No copyright infringement intended! I just like to play with the characters that SM gave us.

Sorry that this has taken so long to be posted! It's a really long chapter and I couldn't get it to work right for the life of me. I had to rewrite it several times to give it what it needed. Hopefully now that it's done, it will be everything I had hoped for. In this chapter, there will be answers given to why Alice did what she did. So, that being the case, we'll have to rewind a bit.

Also, I didn't delve too deeply into Jasper's POV with the lemon, but I did skim over it a bit. I'll delve further into his POV when another lemon arises, I promise. However, there is more at the end.

Enjoy!

Jasper POV

CHAPTER 21

I fully expected to walk into that cabin and sit down and discuss things between Alice and me. It would make the most sense and would be the most logical way to get answers that I needed without me losin' my temper and rippin' limbs off. I'm not too sure what happened to me, but when I saw Alice chained up like that, I blew a fuse. I'm not sure why, exactly, but I guess it was just seein' my wife in such a vulnerable position that made me lose it. Why the hell did Peter have Alice chained like that?! I was goin' to find out one way or another. Yes, she's kept things from me, but she didn't deserve this kind of treatment.

"WHAT THE HELL IS MY MATE DOIN' CHAINED UP, CAPTAIN?" I yell as I throw Peter up against the wall. I can feel my eyes darkenin' with anger and rage. He better have a damn good excuse for this.

"Major, if you would calm down and let us explain everythin' you will realize that Alice is no more your mate than Char is." he replies calmly. I feel no deception from him, but I still don't like this. Not at all.

"The HELL are you talkin' about?" I ask angrily. I'm in no mood for his games. He better tell me somethin' quick.

My attention is diverted as I start to feel movement in the cabin, but it comes from an unlikely source. The Siren slowly moves closer to Alice, her eyes downcast the entire way and as I start to feel a growl building in my chest, she takes a knee. Odd behavior.

Still lookin' at the floor, she says "Major, sir, if you would allow me the honor of assisting you? I could help you get every facet of the truth from both Peter and Alice and hopefully this will explain the sight before you. I was the one to chain Alice, but only did so after I learned the truth. Will you allow me to help you?"

She is polite and formal, this one. I feel a constant hum of anticipation, respect, and awe from her. No fear. No deception. Interesting.

I feel straight fear from Alice, an undercurrent of fear from Peter and Charlotte, no doubt that I was the cause of that, but those two mostly feel excitement, anticipation, and oddly…glee. Very interesting.

I turn to Peter and growl at him to let him know to stay put while I get the answers I've been waiting months for. I feel desire and lust from the Siren as I growl, but she reins in those feelings fairly quickly. I ignore it for the time being. I have other things that require my attention.

"What truth do you speak of, Siren?" I ask her in the same formal tone. Relief and nervousness from Peter, Charlotte, and the Siren. Fear from Alice, still.

As I move closer to her, with my hand still around Peter's throat, I hear her say "I cannot tell you that, Major." I don't like that answer one bit and show my disapproval by growling close to her head. "I hasten to add, sir, that the reason I cannot say is because you will not believe me. That is why I have Alice chained. So she cannot escape without you knowing the truth."

So she is the one that chained Alice? How? No one can get the drop on Alice. This situation is lookin' more grim by the second and I've been left out of the loop for far too long. I shove Peter towards Charlotte and turn to the Siren. I am beyond angry at this entire situation and I will do whatever it takes to get what I want. "You will help me and then I will decide whether you live or die."

"Yes, sir. Should I begin with Alice?" she asks.

"Yes." I reply.

I adjust my stance and face my wife, who is currently radiating anger and fear. Anger towards the Siren, fear towards me. What is it that she doesn't want me to know? What could possibly be so bad that she's been this determined to keep me in the dark?

The Siren gets my attention again by sayin', "While I have her under my influence, she will be able to answer any question you ask her. The song I choose will give her no choice but to answer completely and honestly."

