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Chapter 14

Angel of Death

Peter POV

Jasper and Maria had now been gone for a little over a week and it was time ta take the remainin' newborns to feed. They'd been getting' restless for the past day or so and if I didn't take them soon I would have a fight on my hands. There was no possibility of them overtakin' me, but we couldn't really afford to get rid of them unnecessarily. They all had at least four solid months left 'fore their strength would start to wane. Personally, I thought it was a waste, destroyin' them ourselves. If they made it past a year they were obviously skilled and we could use them. If they died in battle due to their strength not being up to par, well then that was one less we would have to take care of ourselves. The point was that Maria was a power hungry bitch and for her, it was easier to keep track of them if she created batches at a time and culled them as needed, replacin' them with fresh stock.

I needed to get away for a little while and decided on trackin' the old trail left from the newborn scout that Jasper had disposed of. It looked like he was traveling alone and from the scent trail I gathered that he had been watchin' our camp for a few days before his discovery. This didn't bode well. I got a feelin' that shit was going to fly, and it was going to fly soon. I left Anthony in charge. He was one of the oldest newborns and was very smart. He knew his chances of survival were slim, but he was also aware that his best chance for survival was to follow orders and keep in line with what Jasper and I told him. He was useful and had a handy gift. He could persuade people to see his point of view. While it only worked for the short term and only if the person that was being persuaded had a weak mind, it did come in mighty handy when dealing with a bunch of fresh newborns. I was plannin' on talkin' to Maria about keeping him around for occasions just such as now when only one of us could be there. He made the others all so much easier to deal with.

After I'd made my way about one hundred fifty miles from our camp I came across a fresh trail that seemed to be goin' in the opposite direction from the trail I was currently on. It was, however, heading toward our camp. I decided to follow it to see where it would go and found that the scent became increasingly more pronounced. It would seem that whoever came this way had been stickin' around the area. It had to be another newborn from Diego but I still could not come up with any reasons why he would try take over our area. He should know how futile it would be.

I was on the northwest corner of Maria's claimed area when I spotted the vampire in the distance. He seemed to be distracted watchin' some humans travel down one of the many roads going through to Monterrey. I took my time getting' close to him and while he hunted the humans I hunted him. The whole time he was none the wiser. Finally, once I was close enough, I took the opportunity to pounce. He was taken completely off guard. A typical newborn, he immediately started to fight. I let him go as I had been itchin' for a good fight. The last few years had proved to be rather sedate, and I was getting' bored.

"Why're ya in this territory?" I growled out at him. "It's clearly marked and has been claimed by Maria fer over twenty years."

He hissed back at me refusin' to answer. I was ecstatic; this is the response I had hoped for. I circled him as he followed me with his eyes, crouched down and ready to strike. I waited 'til he finally made his decision. He pounced, feignin' right. The newborn had been trained well, but his skill would not be nearly enough to keep him alive. I ducked out of his attempt and swept my leg to the side, knockin' him hard behind the knee, makin' him stumble. He recovered and turned to face me again, but lost his confidence. I just smirked and raised a brow, waitin' for him to react. It didn't take long before he realized he was going to lose and attempted to run rather than continue fightin'. It was a disappointment. I wanted to continue, but figured I'd have my fun getting' information out of him. He didn't get far before I pounced on him grabbin' him by the leg and wrenchin' it away. As the sound of the metallic scream of vampire flesh being torn hit the air I threw the appendage to the left and continued rippin' him apart, leavin' just his torso with his head connected so I could get the required information.

"I'll ask ya once more nicely. Who sent ya, and what'd ya want?" I figured there was no harm in givin' the man one chance at redemption in the form of a quick death, versus the torture I could put him through. He just stared blankly at me, refusin' to answer my questions, only growlin' and howlin' in pain from his lost limbs.

