A/N: Here we go, chapter 9! I'm excited. It's all happening now. Just one more to go after this.

Enjoy! xoxo

– Jasper's POV –

Fuck me.

There were no words.

"Oh Darlin', that was . . ." I leaned forward and pressed my lips to hers as her legs tightened around my waist.

As soon as I sank my teeth into her throat, pumping her full of my mating venom, our frenzied claiming had turned into something far more passionate.

"Mm. Yes, it was." She smiled happily.

It was such an odd thing. Being with Bella. Not bad. Not at all. But different. I've never been with a woman who loves me.

With Maria, it was about power, control, and pain. The bitch was a sadist; she enjoyed inflicting pain on her lovers.

With Alice, it had been . . . dull. Boring. Unimaginative. She lay on the bed, spread her legs, and expected to be serviced.

Now I know her history, I suppose that's what Carlisle expected of her and, maybe, she assumed that was normal.

With my mate, though, it was an entirely different experience. She was loving, gentle, and giving. I was hers. And she treated me that way. Not in a possessive, way. Our love wasn't forced or fabricated. This was real.

I am hers.

She is mine.

It's mutual.

Exactly the way it should be between mates.

"I love you, my mate." I purred, holding her tighter. I didn't want to let her go. Not now. Not ever.

"I love you, too." She breathed happily, gently sweeping her fingers up and down my spine.

I nuzzled her neck, brushing my lips across the new mating mark I'd left on her throat. "I'm sorry, Darlin'."

Her fingers stopped on their upward sweep. "For what?"

"For not being able to give you everythin' we'd talked about. The son you'd dreamed about. The life you wanted." I sighed.

With a little growl, she flipped us over so that she was straddling my waist. As she moved, she sank deeper onto my cock. "You listen to me, Jasper Whitlock, I regret nothing." She told me, her voice unwavering. "I've always known this is where my life would take me one day and I am thrilled it was my mate who turned me. It's your venom that flows through my veins. Just as the last of my blood nourishes your body. To me, there is something incredibly sexy and powerful about that."

"Maybe we won't get to do all the things we talked about, in exactly the way we wanted them, but that doesn't mean all our dreams are crushed to dust. We live in an entirely different world these days. No. We won't ever have the pleasure of conceiving the traditional way. I won't be able to carry our son. And you won't be able to experience a pregnancy with me."

"But," she smiled, "every night when our girls are fast asleep in their beds, I get to be with the man I love. My mate. My Major. Making love to me. Holding me in his arms. And every night we're together," she shifted, rocking herself back and forth on my cock, "you get to cum inside of me, Major. Leaving part of yourself within me. No. Our love won't ever create life inside my belly. But there will always be a part of you within me."

Yeah. Okay. That was hot.

I'm a man.

And her mate.

I wanted her to smell like me.

Inside and out.

"When we're ready, we can create a life outside my body." She promised. "We'll find a surrogate. And have the son we've always dreamed about. But until then we have three beautiful girls. And that's more than some people get."

She was right, of course.

I knew that.

But it didn't mean I didn't wish it were different.

A soft moan left her lips as she continued to rock her hips back and forth. She grabbed hold of my hand, pushing it between her legs as her head fell back. Her body trembled as I stroked her clit. I enjoy the way she guides me, showing me what she wants.

Being with Bella is so different. So wonderful. She's a woman. Not a girl or a teenager. She may only look to be in her twenties, but she's a thirty-five-year-old woman. Her mindset and maturity are entirely different from anyone I've ever been with.

Carlisle always said vampires aren't capable of change but I've never believed that. I think being with Bella will make me an entirely different man. One who's more mature and grounded.

"Mm. Jasper." She panted. "More . . . please . . ."

I'll work on being more mature tomorrow. For now, my mate needs me and I'm nothin' if not thorough.

– XOXO –

"Jasper?" Bella called.

"Mm." I rolled over.