That's good. I have felt her deceit myself, but have never been able to get her to answer my questions. That changes now. As the Siren begins to sing, I feel somethin' unlike anythin' I've ever felt before. Powerful, raw desire. Desire to do anythin' and everythin' that is requested of the one bein' influenced. It's astonishin' to witness and I can see why she could be both an asset and a devestatin' enemy.

I see Alice's eyes glaze over. She's under for now which is preferred considerin' I don't want to hear any more of her lies before I begin to question her.

"Captain," I say, "remove the tape from her mouth and record this in case I need it for any reason." Who knows? I may need proof of this later. In my experience, it's better to be safe than sorry.

Peter doesn't hesitate before flashin' over to Alice, removin' the tape, and joinin' Charlotte in the corner. He pulls out his phone, presses "record" and nods at me. At least they're out of the way. As the Siren starts to beat a tempo into the floor, I see Alice's gaze follow the motions. I take an unneeded breath and let it out slowly reinin' my anger in. Time to get this over with.

"Alice." I say to get her attention. She looks over at me, but I see no recognition there. So, she is well and truly under.

I start with the hardest question. "Alice, are ya my mate?"

"No." She replies dazed. I'll admit that I'm angry and hurt. More than I thought I would be, but I can't deal with those emotions yet, so I push 'em aside for now. I will deal with 'em later.

"Why did ya lie to me and tell me that ya were?" I ask.

"Because I needed you and Peter to help me and I knew you wouldn't if you didn't think I was yours." she replies.

Betrayal. I would love the opportunity to rip her head clean off her shoulders and would happily dance around her pyre. I have never felt betrayal this deep. I can't help but destroy the furniture as I try to regain my focus. Once I'm settled, I ask more questions.

"Why did ya need our help?" I ask.

"My plan would not have been successful without both of you." she replies. Ok, now I may be gettin' somewhere.

"What plan is this?" I ask.

"I am tired of hiding in the shadows, acting human. I wanted to create a new world where vampires were worshipped instead of feared. I wanted to feed naturally and on our natural food source without the risk of being discovered and reported. You, Peter, and Bella were the main keys to taking down the Volturi and without them, we would take over. We would announce our existence to the world. Kings, Queens, Presidents, all of them would come and bow at our feet. If we didn't like them, we ate them. We would be untouchable. No one would be able to defeat us. You both would be the Kings of the world and Charlotte and I would be Queens." she replies quickly, but honestly.

I'll admit that I'm a bit stunned and disturbed at this new revelation. She doesn't seem the type to want world domination, but the more I listen, the more she begins to sound like my bitch of an ex, Maria. Why do I let these crazy women gain so much control over me? Do I just have a flashin' neon sign above my head that says "Use Me" in red letters? I chide myself and push the emotions aside for now. I can vent later.

"You were given the opportunity to join the Volturi. Why did you refuse to take it?" I ask.

"Aro would have read my intentions in my mind, and I would have died." she replies.

If there is one thing that Aro hates, it's a threat to his throne. I believe that she would have been killed immediately after Aro figured out her plans.

"What about the rest of the Cullen's?" I ask.

"Simple, we would end them. The Denali's, too. With Bella's shield we could end anyone and everyone we wanted." she replied.

"I thought you were happy with your family since you don't remember your human one?" I question.

"They were simply a means to an end. Nothing more. I use their gifts, then destroy them when they are of no further use." she replies.

Wow. Did not see that comin'. I honestly thought she would feel some sort of attachment to the family we've been with for 55 years. Apparently I was mistaken.

"What about when we become of no further use?" I ask.

"Impossible. You are the God of War, Peter is your Captain. Your reputation alone would keep anyone from wanting to attack or challenge you. You are both expertly skilled and would win any battle." she replies.

"So, on the outside we would be Kings, but in reality we would be security to your rule?" I ask.

"Exactly." she says.

She's soundin' more like Maria the more questions she answers. Maybe I'm not meant to be in a relationship with a woman. Maybe all they see is a wounded soldier that would do anythin' for the love only a woman can give. That's a depressin' notion.

