March 13, 2017
"The man in front was easily the most beautiful, his skin olive-toned beneath the typical pallor, his hair a glossy black. He was of a medium build, hard-muscled, of course, but nothing next to Emmett's brawn. He smiled an easy smile, exposing a flash of gleaming white teeth. The woman was wilder, her eyes shifting restlessly between the men facing her and the loose grouping around me, her chaotic hair quivering in the slight breeze. Her posture was distinctly feline. The second male hovered unobtrusively behind them, slighter than the leader, his light brown hair and regular features both nondescript. His eyes, though completely still, somehow seemed the most vigilant. Their eyes were different, too. Not the gold or black I had come to expect, but a deep burgundy color that was disturbing and sinister."
But it was the fourth vampire that proved to be the most intriguing. When Bella laid eyes upon her, she could see that she was wrong in her earlier assessment that the olive-skinned man was the most beautiful of the group. There was no doubt that this woman put them all to shame and even rivaled Rosalie. Her height was pretty average, maybe an inch taller than Bella, but her body was perfect with long legs, a slender figure, and an hourglass shape that most women would have killed to have. And her skin, Bella could hardly believe that such a perfect smooth looking shade of cool, rich, dark brown existed, but it did. And it was matched with perfect, brown-black, tight curls that reached just the tops of her shoulders.
The curls framed a stunningly beautiful face; those perfect features consisted of full and perfectly proportioned lips, curved dark brows, a long and elegant nose, and a sculptured jawline and cheekbones. Perfectly spaced eyes that were a soft, beautiful golden shade of honey were a striking contrast next to her skin, but one that only enhanced her beauty. It was hard to imagine that someone could look like that, but there she was, with a confused and surprised look on her face.
Bella was confused and shocked as well. How did a "vegetarian" wind up with human blood drinkers? Before Bella could further ponder the question, a low growl interrupted her thoughts. It came from Jasper, who was staring at the golden-eyed stranger. The woman stared back at him, a look of utter shock on her face before she took a hesitant step backward. What was going on? The others noticed as well and exchanged surprised and worried glances.
"Jasper," Alice hissed, but Jasper paid her no mind. His focus was on the other woman, who shifted and finally looked away from his intense gaze before distancing herself a bit from the others.
"Don't run, suga," Jasper said, and Bella could hear the warning note in his voice. The woman glared at him, but she remained where she was.
Alice grabbed at Jasper again, and this time, he pushed her away with a frightening ease that scared Bella. She didn't know him very well, but it was clear that there was more to Jasper than meets the eye. Who was he, exactly?
"It's been a long time since I've seen mates recognize one another," the beautiful olive-skinned man said pleasantly, the slightest hint of a french accent in his voice. "It's a good thing we decided to come this way then."
"I am Laurent," he continued before motioning to the orange-haired woman and the plain-looking man. "This is Victoria and James." He gestured at the last woman. "And this is Millie." The woman gave a slight nod, her eyes still wary. "You must share the same feeding habits as our companion here," Laurent mused, and Carlisle cast a glance at the woman before nodding.
"I'm Carlisle. This is my family, Emmett and Jasper, Rosalie, Alice, and Esme, and Edward and Bella," The head of the Cullen family said cordially.
"Do you have room for a few more players?" Laurent asked.
"We just finished up, but we'd certainly be interested another time. I must say your grouping is unusual." Carlisle's voice remained steady and without a hint of hostility. Bella fervently prayed that they didn't notice her. While Bella was glad that Millie was a vegetarian, she was still uncomfortable around the human blood drinkers.
"It is. I was just keeping company with them until I returned to my coven," the woman named Millie spoke, her voice soft yet beautiful and clear. Bella thought she heard a southern accent, but it was rich and sweet.
Jasper raised his eyebrows, and there was a hint of a smirk tugging at his lips.
"Are you planning to stay in the area long?" Carlisle asked.
Laurent shook his head. "No, we were headed south when we heard the noise and were curious to see who was in the neighborhood."
"Perhaps we should be on our way, Laurent," Millie said quietly when a low, threatening growl erupted from Jasper. She shot him a glare, which he met stoically. What was going on? Laurent had mentioned mates, but that wasn't true, was it? Jasper was married to Alice, and he was devoted to her just as Alice was in return.
"What's your hunting range?" Laurent continued as if there wasn't any tension.
