I own nothing, everything belongs to Stephanie Meyer.

A/N I would like to thank, from the bottom of my heart, to all of you that reads and reviews my story. This story is pre read by Savage Grace.

mama4dukes has taken over as my beta in this story and her work is amazing, I love especially her vigilance over my many mistakes in the last chapter ;D

Attention: This chapter contains very graphic violence and torture. If you are underage or sensitive, please do not read.

Chapter 25

The Warlord's Mate

Jasper POV

He froze. He just froze, for a second, like a boy who had been caught with his hands in the cookie jar - shock and incredulity radiating from him. A small part of my vampire mind registered the arrival of Demetri and Sam. Both stood guard in a corner of the small clearing, their stance ready to help in a fight; and their emotions under control but bathing my senses - curiosity, anger, hate, worry, and vengeance. I checked in on Peter's position and he, too had stepped away. Smart man.

They knew better than to interfere now. This was a supremacy fight. A fight for dominance between two male vampires - usually it would be to the death. But, I was a coven leader, a governor - a vampire of high rank representing our law and order. I could not kill him now, even if I was the offended party. One of my and the Volturi's main fights was to bring some civility and trust in the new vampire institutions. That meant no justice by my own hand, I had to set an example, and his trial would be a wonderful publicity. I, also, wanted to let Isabella have her time with him for her dead father, as well as for her abused and drugged body.

But that did not mean that I could not make him hurt for what he had done.

Even the wolf knew what was going on; the curiosity was flowing from him, along with the hate I could feel. Fights like this happened between them in the pack, especially if an imprint was involved and one of the young pups was not in control or coveted what was not his. We, the Volturi had ample information about the subject. There were a lot of shapeshifters tribes in the world, a variety of different animals, but with the same type of instinct.

All my senses were focused on the boy, knowing that my comrades would stand down from this fight. He was mine. After all this time and suffering, he was mine and he was going to pay.

The creature that had taken my mate away from me.

The enemy that had hurt badly that which was mine.

The vampire that had touched the untouchable, another male's mate.

The supernatural creature that had, in an act of anger, killed the law enforcer of a small town, an absolute taboo because of the risk of exposure to our kind.

A series of crimes all rewarded with severe penalties by any vampire or even supernatural creatures law. As I looked at him I could not remember us having ever been friends much less brothers, we just coexisted together in the same place. He was an uptight, spoiled, know-it-all, judgmental boy that thought that he was better than anyone because of his ability to read thoughts and because of his high class upbringing as a human.

He had resisted for a long time our integration in the family. He did not trust me, but Alice managed to get onto his good side. His distrust only increased when he discovered that we had found a way of blocking our thoughts from his constant snooping. It had been funny to see his whining to Carlisle arguing that he could not protect his family if he was not aware of what was going in my head.

Carlisle had tried to talk me into opening my mind to his first born, but a glare and a growl had quickly made him see that it was not a good thing to cross me. He talked Edward into letting me be. Carlisle knew that I, being a follower of the vampire way of life would soon feel threatened by Edward's continuous hostility and would defy him to a fight for supremacy which would result in death or severe injury for his son, and my ascension to alpha male of the coven.

Edward's ignorance of life, in general and of vampire traditions and comportments, in particular was borderline hilarious and his righteous sentences and behaviors were the cause of many good laughs, between me, Emmett, and Rose in our hunts together. But now, that was all in the past. Now, he was my target, my prey, the enemy to take down and erase from existence.

"Monster, Demon…where is my Bella? What did you do to her?" He spat at me, turning quickly and crouching - ready to jump. He was now full of smugness and determination. He thought he could win this fight.

I crouched down, licked my fingers, coating them well with my venom, blocked my thoughts and let the monster within take control.

"Mine!" I roared to him before the red haze of anger took hold of me and I pushed my body forward to smash it into his.

His back hit the walls of the cave with so much force that the thunder of our clash doubled the ones that were setting the night sky alight. The strength of my attack was such that we both passed through the thick rock wall. The arctic night air was filled with the sounds of our growls and snarls as we fought like we had never fought before, his efforts to hit me or to take a bite at me useless against my agility and ability. He had never seen anyone fight like this, never. He was too confident in his ability, to know what to do when he could not read my mind.

He tried to take a bite at my neck, intent on severing my head, as we rolled in the dirt, but in a quick move I threw him through the air into the side of the boulder making what was left of my beloved's prison to collapse entirely on top of him. The sight warmed my heart. I again coated my fingers with venom and I walked up to where he stood, just in time to see him crawl from under a huge rock that had collapsed on him. He looked shaken and I could feel, for the first time, that a doubt was beginning to corrode him.