However, if that's really the case, why did I get nothin' but respect and honesty from the Siren? I look over to her and she seems to be preoccupied with keepin' Alice under her influence. She's not even blinkin'. Hopefully if I ask, she'll be able to hear the answers.

"Why were ya so determined to let Amanda die?" I question.

"She was the undoing of all of my plans. She is your true mate. You would follow her anywhere and do anything for her. I had to kill her before she got to you." she says.

So the Siren is my mate? Is that why she feels respect, desire, longin', and lust for me? Is that the reason she is actin' the way she is? Is that why I felt the way I did when I was watchin' her bathe? Does she know she's my mate, or are her reactions just because she's heard of me and my reputation? Thoughts to ponder…later.

"Do ya realize what the penalty for keepin' mates apart is?" I ask.

"Death." she states.

At least she knows what's comin' after this is over. I have never been more glad to have a recordin' device than right now. I will have to send this off to Aro, Marcus, and Caius as soon as I get home. They'll need to hear all of it. So will the Cullen's and this is not a conversation I wanna have with any of 'em.

"How long have ya been plannin' this?" I ask.

"Since my first vision as a Vampire." she says.

"How were ya so good at hidin' your emotions from me?" I ask.

"I had to keep my real emotions hidden from you and the only way I found how to do that is to be constantly hyper, happy, and excited all the time." she replies. "It was exhausting."

Makes sense. With the bubbly personality that she usually had, it made readin' her emotions unnecessary. She was just constantly happy and excited. Who knew that it was all a fraud?

"How were ya so good at hidin' your plans from Edward?" I ask. Certainly he would have picked up on somethin', right?

"Edward hated being in my head almost as much as he hated being in yours. He only reads the surface thoughts. I thought about fashion, high-end and pricy cars, money, the stock market, or anything else that I knew wouldn't be interesting to him." she states.

"Who else knew of your plans?" I ask.

"I couldn't trust anyone not to betray me, so no one else knew." she replied.

I breathed a sigh of relief that I wouldn't have to track anyone else down to put a stop to this.

"Why did ya contact Peter and get him involved in this?" I ask curiously.

"He was the only one I could trust that could get in to the newborn camp, kill Amanda for me, and leave without causing too much suspicion. His reputation got him in." she replied.

Shit. The newborns. Yet another problem to deal with.

"What have ya seen in regards to the newborns?" I ask.

"Victoria is getting restless. They have 15 newborns plus Victoria and an older vampire. They will attack in 3 days. The clearing right above Forks is where they will meet you. Get the wolves involved and you will win with no casualties." she states.

Damn. I can't get the wolves involved. They don't know about Bella. Technically, even though it was her choice, Emmett and I broke the treaty. I can't get them involved in this without causing another battle to ensue. Unless I get Carlisle to work his magic on Sam and get them to see that this was what she wanted and it was the only way to keep her safe from the Volturi. I can continue thinkin' about that later.

"Is there anything else that you are hidin' from me?" I ask.

"No." she replies.

I have learned quite a bit from this impromptu interrogation. All I can feel is anger at the one I used to call "mine". She's held so much back from me. She used me. She is no better than Maria. She hid my mate from me and was going to have her killed. All of this for her shot at the throne? It's more than I can wrap my head around. For now though, I need to get out of here and destroy somethin' so I can get my anger under control.

"Leave her to me." I say to Peter and Char before I walk out the door. Once I'm inside the tree line, I take off and run until the anger catches up with me. I start tearin' trees apart with my bare hands. Knockin' them over, kickin' them, throwin' them, anythin' to help me feel better.

I'm not sure when he started followin' me, but as soon as I heard him break through the trees, I attacked. Peter was ready for me and blocked my initial attack before retaliating. I'm not sure how long we fought for, but once I had him on the ground with my knees planted on his arms and my teeth at his throat, I finally came back to myself.

"Still can't beat me, huh, Pete?" I ask with a smirk as I let him up.

"Nah. Didn't even try to. I knew ya needed to let off some steam and the only way ya could do that is by fightin'." he replied as he sits up next to me.

