Standard Disclaimer: I do not own anything recognizable from Twilight, I just love adding my own toys to the sandbox. Any mistakes are my own. Enjoy.

Also, in case there's an issue '….' = December's thoughts 😊

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Chapter 10 – Shift of Priorities

"They were passing around a red blouse. The one you couldn't find." Alice said looking at Bella.

After Alice's vision, we continued with the party and convened afterward in the kitchen. With Jacob and company in tow.

"That's alerting…." Edward mumbled.

"Yeah, no shit Sherlock," I said rolling my eyes and Jaspar chuckled. I noticed Rosalie smirking. He just glared at me. I didn't care. "So, they're after Bella? That's their target? Why?"

"I don't know. I don't believe they know her personally." Alice said.

I tried to think back to what I've seen about those vampires. The only distinct thing I could think of was the two that were leading the whole thing.

"The only one I recognized from the vision was a boy." She said.

"I've seen him. Riley Biers. He was local, missing since last year. That's how they know the area." Edward said.

"What does he look like?" I asked Alice. She described him to me, and it seemed he was the one with the red head.

"Why are you making a face?" Jaspar asked grabbing my hand.

"I've seen them. When I've gone to scout them and make notes. I know where they're hiding. And I know who's leading them. It is that Riley vampire. But also, someone else. A woman. She has red hair." As soon as I said that I felt the room stiffen. "What?" I looked at them, and Bella. I know her face. "You know her." I stated. She gulped.

"Victoria." She mumbled. She looked at Edward, "I told you!"

"But how? I would've saw it!" Alice exclaimed.

"Who is this Victoria to you?" I asked. No one spoke for a few seconds.

"Last year, there was a tracker vampire named James. He became obsessed with Bella and Edward. Finding out Bella was human, well you can imagine what kind of game it was to him," stated Carlisle. I just looked at Bella and nodded. "Well, Bella almost died by his hand, and we got to her and James in time. James bit her, but Edward was able to suck out the venom. James died by our hand and his mate Victoria has been obsessed with killing Bella as revenge ever since."

"And you guys haven't killed her yet?" I exclaimed. 'Bella would've been a vampire by now, interesting.'

"Well, it's more difficult than that." Edward said.

"Hmm how so?" I quirked my eyebrow.

"Really, you vampires are too slow," Jacob chuckled. Edward just snarled at him.

"Edward! Enough." Bella sighed.

"She's evasive. I believe that's her special power. She's fast." Carlisle said.

"Interesting." I say.

"Well, you're the vampire hunter, why haven't you killed her?" snarled Edward.

I just looked at him as Jaspar snarled. "Well Edward, if she was ever by herself, I would've tried. Those two are my targets I've been sent here to kill." Everyone was silent. "But I know my limits and I know not to go in with more than a dozen vampires that could easily kill me. I wouldn't survive. Going in like that is just stupid, and I'm by far, not THAT stupid. It seems to me you are for asking that question in the first place. She's taking liberties to guard herself for a reason." I stared at him. He didn't look back at me. 'This vampire is over a hundred years old and still can't understand simple logistics?'

"December, you've actually seen them, do you know how many we're up against? Alice says maybe more than twenty." Emmett asked.

I closed my eyes and thought back to when I saw them, "maybe close to thirty or more. If she's started a year ago, she's going to have quite a few."

I looked at Jaspar and he had a look of concern. He looked beautiful when he was deep in thought.

"It's an army. We're severely outnumbered Carlisle." I heard Edward say. He wasn't wrong there.

"What does that mean?" Jacob asked.

"It means a battle, with lives lost…." Carlisle said sighing.

Jacob looked back at Quil and Embry, I've learned that those were their names and they both nodded to him. "We're in." he said.

"No, Jake, you don't know what you're doing." Bella said shaking her head.

"It's not up to you Bella. You should be happy we're working with your bloodsuckers."

I couldn't help but snicker at that.

"How do we do this?" Jacob said as he smirked in my direction.

"Jaspar has the knowledge on how to defeat the newborns. He can train us." Carlisle declared.

"Newborns?" I asked.

"We call them newborns sugar because they're new to this life. However, they're the most powerful because their human blood still lingers in the tissues." Jaspar replied.

"It lasts for the first year, then the power starts to wane." Carlisle finished.

"Vampire's a vampire, no matter how you spin it." I mumble.

"I'm with huntress here, as long as we get to kill some vampires, we're good." Jacob said.

"Speak for yourself wolfy. I bet I can kill more than you," I look at him.

"Oh yeah huntress, you're on!" Jacob said holding out his hand. I looked at him hard and shook it.

"Looks like the dog found a new friend," Rosalie sighed.

"Don't be jealous Rose. Your iciness is still dear to me," I say sarcastically. She harrumphed and walked away, but I saw the smirk on her face.

"This is not a good idea," Bella said as she looked around. "You all could get hurt or killed."

"This is what we do," I say gesturing between me and the dogs, "this is our job. This is MY job. These are my targets. Plus, it gets you out of trouble. Don't complain." I say looking at her.

"So, bloodsuckers, where and when?" asked Jacob.

Three days later saw us standing in a clearing in the forest. Currently we were waiting on the wolves. Even after graduation and the impending fight we're going to have with the vampires, I couldn't shake something was off. Something about this situation didn't feel right to me. Jaspar apparently felt my emotions and pulled me to the side. He nodded to me, and I put up my shield up so no one would hear us.

"What's got you feeling lost darlin'?"

"Not lost really, just not right. I don't know Jaspar; this whole situation just doesn't feel right. I can't shake that something bad is going to happen, and I don't know to who."

