When Bella woke, she was entirely disoriented. She couldn't tell if it was late night or early morning. Panic filled her veins, alerting her to her surroundings that she momentarily didn't recognize. The sky outside was dark, the only faint light seeping in from the hallway.
When she got to her feet, she took a moment to steady herself. She was rested, but just a little woozy. After slipping on her shoes, she entered the hallway. Realizing that the light was coming from Jasper's library, she veered towards it. She had never seen the door left so glaringly open before.
Inside, she found Jasper sitting at his desk. Two books lay open in front of him along with a pile of papers.
His expression was pleasant when he greeted her with a simple, "Bella."
Once she stepped further into the room, he got up and appeared directly in front of her. Suddenly, Bella felt a hypnotic sense of stillness at the shade of red in his eyes that seemed so stark and lively. It was probably her blood that swirled in there, after all. She wasn't sure if she should feel disturbed or intrigued.
Jasper's face morphed into concentration as he looked down at her. "Tilt your head up more." And then, he put up a finger, moving it from one side to the other. "Follow."
She followed with her eyes, noting that she was being examined again. "Am I okay?"
He lifted his hands, palms up. "May I see?"
Bella pulled up her sleeves, revealing his wrap-job from the night before, and then rotated her arms to mimic him. She placed the backs of her hands in his palms as he gazed at the bandages.
There wasn't any visible blood that had soaked through the fabric.
"Does it hurt?" He questioned.
She touched her right bandage, and with a little pressure, she noticed the soreness. "A little."
"That's fine." He gestured at one of the armchairs by his desk. "Take a seat. Tell me your symptoms."
But when she went to sit down, Jasper was gone. He was back in the next few seconds, and he was handing her a glass of water.
"You need to remain hydrated."
Bella nodded, taking a sip. She pulled her legs up and got more comfortable in the armchair.
Jasper took the other one. "Symptoms. Blurry vision, nausea, headache?"
"Nothing, I feel fine." The stillness of the room was calming. The soft patter of rain consisted of the only sound beyond the drawn curtains. "What time is it?"
"Just after three in the morning."
Great. "You've single-handedly ruined my sleep schedule."
Jasper didn't smile. "I might have taken too much. You shouldn't have needed that much sleep."
"How do you know when to stop?"
"I don't. At least, not at first," he explained. "It varies from body to body. I would need more experience with yours to be able to gauge good timing and flow."
"So, the most ideal case would be to drink from the same body until you're accustomed to it?"
He disagreed. "The most ideal case, I wouldn't have to stop."
Bella disagreed with the term ideal. "And I would be dead."
"That is correct."
"But that's not an option."
"Not a consistent option."
Bella contemplated that. "So, when vampires hunt, what do they do? They can't kill all the time."
"There are options." He ran a hand on the arm of the chair. "You and I certainly aren't the only ones who have gotten into similar arrangements."
"But that would imply that the human knows of the vampire's existence."
He raised a hand toward her, acknowledging her point. "It's not a very common arrangement."
Bella shifted in her seat. "So, how have you been hunting?"
There was a certain wickedness in his eyes that he didn't hide. "I'm not so sure you'll like my answer."
She leaned forward with a smile. "Not much can throw me off at this point."
"I have a girl. In the city. About your age."
The smile fell off of her face. "The city? Seattle?"
"Yes."
"So, you're already in an arrangement like this?"
"No. She doesn't know I exist."
"What does that mean? Then, how—" She cut herself off, her eyebrows drawn in thought.
Jasper watched her closely before responding. "She wakes up occasionally with a small wound on her neck."
What he was implying settled into her brain. Bella crossed her arms, wincing slightly at the faint ache in her wrists. Her tone was accusatory. "She can't consent."
"Watch your tone. I'm not harming her."
"That doesn't make it okay."
"You asked, and you have an answer."
Bella stared down at the carpet, not quite a fan of his answer. "You said you had to plan a hunt if our contract didn't work out. So, that wasn't true?"
"It was true. Planning a hunt is different from hunting prey. I need to take the same precautions—if not more—as I've had to take with you. It takes strategy, effort, and time."
She stared down at her wrists, covered by her sleeves. "You bite her neck."
"Is that a question?"
Her eyes lifted, and she tried again, feeling heat splash against her cheeks. "It wasn't. I was just stating the obvious. Are you in an intimate relationship with her?"
"No."
Bella felt weirdly that she had to explain herself. "I just asked because, well—you said necks were intimate."
"Necks are preferred. They're more discrete, and the angle makes it harder for the human to notice. In our arrangement, I don't have to hide the bite from you."
Unconsciously, her hand lifted her to her own neck, feeling the side. Her pulse thrummed gently beneath her fingers. "Does it hurt more or less?"
"She doesn't feel a thing, Bella. She's asleep." He shook his head, more to himself. "You care so much about a human you know nothing about."
"It's just a vulnerable position to be in. I suppose you wouldn't understand."
"Do you have any more questions, or are you going to sit there and feel sorry for her?"
That spiked a jolt of anger in her. "You can be nicer. This is all new to me."
Jasper simply looked away, his eyes darting to the long curtains.