"I guess we should head back. I need to deal with Alice." I said.

"So do ya want me to go ahead and send the recordin' to Aro?" he asked.

"Yeah. May as well get it over with. See what he says and let me know how he wants me to proceed." I reply.

"Consider it done, Major." He says. "Now let's head back."

As we run back to the cabin, I feel a bit lighter and know that I can handle whatever comes of this without losin' myself again.

As we make our way back to the cabin, I can feel anger, frustration, and determination comin' from Amanda. I wonder idly why she would be feelin' these things before I hear her defend me to Charlotte. Not that she would need to, Char wouldn't care, but it's nice to hear someone I barely know get angry over my previous treatment. When I walk in the cabin, I explain how I was just as curious about the answers to her questions as she was. She drops to her knees before me, but I can't keep havin' her do that every time we meet. I mean, it's a great ego boost to have someone so beautiful literally falling at your feet, but it's completely unnecessary.

I can both see and feel her thirst when she looks up at me, but it morphs itself into a different sort of hunger. Could she possibly be feelin' the attraction, too? We chat for a few minutes, not anything over-stimulatin', but when she asks me to hunt with her I feel a tension in the air. She must not realize that I don't hunt humans anymore. I feel her embarrassment as she obviously feels that she overstepped her bounds and quickly asks Char to accompany her for her hunt, but I hold Char back. I would like to get to know this wonderful creature further, so I agree to go after her and help ease her worries. I find her easily, simply followin' the waves of embarrassment to find her sittin' under a tree beratin' herself. She doesn't seem to realize that instead of Char, I was the one to follow her.

"Major!" she all but screeches in surprise and stands up too quickly, bangin' her head on a low-hangin' branch. I swallow my laughter at her adorable expression. Laughin' at her wouldn't be in my best interest if I wanted to get to know her better.

As we talk her anxiety and embarrassment surge once again when she comes to the realization that I can feel everythin' she feels and then her determination and frustration spike when she's ready to talk. I know she's gonna let me have it one way or another. She proceeds to tell me exactly how she feels and her reactions to it, seemingly unafraid at the repercussions, but I can't help feelin' my ego get bigger and bigger as she speaks. Once her verbal barrage is done, I feel her immediate relief at tellin' me everythin' and then her expectation as she waits for my reaction.

Truth be told, I've never felt like this with anyone else before. I thought I loved Maria, but that turned into one giant shit storm. Then Alice came along and showed me another way to live and gave me a 'family', but her professed love was nothin' more than a lie and turned out no better than what I had with Maria. As an empath, you would think I would be able to tell fake emotions from real ones, but apparently not when it involves me. This woman is different from both. Alice admitted that Amanda was my mate, but does Amanda know what that means?

For that matter, do I?

Do I want to know?

Do I put myself back on the line again like that?

How do I explain this sudden change to the rest of the family?

Would there even be a place for us at the Cullen's?

When did I start thinkin' about a future with Amanda?

The attraction between us is there. It's undeniable to me and has to be somewhat palpable to her, but do we move forward?

Maybe I should take this slow, but maybe I don't want to. Maybe this is all just physical attraction. Maybe once we've taken that final step, we'll be able to move on.

I know these are all lies.

The sheer likelihood that I could leave this astonishin' creature in front of me is zero. Damn it.

The monster inside me sees absolutely nothin' wrong with takin' her as mine. In fact, he seems to be rather enjoyin' himself. So much so that I don't notice before my feet are movin' to stand directly in front of her. I startle her with my quick movements, I don't see how, but apparently I do and she inhales my scent. Her scent is mouthwatering. Lavender. It smells like she's been rollin' around in it for years and it's calmin' and excitin' all at once. I chuckle a bit as her lust hits me like a freight train and before I know it, I'm no longer in control. The monster of my instincts is loose and all I can do is sit back and watch as I kiss her.

