"And so that was that my snivelling little puppy. The vampires had finally found a way to keep their commander's Beast at bay. Finally disposing of the last connection to their old mistress and consolidating their power in this realm. And Alice had a nice little dolly to dress up and drag around on designer leash."

The prisoner moaned, fresh blood welled from the newly exposed flesh on his back and his body tensed in response to her cool tongue gliding along the ravaged muscles. She slowed at the top of his spine. So close that each needless, chill breath summoned gooseflesh in its wake. Her white teeth were wet with his blood and sweat.

Almost, almost! Just a little further that way.

And then she stopped. As though daring him. Her plump, bloodless lips inches from his ear.

"And it would have stayed that way forever. But then, some clumsy little bitch just had to go and get a paper cut."

"Mate."

It was faint but it was there. His mate's scent was on this human woman's soul. And as the blood trickled from the tiny cut on her finger Jasper became even more certain. It's sweet scent was tainted by the musky tang of brimstone and ichor and sin. Her sin. She must have attempted to merge with Bella when James had bitten her, only to have the process halted prematurely by that cocksucker sucking out the venom. But he couldn't remove a demon's mark. Clever little vixen.

And then he remembered it all; the war. Mistress. The Mutiny. Those backstabbing bastards who locked his Beast away. And he would have stayed that way forever if chance had not interceded to break their hold over him, whatever it was. A dam had burst somewhere in his mind and a beautifully cool rush was flooding his body, every neuron crackling with demonic energy. Broken by the only thing that could have, the need to protect his mate. Jasper suppressed a moan of pleasure as his demon burrowed its claws tighter into his soul, snarling in triumph. But his joy didn't last long.

The combined thirst of the six other vampires in the room flooded his empathic senses and he locked eyes on the vampire, the boy that had the nerve to touch his mate's vessel without his permission. And all he saw in Edward's dark eyes was a black, burning thirst.

"Kill him."

Jasper lunged.

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