"We'll take care of it, with us, the wolves, and you, they won't stand a chance. I'll make sure of it."

I looked at him and saw the resolve in his eyes. My vampire instincts were disgusted, but I wasn't. I smiled.

"What caused that smile sugar?" he asked amused.

"Just me, always just me," I chuckled.

"It'll always be you, love." He kissed my head.

'Arghh, this whole hunter and vampire mate mess, is a mess!'

"Here they come," I heard Edward say.

I took off my shield as Jaspar and I made it back to the group. We stood staring into the trees. A few seconds later wolves of different sizes and colors came out.

"There's more of them now," Bella replied.

Edward looked like he was concentrating. "Sam said it's because there's more vampires in the area, that's why."

The wolves finished appearing and stood across from us.

"They came in their wolf forms; they don't trust us not to." Edward told Carlisle.

"That's ok, they came." Carlisle replied. "Edward, translate?" he said as he walked towards the wolves.

I just stood beside Jaspar and listened.

"Thank you for coming. We all know how dire this situation is. As much as I don't relish in killing, we can't let anything happen to the town, or Bella." Carlisle stated.

"He wants to know what makes these vampires different from us." Edward stated. Obviously reading Sam's thoughts. Sam must be the big black wolf in front. Interesting. I looked at the red one who was looking at Bella. Jacob. He seems a bit bigger though.

"They're newborns. New vampires who still have human blood in the tissue which makes them stronger than us, but only during their first year." Carlisle replied.

"How do we fight them then?" Edward asked.

"Jaspar," Carlisle indicated to Jaspar, "has the knowledge and skill to teach us how to fight and defend ourselves. The wolves looked at him, then at me.

"Carlisle, he's asking who December is." Edward said.

"She's a part of our family," he stated.

"Um, excuse me Carlisle, I'm not part of your family, I'm here for the vampires, and Jaspar, that's it." I spoke. I looked at the black wolf. "Ask Jacob, he knows who I am." I noticed Carlisle drop his shoulders slightly but unless you had really good vision, you would miss it.

Apparently, something went between Jacob and Sam, and he nodded in my direction. I took it as he now knows and nodded my head back to him.

"Carlisle is right," Jaspar started as he left my side to go towards the wolves, "that's why they're "created". Vampire armies don't' need as many bodies as a human army does. The first year is when we're at our strongest, especially if you have a gift and learn to use it early. In my past, I've dealt with a lot of newborns. Main thing to know is, never go for the obvious kill. They'll be expecting that, and you will lose. Now a demonstration, Emmett." He gestured towards Emmett who gladly took his spot opposite Jaspar.

Two hours later, we were done. Bella and I sat out the entire time. The others looked pretty beat up, but good. I know my skills, I watched them and picked up a few tricks Jaspar had. He was good. Also, I learned a bit about Bella. I liked the girl, I just didn't understand why she'd want to give up her young, human life, for a vampire. As appalled as I am to the idea, she could wait, until she was in her thirties maybe. Experience life a bit. She had a thing about getting older I found out.

Everyone was leaving. Edward just pulled Bella away from me without a word. He was so rude. I heard him and Bella arguing about me. Maybe Bella does have a backbone, she just needs it to come out more. She is her own person after all.

"A lot on your mind sugar?" I heard Jaspar say.

"Just a lot I don't understand," I say as I gather my things as I look to Bella and Edward as they left. I picked up my bag and looked around, we were the only ones there. I dropped my bag and sat down. I looked at Jaspar and he was confused. I patted the spot next to me and he chuckled and sat down.

"Tell me more about your past." I stated.

He just looked at me.

"I want to know more about you. You said you dealt a lot with newborns. I've heard stories. I want to know where you fit in with what I've heard." I smiled at him. He just chuckled.

"Well, darlin, it's grisly, it's not pretty. It's a past I'm not proud of." He looked at the ground.

I took his hand and he looked back up at me, "Jaspar, look at who I am, what I do. How long I've done it for. Nothing will surprise me, and I have a feeling here," I gestured to my heart, "that nothing will change with whatever you tell me." I smiled.

"Haha, well. Let me see. I was a major in the civil war. The youngest one. I didn't know it before, but I was in the middle of the Southern Vampire Wars."

"Southern Vampire Wars, I know about those!" I exclaimed excited. He just looked at me and smirked. "What was your role?"

And that's what preceded the entire conversation of his past. I was excited the whole time. He answered all my questions. It seemed he was happy to get everything off his chest. I was happy to hear these stories firsthand from a person who lived them.

"The God of War?" I couldn't believe my ears. "You're…. the God of War?"

"That's what they call me. Don't fit the profile?" he asked amused.

"I…. I…. I've always thought that if I'd meet him, I'd kill him for all the murders he did." I sighed.

He was silent and looked up at the sky. It looked like rain.

"Do you still feel that way?" he whispered.

I looked up at the sky as well and delved into my powers, my feelings. After all he's told me, I know what my answer was before he even asked.

"No." I replied.

I felt him relax.

"Jaspar, you're not the same vampire you were back then. You've suffered even during those times. You're suffering now. The major in you is a powerful ally if anything, he keeps you safe. Major Whitlock, you've got nothing to worry about from this hunter. And I'll make damn sure no one harms you." I continued to look up at the sky.

We both continued to look up. I felt him at ease. I took that time to think. I know it's against the rules. I was brought up to kill vampires, don't ask questions. But in that moment, I knew what I was going to do. I was always going to do my job. But my priority now, keep him safe. Protect him. Because I knew, I felt that if something happened to him, I wouldn't be the same.

Longer one for you lovelies. Until next time!