Her lips are soft and eager. I lick her bottom lip askin' for entrance to explore her mouth. She graciously gives in. Her mouth can't seem to get enough of tastin' me and mine can't seem to get enough of her. I feel an electric current over my body as she runs her hands along my neck and up to play with my hair. I could tell, both by her emotions and by the musky smell of her arousal, that her lust was overtakin' her and, not one to disappoint a lady, I wouldn't let her suffer needlessly. I let my hands roam over her and when I got to her luscious ass, I couldn't help but pick her up and she immideately wraps her long legs around my waist. I can tell when she feels how turned on I am by her as her excitement spikes. I know I'm not a small man, so when she whines into my mouth at my impressive size, I can't help but be smug.

I released her mouth to travel further down her beautiful body and when I got to an apparent sweet spot at the base of her neck, I could feel her dampen further through the clothes we were both still wearin'. All of a sudden I wanted these clothes fuckin' gone! She must have read my mind because in the next second, my shirt was bein' ripped from my body.

I didn't know how many pairs of clothes she had, where they were, or if she would let me buy her new ones, but her impatience was obvious as I took my time slowly taking her clothes off. She wasn't havin' any of that and pushed me onto my back. She took the rest of her clothes off in haste before straddlin' me to keep me down. I wasn't used to bein' the one on the bottom, but somethin' prevented me from movin'. She removed my undershirt a bit more delicately than the other one and just stared at my torso. I could feel her lust increase ever higher as she let her eyes roam over every inch of exposed skin. When she got to my jeans and realized I went commando I couldn't help but shrug. I hated underwear. Too constrictin'. She didn't waste any time gettin' the rest of my clothes off and once I was bare, her eyes drank me in. I was extraordinarily hard for her and it was obvious by a throaty moan that escaped her lips, that she enjoyed the sight.

She started to tease me in the best and worst ways. When that gorgeous mouth of hers finally took my entire length, I thought I was gonna lose it right then. I tried to adjust her speed, but she was stubborn and wouldn't let me change her pace at all. Normally, I wouldn't stand for this shit, but even though I wanted her to go faster, I wasn't gonna take a chance that she would stop completely. That would be a worse torture. I endured her slow pace until I was finally able to come down her throat, moanin' her name in the process.

I didn't hesitate before flippin' our positions and I could feel her humor, playfulness, and her lust assault me. She moaned into my mouth as I kissed her. She knew I loved the torture, but I knew that I would get her back for it tenfold. She would be beggin' me before too long.

I kissed her mouth once more before I started to trace my name over and over again along her neck. I'm not sure if she knew what I was doin', and I'll admit that it was slightly narcissistic, but I didn't care if she did notice. I spent a wonderful time lavishin' her breasts with attention, and I knew I would have to give them the proper attention they deserved later, but unfortunately my intended target was further south. As I kissed her hips, her muscles involuntarily contracted and elicited wonderful moans from her. Her inner thighs were my next target. Purposefully ignorin' her slick folds for the moment, I gave attention to one leg and then the other. I had to laugh a bit at her as she writhed her hips to get me to go where she wanted me. She was so sexy when I had her at my mercy like this.

"Are you ready to beg yet?" I asked with lust very apparent in my voice as I stopped my ministrations. She didn't seem to be coherent enough to answer my question, so I prompted her again, "Are you ready for me to make you come?"

"Dear God, yes!" she shouted at me.

I laughed at her antics and said "That's not beggin', darlin'. That's shoutin'."

She finally conceded and begged for her release, so I gladly gave her what she needed. My head dove into her slickness and I thoroughly licked her swollen clit. I could feel how close she was, so I inserted a finger inside her, then another. Her cry of "Major" as she came was the single sexiest thing I had ever heard and had me throbbing with my need to claim her fully. I let her ride her high back down before I thrust my aching dick up into her. There was no preamble, no preparation, and no warning. There really didn't need to be. We needed each other and I was damned if we were stoppin' now. I started thrustin' into her and felt a sensation that's difficult to describe. It was almost as if more than our bodies connected. That electric current that I felt whenever she touched me was magnified and I honestly thought my heart would beat again.