"Why is there no hair on my pussy?" She demanded.

I sat up, resting on my elbow, and looked down at her nude body lying on the bed beside me. She was utterly flawless. Gorgeous curves. Beautiful breasts. And, yep, she was right, not a hair on her, except atop her head.

Her fingers lightly stroked her pussy, feeling the silky smooth folds.

"Is that not normal?" I asked. Maybe she shaved. Or what is it women do? Waxing? I dunno.

I hadn't given it much thought, to be honest. My focus was on being inside of her, joining with her, mating her, not examining the hair she had. Or didn't have.

Though, I'll admit. I did enjoy the way she felt wrapped around me. And pleasuring her orally was far more pleasurable for me.

With Maria . . . well, I needed a weedwhacker just to find her clit. Alice, though, was stubbly. It was rough like she'd been shaved it was in the process of growing back. Kinda felt like rubbin' sandpaper on your dick. Not at all pleasurable!

But my mate was smooth and soft.

"No! It's not normal!" Bella hissed. "You delivered our daughter not three days ago. Didn't you notice there was hair down there?"

"No, Darlin'. I was more preoccupied with the child comin' outta your body than what hair you had or didn't have." I told her honestly.

She sighed. "Okay. I guess I can understand that." Her fingers continued to caress her pussy. "Is this a vampire thing?" She asked, her eyes shifting to my crotch.

Nope.

Personal grooming wasn't my biggest priority back when I was turned. Fuck. I'm lucky. Just two days before I was turned, I had a fuckin' beard! Fuck, Pete and Garrett weren't as lucky. Or, maybe they were. I've always thought their facial hair makes them look older, while I could just about pass for a high school student.

Some of us ain't that— Oh shit! "Char and Kate!" I sighed. "They washed you, dressed you, and I guess . . ."

Her eyes lit up with the realization. "Waxed me! That's what they were doing. Kate wanted to know if you had a preference!"

I didn't, but I sure as hell do now!

"I guess they figured they'd do all the things for you, they didn't get to do for themselves." I shrugged. "You angry?"

"Yes, I'm angry!" She grumbled though she was still touching herself.

I moved down the bed, parted her legs, and stared down at her wet, bare, pink pussy. Gods, she was gorgeous. "If it makes any difference, Darlin', I love it." I grinned.

She shifted and huffed. "Well, it's not going to pleasure itself, Major." She growled in a slightly more dominant tone, lifting her hips towards me.

Fuck me. That was hot.

"Yes, ma'am." I purred, not wasting another second.

– Bella's POV –

Being a vampire, so far, is pretty damn fantastic!

Granted, I haven't left the bedroom yet. But, fuck, why the hell do I need to leave the bedroom when I've got a fuckin' Greek God between my legs!

Sex with my mate is out of this world! Utterly, amazingly, beautifully . . . well, incredible!

And yeah, okay, I'll admit, the no hair down there thing is kind of a turn-on. I did it once when I was dating Jake. But, hot damn, this is so much better!

Sex with Jake was mediocre. He was, young, inexperienced, and humped me like a dog in heat. He was all about reaching the endzone, finding his pleasure, and then rolling over and going to sleep. At the end of the night, I was left alone with my vibrator and imagination. Which, let's be honest, did more for me than Jacob Black.

After Jacob, I was soured on the whole romance, intimacy thing. But I had a few one-night stands in college. Nothing noteworthy. Then, I did the soulmate test and finally engaged my brain only to realize my mate had been standing in front of me the whole time!

Once I figured out my shit, sex no longer appealed to me. Jasper explained that it was likely the beginning manifestation of our bond. I was accepting him as mine and my body refused to respond to anyone else.

"That means you haven't had sex in . . ."

"Almost fifteen years." I nodded.

Yeah.

Fifteen years.

I'm glad for the experiences I do have, but there's nothing that could compare to being with my Jasper. I know, deep in my soul, we'll never tire of each other. No matter how long our eternity lasts. He'll always be the one I want. The only one.

