Jasper
I went to the spot the Cullens always used to meet the pack and sat down. These children couldn't hurt me and it might make them less eager to attack. You never knew who would be the first to answer the call. I wasn't even sure how many were in the pack these days. Perhaps I should have asked Bella before I came. She might not even know. I'd work with the knowledge that I had.
A large pitch-black wolf was the one to greet me.
"I'm afraid that I don't have Edward to translate your thoughts for me. I need to inform you of some changes in Forks and negotiate a treaty. Are you Sam?"
The wolf nodded.
"Would you mind calling a few of your brothers here so you'll feel comfortable talking to me in human form?"
The wolf howled.
"Thank you."
The wolf nodded again and sat.
"I would prefer to begin the story when you're able to take human form. I have all night and I will sit right here until you are able to speak with me."
The wolf nodded again and a red wolf came out of the trees followed by a dark brown wolf. Other wolves could be heard in the trees, Jasper counted three more. That was fine.
The black wolf, Sam, transformed and pulled some shorts off of his ankle and put them on.
"I am Sam Uley, alpha of the pack. What has happened now?"
"First I must inform you that the Cullens have left the area or are in the process of leaving," I informed him.
"So did your brother abandon Bella again? Do we need to search for her?" Sam asked tiredly.
"No, she broke up with him. It is complicated, but we discovered that Edward was never Bella's mate. I am." I said. "We do not know, nor are we going to try to find out whether this was known by the rest of the family before today but I have only learned this information today."
The red wolf growled. This must be Jacob Black.
"Emmett and Rose might be back sometime in your lifetime, but I don't expect the others to come back. You never know. It could happen but I doubt it. I have separated from the Cullen coven."
"So you are a nomad now?" Sam asked curiously.
"I am a Whitlock. I was with the Cullen coven for my ex-wife Alice. They taught me to hunt animals. I owe them much. My coven numbers three. I am here to make a treaty with you for my coven. We will be here until Bella goes away to college, so only a matter of months. I promise to you that my coven will not hunt any closer than Seattle. We will protect Bella Swan. We will also train you to be able to handle a combat-hardened vampire so that you and your pack are the best warriors you can be."
The wolves growled but Sam held up his hand. They quieted, all but Jacob Black.
"Why are you different than the other vampire we took out, Laurent was his name I believe."
"Laurent was no warrior. He was not a fighter. I am. So are my coven mates. I won't leave Bella unprotected to let you meet them tonight, but if a few of you want to meet here while Bella is awake tomorrow I will bring them to meet you and show you with non-lethal force what a battle-hardened warrior can do and why you will benefit from this treaty."
Sam sat down. "So," he said, "You train us, if you can prove we need it, you protect Bella, and you leave when she goes away to college. Permanently?"
"We will be with Bella whenever she is in town. I heard of your imprinting from Bella a long time ago. Mating is something like that. Mates can never truly be apart once they acknowledge each other. I was able to leave her when Edward abandoned her and not go insane, only because I didn't know. Now there is a pulling feeling in my chest that is directing me back to her. It hurts. I would be with her as a friend if that were all she would allow. I would be whatever she needed me to be. For now, she needs a guard. She needs you, her friends, so I will make sure that she has what she needs."
"So she just went from Edward to you when she recognized you as her mate?"
"She is not with me yet. She doesn't need a lover right now. She needs my physical skills, she needs a guard, she needs a friend. I will give her all three of those things. Hopefully, you will continue to give her your friendship as well. I think she misses you. She was always trying to sneak away from Edward to get to young Jacob's house. It got to the point he took a piece out of her engine one night. Running away will no longer be necessary to see her friends."
"So how did you get to be such a good fighter?" Sam asked.
"I never tell this story and this will be the second time tonight," I laughed and told the tale again.
"Would you be willing to add you and your stories to our histories? We have a written history and an oral tradition."
"Sure, I don't see a problem with it. Pete and Char probably won't mind talking with you either. Please keep in mind Peter likes to tease, he doesn't mean it personally. I'll have his mate keep him in line as much as she can." Jasper said. "There is only one part of the treaty that you need to be aware of that you may not like. I intend to change Bella at some point in the future."
Jacob growled, and so did the brown wolf, but Sam was calm. "Ah, I knew that was coming. I have to say I respect you for informing us so plainly."
"She's already asked but I want her to be secure with me, Peter and Char first. I want her to have as good a newborn year as possible, but if she is injured beyond what she can recover from I will change her immediately."
