Author Note

My Muse decided that she could go on vacation, without taking any leave.

This chapter was a bitch to write due to that, but I finally got it!

It took me over a week to even get a satisfactory start going, but here we are, almost two weeks later and it is finished.

Ok, enough ranting. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 19

[Jasper PoV]

Teenagers were a pest.

This was the thought that came to my mind over and over, during today's school day. I had thought that being constantly surrounded by dozens of newborn Vampires while being an empath, had been the worst, but I was tempted to revoke that statement and say; Being an empath in a school full of teenagers, jacked up on hormones, was truly the worst.

All the Lust, Jealousy, Anger, Love, Hatred, and more was hammering against my brain from all sides, constantly. Even with me reigning in the range of my Gift to only the people in the same room as me, it was still making my head swim.

At least there was ONE Positive that my current suffering brought on.

The constant nausea inducing emotions all around me were distracting me from my thirst. More than just distracting even. This cesspool of human emotion made any desire I might have had to even so much as sip from one of them dry up real fast. I knew that it was impossible, but I feared that I may catch something from these disgusting…

"Jazzy! Come on up, the others are waiting for us already!"

I was broken out of my musings by my overly energetic Mate, pulling me from my chair in the history class that had just ended. The teacher was desperately trying to be heard over the sound of almost thirty students rushing out of the room. Not one of them even pretended to listen, in favor of getting their weekend started as fast as possible. The fact that he still tried to give out homework, even though we would graduate in not even a week, made his attempts look even more foolish.

Alice and I were the last to leave the classroom, and the depressed teacher inside it, behind.

I almost groaned, when more and more erratic emotions crashed into my mind as she pulled me through the overcrowded hallways. I did what I always did, in situations like this. I concentrated with all my mind onto the emotions of just one person. That person also happened to be my most favorite being in this world.

My frightening little Monster of a Mate, Alice.

Excitement. Excitement. Love. Annoyance. Worry. Relief. Happiness. Love. And back to Excitement.

She had been excitedly talking about the newest fashion collection, but got worried for me and annoyed at the people around us, when she noticed me being unwell. A quick smile and a light squeeze to her tiny hand, soothed her worry and made her smile return, after which she went right back to talking at almost lightspeed.

I smiled and simply enjoyed her voice.

When we finally got out of the madhouse that they called 'school', we immediately walked towards our siblings. Emmett and Rosalie were waiting for us, next to the monstrosity that was Emmett's car.

He drove a heavily modified Wrangler-Style Jeep. It was like a mirror of its owner. Overly big, loud and strong as all hell. Before Markus came around, Emmett had been the strongest non-newborn Vampire I had ever met. But Markus' power was so absurd, that it would be unfair to count him in, to be honest. He was in a whole other category, while Emmett stayed the strongest 'normal' Vampire in my head.

Proving the loud part also true at that moment, Emmett called out for us. In a VERY noticeable way.

"HEEEEEYYY! WE ARE HERE! What took you so long?! COME ON, let's go already!" He hollered over to us, while waving his big meaty arm in the air.

The humans near him were covering away from his deafeningly loud voice. His wide grin showed that this was the intended outcome. He knew of course that we knew where they were, due to us being vampires and also due to it being literally impossible to miss the giant Jeep and its equally giant owner. He simply wanted to mess with people. Us and anyone around.

Alice waved back at him with equal enthusiasm and ran up to him for a jumping high-five, while I rubbed my temples. My headache suddenly intensified. I wondered why…

Rosalie swatted her Mate against the arm and sent me an apologetic look. I reassured her with a weak smile.

"You're right, let's get going. I can't wait to rest my head a little." I said and swiftly jumped into the backseat.

Alice jumped in right after me and swiftly snuggled into my side. Emmett looked like he wanted to say something annoying again, but one glare from Rosalie shut him up. They sat down also and Emmett FINALLY got to driving.

I watched the scenery go by as we drove and it wasn't long until we drove through the forest towards our house.