"Human drinkers have a designated target? How do you pick?"
"Younger bodies have the most to give with minimal risks."
"How young?"
"Preference."
"Does gender matter?"
He still wasn't looking at her. "Preference."
"What do you prefer?"
He took a moment to regard her fully. "You fit the criteria."
"So, females in their twenties?"
"Thirties are fine. Forties, the bite takes too long to heal, and their health is less reliable."
"But you choose females, regardless?"
"Preference," he repeated.
An image of Jasper drinking from a beautiful, unconscious girl flashed in her brain. She asked, her voice small, "Do you know her name? The girl in Seattle?"
Jasper angled himself more toward her. "Yes, though your jealousy doesn't make sense to me."
"Jealousy? Maybe you're confusing it with concern."
"Don't tell me how my gift works, Bella."
She crossed her arms. She wasn't jealous—not even remotely. But asking more about the girl was just going to hammer in his point, so she was ready to drop it.
But Jasper seemed to enjoy her discomfort. "Ask, Bella. Your feelings on the matter shouldn't prevent you from learning."
She huffed. "What is her name?"
"Christine."
"Do you know her last name?"
"Yes."
The silence that followed only irritated her, but her last name didn't quite matter. Just the fact that Jasper knew it was interesting enough. "How old is she?"
"Twenty-one."
"And she doesn't notice weird bites on her skin?"
Jasper flashed his teeth in a smile. "No. She heals quickly."
Bella wanted to check for marks all over her body. "This feels wrong. Have vampires been drinking from me while I'm asleep?"
"Most likely not. The bite would wake the human unless they were induced."
Bella didn't understand. "Induced? Drugged? You drug them?"
He brought a finger up to his temple. "Empath."
She gave him a flat look. "So, you do drug them. With vampire magic."
"Are you asking, or judging?"
The glare she shot towards him only seemed to amuse him even more.
"Harsh," he murmured. "Good thing you're saving poor Christine from her dire fate with your own blood."
Bella felt her skin crawl with unease. Her silence brought forth Jasper's mocking question, "Are my answers not to your satisfaction?"
She glanced at him. The candlelight softened the look of his skin—a certain warmth to the pale. The more she watched her own blood stare back at her within his eyes, her prey instincts came out to play—along with a terrible realization. "I'm a blood bag."
"Ah, but not against your will."
"Right," she muttered. "At least I have a choice."
"You've signed your consent. You're a willing participant."
"Does this mean you're done with her?"
"As long as that contract stays in my desk, unharmed, I have no use for Christine." He then appeared by his large bookshelves, his attention on the spines of the books. "And I surely hope you have more interesting questions than these."
"I'm an easy snack for you. Did I get that right?"
His hand came up to pull out a book from the shelf. Then, he slid it back in. "What else would you be?"
She feigned offense, placing a hand to her chest. "You at least should have the decency to acknowledge that I'm a sentient being with feelings and a brain."
"Well, you certainly have feelings."
Now she was offended. "I can't tell if you even remotely like me, Jasper."
He turned to her with a challenging smile. "I don't understand the hostility."
"You're an empath. Figure it out."
He turned back around to the bookshelf and began flipping through a book. "You aren't brainless, though your choices in company are questionable."
"Edward?"
"Vampires."
"Right. You think I'm an idiot for hanging out with vampires," she stated flatly.
He shrugged, his back still to her. "Most days, I think you're just oblivious."
She dropped her head on her hand and stared at the back of his head. "Enlighten me, then. I've already paid my dues in blood."
In a flash, he was by his desk, and he dropped a large, black book on it with a loud thud. He glanced at her. "What exactly is your question?"
"Why does Jasper Whitlock find Bella Swan oblivious?"
He flipped open the book, his eyes roaming the pages. Eventually, he said, "You don't give me the impression that you want to die. I don't understand what exactly you seek from your relationship with the Cullens."
"I don't seek anything, and I never said I wanted to die."
He flipped another page, partially disinterested. "If you didn't want something out of this, you wouldn't let the Cullens play human with you."
Isn't there a transactional aspect in every relationship, Bella?
"You're right." She straightened herself. "No matter how unsettling vampires are, there's a part of me that's captivated by them." Before he could interject, Bella added, "And that could be because of your inherent nature to draw humans in. Or maybe I'm just entirely suicidal."
"Suicidal?"
"I'm not blind to Edward's issues with control. I take a risk each time I choose to spend time with him."
"Do you choose, or does he choose for you?"
Bella watched him, fully anticipating his next words "You're going to tell me I'm powerless. Yet again."
"Just a reminder."
Bella rubbed at her face, squeezing her eyes shut momentarily and suppressing a yawn. "Well, by your argument, the only way I'd have any upper hand would be if I were a vampire."
"Yes," he murmured, shutting the book. "For your sake, I hope you work to balance the power dynamic at that point."
"If we even get to that point," she murmured.
His head turned up to look at her. "What future do you anticipate with the boy, Bella?"
She didn't love the man, so the answer should be simple. But it didn't feel like it was. There was a foreboding feeling that nestled itself tightly in her chest.
