through here," she said quietly. I looked at her, and she was helping me into a knee length, wrap-around dress. Red, but not an evening gown. It had little ties hidden in the hem at the bodice and hip, then a then a sash that tied it closed and wrapped around my waist. She helped me tie everything closed quickly, and I have to admit I was relieved when it was done.
"This is more age-appropriate, anyway," she said, without meeting Jasper's eyes. She did, however, bring those awful high-heeled shoes with her for me to put on. Since I won with the dress, I forced myself to step into the shoes. If I fell and broke my leg, it was on him. Then we went outside where black car with tinted windows was waiting for us.
Soon we arrived at a mansion. As we entered, I heard a lull in the conversation. I felt like everyone was staring at me, and I didn't dare to look up. I stood meekly next to Jasper, who kept one hand on my back, guiding me silently around the room, never speaking to me as he paused to exchange a few words with those who approached him.
But the stupid shoes were hurting my feet. The ankle strap was scratchy, and soon I felt a burn on my ankle. When I reached down to rub the sore spot, a cold hand met mine as Peter pulled back the strap. Jasper glanced down when Peter touched my foot and saw the red spot on my heel. A small sore just this close to bleeding. He nodded to Peter and picked me up, removing the shoes, and sticking them in his pocket. For the rest of the evening, I was carried around like a child on his hip. I was thoroughly mortified.
But I focused on keeping my spirits up. If only I could get away from him for an instant at this event, I might find a way to contact Crazy. Someone might have left a purse or bag unattended, with a cell phone in it. I would only need a moment, just to call Crazy and tell her that I'm OK. I don't know where I am, but I wanted to warn her that there are a lot of vampires around me at all times.
Suddenly I spot a slight blonde vampress in the crowd. She has her hair up, but it's the same color as Crazy's. My feelings of hope must have spiked because Jasper whips his head around, snarling.
Instantly, Peter flashes to the vampress' side. The woman turns, bows her head, and backs away with her head still bowed. It wasn't Wenda. My heart drops, and Jasper's snarl diminishes. That's when I realize what his gift is. How could I not have noticed before? He can sense my feelings. I knew he was doing something with my mood, but I thought it was drugs in the food.
As weeks turn into the second month, I continue to go to social occasions with him. Charlotte has come up with a formal look for me that he doesn't snarl about, at least not as much, though I can tell that he would rather I wear flashier attire. She picks out red dresses with short sleeves and scoop necks, and no slits up the thigh. Some cling to my figure more than others, but there isn't much there to cling to. I'm still almost as skinny as the fashion models, with my elbows and knees protruding. Crazy always said I was too thin, though that had started to change with all the food we had been eating during my "training to be a waitress" research project. We leave my hair down, though Charlotte always puts on a headband or works a few braids that she joins in the back to hold it in place.
But whatever the dress, it seems each time, as we're about to leave the house, Jasper slips a different necklace and earrings onto me from behind. I can't help but get a rush of feeling at that contact, all confusing, feeling him directly behind me, his arms coming around me in such an intimate way. I fight that feeling, as what he's doing it not my choice. The jewelry is nice, of course. It's always extravagant, and always rubies or garnets, setting in gold or white gold. He likes me dripping in red, I think grimly.
Much is made over me at these affairs, and this seems to please Jasper, as long as the other vampires keep their distance. Peter and Charlotte are the only vampires who are allowed to be alone with me.
Although the vampires themselves seem to dress almost uniformly in black and white, I also sometimes see a flash of other color at the parties. Although I prefer to keep my eyes down, so that I don't see all the glowing red eyes fixed on me, I soon realize that there are other humans in these places. Some look happy and are hanging onto their escorts, giggling. I am curious about these humans, generally women, and wonder how much they know about their inhumanly handsome escort. On a few, I see jewelry and scarves that adorn significant spots on their necks and wrists that make me think they know exactly what their escorts are. Why would they want to be with them?
I wonder what Wenda told me about glamouring. But glamouring always seemed a short-term situation, almost like a spell that only lasted as long as the vampire stared into your eyes. These people were turning and walking around. They seemed to be willing companions. I file it in my list of things to ask Wenda when she finds me.
And for now, I just bide my time, waiting to see or hear from Crazy.
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