As he noticed me, he crouched and jumped in the air, his hands forming a claw intent on cutting my neck as he passed over me. In a fraction of a second, I moved to the side, turning my body upwards, lowering my upper half backwards, and raising my right hand in a swift and quick movement. I clawed deeply at his face as he passed over me.

His howl of pain at the burn left by my venom echoed in the silent forest, and for the first time in days, a real smile graced my lips. I was not done yet, though, quickly turning my left hand in a swiping movement up I clawed at his back, effectively ripping out chunks of flesh from his torso, before he fell on the floor screaming in agony.

This was a trick I had learned from Caius. He is a master in almost all kinds of martial arts, and an experimented warrior that had showed again and again his worth on the battlefield. He still is a soldier at heart, just like me; he too has hundreds of scars to prove his skills littering his body. He had extensively studied the proprieties of our venom and shared his knowledge with me when we were lovers.

It is a not a well known fact because the Volturi like to keep it a secret, that the male vampire can change his saliva into very corrosive venom when he is under the adrenaline of a territorial challenge or a dominance fight. This venom acts like an acid and turns into another weapon meant to inflict pain to our adversary. It really is one of the only substances that can really hurt and scar a vampire. Curiously, this kind of venom is harmless to humans, working in them as if it were mere saliva. It is often used for punishments by male mates and to punish coven members. I used it often on Alice.

By coating my fingers in my venom, already changed for the fight, I had a complementary weapon. Wherever my fingers came in contact with his spilled venom or open wound, my venom would burn. I was older than him, so my venom was more powerful when it came in contact with his skin, and immediately scarred whatever wound was made on his skin.

I let myself think on this knowledge, I wanted him to know. I felt his horror and understanding. Pain reached me, coming from him as I watched him trembling on the forest floor, his hand cradling his injured and now scarred face. I stood still, enjoying the sight of my almost defeated opponent, and tasting his emotions; the smugness he felt earlier was gone replaced by pain, incredulity, hate, anger, worry, and fear.

"So, boy, I guess I know a thing or two about fighting, no?" I taunted him.

Oh…he was feeling so much fear, it was intoxicating the way it washed over me, how it embraced me, how it caressed me. I calmly watched as he managed to get up, panting and gasping for breath; the marks of my venom coated fingers permanently and deeply etched on the skin of his face and back. Edward, the beautiful golden boy of the Cullen clan, was no longer that beautiful. Four long and deep gashes ran from his forehead to his shin, scarring his face in a constant reminder of my superiority: as a man, as a vampire, and as a warrior.

I smirked at him as he looked around in panic looking for a way out, all fight gone from him, only to find out that he was surrounded on all sides, and that he could not escape.

"There is no way out boy. These men will not interfere, though, unless I am about to kill you, so don't you worry about them. You are all mine." I growled at him, enjoying the fear and the pain run through his body. He, again, took focus on me and advanced forward with all of his already deployed strength. As soon as he was in my arms reach I grabbed him by the neck, lifting him, and keeping him away from any part of my body that he could reach. He clawed at my arm and hand only to make me laugh.

"Did you really think that you could win against me? An experienced warrior? A man of war who survived hundreds of battles and countless enemies?"

"You are a monster, I can and I will kill you." He struggled against my hold on him, only to gasp in pain as my fingers dug into the skin of his neck, making his venom ooze out, and the rest of my venom that still coated my fingers got in contact with his and burned him, leaving him with more scars.

"You may try, I give you that. But not even if you lived for a thousand years and learned to fight like a man - not like a boy, could you do any damage to me." I laughed and the others laughed with me. It had been quick.

"You took that which I hold most precious in the world, my mate. You killed her father." At this I felt his surprise and horror and then denial. "Oh, yes, you did kill him, he died in my arms. For almost a week you took her from me and you made her go through hell. Only for that you deserve to die. I will not, however, kill you now. You will stand trial by the Volturi to assess your level of knowledge in this matter." Relief flooded him.

"But I must have something to satisfy my need for revenge. I will take from you something to ease hers and my pain." I grabbed his left arm and pulled it out of his socket in a swift and forceful push. I ignored his scream of pain and the gush of venom that stained the earth. All his fight was now gone, all he felt was pain, despair, and fear.