"Have it yer way," I agreed casually as I took his hand and started pluckin' the fingers off one by one, pausing in between each to raise a brow in question. He tried to keep the whimperin' in but was not very successful. "Ya know that as a vampire you can still feel yer missin' limbs even once removed," I reminded him tauntingly, though he clearly did not need to be told. He just kept whimperin' in pain as I started removin' toes next. "Now imagine how it's gonna feel once I start settin' fire to yer fingers," I grinned evilly at the man.

He started whimperin' as the pain intensified. The more you removed the worse it got. I grabbed a match out of the tin and started a nice little fire, takin' the first finger and slowly lowerin' it to the flames. "This is yer final chance. Talk an' I'll make it quick, don't an' I'll be setting' ya aflame piece by excruciatin' piece. Once there's nothin' but yer torso left, I'll remove yer head an' bury ya in the ground fer the rest of eternity," I smirked at him. That was a fate far worse than death, excruciatin' pain for the rest of eternity without any way to alleviate it.

"No, please! I'll tell ya what ya want but, please, a quick death," He begged.

"Fine, now answer m'questions," I growled out at the man.

"My name is Juan, I was sent by Victor to spy on your camp and report back to him to inform him of when the best time to attack would be."

I nodded to him, "Who's Victor? I don't know any vampires by that name."

"Victor was Diego's first in command, but he pulled us together and overthrew Diego, taking command of his army," He managed to get out between the gasps of pain.

"So, Diego's gone an' this Victor took 'is place? When's he planning to attack?" I had definitely not seen this one comin'.

He looked up at me with wide pleadin' eyes and whimpered, "Yes, Diego is dead. Victor is planning to attack in less than a month."

"Does he have any gifted newborns?"

He nodded his head, "Yes, Carlos, he is a damper, gifts don't work around him."

As soon as he finished I grabbed his head and tore it from his torso, quickly throwin' it into the fire. The kindest way to die for a vampire was if the head went in first. If the head was left out but the body burned they would feel each excruciatin' flame as it consumed their body. The pain would remain forever etched into their memory until they were put in the flame.

I sat there watchin' the flame die down thinking about this Carlos. He had to be the reason that I hadn't had a clue as to what was goin' on in Diego's territory. This Victor was obviously not a very good commander if he thought he had a chance in hell of taking over this territory. Either that, or he was banking on the fact that the damper would be able to disarm any of our gifted newborns.

Once the fire died down to embers and ashes I left, runnin' back to the camp and the awaitin' newborns. I had been delayed several hours and hoped that Anthony still had them under control. It only took ten minutes to run back to camp and I found Anthony in the process of puttin' one of the others in line. They were all standin' 'round watchin' as he tore the arm off of his opponent. I knew that if I let the fight continue then we would lose the other newborn and right now I could not afford for that to happen. I ran in and threw them apart, giving a warnin' growl. They knew not to mess with me.

Anthony backed away and lettin' the other newborn scramble away to find his missin' appendage. "What's goin' on here?" I growled at them.

Anthony, being in charge, was left to answer. "He tried to disobey yer orders to remain here, he was trying to sneak out of camp and go huntin' in the city," he explained.

I turned to the newborn who was now tryin' to fuse his arm back on, levelin' him with a glare and growled at him, "When we get back from huntin' you'll be punished."

He did not bother answerin', just looked down at the ground. The usual punishment was repeated loss of appendages. We would tear off an arm, leg, or both and then reattach them and let them heal, just to tear them off again. This would go on for days until the offendin' party learned their lesson. This time he got lucky, though, as I would need them to spar continuously until Maria and Jasper got back with the new batch. In the mean time, I would have to come up with a fittin' punishment, or maybe I would allow Anthony the pleasure since he was the one the newborn was fightin' with in the first place.

I gathered them up and we all ran into the city, each taking a different section. We met up when we'd all had our fill to head back to camp. Down here it was normal for humans to disappear and not have anyone suspicious of the disappearance. It only took about three hours in total before everyone came back from huntin', bright crimson eyes proof of our meals.

The next few days passed mercifully fast. I kept them all busy sparrin' and practicin' for the comin' battle. I was overseein' one of the matches when one of the newborns I'd sent scoutin' came runnin' out to where we practiced with a message for me, "Sir, Maria and the Major 're back. They sent me to fetch ya."