A gentle purr came from my mate as his lips brushed against mine. "We lost so much time . . ."

"We did." I agreed. "But we can't change the past, so why dwell on it? We're together now. We will be together for the rest of eternity. That's what matters."

In some ways, it was obvious—at least to me—my mate had been turned a lot younger than I had. I may look twenty-three, due to the venom already flowing through my veins, but I am a thirty-five-year-old woman. That comes with experience and maturity that, my physically younger mate is partially lacking.

Not completely, mind you.

He's no Edward.

He's not a boy.

Jasper is a man.

He's been through far more than I could ever imagine. Far more than most vampires ever go through in their long lives. But mentally, I think he's still that young man who was turned by Maria.

He's capable of change and growth. I'm sure of that. I know there are some vampires out there who don't believe vampires can change, but I do. You just have to look at Vicky to know change is possible.

I don't think all those years with the Cullens did him any good. Or going to high school on a continuous loop for sixty-odd years. But, as I told him, what's the point of dwelling on what was? We can't change the past. All we can do is look to the future and live our lives. We'll grow together.

"How about we hunt, Darlin'?" He asked, brushing his lips across my jaw. "Then we can bring the girls home."

That sounded nice.

Maybe all he needed was a little control in his life. For someone to rely on him and seek his advice. And why wouldn't I? After all, he is older than me. He's been a vampire longer than me. He's my mate. My Sire. And the father of my children. Maybe one day he'll be my husband. Why wouldn't I lean on him and trust him to lead me?

I know he's the Alpha of the Whitlock Coven. Pete and Char defer to him on pretty much everything. But nobody else does.

For all the years he was with the Cullens, he was pushed aside, or lingered in the background, allowing Carlisle to take the lead. Back then, I'm sure that was fine for him. He wanted a peaceful life, where he could just blissfully float along, allowing someone else to take the reins and make the decisions.

That wasn't going to work anymore. I needed him to be the Alpha. To be the leader. To step up. Our girls are still in danger. The Cullens are still a threat. And our whole family is under Rosalie Hale's influence!

My mate is not a follower. He's a born leader. He's proven that time and time again. It's time to give him back his place in this world and show him the respect he's been denied all these years.

I leaned into him, kissing the mark I'd left on his throat. "Will you help me get dressed, Major?"

A purr burst from his chest as he nuzzled my neck.

Getting dressed was . . . interesting. Jasper couldn't keep his hands to himself, so I went through three pairs of panties and a surprise orgasm before he decided we'd just forgo underwear for now.

I didn't have much here in the way of clothes. The sisters and Carmen are all taller than me, so borrowing a pair of jeans was out of the question. I did, however, find a white, turtle neck sweater dress in Irina's closet. I wasn't sure white was the best color to wear when hunting for the first time, but a girl can only go with what she has in front of her. So, I pointed it out to Jasper and he slipped the dress over my head.

Tanya's feet are the same size as mine. I found a gorgeous pair of cream, thigh-high leather boots in her closet. They had a six-inch heel that I never would have dared try before today.

It seemed my mate liked the boots, too.

Hmm. Interesting. Perhaps I'll have to do a little shopping after the Christmas holidays.

Oh, dear lord! Look at that! Less than twenty-four hours as a vampire and I've already decided to go shopping!

Jasper slipped the boots on my feet and slowly pulled the zip up my leg as a quiet, growl rumbled in his chest. His eyes were black, and his breathing was heavy.

I'm not sure if it's the boots. The dress. Or the fact that I was letting him take care of me. Either way, he was aroused and I wasn't about to deny him. I think he's been denied enough for one lifetime.

His hands slowly slid back up my legs as he parted my thighs and before I could do anything, he was inside of me again. My legs wrapped around his waist as our lips met in a heated, frenzied kiss.

I just can't get enough of this man!

– XOXO –

In the future, I'm going to have to ask one of the girls to help me get dressed.

