Jasper's POV
"Bree, hand," I commanded her and she showed me her hand, she was still missing her three fingers, this was good. "It's time for a test," I ordered her. "Everyone is in the house. Listen for them, find them, and then tell me all of their names. Go!"
Bree closed her eyes and listened hard. Rose and Emmett were up in their room. Edward was playing his piano. Alice and Leah were in Alice's room. Carlisle and Esme were in the same room, just in front of us, and Bella was standing right next to me.
"Edward," she began, facing the right direction. She turned. "Leah, Alice." She turned again. "Emmett, Rosa-lie." She spoke and I put a hand on her shoulder.
"Rosalie," I called out. She had heard the whole conversation and was down in a flash. "You know the punishment, Bree, hold out your hand." Bree held out her hand and Rose tore off one of her fingers. "We will be running this test again in an hour," I told Bree, "and if you get her name right next time, she will return your finger." Rose disappeared back upstairs. "Now, continue."
"Okay," she said shakily and I could feel her nervousness. "Esme, Carl-isle." I would let that one slide because she may have just faltered due to nerves, but if she said it that way again... "Jasper," she turned and faced me. This would be the real test. "Izzy-Bella," she spoke and I could feel her confusion and horror. "It's Bella, I know it's Bella. I'm so sorry, Bella, please don't hurt me again. I'm sorry."
"Bree," I let out a sigh, "rules are rules. Bella?" I prompted. Bella seemed unsure, she was deep in thought, but she quickly came to a decision.
"Give me your fingers, Bree." Bree had a flash of hopefulness go through her and she grabbed her severed fingers out of her pocket and handed them over to Bella. What was she up to? "Now give me your hand." Bree reached out willingly. I still didn't know what Bella was doing, but I wouldn't undermine her unless her punishment wasn't actually a punishment.
It soon became clear and I watched on amazed as my mate fused Bree's fingers on backwards. She had listened to me, I was so proud of her. Putting Bree's fingers on backwards would mean that she would be in constant pain until the venom slowly straightened her fingers, or until someone pulled them off and reattached them correctly. As soon as she was done, Bree fell to the ground, cradling her hand. She was definitely in pain, but she didn't speak out except for a few small whimpers.
"We will try this again in an hour," I reminded her. "And perhaps Bella will show you some mercy if you get her name right. Go be with Edward."
"Th-Thank you, Jasper," she spoke before picking herself up and running off to Edward. I turned my attention to my wonderful mate.
I could feel that she was feeling unsure. She shielded us immediately.
"Did I do okay?" she asked me. Her voice was so small and I could tell that her and Isabella were still settling in to being one. "I thought it was fitting, but I'm not sure."
"Bella," I cut her off as I approached her. "You did wonderfully. Better than that actually. I've never thought to use limb displacement as a punishment before, it's pretty genius." I brought her into my arms and allowed her to feel my lust. "You're going to be one powerful ruler." I nuzzled her neck affectionately.
"Jasper," she spoke and I grunted in reply. "We have an audience."
I pulled back from her and glanced at Carlisle and Esme who were watching us.
"Why couldn't your shield have invisibility properties?" I asked her. "That would be so helpful in times like this."
She thought about it before replying, "Yeah that would be pretty cool. Too bad I don't have it."
"How do you know?" I asked her.
"Well I assume if I did have it then it would have manifested with James, god knows I didn't want him staring at me the way that he did. You may be able to project lust, but I could tell that he was feeling it."
I frowned. "He didn't touch you did he?" I just had to ask. I had held off earlier because Bella was still healing, but I needed to know.
"No, he just looked at me. And he kept on saying, 'just you wait', and stupid shit like that. I think he was waiting until I was turned. Who knows, thankfully it never came to that. I hate to think what would have happened if he hadn't died." Bella let out a shudder.
"I would have found you eventually," I told her, bringing her back into my arms. "We are mates after all, and when you were turned we would have felt the mating pull. Either that or Victoria surely would have killed you."