"The Olympic Range here and up and down the Coast Ranges on occasion. We keep a permanent residence nearby. There is another permanent residence in Denali, with a family that follows our lifestyle as well."
"Permanent? Is this what you were speaking of, Millie?" Laurent turned to the woman, who nodded cautiously.
He turned back to Carlisle. "How do you do this?"
"Why don't you come to our home? We can discuss it more there, as it is a pretty long story," the doctor suggested, and Bella perked up at this. Perhaps everything would turn out all right. They hadn't noticed her. But still, there was now the thing with Jasper and Millie.
"That sounds very welcome," Laurent said, turning to his companions who exchanged surprised looks but remained silent.
"I'll have to ask you not to hunt in the immediate area as not to draw suspicion," Carlisle warned, and Laurent nodded amicably.
"No need to worry; we just ate outside of Seattle," he said, and she felt a chill at his words. She wondered how many humans it took to fill up a vampire, let alone three of them.
"Good, how about Emmett, Rosalie, and Alice and I will run with you there?" Carlisle asked when the wind picked up and blew Bella's hair causing the four new vampires to turn toward her. Edward stiffened and let out a low hiss in response before sinking into a crouch. James slipped into a crouch as well, baring his deadly white teeth. Bella wanted to scream, but she forced it down, her sole focus on Edward.
"What's this? A snack?" Laurent asked in surprise as Edward let out a snarl at James, who hissed back. Victoria let out a warning hiss as she sprung to his side.
"She's with us." Carlisle's voice was firm, and his eyes were hard.
"She's human!" Laurent exclaimed in disbelief.
"She's with us," Carlisle repeated, a sharp edge in his tone. James feinted right, but Edward quickly matched his position, never taking his eyes off of him. Victoria watched the group, her gaze moving from face to face, before searching the field and nearby forest. Simultaneously, while clearly surprised that a human was present, Millie showed not the faintest hint of desire for Bella's blood to the human's relief.
"I see. It seems we have much to learn from one another," Laurent said, his tone placating and apologetic.
"Indeed," Carlisle retorted coldly.
"We won't hunt in your range, and of course, we won't harm the human girl. I want to accept your invitation, though," Laurent continued, ignoring the look of disbelief from James, who straightened somewhat from his crouch. Bella took comfort in the fact that Edward didn't rise from his crouch at all. She caught James' gaze and quickly looked away, not wanting to cause further trouble.
"Of course, we will show you the way, Jasper, Esme, Rosalie?" Carlisle turned slightly in their direction. They converged together in a group while Emmett and Alice moved in front of Bella. Edward said nothing before lifting Bella onto his back and taking off into the woods. They made it to Emmett's red jeep, where Edward flung Bella into the backseat.
"Strap her in," he ordered, and Emmett quickly fastened the harness before sliding into the seat next to her. Alice hopped in the front with Edward, clearly troubled with everything that just happened.
"This certainly was not the time, but there is not much to do about it now, is there?" Edward growled as he stepped on the gas pedal, and the jeep roared off.
"Where are we going?" Bella demanded, but Edward ignored her, causing her fury to rise. How could he ignore her when James was hunting her? It wasn't about him!
"Damn it, answer me! Where are you taking me?" Bella shouted as the speedometer began to climb past eighty-five. She began to tear at the harness that held her in place. Edward was going to listen to her, whether he liked it or not!
"Emmett," Edward said grimly, and Emmett grabbed Bella's hands. His hands were like iron bars, immovable and unbreakable.
"No! Edward!" Bella shouted, trying to struggle and failing miserably. Emmett's hand didn't even budge against her failed attempts to break free of them.
"We have to get you far away from here, right now," Edward said furiously as the speedometer reached over a hundred.
"No, I am not leaving Charlie! He'll call the FBI, and they will come after all of you!" Bella shouted, desperate for him to understand. Why couldn't he listen? She knew how Charlie would react, and she didn't want any of the Cullens to face repercussions on her behalf.
"We've been there before," Edward said coldly, and Bella found herself stunned into silence.
"Pull over, Edward," Alice said quietly, and he shot her a hard look before speeding up. Emmett sat in grim silence, his eyes focused on his adopted siblings.
"Edward," Alice said, a warning note in her voice this time, and Bella prayed that if he didn't listen to her, he would at least listen to Alice.