"No one else," Sam said plainly.
"I will not promise you never to change anyone else in my lifetime. I don't anticipate a need or desire to change anyone else. All of my other 'children' have been killed besides Peter and Char but I won't promise something I don't know if I can keep. We have no intention of changing anyone other than Bella. She knows she has to leave her family behind. That is a given, but someday I may sire another vampire, who knows."
"Your coven also does not intend to change anyone?" Sam asked.
"No, we have no intention. You must understand, the Cullens are strange in more ways than you know. Normal covens are two, three, or four people big. Covens don't tend to get as large as Carlisle's. With only one exception."
"An exception?"
"Yes, the Volturi are our ruling coven. The three kings make and judge the laws. The coven upholds them. They are probably thirty or forty large and they are made up of the most gifted, dangerous vampires out there. Their tracker, for instance, if he meets you once can find you anywhere in the world at any time. They have a girl who can cause pain with a look, a boy who can take away all your senses, and a girl who can divert attacks simply by concentrating. That is just a few of their talents. Pray that you avoid their notice."
"Do you have a gift?" Sam asked.
"Yes, I'm surprised Bella hasn't given you the rundown on the makeup of the old Cullen Coven but I'm an empath. I can influence and read emotions. For instance, at this moment Jacob feels a grudging respect for me. I can use it in battle, to terrify my enemies, or to help Bella have a good night's sleep. Speaking of, I should be going soon."
"Before you go can you give us an example of you manipulating emotions?" Sam asked.
"Very well, who do you want to feel it?" I asked.
"Just the three of us please."
"I can make you very sleepy or just happy, which would you prefer?"
"Happy, and just for a moment please, we still have duties to attend to tonight." Sam clarified.
Jasper recalled the memory, pushed out the emotion, and held it. Sam was laughing, Jacob and the Brown wolf were barking out their mirth. Jasper pulled the emotion back in and they settled.
"That was our humor at Emmett wearing a tutu and dancing around the house one Halloween. I can imitate any emotion I've ever felt and I feel everyone's emotions that are around me."
Jacob took two steps forward and sat. Sam looked back at him. Jacob barked. Sam sighed. "Would you mind speaking to Jacob briefly before you go?"
"Sure, no problem," Jasper agreed easily.
Jacob changed into a man with no more waiting and pulled on his shorts. "I know you were the one that tried to attack Bella on her birthday. How are you safe for us to be around her now?"
"That's a fair question. When you eat only animal blood, as a vampire the thirst is never completely gone. Imagine you are very hungry. That is the feel of the burn in our throats on animal blood. Now imagine feeling that hunger for all your pack brothers at the same time. That is the feel of the burn around a coven of animal drinkers. When Bella first pricked her finger I held my breath. I was initially moving towards Edward cause I could feel him starting to lose it. When I gasped I felt my own blood lust, plus the blood lust of all the others, and you've got to remember she was Edward's singer. If you like I can give you an example."
"Please," Jacob said.
"This is me around Bella's blood." Jasper hit Jacob with the memory of him at Bella's the other night when he first realized she had a cut. "This is the blood lust of the entire coven together." I hit Jacob with what I felt that night. I turned it off after two seconds. "Do you see how different it is to control?"
Jacob only nodded and swallowed.
Jasper continued, "Now Char and Peter feed off of pedophiles, murderers, rapists, that sort of thing. The blood lust goes away for them for days or even weeks at a time. I don't have to feel their need on top of my own."
"Why animals then?" Jacob asked. "Why put yourself through that?"
"Because of my gift. I feel everything the person I'm killing feels, no matter how much they don't deserve to live I can't stand feeling their death."
Jacob only nodded. "No wonder so few do it."
"It is a challenge, but it is the way Bella has chosen to live too so I'll be leading a coven of two human drinkers and Bella and me Eventually."
"It's her choice right?" Jacob said.
"You have my word. The exact day and time of her change will be her choice once I think she's really ready for it. Unless she receives a life-threatening wound. But she's already given permission for that too."
Jacob extended his hand. I shook it. Then surprising me, Sam did the same. "You have your treaty," he said.
"Thank you. We can draw it up and debate some other night. What time should I be here tomorrow with Char, Peter, and Bella?"
"Let's say meet here at three tomorrow." Sam took a watch out of his shorts pocket, "I mean today,"
"Very well, three pm, here. Goodnight," I said and turned to walk into the trees.