-You want to keep him for a year?- Carlisle asked. When he got the text from Jasper to come back because someone had appeared he had felt like an enormous weight had lifted off his shoulders. New hope daring to take place in his heart.
Upon arriving a white haired woman had been waiting for them at the living room, though, more than a woman she looked somewhere between 15 and 16. She was sitting across from Jasper. The pack standing behind him like guards. Aside from her white hair nothing about her seemed unnatural.
In fact.
Her eyes were an icy blue and her scent was non-existent. Not human. Not vampire. Not shapeshifter. Not werewolf. Nothing .
And still, she claimed to be a vaewolf. But she smelt like nothing.
It unnerved Carlisle. Even more so because she, Aurora , as she had introduced herself as, wanted to take Jasper with her. For a year . But no one was allowed to tag along.
And even if she took him with her there were still chances for him to not survive. It wasn't a matter of being surrounded by people who survived or some kind of secret but a matter of him being able to withstand the pain that would overtake him.
A matter of his body just not rejecting the transformation. Even if they found the vaewolves it had done nothing to ensure his survival.
-Yes. That's what I said.
-Why can't anyone come with him? How are we even sure that we can trust you?- Alice demanded, she wanted Jasper to survive more than anyone else, yes, but she refused to give him to just about anyone who came claiming to be their salvation, even more so to this girl, something about the way she kept looking at him didn't settle well with her.
As if she knew more than what she was willing to tell.
-Only vaewolves can enter our territory, it's a simple yet infallible spell made to protect our kind, anyone else who tries to enter will just get their minds messed with and will eventually end up where they first started.- She conceded, she didn't seem to be lying and it would actually explain how no one managed to find it.
Still .
-Why do I need to stay with you for that long?- Jasper questioned.
-Because much like a newborn vampire we have an unpleasant first year filled with terrible mood swings where anger seems to be the predominant emotion. There's also the fact that your transformation will be all over the place until you learn how to control it. And while we for the most part keep some of our conscience durin' full moons because of our vampire half those who are new don't. Summary, you shouldn't be anywhere near anyone breakable durin' your first year. Also, you're surrounded by vampires, they are the last thing you should've close when the moon rises or during your first year at all.
Aurora stated as a matter of fact.
-Why is that?- Rosalie questions, she didn't trust this girl, something about her didn't felt right, like she was hiding something. Regardless of her words something still didn't settle well with her.
-Because his blood will develop a period of time during his first year where it will become irresistible to vampires. And I'm not talkin' about the kind of irresistible it would be like with human blood. It's more like the kind of desperated reaction a junkie durin' withdrawal would get if being face with drugs. It doesn't matter how you feel about him, your mind won't be able to focus on anythin' but on the fact that if you don't get his blood you'll go mad. Kind of like a heightened frenzy.
Silence.
And more silence.
Her words... what?
-So if he stays we will kill him, even if he survives the change?- Emmett is the one who breaks the silence. He felt faint.
-Yes.
-We won't let it happen.- Jacob states. This girl gave him the shivers but he refused to be intimidated by a vampire, regardless of this one not being 100% vampire.
-That's not how it works. It will last an entire year. Your only chance at keepin' 'em away would be by killin' 'em but somethin' tells me that that's not an option. Also, didn't you hear what I just said? He will need someone to teach him how to control himself.
-We can do that and the Cullens can just go back to Forks.- Leah told as a statement of fact. Even if a werewolf's transformation was different from a shapeshifter it was still a transformation. He could be taught auto-control by literally anyone who could shapeshift.
-You can't.- Aurora said. To be honest? When she was asked to come down and investigate the scent from a potential vaewolf she hadn't expected to come across him.
A man who looked way too much like her father for comfort.
But all it had taken her to realize who it was was to catch sight of those hazel eyes.
It wasn't her father.
It was him . Her little prince.
And she still found hard to process the fact that the man before her was her once upon a time little brother.