As we started to reach our peaks again, she leaned over the side of my neck and bit down. Hard. I didn't hesitate before doin' the same to her and we both reached the height of our orgasms. It was pure bliss. I've never felt this with anyone else and I don't want to experience it with anyone else.

"Well, that was somethin' else." She said to me as we lay on the grass.

"You are mine, my mate, as I am yours." I chuckle.

"I think I like the sound of that." She replies breathlessly.

"Come on," I say, "let's get you fed, then we'll get me fed, and then we'll talk about what the hell that just was."

She laughs at me and rolls over to get her clothes. "I've never lost control of myself like that before, but I really enjoyed it."

"Me too." I say. "I hope we can do that more often. It'd be a cryin' shame if that's the only time we do that."

"True." She says casually as she begins to dress.

I can see more of her tattoos and notice one that was previously hidden by her hair. "Ha! Is that really what I think it is?" I ask her.

She freezes at my sudden outburst. "What are you talking about?" she asks puzzled.

I scoot closer to her and move her beautiful red locks off of her left shoulder and see a wonderfully drawn Native American Dreamcatcher with two Eagle feathers hangin' off of it, but what caught my attention was the Rebel Flag inside the Dreamcatcher. "Is this really the Confederate Flag?" I ask humor and shock apparent in my voice.

"Oh that!" she says animatedly with a small smile crossin' her features. "Yeah, it is. My family has a very long history in Georgia and the Carolina's. My mother's family is Cherokee, and my father's family is Irish, but I do know of one ancestor on my father's side that fought in the Civil War. Considering I'm from the South, and a history buff, I felt it an appropriate tattoo even with the stigma attached. I wear it for my ancestor who died in battle with his belief that the South could be free to make its own decisions, as unsuccessful as they were in the long run."

"All of your tattoos have more sentimental meanin' than anythin', don't they?" I ask.

"Well, all except for this one," she says pointing at her right shoulderblade where I see a black and grey cross with a black rose in the middle and a banner with the Latin word for 'justice' inside. "This one was the first one I ever got, and I admit that I got it on a whim courtesy of an amazing movie that I obsessed over, but over the years it's come to mean a lot more to me than I would have thought."

"How so?" I ask.

"I don't take anything done against me lightly." She begins with a cold look in her eyes. Hate bein' the most prominent emotion comin' from her. "I've lived a life I'm not entirely proud of, but who is, really? I have always learned to mete out justice to those that wrong me. That includes the one who turned me. I had plans to make life better and was in the process of it, but this happened instead. He will see the Hell he has created in me and beg for death before the end. Then I will gladly end him for what he has done to me." Her voice is calculating and honest and I can tell she means every word.

"I can understand the need for that tattoo, then." I say. "Do ya have any that show off the Irish side of your family?" I ask her hopefully. I want to get her away from those darker thoughts as I feel her emotions start to spiral downwards.

"I do, actually." She says, but her emotions don't change. She lifts up her long hair and shows me a small Celtic knot on the back of her neck. "This is a Celtic Knot of Motherhood." Her emotions quickly spiral down towards despair and depression as she tells me what it is. I can almost hear the sobs in her voice and I remember that her son was a Civil War buff.

"How old is your son?" I ask her.

"I have two." She says quietly. "Connor is the History buff like me, he's 6 years old. Clayton is 4 and I could see him becoming linebacker material if he didn't love to dance so much. I miss them every second of every day." She finishes her statement with a sad smile and I immediately want to help her. I didn't expect them to be so young.

I suddenly feel guilty about what we've just done. I would never fool around with a married woman, but considerin' my current marital status I'm not one to be able to judge or feel guilty, really. "What about your husband?" I ask curiously.

"Ex-husband" she states with venom in her voice and I immediately feel better. "That asshole probably has them and there's nothing I can do."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." I state matter-of-factly. Maybe I could get her acclimated to the 'vegetarian' lifestyle and she could see her kids again. If I could get Carlisle and Esme to welcome her into the family, then I see no reason that an 'adoption' can't take place under the right circumstances. Although I'll have to get Peter or Garrett to set up those circumstances, but I'm sure they won't mind.