"You have hurt her physically. You have touched her." I did the same to his right arm, and I reveled in his screams.

"No, I only bathed her when she was asleep, to take your foul scent from her." His panted reply only fueled my anger further. I tossed his twitching body to the ground, only to straddle his struggling form.

"Do you smell me, boy? I am in mating. My body is getting ready to mark my woman, my female. Only a male in mating can change his scent and increase it to mark the female as his and only his female will make him do it. It was my scent you felt. It was my marking that you tried to wash away." I pushed my arm into his nose and he gagged at my strong scent.

I gathered as much venom as I could in my mouth and approaching my head to the socket of his arm; I spit my venom, watching how it burned his flesh. This arm, even when it fused, would never again work properly. I was almost giddy at his screams of pain. Boy, he had a nice pair of lungs.

"You took degrading and offensive pictures of my mate." I ripped the already shredded shirt from his body. I turned to Demetri.

"Hold him still!" Demetri took hold of his upper body, a sticky mess leaking venom from the stumps where his arms had been, keeping him still.

I again coated my fingers in as much of my venom that I could, and taking my time I carved on his chest, using my fingernail:

Isabella belongs to Jasper

"…show…why…took her…you demon…violated…" He panted between screams of pain. I just smiled admiring my handy work and the way the rivulets of venom were dripping from the open wounds, before my venom healed them, making the carvings my eternal reminder to him that Isabella was mine.

"I did not violate her. I loved her as a woman must be loved by her mate. I marked my human mate with my mating scent and I took from her what was mine to take. Let me tell you that she gave it willingly because she loves me; she is in love with me. She is mine. My mate. My woman." Anger sparked again in me at his audacity in how he treated my Isabella.

"You saw her naked." I took hold of his head and clawing two fingers I took his right eye from his orbit, throwing it to Demetri. Edward's screams of pain, now mingled with his howls begging for mercy were music to my ears, I only wished my Isabella were here to hear her kidnapper beg for mercy.

My Isabella, my mate.

A soft tug in my chest brought me back from my red haze and reminded me of my poor mate. I needed to get her to safety. I needed to take care of her. Immediately, my need to be with her overwhelmed everything.

"Burn that." I told Demetri, who immediately with a grin on his face executed my request. I watched as the tiny purple flame incinerated Edward's eye.

I turned to look at my defeated enemy. He was weak, I could feel it. The loss of venom had that effect on us. To heal properly he would need human blood. Animal blood would never be able to do the job. If Carlisle was here he would give him donor's blood, but he was not, and the boy would feed the traditional way. I tossed him to Peter.

"Take him to feed. You know what and how. His arms will stay with Demetri. Afterwards, head back with him to Denali. Remember that he is under arrest." Peter smirked at me knowing very well what he had to do, before taking off carrying in his arms the whimpering and wounded form of Edward. He would take Edward to a low life scum, open its throat and put it to the boy's mouth. No matter how good his control was, the boy could not resist, his vampire mind would not allow him. It was one of the deepest instincts of survival. It knew that only human blood healed vampire inflicted wounds.

"Demetri, go get my car and then bring it to Denali, take the boys arms and keep them locked. I am taking my mate to Tanya's house. Eleazar and Carmen are there and they have ample medical training. Call them and tell them to prepare the house for an injured human. Tell them to have human food prepared and warm, she likes Italian and - yes…soup, she likes vegetarian food. Tell Carmen to make soup, it is warm, nutritious and rich in vitamins…tell Eleazar to have his medical supplies ready. I believe we will depart as soon as the storm clears."

He just nodded and I felt his spike of excitement increase his grin, before he took off running at top speed. Going to see those girls was always fun. You would enter their house and a mouth would be attached to your cock almost immediately. Damn those women were hot and horny. He was going to get lucky.

I turned to Sam, who was waiting expectantly to see what was going on. I extended my hand to shake his.

"Sam, I am going to take care of my mate. Thank you for your help, but now we have everything wrapped up. I know you miss your own people and you can go."

"Thank you. I was glad I was of some help. I would like to make a request of you, though." I arched my brow and nodded for him to continue.

"If it is in my reach."

"I would like to be present for when the trial of the Cullen boy takes place. He killed a dear friend of my people and his loss is mourned by all of us. We would like to bear witness and see him brought to justice." His request was not unfounded. Under the correct precautions it could be done.

"I agree. I will bring my mate back to health and then, when she is stronger we will hold the trial. I will summon you and you can bring some of your people. You and your pack will always be welcome to the Whitlock and to the Volturi House's if you come in peace."

