Fates pov
The next morning I rose it's now the day before it all falls in place. The last pieces of my puzzle moved into their respective places. The letter Jasper wrote has played on repeat in my mind. The words tumbling around in a mocking manner.
Tonight we would be preparing. I would be meeting the shifters for the first time. I had read up on the history of the tribe. They had close contact with Vampires for quite some time and still upheld a treaty with the Cullens.
The treaty has been suspended for them to fight alongside each other. Jacob Black, the would-be pack leader stood down in favor of allowing another to take his place.
He had been fighting for the heart of Isabella Swan. The human girl sure knew how to pick them. She had built a relationship with him in the absence of the Cullens. They had to leave because of some altercation sprung between her and Jasper.
This put the wheels in motion. Isabella exposed herself to Aro. He still head hunts for the best to fill his ranks. Not even Jane had been able to penetrate the walls of her mind.
Just as I had a target on my forehead, so does she. Now she has no choice but to accept the kiss of death to appease them.
After showering and changing my clothes I took the descent. I dared anyone to speak on my display of emotion last night. Bags were being loaded into cars. We would spend the night on the battlefield.
"Good morning." I was greeted by Esme. A small smile plastered on her face. I helped her pack the last few bags.
They were for Bella and me. They were full of essential items for our 'camping trip.'
That was the lie Bella told her father. She and Edward would be staying out of the battle. I disagreed with that idea, he was one of the best fighters they had. He refused to allow her to be alone with me.
"How are you feeling?"
"I'd rather not. Let's just pack these up and get this over with. "
I could feel their eyes on me. It would not bode well if I overreacted. I took a breath and forced my nerves to die down. I waited in the car for them to be ready to leave.
Once everything had been packed Carlisle opened the driver's side door and climbed in. No one else had gotten in, we pulled off and drove away from the rest of the Coven. We were going in the opposite direction of the woods. His eyes caught mine in the rearview mirror.
"Members of my family are contemplating leaving. Your presence has presented an obstacle to our way of life. I'd like to ensure that you will keep your promise."
"Tell Mary to untwist her panties. Jasper is hers, we no longer have anything between us. My outburst was due to him admitting his wrongs and apologizing to me. "
"Last night Jasper confided in Alice that he still had feelings towards you. That you still had a claim to his heart. That you are his mate."
"She didn't know that already? Jasper and I have been mated for centuries, it was I that wanted nothing to do with him. Why am I in this car and not him?"
"I'm trying to fix what I've done."
I felt the laugh bubble in my chest before it burst out.
"Do you ever think you had a choice? My entire agenda was to get all of you to back me against my endeavors. To distract the rest while I end Victoria. Believe me, she won't leave him."
"I know, he's leaving her."
"I'll talk to him."
Carlisle drove around until we made it back on the right track. Once we arrived everyone had already been there. We were in the same place I exposed my existence to him. The shifters were here too, this time in human form. The pack stiffened as they caught sight of me.
"Everyone, this is Fate. She will be assisting. She is under our protection until otherwise notified." The one I presumed was the head of the pack greeted me. I could tell he was trying to get a read on what I was.
"I'm Sam."
"Fate. I've seen you all in your forms. Quite the sight to see, it will catch the newborns off guard."
"That's the goal. What will you be doing?"
"Whatever is needed to ensure Bella is safe and that I am the one to break that pretty smile off Victoria's face."
I pushed past him rather than awaiting a response. My eyes laid upon him. Jasper refused to meet my gaze. The Cullens and the wolves would train one last time. I decided instead of participating I'd take a seat over by Bella. She was standing near a reddish wolf that I could only assume to be Jacob.
"Good morning Bella. Where you alright last night?"
"Yes. Jasper and then later Edward watched over my house in case any other vampires came by. "
"I apologize for my slack. Unforeseen circumstances took my attention away from my job." The wolf perked up his ears.
"It's ok, nothing happened. Well, I did talk to Jasper last night."
"I see he's been talking to a lot of people. Don't worry about it, neither one of them is leaving."
"Leaving? What are you talking about?"
I let something slip that she hadn't known. I calmly closed my mouth and ran around the area of the forest. I scouted the best spot for Bella and Edward to remain. Up a mountain, this would be the best visual advantage. I was later found by Edward himself. He followed my scent until he cornered me up there.