"He's a tracker, damn him! Don't you understand? I read his mind; he begins the hunt tonight. She is his obsession now!" Edward roared as the speedometer hit one twenty. Emmett stiffened at his words, and Alice looked even more disturbed, but this didn't deter her.
"He won't know where she is-" the pixie-like vampire began when Edward cut her off. "How long before he catches her scent and tracks her to her house?" Bella felt her stomach almost do an entire flip at his words. Charlie!
"Do you want to hear my plan?" Bella asked.
"No!" Edward said, not taking his eyes from the road as he kept his foot all the way down on the pedal. Alice glared at him on her behalf, irritated with his behavior.
"I. Am. Not. Leaving. Charlie." Bella spoke slowly though her anger was more than present in her words.
"He doesn't matter!"
"Yes, he does. He could get killed because of us!"
"We have to take her back." At least Emmett agreed with her.
"We should have taken Jasper with us. He would have been a great help here," Alice said though there was an edge to her voice.
"No." Edward wouldn't budge.
"He's no match for us, Edward. He won't be able to touch Bella with us defending her."
"He'll wait."
"I can wait too." Emmett's smile was terrifying, and Bella was glad that she wasn't James. The odds were on her side for once, she tried to assure herself.
"If it comes down to a fight, we may have to kill him," Edward said, and Emmet nodded. "It's probably our best option."
"There is another option," Alice said quietly.
Edward whirled around snarling: "There. Is. No. Other. Option!"
Bella had had enough of this. "Listen to me! Here is what I can do…."
...
It had worked, and now Edward was driving Bella's truck back to the Cullen's house. Bella was hurting after her cruel and callous conversation with Charlie, but she knew it was for the best. They pulled into the driveway that led to the house, but Edward made a left at the house that led to a detached garage. Bella hopped out of her car, landing gracelessly on her feet. Edward rushed to her side and they made their way to the front of the garage. It was dark outside, but there were lights attached to the garage that gave Bella somewhat of a view. It was quite a large garage with four solid white wooden doors and lights above each of them.
An argument was happening between Alice, Jasper, and the second woman from the nomadic group, Millie. Laurent was there, as was Carlisle and Esme.
"What's going on?" Bella asked, causing everyone's heads to snap towards her. She felt tiny at that moment but held her ground.
Carlisle was the one who responded to her inquiry. "It seems that Jasper found his mate." Bella's eyes grew wide at those damning words, and she looked at Alice, who seemed positively furious at this pronouncement. "How? Aren't Jasper and Alice married?"
Jasper let out a dark chuckle, his eyes blazing brightly. "Vampires can form bonds, whether it's friendship, brotherhood, or that of a parent and child. We can also form temporary bonds as partners in sexual relationships, but this is not the same as being mates. A vampire has only one mate, and this does not change. Alice and I were the former, not the latter." Here he glanced at Millie, who scowled at him.
"What are you doing in the north?" She demanded. "Shouldn't you be down south, ruling with an iron fist?"
Jasper stared at her for several moments, guarded, but she could see the hint of calculation in his eyes. "No," he said with finality. "I left that life decades ago."
Bella could only stare at the two of them in frustration. Her curiosity was driving her insane, and the situation with the tracker didn't help things.
Once again, shock appeared on Millie's beautiful features, but she reigned it in. "I see." Her gaze landed on Bella. "Don't let me get in the way of things; shouldn't you focus on your human? James wants her."
Edward let out a snarl at her words. Jasper's head snapped up towards him, assessing Edward in a way Bella found terrifying. If there was any word to describe Jasper at that moment, it was the word predator, and Edward was his potential prey.
"What can you tell us about him?" Carlisle asked, redirecting the conversation. Millie and Laurent looked at one another.
"Well, I haven't known them that long," Millie began, "but I know James is a tracker, a very good one from the little I have seen. And that woman, Victoria, she enjoys the hunt with him, though not necessarily in the same capacity."
Laurent took over. "I have never seen anything like him in three centuries. He has unparalleled skills and is absolutely lethal."
Jasper shook his head in evident disgust. "I've had to fight our kind before, they aren't easy to kill, but it's not impossible. Even a man like James has weaknesses," he said, drawing everyone's attention. "We'll have to rip him apart and burn the pieces."
Carlisle grimaced and turned away. "I don't relish the thought of killing another creature, even a sadistic one like James."