"Jasper!" she shrieked, stepping away from me and lifting her arm to hit me. I grabbed her hand to stop her, we definitely didn't need another broken arm. "Don't say that."
"Why? It's the truth. Victoria changed that Riley kid just after James sent her away, she was going to kill you one way or another."
"You're an ass, you know that?" She wasn't really mad at me, I could feel that.
"Thank you. You're beautiful, you know that?" I countered. She pulled me out of her shield. How dare she? I could feel her amusement. I'd get her for this. "Bella. Oh, Bella," I spoke and she pretended to ignore me. I sent her as much lust as I could muster. Her shield kept it back at first, but I just tried harder. I could feel her struggling, but I kept at it. Soon her shield faltered and the lust hit her. Her knees buckled and she hit the ground.
"Jas-per, stop it. Now!" she screamed at me. A few more seconds, just until she was close. I could feel her at the edge and I pulled it back. She laid on the ground catching her breath. Carlisle and Esme was still there, watching us, but I didn't even register them in my mind. "You asshole," Bella spoke as she managed to stand up. "I know what you did and you're going to pay for that. I have a shield, did you forget that?"
I frowned. Her shield? What did that have to do with me leaving her sexually frustrated?
"Examine," Bella told me and I could see her concentrate her shield to be just around her hand. "Try and crush my hand," she told me. I didn't try, of course, I wouldn't hurt her. "Do it!" she commanded and I had to obey.
I reached out and I couldn't even touch her skin, her shield prevented me. I grabbed her hand anyway and squeezed hard, nothing happened. I was still confused though.
"Just think," Bella told me, pulling her hand away from me. "If I can shield my hand, then I can shield anything."
And then I finally got it. Stupid mother fucker. She was smiling at me. Bella had a fucking built-in chastity belt, I was so screwed. She caught my reaction and she laughed.
"Don't play with fire, Bella, you're going to get burnt."
"Enough, enough," Carlisle finally spoke up. "I don't know what you're doing, but stop it."
"It's there version of foreplay," Emmett yelled from above and Carlisle frowned.
"Is this true, Jasper?" Esme asked. Oh god. I couldn't meet their eyes. Sure they weren't my real parents, but I did not want to talk to them about this.
"I don't want to talk about this," I told them, turning around and heading for the stairs. Bella ran after me and launched herself onto my back. I grabbed her legs and ran up to my room.
"That's what you get for playing with fire," Bella told me as she slid off my back way too slowly, and then she was pressed up against my front. "Can you feel how I'm feeling?" she asked, her shield around us. I could feel her lust and frustration. "You did that to me, so you have to fix it, and you can't use your gift this time."
"But Bree," I spoke. I was giving her a way out, but she seemed sure.
"You have a little while before then. Let's put your mouth to a useful task."
She left my arms and got up on to the bed. I wouldn't deny her this. I would give her a pleasure she would never forget. I joined her on the bed, quickly ridding her of her pants. My head disappeared between her legs and I didn't stop worshipping her until the second before it was time for Bree's next test. I pulled away and Bella groaned.
"The second our room is finished," I gave her words back to her and she didn't appreciate that, but she backed down.
She got up from the bed, re-dressed, and headed for the door. "I can't wait until we have a bathroom connected to our room," Bella told me before quickly rushing across the hall. I followed her. I cleaned my face and ran a hairbrush though my hair, then I just leaned back against the counter and waited for Bella to finish. When she was done, we walked back down the stairs, hand in hand. Bree was already there waiting for us and I could feel her determination.
"Begin," I told her.
"Rosalie," she started off correctly. Rose appeared at the top of the stairs and threw Bree's finger to me. I caught it and reattached it. Bree kept on going, "Emmett. Alice, Leah, Edward, Carlisle, Esme, Jasper." She paused, she only had Bella's name to go. "Bella," she spoke confidently. I could tell she had to fight herself on this one, for some reason her mind really thought Bella's name was Izzy, but she was getting it slowly.
