-You should have a blanket.- A teenager with bright white hair and brown eyes called as a neatly folded blanket landed right at Jasper's side. He glanced up at the kid. He couldn't be older than 14 and there was a burn scar across his left cheek.
-Thanks.- Was all he could come up with as he grabbed the blanket and drapped it around himself. He did felt quite cold.
To be honest? Jasper was still not sure how to feel about the fact that he had been put in a pit-like hole. Deep enough that he wouldn't be able to leave without some assistance from outside.
But Roman had said that it was for his and everyone else's safety, if he survived, because it was his first change, he wouldn't be conscious of his actions.
The man himself while he had held an air of arrogance didn't seem to be a particularly bad person, in fact, he seemed to care quite a lot about his people.
All vaewolves seemed to sport bright white hair and presumably their human eye color, the pack was smaller than he had expected, around 10 members, and 3 of them looked barely old enough to not be considered immortal children.
And while he hadn't survived this long trusting strangers the people here didn't seem bad. Their kindness was a bit strange but Aurora had told him that it was because their pack was quite united and also. It had been a while since this of someone new changing around had happened.
He still hadn't felt comfortable with getting into the pit but Aurora had assured him that he would be fine. It unnerved him how much was he willing to trust her words. He couldn't explain what he felt towards her. Something about her made him feel at ease. Like as long as she was there he could trust that nothing bad would happen.
It unsettled him truth be told.
-You should rest. Tonight's not gonna be pleasant. Trust me.- The teenager's voice caught his attention and he turned to look at him once again. The kid laid on the ground. Head looming above as his fingers held onto the edge.
-How old are you?- Jasper questioned half curious.
-14. Sort of. I was 10 when I was turned but when we change if we are still too young we seem to age around four to five years. You don't need to worry though, so far it seems to work only on those who were turned at 11 and below.
Jasper raised an eyebrow at that, that did sound quite convenient.
And strange.
But on the bright side that meant that those immortal children could have a chance at surviving. Even if it was the slightest of chances.
-I'm Derek by the way, I'm your guard, if you need anything you can call me. I will be right here.- The teenager, Derek , told.
Jasper couldn't help but find that statement quite unexpected despite having trained newborns of his same age.
-I may look like a child but I have witch's blood in my veins and am 80 years old. Pretty sure I'm more than qualified to be your guard.- Derek stated with a mild irritated tone. No doubt he was used to people treating him like a child and not taking his skills to heart.
-I know.- Jasper conceded with an appeasing tone. He knew that regardless of appearances a child was most of the time the most dangerous being in a battlefield filled with vampires. People underestimated them and in exchange made it easier for the kids to take them down.
Maria had had a fair share of children in her armies. Youngest newborn ever had been a 13 year old boy named Eric, even now he could still remember the boy's piercing fear as Jasper wrapped his arms around his neck. His pain. Desperation. Anger. Betrayal .
The kid had been an odd one. Had grown attached to him of all people despite how cruel he could be when training newborns. But the kid hadn't been good enough and Maria had asked him to get rid of him for people who couldn't fight didn't deserve to be kept around.
Still .
He didn't want to think about that. It never did nothing but fill him with uneasiness. He sighed and rested his back against the wall. Staring up at the skies and he wasn't sure when it happened but he fell asleep.
~~~~~~~~
-You sure you want to stay? You don't have to stay if you don't want to. I understand that it may be difficult for you to listen to him when it starts and I will make sure no one touches him if he doesn't make it. As long as he heals that's it. You understand why I may have to take actions if he can't heal.- Roman said as he came to stand beside Aurora.
-I'm sure. I left him once already, I'm not doing the same again. Regardless of what happens.- Aurora stated as a matter of fact. Her gaze settled upon the pit a few feets away from them, Derek had already been asked to leave.
-Why didn't you tell him the truth?- Roman asked after a moment. He still couldn't process quite well the fact that that person was Aurora's brother. For two biological siblings to end up with the same fate. To reunite. That was a one in a million of situations.