"What do you mean?" she asks.

"Well, I'm sure that Peter and Char have informed ya of the Cullen family dynamic?" I ask.

"Not really, no. I was more focused on staying out of the bonfires than learning about the Cullen's. Sorry." She states apologetically.

"No need to worry, darlin'." I state. "The Cullen's have a family dynamic with Carlisle being the 'Father' and Esme the 'Mother'. They're a mated pair, obviously, but they aren't really much older than ya or I, if you were changed in your early 20's like I suspect ya were. Carlisle is also a doctor at the local hospital, if ya can believe that. Then you have the 'Cullen children'; Emmett whose brawn is worse than his bite and his mate Rosalie, who also plays my twin on occasion, she seems like an Ice Queen until you earn her respect and then she'll stay loyal. Edward is the youngest physically and acts like an emo teenager and he can read your mind and it's annoyin' as fuck, but his mate, Bella is a sweet girl. She's a mental shield and worries about everyone else before herself. Finally, we had Alice, whom you've already had the pleasure to get to know."

"Ok," she states, "what does this have to do with my sons and their current living arrangements?"

"Well, if I know Rosalie, and I think I do, she would be more than willin' to help ya get your kids back. Not to mention Esme. The thought of ya bein' away from them would send her into a tizzy the likes of which this world hasn't seen." I chuckle at the mental image of Esme ready and willin' to fight to get Amanda's kids back even if she doesn't know 'em.

"Why would I want Rosalie and Esme to help get my kids?" She asks confused.

"Well, since our family only hunts animals, we have a better chance to actually have a relationship with humans. If you chose to stay with us, I can teach ya everythin' ya need to know to keep bein' a mother to 'em." I state.

"Why would you do that for me? What am I to you? You barely know me and now you're willing to do all of this for me? I don't understand." She says calmly.

"To answer your questions in order, I would do that for ya because I care about ya and I want to see ya happy. You're my mate, which means I can't be without ya and ya can't be without me. It's a natural way for vampires to find their other half. A soulmate if you wish. Yes, it's true I barely know ya, but since we're a mated pair, I'll get to know ya more and you'll get to know me. We'll be each other's rock, calming influence, best friend, and lover." I state calmly back.

"Is that why I bit you?" She asks.

"Yes. Vampires are territorial creatures, I'm sure ya know this, but we like to mark our territory. Bitin' our mate is just another way to do that." I reply.

"This is going to take some getting used to." She says. I can feel that she's overwhelmed, but the possibility of seein' her kids again is givin' her hope.

"It will, but for now we won't worry over it too much. We both need to hunt." I say. "Do you wanna try huntin' animals, or do you wanna keep up with humans?"

"Considering this Victoria situation isn't quite resolved yet, I want to keep my strength up with humans for now, but after she is ended, I would be more than happy to switch." she says calmly. I can understand her hesitation to start drinkin' from animals and respect her decision to keep with her human diet while we have a threat loomin'.

"Alright. Go hunt and meet me back here in an hour." I say. "That way we can go back to the cabin and deal with Alice before we meet the rest of the Cullen's."

"Deal. See you in an hour." She replies before pullin' the rest of her clothes on quickly and runnin' towards town.

I get dressed quickly myself and proceed to take down two deer before I'm satisfied enough to return to our meetin' place. Amanda isn't back yet, but we still have time before the hour is up. I wait patiently thinkin' about the different plans we could put into action to get Amanda's kids back. I may have to make a call to Jenks, but we'll see. I also need to make plans on how to get rid of Victoria's army. Should be a fun way to spend an afternoon. Amanda comes back ten minutes later and we set off to see if Aro has gotten back with Peter yet on Alice.

A/N: I know this was an epically long chapter, but there was a lot of information in here that I needed to get out. This was a very difficult chapter to write, but I hope the length makes up for it. Hopefully it's just as good as the others!

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