He didn't seem to recognize her and it wouldn't surprise her if he didn't remember her at all. He had been so small... And while she could tell him who she was she didn't want him to know... because then he would know how much of a weak coward had she been. She hadn't even expected to see him again after that night. But how cruel was life and fate that he ended up as a vampire too? That their paths crossed in such a way?
And she hated it.
She hated that he ended up like this. Because the witches were suppose to protect him. He wasn't suppose to become this. He should have lived a normal human life. The witches had promised to seal his werewolf side. They promised.
But now here he was. All those terrible scars. What had happened to him? He was never meant to know such pain. But he didn't seem to be in pain no more.
In fact.
He seemed to have found the right people. She could see it in the fact alone that all of them were so mistrusting of her. So protective of him... It made her heart ache.
-You can't, because vaewolves aren't like shapeshifters nor even werewolves, we have multiple forms. He needs to learn from people like him.- Plus . Part of her wanted to spend time with him. She craved to see in what kind of person had he grown.
-You're too eager about wantin' me to go with you. Either you're lyin' about somethin' or you've ulterior motives.- Jasper said out of nowhere as he held the girl's stare. Something about her felt... odd. Like he had seen her before but at the same time not? And her expressions and emotions in general had been too weird since he first saw her.
His gift came back enough for him to feel the eagerness bleeding off of her like an endless fountain. Hope. Sadness. Guilt?
Surprise flashed in her emotions along with a hint of confusion.
-Come again?
-Don't bother to put on an act. He can feel emotions and no one can hide those regardless of how good of an actor they may be.- Edward stated. Her thoughts were too jumbled out to make out which had been the main reason for him to know that something was fishy here.
They may be desperated to save Jasper but they weren't desperated enough to act impulsively and agree to anything and anyone claiming to be their salvation just because.
-You don't have a scent, and despite how we have been looking for you lot for two weeks you only appear now, you claim no one can go with him, that you have to keep him for a year. You keep staring at him and seem quite adamant about taking him with you. I can read minds but for some reason I can't seem to read yours. Do you realize how bad this looks for you?
Aurora didn't answer. Of course she knew about the gifted vampires. Some in the pack had gifts brought from their vampire life.
She didn't expect that she would encounter a mind reader here though. Nor that AJ would have ended up as an empath. But to be fair it did kind of made sense considering how charming and sensitive had he been as a child.
Still.
It was clear AJ wouldn't come with her nor would the vampires nor the shapeshifters let her take him without some semblance of truth.
Also.
She didn't like the look he was giving her. As if she were his enemy. She didn't want him to look at her like that.
-I don't have a scent because it's part of a modified cloakin' spell. There's a vaewolf in the pack that can do magic and he makes sure we keep as hidden as possible so no one will find us.
She didn't felt comfortable with telling outsiders about this but Roman wouldn't be pleased at all if she were to return without the vaewolf. He took very seriously that of ensuring the survival of as many vaewolves as he could.
Plus. She also wanted to take him with her. She wanted to get to know him even if just as some random friend he made during what would be the worst year of his life.
-There's also a girl who can read minds through touch. To not make others cast her out our thoughts were put behind a fog so no one can read our minds. I came now because he didn't need us then. I already told you why you can't come and why does he have to stay for a year. And the why I'm so adamant about him coming...
She wasn't good with words nor was she good with lies. And if he felt emotions it made it harder to lie.
Thus.
She told something that was the truth but not the truth that was being expected from her.
-The leader in our pack, his name's Roman, he's... he takes very seriously that of helpin' anyone that shows signs of being a vaewolf, even if I leave he will come down himself and take you with him, and trust me, if he does and any of you try to stop him he won't hesitate to kill you.
Aurora stated as a matter of fact. Roman wasn't a bad person but he could at times cross the line if it meant protecting vaewolves. He had a terrible hero complex. He didn't hate other species to death but he did had a thing to care for no one but vaewolves.