I nodded to him, "Ok, I want ya ta spar with Anthony when he's finished with this 'un." I indicated towards the vampire now missing an ear.

"Yes, Sir," he responded and then turned to watch the fight while waitin' for his turn.

I turned to the camp, runnin' towards Maria's tent. It was likely that they were strategizin' how to best train the newly awoken vampires. Jasper came out, hearin' my approach. "How was it Captain?" he asked. We always stayed formal in front of Maria, always an elaborate act for the bitch.

"The newborns were in line. They feed three days ago, and so should be fine fer at least another three. I do have news, though. Three days ago I was runnin' the trail of that newborn ya destroyed when I came 'cross another 'un. He was kind enough ta inform me that Diego was destroyed and his first in command, Victor, has taken his place. This Victor's plannin' an attack on us within a month's time. We need more newborns, and quickly, to oppose his attack."

Maria flitted out of the tent upon that news, scowl firmly planted on her face. "Captain, you are to remain here train these newborns while the Major and I run for new recruits. We will turn as many as we can manage, and bring them back within the week. Be prepared, I want at least twenty-five ready for battle in three weeks. We don't have much time to train them, so the bare essentials are all we can afford at the moment. Is that understood Captain?" As she was talkin', I got a new stream of information. Bella would be comin' with the new batch. This was it, the time I had been waitin' for. I was elated and scared shitless at the same time. I would not be the one to turn her and, goddamn it, I wanted the venom runnin' in her veins to be mine! However, if this is how it was fated, I wanted for it to at least be Jasper to change her. I trusted him with my life. Maria was just as likely to kill Bella as to change her. Her control was not nearly as perfected as his.

"Yes, Mistress, it's understood. They'll be prepared." She nodded and turned to go back into her tent, but not before lettin' us know they would be leavin' again in just an hour's time.

"Major, if I could have a word with ya, I want to see wha'cha think about a new form'a torture that I've devised," I requested of Japer and sent him a healthy dose of fear, anticipation, and curiosity. It was the code we used whenever I needed to talk to him with no one around. He gave a slight nod of understandin' and followed me out of the camp away from any pryin' ears. I needed to fill him in on Bella and Maria could not know about it.

"Brother, what's goin' on. What's so important that no one can know 'bout it?" He asked curiously.

"I need yer help. I just got a feelin', an' I need ya ta do somethin' fer me," I answered him as calmly as I could. He just stood patiently waiting for my explanation. "Durin' this next recruitment, ye're gonna come across my mate. I need ya ta change her fer me 'fore Maria gets the chance." His eyes widened and he just stared in amazement, not bein' able to speak. "I can't chance Maria killin' 'er, I wouldn't survive it. Please, brother, ya have ta do this fer me."

He finally found his voice, "Y-yer mate? Peter are ya fuckin' kiddin' me? Ya can't bring yer mate into this mess! An' 'sides, how do ya know she's yer mate, an' how the hell am I gonna know who this woman is?"

I just stared at him like he was stupid and made sure that I sent him a wave of that feelin'. "Jasper, a'course I know she's my mate. I just know things, ya know this. Ye'll recognize 'er by her scent." I just waited for him to catch on, knowin' that somewhere in that brain it would connect.

"The scent on ya when ya came back, it was her. So that's why ya needed ta go on that trip, it was ta find her." I just smiled at him and nodded knowin' that he could feel my emotions for her.

"She was in trouble; I had ta make her safe. Jasper, she's my life now. As soon as I felt her, she became my world an' as soon as I saw her in person that bond was cemented. I'm amazed tha'cha didn't pick up on the change when I first came back, from my emotions alone."

He finally sighed, "I'll make sure she's safe an' comes through the change. Don't worry 'bout Maria, she knows better'n ta cross me."

I sent him all the gratitude I felt and the love for him as my brother. There was very little I would not do for him and I knew he felt the same way.