We were almost home, when I caught a scent that I hadn't smelled in almost a month. The rest also smelled it and I had to hold back Alice, so she wouldn't jump out and rush ahead. Her happiness was almost blinding to my senses. Rosalie and Emmett were also visibly excited and Emmett pushed the gas pedal to the ground. I myself carried a small smile also. We were all happy about the same thing.

Markus was at our house, and considering his previous state that could only mean one thing.

He had finally eaten and wasn't starving himself any longer.

The whole family had protested against his decision, when he told us about it, after the first signs of his starvation showed. He had been incredibly stubborn though. Not even the combined might of all the women had been able to sway him. I had even sneakily tweaked his emotions during each persuasion attempt, but nothing had worked.

Not surprising, to be honest. That was the guy that was functioning pretty much on will alone. Anyone who could move and talk like normal, while feeling the deepest physical pain I had ever sensed in anyone ever, had to be stubborn as all hell also.

There were two ways I could imagine why he finally caved.

The first would be that Leah had begged him on her knees with tears and all the extras. Which also could have only worked, if he was either in too much pain or too incapacitated to reassure her. She had tried before after all. And the second way would be, well…

He must have been literally dying of starvation.

He never explicitly told us why he was starving himself, but none of us failed to determine his thought process.

He starved himself to buy more time for his Mate.

And after he determined that it was killing him instead, he stopped.

As a former soldier, I could only respect his pragmatism and sheer will.

As a mated Vampire, I could only praise his dedication to his mate.

But as a friend and brother, I wanted to smash his face in, after hunting some Vampires myself and force feeding them to him.

I was broken from my musings, when Alice left my side to rush out of the car and into the house. Looked like we arrived, while I was lost in thought. The rest of us followed her at a more normal pace, after Emmett parked at his normal spot.

The scene that expected us, as we entered the living room, made Emmett burst out into bellowing laughter. Rosalie and I also couldn't hold some amused giggles and chuckles.

Markus was indeed here and seemed well, considering his current situation. This situation involved him sitting in the middle of the room, with his head down, as Esme walked back and forth in front of him, while scolding him. Alice was, unheeding of the mood, sitting on his shoulders and hugging his head, with arms and legs. Leah was also there, standing beside Esme, with her arms crossed, and was nodding along with her words, while she looked torn between scolding him herself and laughing at the current situation.

This picture was simply hilarious, pure and simple. The strongest, most powerful Vampire I had ever met, who also happens to hunt and consume our kind on a regular basis, was getting scolded like a naughty human child by a woman, a Vampire to boot, half his mass. The most powerful being I know, being brought to his knees by one motherly Vampire.

I knew of course why that was. Markus had shown extreme care and respect towards Esme from the start. One of the principles that he followed with all his being was to respect and protect Mothers and their families.

Again he hadn't told us that himself, but Edward had told Carlisle and me about his thoughts in private. That was at the beginning, then we still viewed him as a potential danger. That concern had been laid to rest after just a week. In that time, it became clear that he had no intentions whatsoever to harm any of us, especially not Esme. Not that we would have been able to stop him, if he had wished to kill us all…

I lightly shook my head, to get rid of these thoughts, and averted my eyes from the comedy worthy scene. Just then I noticed that Carlisle was also in the room. He was sitting on one of the couches, apparently also enjoying the show. I was surprised to see him, actually. He had been pretty adamant about staying holed up in his lab so far. I was happy to see him come out for once, but I wasn't naive. There was probably a reason for that. An important one at that. I could think of some possible reasons, but decided to wait for him to explain, before jumping to conclusions.

"... and that is not even half of the reasons why it was a stupid idea and why you should listen to us more, you stubborn boy! But the rest can wait for another time, now stand up. I want to finally hug you again." Esme seemingly finished her rant and pulled him up and into her arms. Alice jumped from his shoulders at that and seamlessly switched from clinging to his head to hanging from his neck down his back, like a pixie-shaped cape.

Markus looked startled at the sudden change in tone, but indulged her and closed his arms around her with a soft smile. He also slightly leaned his head back, so that it bumped against Alice's hair, in a subtle show of affection.