Every time he touches me, I come alive. My whole body feels hyper-sensitive.

It took three attempts and six orgasms to get out of the house. Irina's dress sadly didn't make it. I tried one of Eleazar's button-down shirts, with a belt around my waist to keep it in place, but as soon as my mate smelt another male on my skin the shirt and belt were ripped from my body and I was once again impaled on his cock. He was a little rougher that time. Growling and snarling. His teeth on my neck. When he finally let go, he put me on my hands and knees and took me from behind as I watched him in Carmen's full-length antique mirror.

He was completely gone; eyes pitch black, snarling and growling. He sank his teeth into my throat and then my hip, making me orgasm each time he filled me with his venom.

It was rough and frenzied, but hot as all hell. I knew he wasn't angry or upset. He wasn't being cruel or punishing. This was mating. It was primal. It was carnal. It was a male vampire claiming his female.

I was, however, waiting for him to come back to himself and regret what he'd done. But, surprising me, he didn't. When my Jasper returned to me, he was gentle and loving. He licked my body from head to toe, bathing each new bitemark with his scent and gently caressing every last inch of me.

Then, just for good measure, he made love to me again. This time it was slow and gentle, full of passion and need for one another.

"How are you feelin, Belle?" He whispered, brushing his fingers over my hip, where his mark stood prominently against my skin.

I swallowed. "I'm hungry," I told him.

As soon as I spoke the words, he was up and determined. He darted out of Carmen and Eleazar's bedroom and came back a moment later with another sweater dress from Irina. This one was red.

"The boots stay on." He instructed as he helped me into the dress.

"Yes, sir." I smiled.

He dressed in jeans, a denim shirt, and his black, worn Cowboy boot and we finally made it out of the house.

– XOXO –

There's nothing quite like running as a vampire. It's such a freeing feeling. The only thing that could top it—that wasn't sexual—was hunting.

Thanks to Pete and his gift, Anchorage is now free of a serial rapist, a child molester, and three drug dealers.

I thought I'd have more of a reaction to killing someone for the first time, but I knew, deep down, we'd done the right thing. These men were evil. The police weren't even looking for them! And they were all going to kill or rape again.

I was happy and satisfied that we'd stopped it and saved lives.

Maybe, sometime later, when I'm able to process everything, it'll hit me. But Jasper doesn't think it will. I'm not human anymore. And even though I'm still so new to this life, some things are just innate to vampirism. Like hunting, feeding, and a partial lack of remorse.

Jasper insisted I wasn't like most newborns. He says I have more control over myself and my emotion. I'm calmer and able to think clearly. I was in control of my hunger, feeling virtually no bloodlust at all. Well, not until I was exhausted and starving, and could no longer ignore my own needs. We ran through Anchorage without me slaughtering the whole city, a feat no regular newborn would be able to withstand.

But, in some ways, I'm normal. I'm easily distracted. My libido is heightened to the extreme. I'm jumpy and easily startled. I'm fiercely protective of my mate. And that will likely extend to our children, too.

All in all, I'm normal. Well, for a shield. We shields tend to be the exception to most rules. But I'm glad I'm not the only one. My dad was the same way, and a few others Jasper mentioned, too.

When we got back to the house, I was eager to see my girls and finally meet my newest little one. Jasper told me everyone's been calling her Pinky because she's so pink and, I've got to say, as nicknames go, it's kinda cute.

He also decided on her name. It's old-fashioned and he worried I wouldn't like it, but I thought it was adorable. It was his mother's name and one of the only human memories he has is of his mother. How could I ever say no to that? Plus, it was adorable.

Winifred Josette Swan-Whitlock. But we'd call her Winnie.

We've decided not to say anything until the whole families together and has regained their sanity.

"Momma!" Lottie cried as I came through the door.

Jas gasped. "Momma!"