"Are you sure it's' worth it?" Laurent asked, and Edward roared with such a fury that Laurent shrunk back, holding his hands up placatingly.
"You got a choice to make," Jasper said flatly, his eyes boring into Laurent's with deadly intent as he crossed his arms across his chest. Laurent looked around frantically at the hostile faces before looking imploringly at Millie, who merely shook her head.
"You already know by my eyes that I share the same diet as them. And while I may tolerate feeding on humans, I do not tolerate sadistic games of cat and mouse with innocent people," she said firmly, before turning on her heel and walking out of the garage. Jasper's eyes trailed after her before flickering back to Laurent.
"I am curious and fascinated by the life you live here and have been ever since I met Millie. But I want no part in this battle, I bear your coven no ill will, but I will not fight against James." Here he paused and looked down. "I think I will head north and visit the coven you spoke of in Denali."
"Then go in peace," Carlisle said amicably, and Laurent took one last look before disappearing into the forest. Bella hoped he meant what he said and wouldn't fight against the Cullens or help James or Victoria.
Carlisle pulled out a small, sleek black remote and clicked it. The doors of the detached garage whirled and began to pull up and backward along the ceiling. They entered a large and neat garage, filled with several cars. Rosalie's BMW, Edward's Volvo, and Carlisle's Mercedes were present. Bella could tell that Jasper was impatient and ready to spring from the place. "What's the plan?"
"Alice is going to run Bella down South to Phoenix, and we'll head him off. Afterward, we begin the hunt," Edward said darkly.
Jasper shook his head, his expression stern. "Have you ever tracked someone before Edward?"
"I've tracked and hunted humans, and I also have my ability to read minds," Edward retorted, clearly offended at the questioning of his abilities.
Jasper's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You think that hunting and killing humans is the same as tracking a vampire? And a skilled one at that?" His voice was quiet, but there was a sinister quality to it.
"Perhaps I can help with that." Millie walked in but stopped just by the door of the garage.
"Help? What could you possibly do?" Rosalie sneered at her. Bella took some comfort in the fact that Rosalie seemed to be hostile towards other strangers.
"Some vampires have special abilities," Millie answered. "I have the power to negate or weaken mental powers."
Everyone stared at her in stunned silence. Emmett let out a low whistle, while Jasper looked impressed.
"James, from the little I knew of him, has an enhanced tracking ability. If he's still within my range, I can negate his power and leave him 'blind' so to speak, and then he can be tracked and destroyed." She suddenly turned shy. "I'm not that great at fighting other vampires. I've been in a few vampire fights, but..."
"I'll deal with James," Jasper said stoically, crossing his arms against his chest.
"We don't know you; how can we be sure we can trust you?" Edward asked abruptly. Under the present circumstances, he wasn't overreacting, and it was a good question.
"You don't. You can take it or leave it," Millie said shortly before turning to leave. "I'll be outside while you make your decision." She glided off, Jasper's eyes once again trailing after her.
"Jasper, how can you think that woman is your mate!" Alice cried, rushing over to him.
Jasper looked down at her, his gaze softening somewhat. "You knew this day would come," he said, before striding out the door, no doubt in the direction Millie went. Alice's face crumpled, and Esme came and wrapped her arms around her shoulders.
"If she can help, I think we should take it," Bella said, determined to do whatever it took to evade James and his deadly game. Edward glared at her but said nothing before turning to Carlisle.
"Jasper is right, you don't know how to track, and if Millie can help us, then we should accept," Carlisle said after a moment. "She follows our diet, so there is no need to fear her wanting Bella's blood. Have you detected any malicious thoughts from her?" Edward was silent. "Edward?" The bronze haired vampire shook his head. "I read her thoughts and detected nothing malicious."
"I need a human minute," Bella interrupted. They pointed her in the direction of the bathroom, which was up a set of stairs. On her way back, she found a door that led outside into the fresh, crisp cool air of the night. Bella let out a sigh of relief, for once grateful for Fork's weather. It was refreshing and a calming contrast compared to the heated chaos of her life at the moment.
The sound of voices carried in the night, and she walked out further from the garage to see Jasper and Millie facing one another, a good twenty feet between them. Jasper was rigid, his arms folded across his chest, as Millie paced back and forth away from him, clearly infuriated.
She quickly stepped back behind a set of tall bushes, but her curiosity got the best of her, and she decided to listen.