-Also, all logical reasons aside I do believe people should spend some time among their own kind, even if just for a bit.- She told.
Jasper for his side frowned. He didn't particularly felt like leaving, not knowing that regardless of where he was he would have the same chances at surviving/dying. But he also knew that if he survived he could put them at risk with his lack of control. And he was also not a particular fan of not being able to control what he could and couldn't do.
Learning self control could be useful...
-I'll go.- He ended up conceding.
-You sure?- Alice asked as her hand came to rest on his shoulder. Her displeasure was loud in her emotions but so was her encouragement. She didn't like the idea of him leaving but she wasn't going to stop him either.
-I'm sure.- He assured resting his hand on top of hers. He didn't want to leave either but it wasn't a matter of wanting but a must. If he wanted to keep them safe he would need to learn how to control that other side. As a newborn he had been too... violent. His gift overloading had had to do with it for the most part but still...
He didn't want that version of himself close to the Cullens and much less close to Alice.
And he also needed to be careful about The Major. What if because of what was coming he awakened? What would he do then? He couldn't allow that monster to awaken anywhere near his family and much less Alice.
He had to leave.
~~~~~~~~
-Promise to be careful?- Alice requested. Her hands wrapped around Jasper's waist. Both of them had come upstairs for some alone time before he had to leave.
She had hope that he would survive despite all. Had hope that what he suffered in the South would turn out on his favor and help him survive the pain Aurora spoke of.
She had told them about the transformation. The reason behind the failed change in most vaewolves. As the moon rose he would come close to resembling his human self. But because of his vampiric physiology the pain would be unimaginable.
Some had gone insane because of the pain same as others had died mid-transformation because of the pain. Their bodies at times couldn't take the unnatural shifting. Sometimes both sides' harmony would shatter and stop coexisting altogether and attack each other.
And others would get so close to their human side that it became impossible for them to return from it and lost their healing factor. Their bones would shatter and their bodies would flat out break from the inside out with no healing whatsoever to aid them. Those were killed on the spot to stop their suffering.
-You be careful.- Jasper said. His hands resting on her cheeks as their foreheads touched. Their gazes meeting and silence reigning between them for a while.- You know? If things do go wrong... I'm glad I took your hand that day, thank you for waitin' for me for so long, and for bringin' me here. Regardless of it all I am happy for the life I got to live by your side.
Pain stroke her emotions at his words and he caressed her cheeks softly with his thumbs.
Alice closed her eyes before burying her face into his chest, tightening her hug on him, even if she tried so hard to be positive she couldn't help but feel like it was useless. His words didn't help at all with her current emotions either. She didn't want him to go but she knew she couldn't hold him back either. Much less if she could end up hurting him.
-It's alright love. I'll be fine. I promise that I'll try my best to survive.- He told enveloping her in a hug. Even if he wasn't 100% sure of surviving he didn't want her emotions to be filled with nothing but pain.
He didn't want those emotions to be the last he felt from her.
And as she pulled back from him he tilted her head up. Her eyes shining with unshed tears, he gave her an Eskimo kiss.
-Don't cry, I don't want your tears to be the last I see of you.- He whispered sadly.
-Then come back for it to not be the last you see of me.- Jasper felt a pang at her words. Who would have said that the one to get the heaviest sadness and pain from her would be he himself? All this time fighting to protect her happiness and it seemed like he was the one who would destroy it at the end.
-I'll try.- He pulled her into another hug. Taking in a deep breath and drinking in her emotions. He didn't want to leave her but if he wanted to protect her. Them . He had to leave.
He must leave to keep those he love safe.
~~~~~~~~
-He's going to make it. I believe he's stronger than we give him credit for. Stronger than he realizes.- Carlisle soothed gently as Esme muffled a sob behind her hand as they watched Jasper disappear into the forest with Aurora.
He had hope that his son would survive. That he would be able to pull through for he was stronger than Jasper himself realized at times.
He had faith that his son would return to him.