If you don't hurry up and let life know what you want, life will damned soon show you what you'll get – Robertson Davies

CHAPTER TWENTY

JASPER'S POV

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

I wanted to grab her and shake her until that fucked up brain of hers rattled. Maybe then she would stop thinking out her ass and making such fucked up decisions.

She had to the most infuriating creature that I had ever come across, including Miss Alice, and that my dear was saying some thing.

Why did she have to be that fucking way? Why could she not see how him for what he was? More importantly who I was. The truth was staring her right in the face and she was blind to it. And I was done trying to make her see it.

I knew when he left the house that Edward was going to talk to her. It took everything in me not to stop him, not to race ahead of him and protect Bella from him. But I knew deep inside that they had unfinished business and if she was ever going to move on and except the life that was waiting for her she was going to have to deal with her Edward issues. So I let him go to her and I waited until I could wait no longer. Using Alice's return as an excuse I trek through the woods to find her.

Their emotions led me to them as if they were breadcrumbs lining the ground. Edward's guilt, always Edward's guilt, beamed louder than anything else. Bella's anger and resentment filled any remaining space.

But when I finally stepped out into her sight, I felt relief and for a minute I thought that things were going to be different but when revenge seeped in to her I knew that nothing was different. She was just using me to get back at Edward. I was just some object, some distraction, just some disposable play thing to be used and abused until she was through with me.

I don't know why I kissed her back, probably because I was weak, at least where she was concerned. Probably because I wanted her even if she had made it perfectly clear she didn't want me. I knew also part of it was to get back at Edward. He was the reason that both of our lives were so fucked up right now, all of our lives were fucked up for that matter.

I mean, seriously, that boy needed his ass whipped in the worse way and I had the feeling that I was going to be the one to administer it to him. It had gone on too long, him doing whatever he wanted, when ever he wanted, with no regard for those who around him and the pain and destruction that he caused or the casualties he left behind. It was Edward's world, with his rules, and we were just living in it.

Fuck!

The last thing that I wanted to do was head back to that house and deal with all of them and all their fucked up emotions. I didn't blame them for anything that they were feeling considering what we all were going through but I just didn't think that I was in a place to handle the tornado of feelings.

Plus I really couldn't stand to see Alice and her boyfriend or fiancé or whatever he was. I couldn't stomach to feel her happiness. It wasn't that I was jealous or that I didn't want her to be happy because that was just what I wanted for her. It was just though another sad, sick reminder of what I didn't have and at this point never would.

Really the best thing for me at this point was get the fuck out of dodge. I had done my part; I had fulfilled my obligation to them. I had went and got Bella, at great cost to my own personal sanity. And before I really lost it I needed to get out of here. It wasn't like I belonged here. I had never really belonged to this family. At most I was the ugly step child that no one really liked but dealt with just because they had no choice.

Being here was not going to make a difference to anyone but me and the sooner I accepted that, the better it was going to be on me.

I could feel Bella's emotions all the while as we headed back to the house. She was a good half mile behind me but I was sure that she would be able to find her way. The imprints of my cowboy boots were deep enough to leave her a path straight to the house.

I waited until she broke the line of view before I walked into the house. I heard her call my name but I didn't respond. The last thing I planned on doing was getting into it with her. At this point that would be nothing but a waste of breath.

"You're finally back," Alice bounced towards me all smiles. "Where is Bella?"

"Coming."

"What happened?" Alice questioned. She might not be able to see events but we had spent enough time together to know when I was upset.

"Nothing that matters."

"Jasper?"

"No, this is about you and Dante. Am I going to get to meet him or what?"

"Of course. Come on Bella," she smiled, walking away from me to take Bella by the arm ushering her into the other room.

Everyone was waiting for us, including Edward. He shot me a dark look projecting a challenge towards me. I wanted to tell him that this was no game and as far as I was concerned he had won but now was not the time. Besides I couldn't handle seeing his smug face. So I kept my thoughts blank and prayed for this to all be over.

"Jasper, Bella, I want you to meet my Dante. Dante, this is my Jasper and Bella," Alice beamed between us.

Dante, I noticed instantly that he was the complete opposite of me, physically. He was considerable shorter than me. He was maybe even an inch or so shorter than Rosalie. He was built but not like me. Where I was lanky he was stocky. His shoulders and arms were huge, reviving Emmett in bulk. His hair was jet black and short. Though his skin was pale now and his eyes amber I was sure his skin use to be bronze and his eyes not brown but perhaps sky blue or olive green. One thing was evident, he was younger then me in both human years as well as vampire ones.