"Thank you. Please, give my sympathy to Bella and express our sorrow for the loss of her father. He was a good man."

"Yes, he was. I am honored that I was there to help him in his last moments. He truly was a brave man who faced death with honor."

I meant every word. Charlie had conquered my respect with his calm dignity and his strength. He faced his death right in the eye and did not blink once. I could feel his courage and absence of fear until the end. I would tell my mate that she was a lucky woman to have had such a brave father and to be proud of him. She was the only thing on his mind and his love for her had warmed my soul. I would fulfill my promise to him - I would care for and love his daughter until the end of my life.

We shook hands before I saw him phase back to the huge black wolf that incarnated the alpha male of the pack. He sure was impressive; huge as a horse and with sharp long fangs that could instill fear even to a vampire. He really was a sight to behold. The huge head turned to me with eyes alive with intelligence, bowed once, and with a howl took off into the woods.

I was alone. I looked around me and saw the remains of the cave. I raked through the debris to see if there was anything that could be salvaged to help my mate. Nothing. All had been destroyed. I put out the remains of the fire and went to check the bags that the boy had dropped in his haste to get to Isabella.

They had not survived our fight. All the food was smashed and unrecognizable. I discarded the clothes. My woman does not wear clothes purchased for her by another male - an enemy at that. I will provide her with warm clothes. It is my duty and my pleasure to take her of her.

I could only salvage a bottle of water and a bottle of isotonic drink that had lots of vitamins and minerals. That would have to do until she was safe at the Denali's.

I headed back to where my mate was hidden.

The small rock shelter was barely a cave but it was well protected and hidden, and mostly important dry. As soon as I got closer I could see that Bastien had managed to make a fire, probably to warm my mate. I approached slowly, and I could feel his emotions. Worry, concern, high protectiveness, unconditional familial love, and affection. He had already bonded with my mate. I did not pay enough attention to my path because a branch broke under my foot, and I was instantly met with the sight of a snarling and crouched Bastien, his eyes black and his emotions locked on protection mode. He was ready to kill.

"C'est moi, Bastien. Ton major." I said to him in my military voice, speaking in his native French to reach his rational mind, and giving him a few seconds to leave his protective mode.

I saw his eyes clear to his usual red as he controlled his instincts and got out of his crouch, smirking sheepishly.

"Desolé, mon capitain. I thought the boy somehow escaped." I overlooked his breech of protocol regarding my post. He does it every time. For him military ranks are not important. I am his captain because for this French revolutionary his capitain is the only military rank that he respects and I am the man that embodies it.

I am the only person that he respects enough and is loyal enough to fight for and to die for. His eyes darted at the entrance of the rock shelter in worry. I waved his excuse away. He was doing his duty.

"How is she?" I asked while walking towards the fern protected entrance.

"She was cold and I needed to warm her. So I risked building a fire. I verified the wind so I knew that the smoke would go in the opposite direction of where you were and used only dry wood and leaves to control the smoke." I nodded as I saw my mate. She was lying down against the rock wall on the far end; I could see it was the driest place. Bastien had laid her down on top of his Volturi cloak, resting her on top of a makeshift bed made with some ferns and leaves. The fire was bright and alive near her, keeping her warm.

The place was dry and even I could feel the warmth. I went to her, never taking my eyes from her face, and I took off my clothes. I stayed naked, unaffected by the low temperature. I laid my damp clothes near the fire to dry because I would dress my mate in them later to make her warmer, for our trip to Denali. I went to where my woman laid, and picked her up in my arms, and held her snuggled tight against my chest.

"Mine." I growled softly.

And mine…my beast reminded me.

Forever Ours. We agreed.

I sat down to keep her close to the warmth of the fire and buried my head in her hair, taking a deep breath of her scent. My woman, my Isabella, was in my arms after so long and the deep purr that started in my chest was made of such happiness and completion that it managed to break through the drugged haze of my mate and made her sigh and snuggle closer to me in the tiniest of movements. But it was enough for me.

My body was producing the aqua di amori now that my mate was near me. I felt the need to reassert my marking that had almost vanished. I knew I could not pleasure her. But I could mark her skin again.

I looked at Bastien who was standing guard at the entrance of the shelter. The rain was still heavy and dawn was approaching. I could feel a slight thirst in Bastien.

