Chapter Three
It only took minutes for Alice to reach the hunting grounds. There was no sign that anyone had been there since the last hunt, but she would have to keep searching. "Jasper, are you here!" she shouted. But there was no answer, just the still wind slightly blowing through the air. And that's when she picked up the sent. It wasn't Jasper, but it was someone. Defiantly another vampire.
As shekept her search going through the woods, the sent kept getting stronger. That's when she saw her. A women standing by the bear cave drinking the blood of one of the baby cubs. Then she recognized her, "Maria".
Maria raised her head slightly. Then she turned and looked straight at Alice. Her eyes were dark and full of rage. She couldn't move, couldn't run, Maria had somehow frozen her body in place. Then she looked down back at the cub and began drinking again. With that Alice felt her body unfreeze and she turned and went looking the other way for Jasper. If Maria was already here than she didn't have much time to find him. "Jasper where are you?" she said under her breath.
As she continued her search in the woods she realized he hadn't been here. She ran back to the road so she could get signal on her phone and called Edward and Bella. Bella answered "Alice, did you find him?". That was the sign that they hadn't found him either.
"No Bella, I didn't. Look I really need to talk to Edward, please." Bella handed him the phone "she wants to talk to you" she heard her say.
"Yeah Alice, What is it?" he said. But before she could say anything she picked up on another sent. Can it be! Jasper! She looked around to see if it was, but there was no sign of him anywhere. "Hello, Alice!" she heard Edward say again over the phone.
"Sorry, I thought I…." she paused. There it was again, but where was he. "Edward, I didn't pick up on Jasper's sent in the woods. But…while I was searching I picked up on one. It was Maria, she was at the bear cave. She was drinking from one of the cubs." as she said that she heard something move behind the trees on the other side of the road. "Look" she said "I need you take Bella home and get out here now. Please Edward, I really need your help." Thenshe heard it again. "Edward I gotta go. I think I sense Jasper. Hurry!" with that she hung up.
"Jasper, is that you." walking toward the tree were she heard the noise. But as she reached it, there was no one there. "Jasper please. I know you're here, I sense you. Please you have to come home."
"Crack, Crack!" she heard the branches break from behind her. The hands grabbed her shoulders pulling her behind a bunch of bushes. "Shhhh!" she looked up at the person. "Jasper" she said quietly. But he just looked at her and put his finger to her lips. "shhh!" Then his attention went back to the road. She looked in the direction he was and saw Maria. She was standing right in the same spot that she was only seconds ago.
She stood there for what seemed like forever, until she heard a car coming. Then she ran back in the direction of the cave. Thats whenthe car pulled up! A silver Volvo. Edward, he was here. He slammed on his breaks so fast that smoke was coming from the back of the car. He opened his door and looked in the direction of the bush. "Alice!"
The both of them walked up to Edward. Alice hugged him when Jasper asked "what are you doing here?" she looked back at him with pain in her eyes. How could he say that? But before she could answer he spoke again "Edward, get her out of here now".
"No!" she shouted. He looked at her stunned. He grabbed her arm and tried to push her in the car. "Alice, please. Go home with Edward." but she just shock her head and said again "No!". She turned and looked at him "The only way I'm going home is if you come with me".
"I can't" he said. Then Edward jumped in "Jasper, we can help you. Please! Don't block us all out. You need us and Alice needs you." with that said he looked back at the love of his life. Edward was right. She did need him more now than ever. Maria had done picked up on their sent, if he wasn't there than she could do anything to Alice. And what about the rest of the family. They had been good to both of them, he couldn't just let his past destroy what lives they had worked so hard to make.
"You're right!" he said "lets go home". He held the door open for Alice and than got in behind her. They were on their way home now. Alice and Jasper rode in the back cuddled up while Edward drove back to the house. "I'm sorry, I was only trying to protect you" he reached down and touched her face where tears were flowing down her cheek.
She raised and gently kissed his lips and whispered "I know! Just promise me you're not gonna leave me again." He pulled her back in for another kiss and said "Never". They stayed like that the whole ride home, in each other arms.