I was expecting them to be scared. I looked in the mirror earlier and, physically, I do look different. I'm paler. My hair is longer and thicker. I'm curvy with bigger breasts and a pretty decent rump. Plus, my eyes are bright red. To my little girls, that might be scary.

I should've known better.

They ran towards me and jumped into my arms just as I crouched down to catch them. They were talking a mile a minute, telling me about the last three days and all the fun things they'd done with daddy, Uncle Pete, Aunt Char, and Aunt Kate. They'd even met their new Uncle Garrett, whom Kate quickly introduced to me.

I think I vaguely remember them mating between my contractions and almost bleeding to death.

I carried the girls—holy crap! With my new strength they're so light!—over to the sofa, sitting with them in my lap as Jasper disappeared up the stairs.

"Momma?" Jas asked when they finally settled and cuddled into me.

"Yes, my love." I buried my nose in her hair, taking in her lovely scent of her.

She smelt amazing. She wasn't food. She didn't smell like food. She smelt like the perfect combination of me and Jasper. She smelt like my daughter. My baby.

"Are you goin' away again?" She asked.

Lottie shook her head. "I don't think you should."

"You don't?" I smiled.

"Nu-huh! We miss you too much," Lottie answered.

"And Daddy doesn't make mac and cheese so good," Jas said. "And he doesn't know about cados!"

My child has a serious obsession with avocados.

I gasped, shocked. "Daddy doesn't know about avocados?"

She shook her head.

A deep chuckle filled the room as Jasper returned holding a tiny pink bundle in his arms. "Would you like to meet our daughter, Darlin'?"

I nodded as Jas and Lottie shifted so they sat on either side of me. Jasper placed her into my arms and, for the first time since I was taken from her, our eyes met.

To be honest, I was shocked. She was the complete opposite of her sisters. They're both blonde with blue eyes, just like their Daddy. But Winnie had a whisper of dark hair and big, chocolate eyes. Just like mine.

If I could've cried, I would have.

She was utterly perfect.

"We named her Pinky," Lottie told me, gazing down at her sister.

"She's perfect," I whispered, feeling the venom pool in my eyes.

"Just like her momma." Jasper smiled, lifting Jas into his arms and sitting her in his lap so he could sit beside me. His lips met mine in a brief kiss, then we turned to stare down at our little angel.

She was. I agreed with him. Completely and utterly perfect.

– XOXO –

"So, what have I missed on the Cullen front?" I asked.

Pete, Char, Kate, and Garrett were sitting around the living room quietly discussing plans for the future. The kids were occupied in the den, watching a movie while they ate their lunch. Mac and cheese and, yes, you guessed it, avocado for Jas.

Winnie was lying in my arms enjoying her afternoon bottle.

I was eager to get this confrontation over with, get our family back together, and go home. Or, I guess, find a new home. I blew up the last one.

Maybe I could help dad rebuild. Make it up to him and spend a little one-on-one time together. We haven't done that in a while. Plus, it would be nice to get some of this pent-up aggression out, and building a house could help with that. All that lifting and demolishing and . . . hammering . . . okay, I've got no idea how to build a house! But dad does and I'm sure . . .

"Focus, Darlin'." Jasper chuckled.

"Hmm?" I looked at him. "Oh. Sorry." I smiled. "What were you saying, Pete?"

Peter smiled. "The Cullens have no idea you've given birth, Lil' Bit. They don't know you hemorrhaged, almost died, that The Major turned you or that we're onto them."

"Alice didn't see any of it?" I asked, shocked. I had a hard time believing my shield held strong through all of that.

"Actually, Alice saw all of it," Pete said. "She knows everythin' that's happened in the last five days."

I frowned. "But she hasn't told Carlisle," I surmised. "Why?"

"It all goes back to the almost kidnappin'," he began. "Alice set Carlisle, Edward, and Emmett up to fail. She told them she had a vision and if they did what she said, they'd be successful in retrieving the girls."

"But she knew they'd fail?"