JPOV

When my brother told me that he found his mate, I could not form a coherent sentence in my head, let alone speak. It was not a rare occurrence, but here in the south it was definitely a huge risk. Not only that, but it took most vampires time before they realized that they had found their mate and usually only if the other person was already turned. If the mate was a human, the connection was generally so small that they didn't even realize they had met their match. Peter, with his gift of knowledge, had a advantage over the rest of us. He would know in advance, even before the first contact and apparently even while she was still human. If he was tellin' me to change her it could only mean that this was an unavoidable scenario. I know he would much rather do it himself, just as any vampire with a human mate would. It also meant that if I didn't do it, then Maria was likely to try. If she did, there was a good chance that this woman wouldn't survive. I also knew that if our roles were reversed he would do it for me. Finally, I sighed, "I'll make sure she's safe and comes through the change. Don't worry 'bout Maria she knows better'n ta cross me."

I could feel his appreciation and love, it was a rare moment that either of us would allow our guard down long enough to be ourselves with each other. "So, what's yer mate's name?"

He just shook his head, "No, ya can't know anything 'bout 'er. If Maria suspects that ya know her she will try to kill her a'fore ya can change 'er." I nodded in understandin'. Maria was a jealous bitch and if she thought that I had a connection to Peter's mate, no matter how innocent, she would stop at nothin' to destroy her. She thought of me as belongin' to her, even if she was nothin' to me but a release. Even then I didn't like it, but our roles had to be played out perfectly. Peter nodded to me in understandin'. "Soon, brother, we'll be free from 'er, an' my mate's the key we've been waiting fer." He grinned, obviously thinkin' about his woman.

"I need ta get back ta Maria. I'm sure she's pacin' her tent waitin' for me," I grudgingly said as we turned and ran back to camp, partin' ways once we reached the edge. Peter headed to the newborns to take them to the trainin' field. We'd ended up brinin' back seven with us, three women and four men. We now had seventeen in total, and if Maria was set on twenty-five we'd have our hands full on the way back from our recruitin'. I walked into the tent to find her impatiently tappin' the toe of her boot against the Persian rug on the ground. She refused to live like the rest of us and demanded to have the finest items available. Her tent was easily four times the size of the rest of ours. She wanted to build a grand house for herself, but knew that it was impossible due to the nature of our lives. We had to be mobile, easily pickin' up our camp and relocatin' on a moment's notice. She was too greedy to stop fightin' for territory and just live happily. Being an empath, I knew just how much she adored the violence of this life, almost gettin' drunk on the pain of others.

She immediately stood and walked out the tent, expecting me to follow like the faithful dog she thought I was. She looked over her shoulder. "We are going to El Paso. We haven't recruited there for a while and I think they can afford to give me a few soldiers," she laughed, while I kept my emotions in check. I would love nothin' better than to rip her head from her shoulders and burn her, but the time wasn't right accordin' to Peter.

I was tired of livin' like this, tired of feelin' the pain from humans I drank from, of feelin' the torment of the newborns when I ripped them apart, and just tired in general. I had thought many times of lettin' one of the opposing armies rip me apart to end this continual agony I felt, but I couldn't do that. I had Peter to think about. We always watched each other's back. Besides, when it came down to it, I wasn't a coward and to me that was a cowards way out.

Maria and I ran straight to El Paso, only taking a small detour to hunt in one of the small villages along the way. It only took us a day and a half to arrive before we started scouting the town for prospects. Maria was picky and liked to have a variety of newborns. She preferred men over women, but knew that it was easier to control the men if there were women as well. It curbed their desire to destroy each other, instead they would be lustin' after the women.

Of the men, she would pick soldiers or men that had an attitude for fighting. They would make the fiercest warriors. In selectin' women she wasn't as picky. Knowin' that ultimately they would never measure up to the men, it didn't really matter what they were like as humans. Most of the time, it was just an unlucky woman that was out at night in the wrong place at the wrong time. Usually, it would be a whore or someone of the like, as they were usually the only women found out at night, and easily accessible. Generally, I would be the one turnin' them. My empathic ability makes it easier for me to stop as I feel their emotions, allowin' for them to transform instead of being drained. Due to the time restraints, however, Maria would need to turn some as well, which meant she would be pickin' double the amount due to her lack of restraint.