"Bastien, go hunt. It has been three days since you last hunted and I can already feel your thirst. Go, and take your time, this storm will be here at least until mid day. Then we will move to Denali." He took a look at Isabella, protectiveness and love flowing from him.

"Merci, mon capitain. Will you need something pour le petit ange?" He asked before putting two big logs on the fire.

"No, my angel will be fine." I smiled at his nickname for her, looking down at the sleeping beauty in my arms.

"A bientôt, mon capitain." Bastien said before moving outside. I heard him running away.

I was alone with my angel and I needed to feel her against me.

Carefully I took the blanket and the sleeping bag that surrounded her, marveling in how small and beautiful she was. I took her sleeping robe leaving her as naked as I was and turning her warm body in my arms I laid down intertwined with her. It was pure heaven.

I held her as close to me as I could. I was feeling every inch of her body, and that was making me hard in the process. But I did not want her body now. No, now I just wanted her back with me, alive and awake, smiling and blushing, and talking and tripping, and just being her, just being my Isabella, my mate, my woman, the light of my life or of my death, I did not care. I just want her back.

I kept running my hands through her back, through her arms, chest and all over her body, my aqua di amori permeating her skin and slowly impregnating her again with my scent. I was unable to keep my purr at bay as we lay there in almost utter bliss. I would do anything for her to be awake right now, for her to be able to see and to feel the depth of my love for her.

I could see that her breathing was strong and steady and her pale face had gained some color. I guess that having removed that fucked up drug from her had done wonders. She was much better than a few hours ago when I had found her. She was not conscious yet, but now I knew that I would not have to wait six hours before I could look into her open eyes.

I had once heard Marcus say that the aqua di amori was almost a miracle elixir. He used to ask for some donations and samples from the matting vampires and use it to soothe wounds made by raging newborns. The Volturi often made their almost newly mated pairs to accompany those warriors that went to the front line, because not only they would fight for their mate's safety, but because the aqua di amori they produced while together would be used to heal each other and the other's wounds.

I wonder…I thought to myself. My mouth was full of it, and I was swallowing continuously to not drool all over myself. I looked at my beautiful, but unresponsive mate and turned her head towards me. I lowered my mouth to her. I barely touched her lips as they parted ways under mine. My aqua di amori was flooding my mouth and as gently as I could I let it pass on to her warm mouth, waiting for it to go down her throat. I was in awe of how greedily she swallowed it, looking for more. I opened my mouth a little more and she swallowed it all, so I continued. She must have been thirsty, and my aqua di amori was sweet and she liked it. I kept giving her what was hers to take and in a few minutes I could already feel a change in her.

It seems my theory was right. She was my mate. The aqua di amori could be used to heal primarily mates, but also others. My mate was human and her weak body was fighting a foreign substance. Maybe my aqua di amori could be used to help her body get rid of the drug. I was right, it was working.

I forced my empathic abilities to scan her emotional state.

It was as if she was swimming against a current that was dragging her down and, slowly, she was beating it, resurfacing and leaving the darkness behind. She was not conscious yet, but she was already fighting for it, and she was winning the battle. I started to feel a certain awareness coming from her as the black hole where her conscious mind was lost the battle to keep her unresponsive and asleep.

I nearly lost my mind when a soft moan left her mouth and I could not help but to grind myself against her, deliriously happy that even unconscious her body was responding to me, her mate. I kept quenching her thirst, giving her more and more of what I had. Praying to God that I had more to give, opening my mouth more, tasting her, letting her drink from me, losing myself in the wonderful awareness that I was feeding and healing my mate with my own body.

I lost myself in this intimate act. My purr only intensified as she snuggled even closer to me and her little tongue lapped at mine, trying to get more of what I was giving her.

My lips and hers moved together as if they had done it since the beginning of time. We were lost in time, in this kiss and in one another, and then, as if in a pass of magic the outside world lost meaning and importance, as a small voice, soft and warm, but raspy and sore and oh so sweet, murmured against my lips.

"My Jasper."

I looked down in awe, only to lose myself into the two heavy lidded but beautiful chocolate orbs that returned my gaze. My love was awake.

Well? Did jasper handle Edward like he deserved? Did he take good care of his mate? Is he The Warlord or just a merciless killer? Tell me what you think and leave a review.

A/N - If you like my writing, go and check out my new stories: The Menace – a Jasper's / Bella story in a very dark tone. And my Ad Vitam Aeternum, my first try at a Marcus/Bella, with a powerful and passionate Marcus Volturi. Leave your thoughts in the form of a review, it makes my day.