"Nice to meet you," I finally said as we both finished our evaluation of the other.

"As it is nice to meet you finally. Mary Alice has spoken very much about you," Dante informed me, his accent still quite prevalent. "As I have about you, Isabella."

"Just Bella," she informed him from behind me. I wanted to suggest maybe she should stop acting like Bella and grow up into Isabella.

"Dante was just about to fill us all in on some of his history. So why don't you come sit down?" Esme announced playing hostess. She was nervous and feeling overwhelmed but she was holding it together like she always did. She really was the perfect house wife and I didn't mean that in a bad way at all.

"I was born Dante Antonio De Luca in Milan, Italy in 1962," he spoke diving right into his past. Alice sat in his lap, smiling at him, hanging onto each and every word he spoke though I was sure she had heard all this and more before. "I was the only child of Roberto and Maria. My father died when I was five. That was when I took over as the man of the house which I took very seriously. My mother was everything to me. She was strong and taught me everything I ever needed to know about life. She worked sewing clothes for several designers in Italy. That is where my love of fashion came about. Our life was hard but good until I was nineteen and my mother died from a heart attack. My reason to live went with her. I sank into depression and despair. All the things that I had blocked out of my life I welcomed in with open arms. Drugs, sex, and all the rest became my new best friends. It was the eighties and excess was in style. It was one night at some random party when it happened. The way I had been living it was only a matter of time before I killed myself but the matter was taken out of my hands. I didn't remember much. I was high on coke in the mist of an orgy when I was bitten. Later I would find out that I was the only one to make it out of there. My maker drained the rest of them but took a liking to me and decided to change me. Life went on only as it can for those like us until The Volturi came to know about my extra talents. I was ordered into service by Aro even though I wanted nothing to do with them. I didn't understand at the time that they did not care about what others wanted. They went as far as to kill my maker so I had no ties to the outside world as they forced me to watch," Dante explained his emotions dark and heavy remember that time in his life. His emotions quickly switched though to something a little different. "But they soon learned to be careful for what you wish for, that I was not a talent they wanted around. See I block other vampire's gifts from working. All I have to do is think what I want to happen and it happens and it does not turn off until I want it to. You know how Aro is, he is a collector and as far as I am aware there is no other vampire that can do such as I. He was almost giddy thinking about how he could use me against his enemies. Unfortunately he didn't factor in the fact that I could also turn off all their powers. He did not like that idea at all but could not bring himself to destroy my talent. So we agreed to part ways as long as I agreed to help them from time to time and that I did not use my gift against them. I arrived only a short time after Edward, Bella, and Mary Alice was there. That was the first time that I learned about your coven and different type of live style. I was intrigued to say the least. I have struggled with depression and guilt over some of the dark things I have done," Dante explained and I could feel that maybe in some way we were more alike then I realized.

"But that was all before we met in London and everything changed for you. I told you this was the life you were meant to have," Alice whispered to him nuzzling into his neck as he ran his hands over her head.

"Has there ever been any vampire that was immune to your gift?" Carlisle questioned, always searching and seeking knowledge.

"Not so far though I know Bella is immune to many gifts. She clearly is a blocker as I am so I am not sure that I would be able to block her from blocking. It will be very interesting to found out once she has been changed and has taken full control of her gift."

"That's one answer you will never get because I am not getting changed," Bella blurted out.

"Don't listen to her. She is just a little crabby and having issues with the path of her future. She will get over it," Alice told him.

"I'm not going to get over it."

"Alice, you know this is not what Bella wants anymore so please consider having Dante lift his block so that you can see what is going to happen in the future. If there is any way that The Volturi will allow her to continue to be human and we all remain safe then that needs to happen," Edward chimed in, coming to her rescue but throwing her away at the same time.

"I'm sorry but that is not going to happen. I'm not willing to risk all of our lives based on what I see."

"Since when?" Edward demanded.

"Since now. Please don't push me on this. I love you Bella but as I already told you, I'm willing to have you hate me in order to save us all. I know you can't see it now but this is for the best. Just give it a chance."

"I did give you all a chance once and what did I get from it, a big, fat, nothing. And yes I am a firm believer in everyone deserves a second chance but I already gave that to you all as well. I'm sorry but I am not willing to do it a third time."

"Please, no one gives a shit what you have to say. Whether you want it or not, at some point very soon one of us, probably Carlisle, will sink his teeth into you before you can even blink and it will be all over. You can think about running, trying to escape, but it will never happen. You will be one of us, even if I have to do it myself. So shut the fuck up or I'll do it now," Rosalie hissed at her silencing the room.