We split up while findin' our marks. We would scout first, findin' prospects over the next few days, and then in one night we would turn them all within a few short hours of each other. We would then make sure to take them a few hundred miles from the town, to a smaller village. They would awake at approximately the same time and we would set them loose on the village, burnin' it down after their feast to destroy the evidence. Once they had their fill and were no longer driven by instinct, I would use my empathic abilities to control them. This method worked well to secure at least eight newborns, but most of the time we would only take five to six, makin' our job that much easier. Newborns were driven by instinct. The more there were the harder it was to control them.

I made my way through the back alleys of the city, takin' account of everyone I passed, catalogin' those who caught my interest. I would follow them from the shadows, getting' to know them through their emotions. If they seemed like emotionally strong individuals then they were unlucky enough to become a recruit. I spent the first night like a wraith in the dark. I found three men that I felt sure would make good soldiers for us. One was part of the Calvary stationed at Fort Bliss. He was a brawny man physically, but also was emotionally strong, makin' for a excellent recruit. The other two were a couple of cowboys who were passin' through in their way to California. Surprisingly, many of the cowboys I had turned became excellent soldiers as well. They were tough and hard working as humans. When they changed, many of them retained the characteristics from their human selves, makin' for excellent soldiers. After I followed them for a couple of hours, findin' where they were stayin', I decided to head out of town for a little while.

Bein' in a city was hard for me, there were so many emotions that I had to deal with it would become overwhelmin' after a while. Maria would come find me if she needed anythin' but I doubted she would, and I was thankful for that. She usually found a human plaything for the remainder of the night. It would probably end in his death if he was lucky. It was a rarity that I could find time alone, without her hoverin'. The only other times she'd leave me in peace is if I was trainin' the newborns. She loved what they could do for her, but as for the work that Peter and I put into them, she could care less as long as she reaped the rewards.

I found myself down by the Rio Grande sittin' on the bank just enjoyin' the peace as the water slowly flowed by me. I had just decided to go for a swim when the breeze picked up and I immediately recognized the scent on the air. It was her. I followed the scent down the river until I saw a little hacienda in the distance. I was curious, plus I needed to know more about the woman who would soon be my sister. It was early mornin', the sun was just about to rise, and as I drew near I could hear the steady beats of two hearts, one human and one that of a large animal, the murmur of a woman's voice, and the distinct sound of a horse's feet hitting the earth. She smelled wonderful but it was easy to think past her scent. I just kept picturin' Peter in my mind and what would happen if this woman were to perish. I might as well kill him myself. The loss of one's mate was a death sentence. They were part of us, our other half, and if something were to happen to them it would be like killing half of yourself.

I finally saw her as I drew near. She was astride her horse and was guidin' him around the pecan trees growin' by the river. She was pretty, for a human, petite, with chestnut brown hair, fair skin, rosy cheeks, and brown eyes. She had an innocence but at the same time her emotions betrayed her true nature. I was willin' to bet she could be quite a hellcat when provoked. I couldn't wait to see her and Peter together. She would compliment and complete him in many ways though I could also see some entertaining arguments in the future. I was genuinely happy for my brother, but at the same time jealous. I wanted to find my mate, if she was even out there.

I watched the woman for a little while before running to meet Maria at our hideout a few miles outside the city. We found an abandoned barn to stay at during the day until the sun would once again set, allowin' us to come out durin' the night. Tonight we would gather our marks and start the change that would alter them forever, or at least until their final death, which for some would be only hours after they awoke, if they were lucky.