"Pull one of her fingers off and reattach it correctly," Bella told me and I carried out her wishes. "We will try this test again in an hour and the hour after that," Bella told Bree. "If you get my name right all of your fingers will be attached correctly. One more hour after that and we will try the test again, if you get them all right, you will be rewarded."
"Go be with Edward until the next test," I told her and she left my side. "I should go hunt," I told Bella. I needed to be fully sated before we went back to our ranch.
"Just have my blood," Bella said as she held out her arm for me. I could feel Carlisle's panic and discomfort.
"No, Bella, animal blood."
"Why?" she asked me confused. "Peter and Garrett are human drinkers, you should join them, you will be stronger then."
"I think I'm strong enough," I replied. I knew the real reason I wouldn't go back to human blood, but Bella didn't. "Animal blood is my choice."
"Why?" Bella asked and I could tell that if we weren't careful Carlisle would catch on to the fact that when Bella was changed she was going to be a human drinker. I decided to answer her in hopes that we could drop the subject.
"Because if I drink from humans then there is nothing stopping me. I will lose whatever humanity I have. I will become a monster, and I can't have that, especially with you still being a human. I don't want to lose myself, Bella, and I don't want to lose you because of it. Plus we'll need someone to show the other vampires that it is possible to live off animal blood." I could feel Bella's acceptance, but she was still conflicted. The matter was dropped. "Are you coming with me? I could use you as bait again."
"Bait?" Carlisle's concern him me.
"Again?" Esme spoke next. I brushed them off.
"I'll come, but something different from a bear this time. How about a mountain lion?"
"You ate one of my bears?!" Emmett's anger washed over me, thankfully Rose distracted him.
"I will come as well," Carlisle told me leaving no room for arguments.
"Yeah, me too," Esme agreed. "I could use a hunt." She was lying.
"Great," Bella replied sarcastically. "Getting chaperoned by the parents."
I let out a laugh. "You're worried about being chaperoned and not the fact that you're watching me hunt. I'm beginning to believe that you were never human."
Bella's face scrunched up. "I am human." Ah, details. "And I don't mind watching you hunt, it's hot."
I could feel Carlisle and Esme's embarrassment, maybe we could scare them off.
"Let's go, we don't have long," I told them and we all headed out, with Bella safely on my back.
I ran far into the forest and Carlisle and Esme followed. I stopped and helped Bella off my back, just searching for a mountain lion, it's what my mate wanted after all. I picked up the scent of one, but it was further up the mountain. I picked Bella up and ran up the mountain. When I was close enough I set her down. I sensed the area, there were two mountain lions, one male and one female, I wouldn't tell Bella this.
"Let's show them how we hunt," I told her. "Walk forward twenty paces, then step backwards slowly." I kissed her on the top of the head before darting into the trees. I could feel Carlisle and Esme's concern, but they were staying back.
Bella stepped forward and I heard the mountain lion emerge, as soon as I caught sight of it I pounced. I sunk my teeth into its neck and drained it quickly. I waited, staring up at my mate who was still retreating slowly. I was just waiting for the other cat to attack me. This was another reason I loved hunting animals more than humans, it was way more fun. You got the thrill of the hunt, most humans put up little to no fight, it was pathetic. Animals on the other hand fought with their lives, no matter what.
The second mountain lion finally pounced on me and I allowed it to swipe at me, it couldn't penetrate my skin. I could feel Bella's pain, she would learn quickly. I twisted around and grabbed the cat around the middle, crushing it's ribs. I pushed it away from me and it slowly got up from the ground, broken ribs and all. I admired its will to live, if only humans had this same outlook. I let it stalk me. I would let it get in one more attack before I killed it. I turned my back and the minute I did, it pounced, it's jaws going straight for my neck. It bit my neck, but didn't penetrate it. I grabbed the cat around the head and flipped it over in front of me, draining it quickly.
When I was done I grabbed both of my kills and placed them in front of my mate. I had shown her my kill once before and she didn't appreciate it at all, but now that she was joined with Isabella I wanted to see how she would react. I dropped to my knees in front of her. I looked up at her and she reached out and patted me on the head. She fucking patted my head. I let out a growl and grabbed her, forcing her against the nearest tree. I could hear Carlisle and Esme jumping to intervene, but my mate used her shield to keep them away.
My eyes turned black no doubt. I was angry, I wasn't a fucking dog. Why the fuck did she pat me? My mate didn't seem to be scared of me though. I grabbed her hair and pulled her head back forcefully. Presenting her neck to me. I could see her blood pumping just below the surface. I scratched my teeth along her neck lightly, drawing some blood. I licked her sweet tasting skin, lapping up the blood. Fuck, she tasted so good.
"Are you done?" Bella asked me and I let out a growl.
"No!" I snapped at her, pushing her harder against the tree.
"Jasper," somebody said from behind me. I let out a warning growl, they didn't know anything. Bella wasn't scared of me and I wouldn't hurt her.
"You know it's wrong to play with your food right?" Bella told me. Why? Playing with my food was fun. I felt her amusement, oh, she was joking around.
"I'm not a fucking dog," I told her, my black eyes staring down her brown ones. "Don't treat me like one."
She smirked at me, she actually fucking smirked at me. She said nothing, she just wiggled out of my grasp, I allowed her, and she walked away from me. I turned to face her. She was walking backwards. I saw the exposed tree root, she didn't. I just stood there, smiling at her. She would trip and before she did she would see me smiling at her. I win this round. She hit the exposed root and she fell backwards. I could feel her shock and surprise, but before she hit the ground I was there to catch her.
"I love you," I told her as I lifted her up and held her against my chest.
"I love you too."
"Did you miss me when you were with Phil and Charlie?" I asked her, wanting affirmation.
"Of course," she opened up her emotions and I felt just how much she missed me.
"Never again," I promised her.
"Bella, are you okay?" Esme asked and I let out a small growl.
"I'm fine, Esme," Bella told her with a smile as she grabbed my hand. "Jasper knows his limits and he would never hurt me."
"He drew your blood," Carlisle spoke to her, I would let her answer.
"So?" Bella countered. "He's a vampire. You're all vampires. I would be more worried if he didn't draw my blood in situations where he's relying only on his instincts. As I said, he'll never hurt me, and if he did, well, he'd just change me. It's a win-win."
What? I could tell the Esme and Carlisle could not understand where she was coming from at all.
"Let's go," Bella announced, climbing onto my back. "Bree will be waiting."
I agreed and wrapped my arms around her legs and took off towards the house, leaving Carlisle and Esme in my wake. Bella buried her head into the crook of my neck and I could feel her taking in my scent. I picked up my pace. We made it back and as expected Bree was already waiting. Good.
The next two tests went off perfectly and Bree now had all her fingers attached correctly. This last test would be the hardest for her because she had nothing to gain, except for Bella's reward. I reminded her of this fact before she began, but she didn't need any incentives. She went through all the names perfectly. I sent her my pride and she smiled. I could feel her nervousness. "You did good, kid," I reassured her, but she was still nervous.
"Jasper," she spoke quietly. "May I ask what my reward is?"
"Of course," I smiled at her. I looked at Bella and she nodded for me to continue. "Bella and I will be heading to Montana soon and seeing as you've been doing good I will allow you to stay here with your mate." I could feel just how happy and thankful she was.
"Thank you so much, Jasper," she told me. I could tell she wanted to hug me, but we didn't need that at all, so I turned from her.
"Edward," I spoke and he joined his mate. "When I am gone I expect you to take over Bree's training and punishments. Teach her everything you know about being a vampire and if she disobeys you or your rules then you will need to teach her a lesson. The best method would be the one I've put in place, remove a body part and only give it back to her once she has learned. If she makes the same mistake twice, take two body parts. When I come home I will assess Bree and if I find that you've done a good job I will transfer her care to you, if you fail I will be taking her to Montana with me, alone, to finish her training and I won't show her any mercy."
Edward didn't like that.
"I won't screw this up," Edward reassured me. We would see.