"Act out as you want. I know you feel the pull as well," Jasper stated before Millie stopped and turned towards him.
"Yes, yes, I do," she hissed. "I know who you are. I'm a southern woman. Major Jasper Whitlock, the God of War, the Major of the Southern Armies." She took a deep breath and flitted away from him somewhat. Bella was intrigued. The God of War? Major Jasper Whitlock?
"Millie," Jasper began when she turned her back to him. "Millie, I can feel your fear. You know I would never hurt you."
She whirled back around, her chest rising and falling rapidly. "I know that?" She laughed. "No, no, I don't! And how could you say you would never hurt me?" She took another step back, which caused Jasper to take a step forward instinctively. "No, stay over there!" She sat down on a random boulder, breathing harshly.
"What am I, Jasper? What am I?"
"My mate," Jasper growled. There was a flash of movement, and in an instant, he was in front of her, one knee on the ground as he lowered himself till they were close to eye level.
"Hmm…. you know that is not what I meant. I heard some of the rumors that Maria snatched you when you were a young soldier, back in the latter end of the 19th century, because that is how far your reputation goes back."
"What about it?"
"You had to have been a soldier. The question is a soldier in what army?"
Silence descended between the two of them for several moments. "The confederate army," he said, and she could hear the regret in his voice. "I was a major in the army when Maria found me." Bella could feel nothing but shock at the statement. Jasper fought in the Civil War? And on the confederate side?
Millie's entire frame shook, and she tried to move, but Jasper held her in place. "Don't run," he said quietly but firmly. "I'm not going to hurt you."
"You already have," she wailed. "You son of a bitch! How dare you join that treasonous, racist, rebellion?"
Her cries became louder until she finally collapsed into Jasper's arms, her frame wracking with dry sobs. She pulled away from him in an instant, hysterical. "I'd ask if you saw my humanity, but I'm not even human even more!" She threw her hands up in the air.
Jasper grabbed her face, forcing her to look at him. "I'm not a man of that era anymore."
"Oh, don't give me that shit!" Millie shouted. "I don't believe you!"
"Then I'll prove it to you," he vowed.
"I don't care if we're mates," Millie swore. "I will not submit to you. I will not have sex with you or anything until I no longer worry about you being a fucking racist. I'll be damned if I spend the rest of eternity with a man that regards my entire race as inferior to his." Her body began shaking again. "You were born in the damn 1800s: did you own slaves?" Her voice broke at the end.
"No," Jasper said firmly.
"Did you use them? Rent them?"
"No, and no." His voice was grim.
"Did you participate in any lynchings or murders of black people for not falling in line with white supremacy?"
"No!"
Millie let out a bitter laugh. "You could be lying to me!" She shouted. "What about rape? You ever do something like that? God knows, after killing and torturing, a white man's favorite thing to do in those days was rape!"
"No!" Jasper growled before he pulled Millie close to him to where her forehead rested against his own. What he said to her, she couldn't make out, but she saw Millie's shoulder sag, and she collapsed against him, her body shaking with tearless sobs. But she didn't pull away.
"I have walked the earth for almost two centuries," Jasper began as he held her, his voice surprisingly gentle. "I have known death, war, suffering, turmoil, and pain beyond imagination. I may have found a peaceful existence with the Cullens, but I will not let my one chance at happiness walk away." His tone grew sharper. "I will gladly show you who I am, Millie, even if it takes me centuries to do it, I will show you who I am and that you have nothing to fear or worry about."
The silence stretched on for several minutes before Millie pulled away from, sitting back on her heels. "We shall see Jasper. All I know is that the man who is my mate had better be a man of the present. He had better understand his mistakes, and he better show that he has learned from them. You better understand the past and how it affects the present. Also, what is your atonement, and what the hell have you been doing all these years?" Millie's voice had hardened towards the end.
"Now, about this human of yours, who doesn't know it's rude to eavesdrop; let's deal with her situation, and then we will see how this will go."
AN: Alright, so that was the very first chapter, which if you've read Clash of the Southerners, you will see the similarities and the differences. Again, I'm mixing book and movie elements in this story. Carlisle and Esme are aged up to 33 and 36, while Jasper has been aged up to 21, and Alice is 19. There will be more details on Millie, but her age for this story is 20. What do y'all think of me changing her powers? I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Please leave a review; I'm always interested in how people react to my writing! Thanks for reading!