Maria and I spent the day fuckin'. This was the normal way for us to pass the time, nothin' more than a release of pent up energy and emotion, until we could safely go back into town. She told me of the men and women that she had selected while I feigned interest and pretended to pay attention. What I was really doing was thinkin' of a way to get to Peter's mate before Maria did. If she hadn't already marked her then I was guessin' the woman was goin' to end up at the wrong place and time, endin' up a meal if I didn't do somethin' about it. I would just have to stick close to her, strikin' when the moment presented itself.

The sun finally set, allowin' us to make our way back to town. Maria suggested we split up for a quick hunt. Being well sated gave our recruits much better odds of being changed rather than drained. I finished off two men before following Maria's scent to the church on the west side of town. How appropriate, I quietly chuckled over the irony of our rendezvous point. She walked out of the shadows to meet me in front of the stone wall surroundin' the church.

"Mi amor, have you had your fill?" She questioned raising a brow.

"Of course, can't very well change 'em without a proper meal," I snidely replied. The sarcasm in my tone was, however, lost on her.

"Good, we will go together to get my recruits first. When we find them knock them out for now. Once we've gathered them together, I'll stay with them while you gather yours. Then put them in this wagon," she pointed to a large wagon that was sittin' across the road from us. "We can transport them in that until we are safely out of town, change them and take them to where they can finish the change."

I nodded in agreement. It was a sound plan and the easiest way to get so many people out of town without notice. "Yes, ma'am," I responded as was expected of me.

She turned and ran to her fist mark. I let her go in alone and she came back shortly with a large man slung over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes. This was repeated seven more times before she was finished. Once we had them all secure in the wagon they were bound and gagged for extra security, though I doubted that any one of them would be wakin' up in the near future.

I took off at a run to my first recruit, the soldier. He was spendin' his night at one of the many houses of ill repute in El Paso and I decided to grab the whore he was with as well. Both were sound asleep when I arrived, so it was only a matter of soundly knockin' each of them on the head before runnin' out of the establishment at vampire speed. No one would notice us at that speed. The most they would notice is a slight breeze as I went by. I dumped both of them in the wagon where Maria was keeping guard.

The next two were easy enough to find. They were at one of the saloons drinkin' away their money and I merely waited a while before one made their way outside to take a piss. I got the other when he came lookin' for his friend. I dumped both in the wagon before headin' back to look for Peter's mate.

I ran in the direction of her house, but as I neared it, I caught her scent heading to town. So I turned and made my way back to El Paso followin' to wherever she may have gone. I finally caught up to her as she was comin' out of the theater. Apparently, she came for the evenin' to watch the troupe of players that had come to town. She turned to walk down an alley, cutting across to the main road. I ran in front of her to head her off makin' sure that she would never make it through.

She had been lookin' down at the ground while she walked and I cleared my throat to get her attention. It was time I was properly introduced to my new sister. I chuckled to myself as she finally looked up and gasped. "J-Ja-Jasper i-is tha-that you?" she managed to get out. Her heart rate increased tenfold and I could smell the sweat as her flight response kicked in. "Is it really you?" she asked again.

I just stood there like a living statue. How did she know who I was? Even if Peter had mentioned me, which I doubted, there's no way she would know my face. "How'd ya know me?" I asked, half growling, making her heart rate increase even more.

"I-I'm sorry, I can't tell you now. Someday I will but not now." She was brave, I would give her that, but it did not satisfy my curiosity. "Why are you here?" She asked.

"Peter sent me," I replied shortly. This was the only information that I was willin' to give her, the only information that she really needed to know at the moment.

She cocked her head to the side, like she was listenin' really hard for somethin'. "It's time, isn't it?" she stated, as if she had been prepared for it. Her emotions held the same edge of finality and understandin'. Peter, he had probably forewarned her.

"Yes," I whispered as I flitted behind her. Grabbin' a hold of her waist with one hand and keepin' her head bent away from my lips with the other, I whispered in her ear, "I'm sorry, but this's the only way I can protect ya fer him." As I bit into her soft flesh and started drinkin' I heard her ever so softly whisper, "I understand, Jasper." Her blood was amazin', like her scent, but I found that I could easily stop. Once I removed as much blood as I dared to, I started injectin' as much venom as I could into her vein. I sealed the wound on her neck and lay her down on the ground. Next, I quickly grabbed each wrist, puttin' more venom into her system. She had passed out from blood loss, but it wouldn't be long before pain of the venom woke her up. I had decided that the best way to make sure that Maria didn't change her was to do it before she even had the opportunity.