Even more so considering their bloodline.
A Labonair at this time and age sounded more like some kind of bad joke. A bloodline of legends that could as well have never existed.
Now there were two.
It sounded so impossible.
-I abandoned him. What am I suppose to tell him?- Aurora's dejected voice caught his attention.
-You left him to protect him.- He reminded her. He still remembers when he found that little girl sobbing her soul out in the middle of the forest. He had gone to that forest in hopes to find the Labonair pack for if there was someone who could take him in despite his nature he had hoped for that to be the Labonair's.
But all he had found had been slaughtered bodies and such intense stench of blood. Venom. The vampires had slaughtered the entire pack.
Or that's what he had thought. He had found a small child sobbing in the forest. Blood soaking her clothes and a ravenous bite on her arm.
The smell of her blood alone had told him what had happened.
He had never expected to come across someone like him and thus. Despite his better judgement he had ended up taking her with him. He had learnt about what had happened. The Volturi.
He had also learnt about her little brother; AJ . She had found him in a cabin surrounded by all the other kids' bodies, she had left him with witches because she didn't want to hurt him, a vampire bit her when her blood was still mostly human, she hadn't wanted to take risks.
Thus she left him with two witches. She had asked the witches to seal his werewolf side so he could have a human life. So no one could find him, ever .
She had reminded him of himself when he left his sister with humans in order to protect her. Shelley had been his half sister, her father had been human and because of this she had been 100% human, she would be so much safer with her own kind than with someone who was bitten by a vampire.
He had raised Aurora and had made sure to teach her everything he knew, she had become like a sister to him. With time they found more and more people like them, most didn't survive but those who did had become like a family.
-It doesn't matter why I did it. He's got a new family now, I don't want him to feel as if it's expected of him to accept me.
-Those are vampires. You are a vaewolf. Just like him. And most importantly, you are related.
-It doesn't matter... Those vampires aren't normal either. Their eyes were yellow and they didn't smell like they had had human blood in forever, they also had wolf shapeshifters with 'em. One of 'em seemed to be quite protective of him, I think she may have imprinted on him. And he's got a vampire mate, you should've seen how they looked at each other.
-Regardless of it all I do believe it would be best for him to know. He deserves to decide for himself if he wants you or not in his life, you've a year with him, don't let that go to waste.
Aurora didn't answer. She did want to tell him... But how was she suppose to tell him that she abandoned him because she had been too scared? Leaving him had felt like ripping the remaining of her heart. He had been the only family she had left and she left him with witches when he most needed her. She abandoned him.
If he ended up like this that meant the witches hadn't taken good care of him as promised. They broke their blood oath. It made her blood burn.
But there was nothing to be done about it. All she could hope now was for him to survive.
If he survived... She would tell him the truth.
Because even if she didn't want to tell him for she was happy by just spending time around him and seeing that he was alright Roman was right.
He deserved to decide for himself if he wanted her or not in his life. And who knew? With some luck he wouldn't hate her.
With some luck.
She would be able to have her brother back.
She watched the last rays of sun disappear behind the mountains.
-It's startin'.
~~~~~~~
Jasper felt tense. More tense than he had felt in decades.
Because night had approached and he could feel as if his bones in itself were weighing him down.
He didn't like it.
The place in general felt warm thanks to the blanket he had wrapped around his shoulders but he still could feel the hairs on his body standing up.
He hated this.
Even more the silence.
Like the calm before the storm.
But Derek had said that Roman didn't allow them to be close to the pit when there was someone in it during full moons. Something about not wanting to risk things going wrong.
Thus. During those times the pack was sent to the other side of the mountains. The cloaking dome was huge enough to give them their own little city-sized territory.
He stood up with a sigh and found with displeasure that the heaviness seemed to increase as he stood. As if his skeleton was weighing him down.
Still.