"I've been looking for you. "
"What for, to question and threaten me too? Your sire has already made it abundantly clear as to what's expected. I will gratefully leave after tomorrow. "
"My sister is being quite overdramatic. I've been inside Jaspers mind. He feels guilty and incredibly angry towards you, the love he felt he could have had is killing him. He is madly in love with Alice and wants no harm to come to her."
"If this is true then why is everyone making a big deal? I have nothing to do with his guilt. "
"You represent a threat that's why. You are an entirely different species than us. Jasper believes we have all fallen prey to you. To our curiosity, as to what you could be. You are all but mortal, you don't even have to kill."
"Oh, I see. You're envious of me."
"It's incredibly maddening trying to put the pieces together. I'll be grateful once you're gone from my family. Away from her."
"I'm confused? All I've done is be nice to Bella and make sure she has the best chance of survival. Even though she will just submit to your bite anyway."
"No. You have enticed her. Captivated her gaze. She's completely enamored with you."
"Oh poor Eddie, can't keep his woman's eyes from wandering. Look I'm not the wolf. I have no interest in your girlfriend. Now with you here, what do you think of this place as your hideout? It's got a wonderful view of the battlefield."
He watched me warily before checking out the area for himself. Even he agreed that the vantage point had been exceptional.
As the sun began to set the last preparations had been put into place. Bella had been carried up the mountainside by Jacob. His scent would mask Edward and Bella from newborns. Her blood was plastered all across the forest, this was meant to lead them to the center of the battlefield. This is where the rest of the Olympic coven and the shifters would lie in wait for them. While I would seek her out and take care of business.
Now the tents were all up as we awaited morning. Jasper was still avoiding me. Anytime I attempted to reach out to him he would find a way to escape. I stood at the edge of the mountain watching down below. I had been distracted enough for her to sneak up on me.
"I've been trying to figure out how to approach you. I've wanted to speak to you since your arrival here. Ask you questions about him. Why I never knew you existed. The longer I waited the worse it got."
"Hello, Mary."
"It's Alice, I haven't gone by that name since my change. How much do you know about me?"
"Enough."
"How is it fair you know my history and yet I don't know yours."
"You don't want to know those things, Alice."
"Don't presume to know what I want or need. He's still in love with you."
"Jasper is in love with an idea of what could have been. He's not in love with me and never has been."
"I've seen it. I've seen you together. I didn't realize it was you until you showed up in that forest.
So many years ago, I had a vision of my love. Of our life with Carlisle and our family. But that wasn't the only one.
There was always this one pervasive vision that no matter what I did… just wouldn't change. A woman dancing under a full moon with my Jasper. His arms wrapped around her tightly, blood dripping from his lips. His… his crimson eyes gazed down upon a fuzzy face. I couldn't see you before, but now, I know the woman is you.
You have always been here. Always haunting my marriage and now I know why. You're his mate. You always have been. Fate... the irony of that name. Fate has really done a number on me.
I fell in love with the mate of another. Yet, you don't even want him. You threw away a man that as he put it 'worshiped' you. For what? For blood? For money?"
"Is that what he calls it? Worship? More like possession. What are you trying to achieve by this conversation?"
"I don't know. I'm just speaking my mind."
"He wants to leave. Are you planning on fighting for your marriage?"
"I don't know. Is it even worth it? Fighting for a position that's already been filled. He hasn't even spoken to me. "
"He does that. Despite being an empath, he has always had the emotional intelligence of a child. He's petulant and likes to avoid conflict. "
"Do you love him?"
"Of course I do. I've always loved him. But I love myself more. I'll never allow anyone to think for one second that I won't end them to achieve my ends. Jasper was an obstacle, so, I removed him from my life."
"I can't imagine how he could have fallen in love with someone like you." She turned her nose up at me.
"Look in the mirror sweetheart. You think you are so different? Alice wake up darling. You were placed in a mental hospital for killing your family. When the real story is so much more tragic.
James, the famed trapper, caught sight of the pretty young psychic and decided he wanted her. So he hunted her down and when she was removed from his grasp he retaliated by feasting upon them.
You didn't see him coming Mary? You didn't see James decide to stay in Forks Washington?
