Chapter Sixty Five
Jasper
I felt there was something wrong and steered Charlotte to one side of the floor looking around for Megan. The group she had been with were scattered and I couldn't see her or her new friend Trey.
"Charlotte, see if Meg is in the restroom would you?"
She went off without asking any questions, she'd always been good like that, and I pushed through the crowd to where Bella had been sitting only to find her missing too. Maybe Meg was with her mom, but something didn't feel right.
Peter had sensed something because he appeared at my side looking anxious.
"Trouble Major, I can feel it but it's not like normal. This is different, not so urgent."
"Find Meg."
He disappeared and I glanced around looking for Bella then made for the main entrance, maybe she'd gone outside although I couldn't imagine why.
As I opened the door I heard raised voices in the parking lot, over in the shadows and moved forward as I recognized a man's voice.
"You little bitch. Fuck off before I beat you senseless."
It was only when I heard Megan's voice that I quickened my pace.
"Get your hands off my mom, you bastard."
There was a huge crash and a scream which was cut off suddenly and I broke into a run.
The sight that confronted me stopped me dead in my tracks.
Bella stood holding Megan in her arms while a chrome-laden truck lay on its side a pair of men's legs poking out from under the upturned vehicle.
Peter appeared at my side,
"What the fuck is going on here? You sort the girls out while I tidy up."
I put my arms around both my girls and calmed them enough that they could give me a coherent account of what had happened.
My own anger rose as I heard that the scumbag presently trapped under the upturned truck had tried it on with my wife but that turned to concern as I realized that Megan had followed her mom outside and lost her temper when she saw the guy yanking Bella backward by her hair.
Megan became hysterical again despite my best efforts to keep her calm and threw herself at me when I stepped back.
"I didn't mean to kill him, dad. I was so angry and my temper just got the better of me. Is he dead? Please tell me he isn't dead."
I glanced over her head at Peter who had righted the truck and was kneeling beside the guy examining him for injuries.
He glanced at me and shook his head.
"Tell Meg not to sweat, the scumbag's still breathing. He was lucky those roll bars stopped the truck from crushing him."
Megan having heard Peter's words stopped sobbing but she was still shaking violently.
"Megan, go with your mom. Bella put her in the car and stay with her. Peter and I will sort this out."
I watched the girls do as I had instructed then I turned my attention to Peter and the prone scumbag.
"How bad is he?"
"Concussion, he's got a pretty good bump on the head and a broken hand. Apart from that he'll be bruised and battered but he'll live more's the pity. What do you want to do? I can snap his neck if you like."
It was tempting but I shook my head.
"We don't want to draw attention to what happened. How bad is the truck?"
Peter glanced at the side which had taken the brunt of the fall.
"A few scratches, maybe a small dent or two but the roll bars are toast."
"Anything that would be noticeable in this light?"
"Nah."
"OK. Let's move him. Take him around the corner and lay him out like he slipped and hit his head. Chances are he won't remember what happened and if he thinks he does he knows it'll sound too crazy to be believed."
"Right. You get Charlotte while I move this asshole. I guess we'll be leaving now."
I glanced over to the car, "I think so. Megan is pretty shaken up."
Megan
I hadn't meant to throw the guy under the truck or throw the truck at him or whatever I did. I was just so angry and scared that I acted on instinct. The truck was close and I just put my hands against it and pushed really hard. It flew across the intervening space and knocked the guy over then tipped sideways on top of his prone body.
Now I couldn't stop shaking or apologizing and when mom put her arms around me I melted into her embrace feeling safe again but still worried that I might have really hurt the man. What if he was dead? What would happen then? Would I get in trouble? Would my family?
When dad and the others got to the car my first question was, "Is he alive? I didn't kill him, did I?"
Dad took my hand in his and looked into my face, "No Meg, he'll be fine."
"Peter turned to look over his shoulder at me grinning widely, "But he's gonna have one hell of a fucking headache when he wakes up."
Aunt Charlotte slapped him on the head and he yelped, but I couldn't even raise a smile at that. I was so shocked at how our evening had ended.
I had been having such a good time and Trey had asked if he could see me again when I'd seen mom go out with a strange guy and felt there was something really wrong. I guess I should have realized that she could look after herself, but I had wanted to help.
I was still shaking when we arrived home and Peter and Charlotte stayed instead of driving home. Mom made me some warm milk while Charlotte sat with me and I sipped it being careful not to spill it as my hands were shaking so much. I felt the tears begin to fall. I felt so wretched, so scared and miserable. It was the first time I had let my gift get away from me and it could have resulted in a death. No one deserved that.
When I finished mom took me upstairs and ran the tub filling it with bubbles then told me to get in. I stripped off and did so acting like a little girl once more, the little girl I should have been and so desperately wanted to be right now.
Sinking down on the floor beside the tub mom took hold of my hand and spoke very calmly and soothingly to me. Telling me that it was alright, that no harm had been done and the guy was just a drunk who allowed the booze to dictate his actions.
"We never really discussed how your gift could be dangerous, did we? That's our fault. Your dad and I were so focused on keeping our secret that it never occurred to us to teach you how to control your temper and therefore your gift. Unfortunately these gifts, amazing though they are, do come with certain responsibilities. It's up to us to watch our emotions and guard against harming anyone. You've seen how easy it is to lose control now. That man could have been killed."
"I know, mom. I am so sorry. I was so scared, more by what I did than what the guy was doing. I just wanted you to be safe. It's so hard with all these things to remember and if I make a mistake it could lead to us being discovered and then the Volturi would have to act. I could have gotten us all into terrible trouble. How do you do it? Dad makes it look so easy, you all do."