He ignored it and walked around the pit. It was quite big. Three elephants could fit here just fine. The ground felt cold beneath his bare feets. He had been offered clothes to change into earlier so he wouldn't have to ruin his own clothes. He had left his bracelets and necklace with Alice to keep them safe. He hadn't been that pleased with the idea of having to take off the Cullen's crest's bracelet nor the one Renesmee had made for him.
Much less having to take off the necklace from which his wedding ring hanged from.
But he also knew that if he had kept them he could have damaged them. Or worse.
Lost them.
He encountered a few scratches on the walls. Almost faded. Derek had said that the last vaewolf had been a small girl named Yuzuru whose parents left her in the mountains with hopes that the pack would find her. She had been barely 5 years old, she hadn't made it, the pain had been too much for her mind and body in general to be able to take it.
Jasper would forever wonder how could a vampire be so stupid and selfish so as to bite a child. Immortal children were illegal and still... But if he thought about it he was being a bit of an hypocrite considering how he had treated the newborns.
Eric. Carlos. Amanda. Ulysses. Anna.
All of them had been around 13 to 15.
Children .
And he had still been as rough and merciless as with the rest.
He still remembers Eric's smile as he spoke about the stars same as he remembers wrapping his arms around his small neck and ripping his head off.
Remembers Carlos' vacant look and how the kid had thrown himself into the fire without an ounce of hesitation. Escape from Hell . He remembers his screams and twisted laughter as the fire consumed him.
He remembers Amanda's cries and sobs. Her never-ending fear and that little smile she had gotten when she found a cat. Remembers how that smile disappeared into a gasp as Maria herself appeared from behind and snapped her neck. Tearing her head off.
How Ulysses went from an innocent child who loved to follow him around to a psychotic kid who rejoiced in other's pain and biting any human that crossed his path. That twisted gaze and crooked smile. Jasper hadn't been able to bear it and he had killed the boy. Maria of course hadn't been pleased but he couldn't have cared less.
And Anna.
Little Anna who ended up like Carlos. Throwing herself into the fire.
He can still remember their faces and screams as clear as day.
He crouched on the ground. Fingers hovering over the scratch.
Vampires could be such vile creatures. Not that he was any better.
A shiver ran down his spine.
And then he felt it.
The first stab of pain. Piercing through his back and making him suck in a sharp breath. But just like that it was gone.
He took a deep breath.
Pain came back full force.
Like a wave of firecrackers crawling inside his bones and veins. Twisting. Tingling. Swirling. Clawing . Piercing through his muscles and biting away his tendons. His nerves. Acid burning through his core as it crawled up and up until it obliterated his skull and brain like a bomb going off. Insides twisting and moving.
The blood rushing through his veins became nothing but acid that threatened to melt him from the inside out. Melt the flesh off his bones and ignite his organs with nothing but absolute Hell.
He cried out as he became unable to hold in the unexpected agony. Dropping on his knees as more pain crawled up his spine. Making him convulse as a whiplash of electricity ran down his shoulders and arms. Rolling around his wrists and across his fingers as pitch black claws forced their way out. Thicker than usual. Making his fingertips bleed as it pierced the skin.
The sound and feeling of bones snapping. Piercing through his skin and rearranging back as they pleased made him scream but what made him lose it and see the world white for a second was the ferocity with which his spine and shoulderblades snapped. Bones moving beneath the skin violently. Threatening to break through it as they rearranged.
He dropped on the ground as a raged pained scream crawled up his throat as the joints on his fingers pulled with fierce might. Firecrackers going off forcing them to enlarge. Something in his tailbone pierced out through the skin as more bones snapped. All of them rearranging at their will and some even piercing his skin. Flesh ripping apart and blood pooling out beneath him.
The burning feeling of something forcing its way out through his toenails made his whole body jerk with a spasm. Fingers shaking as he rolled on the ground. Laying on his stomach and panting. Blood running down his chin and sweat trickling down his forehead. Gasping for air as hot tears streamed down his face.