I ran back to the wagon with her over my shoulder much like the other two. I couldn't have Maria getting' the wrong idea. She would already be suspicious once she realized that I had already bitten the girl. I put her into the back with the others and jumped up to the driver's seat where Maria sat waiting.

"Mi amour, that last one is a gem. She will polish well in the change," she nodded to me excitedly. That meant that the woman was gifted with somethin'. While Maria didn't have a strong gift she did have knack for knowin' when someone would have a gift as a vampire. It was this ability that made her change me. So this is why Peter wanted me to change her. If Maria had noticed her she would have insisted on changin' her. She always wanted the glory of saying that she changed all the gifted ones. The problem is many that would have been gifted didn't survive. I knew she would be upset at not being able to change her so I decided to be proactive rather than wait for her to discover that she wouldn't be given the chance.

"If that's the case, mistress, then I do apologize. I didn't realize an' the woman's already begun ta change."

Her eyes darkened with anger. "What? Why did you start her change already? That was not the plan," she yelled.

"I'm very sorry. I didn't mean ta change her. We met in an alley an' she smelled so good I couldn't stop myself. It wasn't 'til I'd bitten her that I realized we could use 'er, so I changed 'er instead'a drainin' 'er," I explained.

She sat there throwin' as much anger at me as she could manage, makin' sure I knew just how displeased she was with me. Finally, she growled out, "It's probably best. I kill as many as I keep." She was still angry, but she knew that there was nothin' she could do at this point.

We were now several miles away from town and it was just past midnight. Peter's mate had yet to make a sound but I could feel the agonizin' burnin' so I knew she had to be awake. Despite the agony, I could feel a lot of determination and could only guess that she was tryin' to remain silent. If she was like this goin' through the worst pain imaginable, then this woman was goin' to be a force to be reckoned with.

BPOV

It had been a week since Luke left to go back to California and it was really lonely without him here. I spent most of my days working around the house, clipping the rose bushes, and riding Miro around my property. I had started riding him every morning, getting up early to catch the sun rise, making our way down to the river and then around the pecan orchards.

This morning I woke up and just had a niggling feeling pulling at my subconscious. I could not pinpoint what it was. It was like trying to grasp a wisp of smoke, impossible to do. I made a pot of coffee savoring the flavor of the rich brew. I had never really been a fan of coffee before, but with no other way to get a caffeine fix it was learn to like it or go without. I watched out the window as Javier and Miguel saddled two horses and went to do work on the property. They were a couple of the men that had been supplied by Albert's contact. Both men had families that now occupied a couple of the houses on the property. Miguel seemed like a nice enough man, but he did not know any English, so I had to count on Javier to tell him what to do. So far the system seemed to be working. However, I was really irritated over not having paid better attention during Spanish class.

I bought five new horses for the men to use around the property. Two of them were draft horses for pulling and plowing the other three riding horses. Miro, however, was not impressed with the new additions and kept to himself, missing his former companion and sulking in the corner of his pen. This morning he was waiting for me by the gate, ready to go for our daily outing. I had him saddled a short time later and we headed out the back gate behind the barn. I leaned down to pat his neck affectionately, he was such a big baby at times, but I really had grown to love him.

Part way through our ride the hair on the back of my neck started to stand up and I had the feeling that I was being watched. It was eerily familiar to how I use to feel when Edward would spy on me from the trees. I did not bother looking, knowing that it would not help, and I did not want to tip whoever it was off that I knew someone was watching me. I guided Miro around our usual trail and finally on the way home the feeling reseeded. I let go a sigh of relief. I did not know if it had been a vampire, but I really did not want to find out. One thing was for sure, it was not my Peter. I could still feel the pulling and it was too far away to be him. I only hoped that the unknown person would not take any interest in me and leave the area.