She rubbed at her eyes again, the sleepiness creeping back into her. When she opened them, Jasper was standing directly in front of her. "Your answer speaks volumes."
"I didn't answer."
"You certainly did." He held out his hand. "Kitchen. You should eat something."
She stared at his palm. "I don't understand."
"Food, Bella."
"No, I don't understand what you mean."
He motioned with his fingers for her to move. She eventually accepted his hand and hoisted herself up. The room spun for the slightest of seconds before she headed towards the door. Jasper appeared a few paces in front of her, leading her down the hall, and onto the staircase.
As they descended, Bella said, "My future with Edward is clear. I'm hopefully going to be heading to Seattle next year, and that'll probably be our ultimate demise. He said he would move with me, but I wouldn't make him do that."
He tilted his head back to her, his eyes curiously examining her.
Bella continued, "It's not the greatest revelation in the world that we're not exactly right for one another. Maybe you agree."
Jasper didn't say anything as Bella's gaze fell on his back. She questioned, "What do you anticipate my future will look like?"
He stopped in front of her and Bella almost crashed into him. She vaguely thought about just how much that would have hurt. Catching herself on the railing, she prevented herself from toppling over entirely.
He was just a few steps below her, yet still seemed to possess a commanding height.
"Your future with Edward is immensely clear," he began, his tone pragmatic. "You'll change for him. You'll become his mate. And then, you will both gladly live out this Cullen nightmare for the rest of your miserable lives."
Stunned, all Bella could do was stare. Her brain took in his input and attempted to process it, and there was no coherent output.
"My answers don't seem to satisfy you. You can't tell me that I've caught you off guard."
He had. He was saying things that were absolutely— "Crazy. You're joking."
"Jokes? I don't think I'm very good at those."
He made it down the rest of the way, leaving Bella on the stairs. Her eyes traced him in disbelief until he disappeared.
"Come in here and eat," she heard him call from the kitchen area. "You're expending too much energy feeling unnecessary things."
Unnecessary things? Bella carefully made her way over to the kitchen. A glass of water entered her line of sight and she took it with a slightly trembling hand. The glass was cool against her lips as she took a sip, but it went down the wrong pipe. Soon, she was choking.
Bracing a hand on the kitchen counter, she coughed powerfully into her elbow to clear out her windpipe. With tears in her eyes, she finally looked at Jasper, who was rummaging through the pantry.
"Jasper—"
"There is bread. What jam do you prefer?"
She coughed once more, wrapping a hand around her throat. "You need to explain everything that you just said."
"Strawberry, blackberry." His hand swiped through a few items. "Apricot."
She made her way over to him and took his hands off of the shelf. Jasper himself seemed stunned at her audacity. He faced her, the feel of his fingers cool in her grip.
"Explain," she commanded.
Jasper lowered her hands down to her side, and then side-stepped around her. He pulled down a plate from a top cabinet, and then arranged slices of bread and dollops of jam. "Eat."
The tension in her tone wasn't something she had heard often. "You first."
His head tilted slowly. "Eat? I already have."
She shook her head once. "No. Speak."
"That's not a question, Bella."
"Why do you think I will turn?"
Jasper stuck the plate in her hands. "Edward is your future. Wasn't I clear?"
"Edward is nothing. I decide my future."
"No. I believe that is Alice's job."
Bella set the plate down on the counter next to her, miraculously not smashing it into pieces. It clattered relentlessly before settling down. A few pieces of bread flew out onto the granite surface. "I never said I would turn." When he was quiet, she pressed, "What makes you think that I would?"
"You're in a relationship with a vampire. We're frozen in time, and you age every second. It would never work otherwise."
Forcefully, she shook her head. "And the mating thing? What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
Jasper carefully picked up the stray pieces of bread and put them back on the plate, brushing off the crumbs on the counter. "I did anticipate that we would need a mating lesson."
Edward had mentioned mates—specifically in the context of James and Victoria; the two vampires who had both sought to end her life. "I'm Edward's mate?"
"It doesn't work that way. Soulmates are a human construct." He nudged the plate closer. "We make our own destiny."
Bella placed her fingers onto her forehead, massaging gently. Her feet began to pace, her mind racing with clashing thoughts, ideas, and questions.
And then, in the next second, she collided with Jasper—and yes, it did hurt. His expression was plain, and stolid as his hands curled around her upper arms, steadying her.
"Finish this plate," he told her, pointing sternly at the arrangement he so carefully laid out for her. "And then ask me about our ritualistic, irrevocable concept of mating."
A/N: This chapter: Dining in Seattle, a question-answer game, and Jasper's direct insight into Bella's fate.
A little taste for what's coming up:
"Will you take me home?" Bella asked.
But Jasper didn't respond, and after about a minute of driving, Bella finally paid attention to her surroundings. They had just made the turn down her street.
Jasper stopped the car in front of her house. "Get inside and calm down."
"Calm down?" She hadn't intended for it come out so forcefully, but her nerves were absolutely fried. "My boyfriend kills his girlfriends."
"You exchange your blood for the information he doesn't give you." He stared at her unemotionally. "There are more problems here than you realize."
See you next week.