Another scream pierced through his throat as he felt the bones on his feets snap. The joints. Tendons being burned and veins melting down. Something pulled and pulled at his ankles with such burning force he could do nothing but scream in pain as his back arched. Because Christ it hurt! God it hurt! He wanted it to stop! Stop for fucking sake! Stop!
And then his jaw snapped.
The scream that pierced through his throat at that made him taste blood. He hit the ground as the fangs thicker and larger forced their way out. Nose snapping. Bones shifting. Piercing through the skin and making him cry. Scream. Shout. The pain felt so unbearable it felt like he would go mad. And it wouldn't fucking stop!!
The pressure in his skull was crushing his brain. He could feel it changing. Sending agonizing pain through his core. Jaw breaking and changing. World white around him as he kept screaming and crying. Dragging himself across the ground. Wanting nothing more but to escape from the pain. The torture. But he couldn't.
And as his jaw settled back into place and the world explode inside his brain darkness engulfed.
~~~~~~~
Aurora knew what would happen. She had heard enough of it to know how it worked.
But this was different. So much different. Because this was her brother. Her little prince who she had been so protective of when he was small. He never got a single wound on him because she made sure he wouldn't even trip. She had protected him with her everything.
Because unlike Orion AJ hadn't been strong. He had still been human. Weak. Frail. She needed to protect him . Much like with Amber. But even if she had loved her dear little sister she had always had a soft spot for AJ, he had always been so charming, so adorable, following her all over the place and bringing her flowers, calling her "ma'am" and just acting like a little gentleman.
Her little prince.
So what was coming for him wasn't something she felt pleased with. Because he shouldn't have to suffer through this . She hated the sole idea of him being in pain. But there was nothing she could do about it either.
Silence had been drowning the place. It felt like a ticking bomb. The calm before the storm.
And right when the thickness of the thick atmosphere started suffocating her the first sound came.
A pained cry.
That was followed with grunts of pain for a few moments before the first scream that made her skin crawl was heard. She flinched at the sound and flinched once again when Roman rested his hand on her shoulder.
-It's alright. It's up to him now.- His voice was reassuring but she didn't felt reassured at all.
The silence was so thick the sound of bones snapping and flesh tearing was more clear than she wished it to be. The reek of his blood. Her stomach churned and her blood ran cold. Each scream felt worse than the prior one. So full of pain it made her chest hurt and her throat burn. To have to hear him like that...
And the screams seemed to get worse and worse to a point were it sounded like someone was torturing him in there. Making her want nothing more but for it to stop. Because Christ so much pain and agony in one single voice. In his voice. And the worst thing here is that it became apparent after a few moments of screaming and sounds for her to realize that he was crying.
Crying .
And the sound of bones snapping wouldn't fucking stop. Tears began streaming down her cheeks at some point. Fingers curled into fists.
And right when things couldn't get worse the most blood curling scream humankind had ever heard pierced through the place. Making her heart stop for a second and fear grip her soul.
He kept screaming. Shouting. He sounded so desperate and in plain suffering. It hurt to hear her brother like that. It hurt so much to know she could do nothing to stop that pain.
His voice started getting rougher and rougher and she inched closer to the pit. She had to make sure he was healing.
She got close enough to get a peek inside and some relief washed over her when she notice that he was healing. The transformation was nearing its end now. Pained sounds dying down.
Then silence.
Just like a switch every noise from him shut off.
But not a second after a powerful deep roar shock through the pit. Echoing across the forest with such force the ground seemed to vibrate beneath her feet. His head wiped up and a murderous glowing gaze settled upon her making her instincts reel back. A ravenous snarl being thrown at her as he tried to climb the walls. Growling and snarling and clawing.
Aurora could do nothing but stare. Frozen in place as their gazes held.
The main sign that a vaewolf had gone insane mid-transformation was their silver gaze. And the unnatural bloodlust and madness in their eyes of course.
He had the last two.
But his eyes...
They were wrong.
One had stayed yellow but the other one... It was silver.
That shouldn't be possible. It shouldn't be possible at all.