The rest of the day was quiet and I had decided to go into town tonight to the theater. They had just finished the Plaza Theater and there was a group of actors putting on a rendition of The Twelfth Night, a Shakespearian comedy about mixed up identities and confused love. I had seen the movie before, and thought it would be fun to see it performed live.

I had Javier hitch Miro to the buggy and made it into town a short while later. I took him to the livery and paid the stable hand to unhitch him and make him comfortable for the night, having decided that I would stay at the Grand Hotel tonight and go home in the morning. I had dinner at the restaurant across from the Plaza and made my way over in time to get a ticket and be shown to my seat.

The play was very entertaining and I highly enjoyed myself wishing that it had lasted longer. I was not ready to be alone again. I went to the front and collected my coat and started toward the hotel. It was located on the street behind the theater so I made my way across the shortcut going through the alley. I was watching the ground making sure not to misstep and fall when I heard someone in front of me clear their throat.

I looked up at the unknown person and was taken completely by surprise. It was Jasper, but not. This version had deep crimson eyes and scowl. I was so screwed. "J-Ja-Jasper i-is tha-that you?" I was having a hard time reconciling the person I knew to the person standing in front of me staring me down. "Is it really you?" I asked again, my brain had been thrown for a loop. Logically I knew that this was Jasper, but not the one I knew before. This one was a much rougher version, long before Alice helped him become the man I considered part of my family.

He growled out at me, "How'd ya know me?" I knew that there was no way I could tell him, not without possibly screwing up the future. I had seen The Butterfly Effect and there was no way in hell that I would risk his future with Alice by telling him spoilers. "I-I'm sorry, I can't tell you now. Someday I will, but not now." He stopped growling but now just stood staring me down. "Why are you here?" I finally found the courage to ask.

"Peter sent me," he replied quietly back to me. This was it, what Alice had seen. It was alright, I had put all of my affairs in order, everything would be taken care of. "It's time, isn't it?" I asked, already knowing the answer. I sent him a strong dose of understanding. I had been prepared for this, just had not expected Jasper to be my angel of death.

Before I realized what happened he was standing behind me. I was wrapped in his arms as he whispered, "Yes," and then bent my head to the side. "I'm sorry, but this's the only way I can protect ya fer him," he explained, almost gently. My only regret was that this was not Peter, but I understood and I let him know as much. I did not want him to feel guilty for taking what was by rights Peter's. I was sure this was planned. He would not have sought me out if it had not been.

I barely felt the pain as his teeth broke through my skin but I felt the blood leaving my body as I grew light headed. I started to panic thinking he was draining me and that I would be taken away from Peter. Finally, mercifully, I blacked out, but not before feeling the relief of the burning start in my neck, as it started to travel through my system.

I awoke some time later to the burning. The pain from when James's venom entered my body compared to now was nothing even remotely similar in its intensity. The fire consumed me, burning me alive from the inside out as my cells tried and failed to fight the venom off. I wanted to do nothing more than scream at the top of my lungs but I knew that it would not help. So I kept as quite as I could manage; only letting out a whimper when the pain became too unbearable. Time must have passed but the burning made it impossible to tell if it had been minutes, hours, or days. I knew we were moving and I could feel every jolt and bump. It only intensified the pain, making it that much harder to bear. It did not matter though, if it got a thousand times worse, Peter was worth it, and I would go through this again, a thousand times over if need be to remain with him.

As I nearly lost myself to the pain, I vaguely remembered what I had been told about holding on to my memories and reliving them constantly, so as to not forget. I could now understand how memories could be so easily lost. I kept a tight hold of mine, refusing to allow the venom to destroy the connections I had to the people I loved.

I could now hear others around me all crying out and screaming. They were changing as well I realized. I heard someone approach, Jasper, I could smell him as he leaned closer. Then I heard him whisper, "It's almost over. Think'a Peter." I did just that, blocking out everything else and focusing on my future and what it would hold.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter!