Chapter Fifty Four
Bella
I loved my life as a vampire, the speed, the strength and most of all my mate although it took some getting used to the rest of the family who were all so eager to become a part of my new life. I missed Charlie dreadfully, especially when I found out it was he who had saved my life knowing that he would never see me again. Renee, I missed less, she hadn't been a big part of my life in years but I wondered how much grief she would give dad after I was gone. A part of me hoped she would leave him alone to get on with his life but another more selfish part hoped she would stay in touch so he wasn't so alone without me. Jasper understood my feeling of loss and offered to get in touch with Charlie for me if it would help.
"You two could talk to each other, that's far less dangerous than meeting in person. There's much more chance of the Volturi hearing about it that way and then your father wouldn't stand a chance, they would condemn him to death immediately."
"I want to say yes, to keep in contact with him but I understand that's purely selfish. He's far safer as things stand and talking to him would only make us both want to meet. Didn't you ever want to go home, see your family again?"
He smiled and I saw sorrow in his eyes,
"I never had the opportunity Bella. My introduction to the vampire world was much more bloody and undisciplined. Maria wanted a warrior and fed my newborn blood lust to ensure that's what she got. I never even remembered my family until years later, once I was free of constant bloodshed and battles. It took almost ten years to conquer all Maria's enemies and build up her empire in Mexico then another ten to crush all rebellions."
"So, did you go back then? Weren't you even interested to see what had happened to them? Or had Maria crushed that part of you then?"
I felt guilty because it was clear talking about this hurt Jasper but I couldn't help myself, I knew so little about him and wanted to do so desperately. He nodded, sighing deeply,
"Yes, she had Bella and I'm not proud of the fact. Maria knew how to manipulate me, to get exactly what she wanted, to bind me to her so closely I was blind to everything except her desires."
Now I felt worse than ever and told him to stop, to ignore my questions, that I was sorry but he just stroked my cheek and continued to talk,
"You deserve to know the truth about me, Bella. I did go back but not until I finally broke free of Maria and left with Peter and Charlotte. She thought going back would help me break free of Maria's lingering spell so I went."
I already knew whatever he discovered was bad by the tone of his voice but he continued speaking so all I could do was to cuddle him, let him know I was there for him as he relived the nightmare.
There was a long pause and I wondered if perhaps he had decided against going on but then his voice came again, quieter, more pensive.
"Of course, a long time had passed but I guess I still expected to see what I had left behind. That was crazy, the war had swept over all of Texas so how could my home have been undisturbed. The farm was still there, cows and horses in the fields but that was all I recognised. The house was new to me and the man I saw working in the barn was a stranger. I made my way to the house and peered in unseen, a woman I didn't recognise was baking in the kitchen and I decided to make myself known to her, perhaps she could tell me what had happened to my family."
When his voice trailed off again I knew whatever he heard had been bad news and I was right.
"She told me she and her husband had taken over the farm which was derelict, the house burned and nearly all the stock gone. I told her I had been brought up nearby and asked about the Whitlock family who had owned the place then.
"It was very sad from what we heard, their two sons went off to war and both were killed although there was talk of a medal for the younger one. Apparently he fought off a Union company to save a convoy of women and children on their way to Galveston. Then he went missing and was presumed dead.
"What about the others? Your parents and other siblings, I know you had at least one sister because I heard Charlotte mention her name, it was Mary."
He nodded but carried on without giving me a direct answer to my question.
"She told me that Union soldiers had burned the cabin after killing my father and took my mother and sisters away and they were never seen again."
I was horrified, I could feel his pain but not only that, there was guilt there too.
"There was nothing you could have done Jasper."
"I left them undefended to go to war Bella, I lied about my age and felt so proud and clever when I rode away with the other soldiers. As a result, my family were wiped out and I have to live with that guilt every day of my existence hoping that they didn't die cursing my name or crying out for me to save them, Bella."
I understood his anguish then, he was a warrior, probably the best in our world yet he hadn't been there to save the people he loved, those he felt he should have been there for. It was a pain that would never leave him and I was sure it coloured everything he did. It was why he stuck so close to me, watched over me, even though I too was a vampire and well able to look after myself, I was his family now and he would never make the same mistake again.
"I'm so sorry Jasper. Did you ever find out what happened to them?"
He shook his head but didn't speak and I held him close knowing that if it had been possible for a vampire to shed tears we would both be crying right now.
After that we didn't speak about his family again, I knew it hurt him too much. Apart from that, every day was filled with new experiences, laughter and love, I must be the luckiest girl alive to have captured the heart of this vampire and I never tired of telling him so. I have no idea how long our bliss would have continued but it was rudely broken by a message from Carlisle's friend Darius, the computer whiz kid. Esme broke the news when she found us playing horseshoes behind the house.
"I think Leah and her friend are in trouble Bella, Darius intercepted a call from a reservation in Iowa about two girls who are accused of murdering humans whilst in wolf form. The elders informed Johnny H that they will deal with the offenders themselves. Darius says the tribe there is not affiliated with the guardian tribes, they broke away many years ago to live their own way. He said they have never been attacked by vampires and consider the guardians as freaks of nature rather than spirit warriors."
"What will the tribe do to Leah and her friend?"
I was looking at Jasper for an answer and he shrugged,
"Well, they can't hand them over to the human authorities because they know they won't be believed and the girls only phase when they want to. and they are hardly likely to do so to prove the elders correct. They will use tribal law to try the girls and I have no idea what they will decide but I don't think we should wait to find out."
I agreed, I owed Leah and her friend my life and now it seemed there was a way to repay them. Esme understood,
"Darius will monitor any communications and Carlisle is arranging a flight straight there as we don't know how much time the elders will take to deal with the matter."
We followed her back to the house to find Carlisle explaining the situation to Emmett and Peter, the girls having gone into town shopping.
"So, it seems we aren't quite finished with the fur faces after all Major."
"Peter, it's the Fox and Sac elders who are involved, not the guardians, not yet anyway."
"Foxes, Sac's, who gives a shit what they call themselves, they're all tarred with the same brush. Are you ready to kick some ass, Major? Hey, Bella, it'll give you a chance to prove just how great that gift of yours really is."
Jasper frowned at him, talking about my gift was taboo and Peter knew it but like with everything else, he was a law unto himself, I'd worked out that much for myself.