"It's easier for dad and the others because they've been vampires for so long it becomes second nature. As for me. Well sometimes I struggle too but I have your dad to look after me and I think of you. I have to show you that it can be done. It's why we kept you away from human children when you were young. Children have limited self-control but when a human child gets angry they throw a tantrum. They kick and scream and act up. If you had a tantrum, well, you've seen what could happen."
"I guess dating a human is out then. I'd be too afraid now that I might hurt a guy if he upset me. Why is life so complicated? Will it be easier when I become a full vampire?"
"In some ways yes, in others no, because you'll have the thirst to contend with and that can drive you crazy. You know it's entirely up to you if you choose to become a vampire. You don't have to. Grandpa says you've stopped ageing so fast now and you might even stop altogether, but if not and you want to stay as you are your dad and I will stand by you all the way."
I sighed and slipped lower in the water wondering if things would ever become less complicated and confusing.
Then there was a knock on the door followed by dad's voice.
"Is everything OK in there?"
Mom looked at me and I nodded so she stood up.
"Come down when you're ready but have a relaxing soak first. I'll explain things to your dad."
She kissed me on the forehead, smoothed my cheek, then went out to join dad and I slid lower in the tub feeling the warm bubbles easing the tension from my body just as mom had known it would.
Jasper
Bella appeared taking my hand and leading me back downstairs where Charlotte sat waiting for news of Megan.
She glanced around, "Where's Peter?"
"He decided to go back to the club and make sure everything went smoothly. He was going to make our excuses, tell everyone we left because you were feeling unwell. We didn't want to put any focus on Megan, especially as she liked Trey so much."
Bella smiled her thanks to Charlotte and sank down on the sofa next to me.
"Is Megan really OK?"
I know I sounded worried but I couldn't help it, I felt so responsible.
"She'll be OK now she knows nothing drastic was done but she's scared herself pretty badly."
I sighed, "It's all my fault. I warned her about letting anyone see that she was special but I never explained how dangerous it could be. Especially now we know just how powerful she is."
Seeing Charlotte frown I decided it was time to come clean. Megan needed all the support she could get and Peter and Charlotte were the only two people outside Bella and myself that I trusted with the truth.
She listened in silence then groaned, "Poor Megan. She must feel that she can't trust herself any longer. She's so mixed up. Don't worry though, Peter and I are here whatever you or she needs."
We thanked her but just how were we ever going to get Megan to trust herself again? Now she understood just how easy it was to harm a human without thinking about it she would be scared to mix with them and we never wanted that for her.
She came downstairs soon after this wrapped in my dressing gown and sat quietly between her mom and me, unable to look at anyone.
Charlotte moved first, coming to kneel before the sofa and taking Megan's hands in hers.
"Listen to me, sweetheart. No one blames you for what happened. It was your natural instinct to protect your mom. You just have to remember how powerful you are and how weak humans are in comparison. It will take you time but you're intelligent and strong and you'll soon work it out."
Megan looked up, her eyes full of tears, "I'm not sure I'll ever be able to control myself like you all do. Why is it so hard? I never meant to hurt anyone even if he did deserve it."
I wrapped an arm around her, "No one deserves to be harmed or killed Megan. That's what you have to remember."
She sat up a little straighter frowning.
"Didn't you ever want to hurt anyone? You were a soldier and you killed people. Some are bad and need teaching a lesson and even if not, how do you not want to hurt people who hurt you or those you love?"
Before I could answer she turned to Charlotte, "Haven't you ever wanted to hurt people? What about the person who turned you into a vampire? Wouldn't you like to kill that person? Or did you ask to become one?"
I tensed but Charlotte just shook her head.
"No one asks to become a vampire, Megan. It's thrust upon us by others. Besides, if I had done what you said and killed the person who turned me I wouldn't be sitting here with you now."
"Why? Was the person too strong? Would they have killed you?"
Charlotte smiled a little sadly, "Well, yes, I guess so. But you see it was your dad who turned me, Peter too. But he was only doing what he was ordered to do. Remember he was a warrior, a fighter, and the vampire nature feeds on that so no, I don't want to harm or kill the Major. I don't really want to harm anyone but I don't have his control so I hunt humans and kill them. Not for sport but for food. I try never to harm anyone I think is innocent but I do kill and that's why I can understand how you feel. It's shocking, especially at first, well, once you get over the craziness of the first few years."
Megan was silent for a moment and I wondered what she was thinking. Was she horrified by what she'd just learned? I'd never spoken about my life as a vampire or how I knew Peter and Charlotte so it must have come as a shock to Megan.
She turned to me but there was no horror in her eyes, just curiosity.
"So, will you change me when I ask, dad?"
"Will you forgive me if I do?"
She frowned, "Of course I will. It'll be easy for me because I'll be the one making the decision. Not like you or other vampires. Do you think I should do it now? I won't be such a danger to people then, or will I? Thinking about it I can't win. If I stay half-human then I'll grow old and die and always be a danger to any humans around me and if I change then I'll be a danger to humans anyway. Will I be able to live on animal blood like you and mom? I don't think I'm as strong as you are."
Suddenly she stood up, her fists clenched. She looked down at us with anguish written in her expression.
"I'm so confused. My head hurts from all this. I wish I'd never been born then I wouldn't be faced with all these hard decisions."
With that, she turned and ran upstairs and into her room banging the door shut behind her and we could all hear her sobs as she threw herself down on her bed.