Pete nodded. "She never intended for the girls to be taken."

"So why bother?" Kate asked, frowning.

"Because she wanted to provoke The Major." He answered. "She knows she can't take the Cullen Coven on by herself. But she can manipulate events in her favour. If The Major thinks someone has gone after his kids, he'll retaliate."

"She wants us to kill Carlisle, Edward, and Emmett?" I asked.

"No." Pete shook his head. "Alice wants us to take out the whole Coven."

Ah. I understood now.

Alice can't take out her abuser by herself. Edward would likely see it in her mind and warn Carlisle. Or there's a chance she'd fail and Carlisle would retaliate. So instead, she plans to use us, or, more likely my mate, to get her revenge.

A low growl reverberated through me. "This is her revenge." I hissed. "She plans to have my mate kill her abusers because she can't!"

"Yes." Pete nodded. "That's exactly it, Lil' Bit. She already manipulated events in Phoenix to have Jasper kill James. Now she's doin' the same to have him kill the rest of the Cullen Coven."

I don't think I've ever despised anyone so much! Oh sure! It's fine for my mate to kill. He's done it before. What's a little more death on his conscience? But God forbid she was to get her hands dirty!

Jasper wrapped his arm around me, bringing me and Winnie closer to him as he pressed a kiss to my temple.

"What I still don't understand," Garrett said, "is did Alice know Jasper and Bella were mated?"

"I don't think so," Pete answered. "But I can't say for sure."

"But, obviously, she did know he had a mate." Garrett hissed. "Whether that girl was Bella or not, doesn't matter. She knew about The Major's mate. And she knew that girl was going to become pregnant with Jasper's children without his knowledge."

"Yes." Pete nodded.

"So, here's a thought, why not just tell Jasper?" Garrett asked the obvious question.

"Because that would be the logical thing to do," I hissed.

I still think Alice knew Jasper and I were mated and she wanted to get rid of me so she could have Jasper to herself.

Pete shrugged. "Alice ain't exactly playin' with a full deck."

"Or it's all a very convincing act and she just didn't want Jasper to mate with anyone," Kate suggested. "Jazz said she was all over him when he returned to the Coven four months ago. Could've been she kept it from him out of petty jealousy."

That wasn't hard to believe.

"It wouldn't have taken much for her to tell him about this." Char hissed, her anger flaring. "She's had seventeen years to come clean! No!" She shook her head. "She's had seventy-two years! We would've helped her. Jasper could've read her emotions! God, we could've called Maggie if we were still unsure. Or Charles. Both can tell if someone's lying."

Kate was nodding in agreement. "Our Coven would've helped her. It would've been so easy for her to ask for our help. None of us but Eleazar like Carlisle. She could have confided in one of us. She could've told us the truth, just once!"

"Why would she do that?" Char hissed. "Then Jasper would've been happy and she couldn't allow that to happen! No, siree Bob! She wanted him miserable, like her, so he'd stay with her!"

"As horrible and despicable as her past is, Alice Cullen is still a vindictive, evil, jealous little troll who has to have everything her way!" Kate growled.

There it was. The one thing I think I've, and maybe the others, have been avoiding saying. As horrible as her past is—and nobody is disputing that—all that matters to her, is Alice. At any point in the last fourteen years, she could've told Jasper about his mate. Whether she could see me or not, it didn't matter. The Agency would've contacted me. But she didn't.

Maybe she thought he'd come back to the Coven and they'd fall helplessly into each other's arms and realize how much they missed one another.

Maybe she thought she could manipulate him and keep him that way.

I don't know. We might never know.

It does make you wonder, though.

Pete says she didn't know I was Jasper's mate. That she believed my death was a mercy, to save me from Carlisle and all the torture she'd been through with him. She wanted to protect her friend.

But was that the reason she was so desperate to kill me?

Or is she just that good she's able to trick even Peter's gift?

I'm not sure we'll ever know the truth . . .