The very man that ripped into your unborn baby sister's tiny aorta. Draining her despite her size not being a suitable meal! Letting your mother bleed out, wasting her? Or what abut your fathers organs left to rot on the lawn?
If that had been me I know I'd have planned his death right until the last moment. How did it feel? How did it feel to finally taste your revenge?"
She lunged for me, we tumbled to the ground. Despite her size, she held quite a bit of strength. She held my throat in her hands and squeezed.
The darkness had begun to take hold before she was drug off me. I spit blood out before laughing at the deranged scene before me. Jasper held her at bay. She fought and clawed her way towards me.
"Just like me, baby. " I croaked out as I spit more blood out of my mouth.
Edward escorted her through the forest leaving him and me alone. His hand held out for me to take. I rejected his help in favor of continuing to sit on the fresh snowy ground. My blood started to sink into the virgin white blanket.
"Stop antagonizing her."
"She started it. Is it my fault I'm better at mind games than she is?"
"Yes. Leave Alice alone."
"Fine. But my price is a conversation."
"I'm still leaving. "
"Jasper, you do what you like but not at my expense. If you truly desire to leave fine. However, I won't let you throw away your marriage for a fantasy."
"Is it still considered fantasy when it's rooted in reality?"
"Ok look, I'm sorry. I played a large hand in how things ended. I lied to you, a lot and now that you know you're crying over spilled milk. I may not like who you've chosen as a partner but you're happy."
"Am I? Have I ever really been happy without you?" I got up from the ground and brushed the snow off my ass. Before I looked him in his eyes.
"I can take it away. I can erase all memory of you finding out the truth. You won't remember reading a thing, you go on living your life as the devoted husband to Mary Alice Brandon and I do what it is I want."
"You would still rather leave than love me. That's why I'm leaving Destina because I will inevitably corrupt Alice just as I did you."
"Why do you want me in the first place? What about me has ever screamed marriage and kids? Jasper talk to her, okay? That's all I ask. Just talk to the girl. "
"Are you ok? She got you pretty good."
"Yeah, I didn't anticipate her being that damn strong. She got my nose on the way down. I'll be fine."
"I'll talk to her if you apologize."
"I didn't realize this was a bargain."
"It's not, it's a business deal."
"Fine."
Everyone laid down for the night. Well, at least the ones that could sleep. I stayed up watching the full moon hang in the sky. I could never sleep before a battle. Jacob, Edward, and Bella were sharing a tent nearby. Rustling startled me out of my stupor.
"Whose there?"
"You're the witch right?"
"I've been known by that moniker. What do you want." It was Jacob. He came to rest next to me.
"You're not cold?"
"I haven't felt the cold in decades. Well, I feel it, it just doesn't hurt."
"Bella's told me all about you. About what you've come to do. Thank you."
"That's different. The welcoming party has been underwhelming."
"Cold ones will do that. I've come to understand they are less than welcoming to others not like them."
"Comes with the territory. Everything on this planet has a fear of the unknown. The unfamiliar. What brings you out here."
"A spell."
"A love spell? Those are trickery, stealing control of one's heart. I could make her fall madly in love with you but at the expense of everything she is. She would be consumed with desire all traces of herself would disappear. They all always end in tragedy."
"Not a love spell. One that will make her forget about us. All of us. Edward included. She wants to be one of them. "
"Ah, you heard my conversation with Jasper. Yes, I could do that. But I won't. Not against her will."
"I figured I'd at least ask. I expected the answer to be no. She thinks the world of you."
"She doesn't even know me."
"She read some notebooks I think. Wouldn't stop talking about you the entire way up here. She believes that you are the key to ensuring the Volturi never harms her."
"I see, that's why he's been losing his mind. I hadn't realized she had plans of her own. I have sincerely misplaced judgment on many of these people."
"Edward?"
"He's banned her from being around me alone. It didn't go so well. She's been pissed at him since. How controlling is he towards her?"
"Incredibly."
"Yeah, I'm familiar with the relationship dynamic vampires have. Codependent. I'll tell you what, I'll see what I can do. No promises. " Jacob got up from my side and left down the mountain. The sun had begun to rise. The game begins, in just a few hours I'd have my teeth full of her meat!