"Maaan looks like we missed most of the show! Too bad really, I would have loved to record that. The big bad Markus getting scolded like a naughty kid! Hahahaha that's just great!" Emmett made his presence known with some teasing remarks.

Markus turned his head towards him and sent him a glare, but couldn't keep his lips from twitching in amusement. He turned to Rosalie and me afterwards.

"It's good to see you guys again. Sorry about my absence. As you can see, Esme was lecturing me already about that." He greeted us with a friendly smile, which turned into a sheepish expression at the end.

"Oh, I hope she did, but don't think you are off the hook! It will take A LOT for you to make it up to Esme, Alice, Leah and me!" Rosalie rebuked him, visibly angry. She had her hands on her hips and was glaring at him, with her patented death glare.

A guilty look returned to his features and he opened his mouth, to apologize undoubtedly, but she continued before he could start.

"But apart from that… it is good to see you too. Welcome back." A rarely seen, warm smile lit up her face and her features softened in general, as she said that.

In moments like these I could freely admit that Rosalie was an extremely beautiful woman. Her signature cold glare and her generally more negative emotions, made her unattractive in my eyes at most times. But in rare moments like these, where she showed some of her warm and caring side on the outside and inside, I could understand why she was seen as the most beautiful. Well, second most beautiful, more like. No one could beat Alice in the beauty department, or any department for that matter. And that was a FACT.

Markus seemed to have similar thoughts to mine, looking at his appreciative expression and the happy smile that returned at her words. He thanked her for her words and turned his attention to me afterwards.

He simply smiled at me and I tilted my head in greeting, with a slight grin. He chuckled and returned the gesture. I wasn't one for many words and we had a deeper understanding at this point, anyway. One simple nod and smile, said more than enough.

It sounded weird, but in the short time that we interacted with each other, before he had to isolate himself, we had just 'clicked', as Alice would say. We had many things in common. actually.

We were both very pragmatic and straightforward people.

We were both ready and willing to do things that others would recoil from in horror.

We both had gone through similar things and accepted what it made us.

We were both Warriors.

And most importantly…

We were both Monsters.

Both of us had spent extended periods of time in constant carnage. Both of us had killed so many people that we had lost count. And both of us enjoyed it. I had never told that to anyone. Not even Alice knew. At the start of my new life, I had always tried to deny it even to myself, but deep down I had always known…

I enjoyed the fighting and killing.

The feeling of bodies breaking under my hands. The overwhelming pleasure that shot through me at their pained screams. The feeling of triumph, when my foes laid broken and dead at my feet. The pure elation of using my abilities to their fullest extent. The constant knowledge that one mistake could spell my death.

All of that and more had been the highlights of my life before I met Alice. If I hadn't had the unpleasant task of disposing of useless Newborns, and if Peter and Charlotte had not convinced me to leave… if I only ever had the option to be a simple fighter and not an officer, I probably wouldn't have left the war. The pure carnage on the battlefield had been my only joy.

And Markus understood that feeling.

He was the same, if not even more so.

He didn't have a Gift that made him sense the misery of his victims, that tainted his own enjoyment. He had indulged in bloodshed without repercussions for all his life. He had been a Monster without any stops. And there was the crux of the matter again.

We were both Monsters, who craved violence and bloodshed.

We accepted and embraced it.

He had said it in his little speech towards Bella, and the rest had nodded along, but only the two of us knew that there was more that he left unsaid.

He was right, that they all had the potential to be Monsters. But even if they embraced their instincts fully, none of them could even come near to the level of Monstrosity that the two of us were. We wouldn't allow that to happen. Under any circumstances.

Two were already more than enough.

I had honestly been in awe, when I first realized how alike we were. It was almost like he was the brother that I never had. I could honestly say that, after these few months, I trusted Markus the most with my back, between our siblings. The knowledge that there was now someone else, who was as ready to get his hands dirty as me and just as ready to protect this family with all his might, while staying controlled, made me breathe easier.

"Ladies, I think he understands his mistake by now and won't repeat it again. Now, how about we all sit down. Markus and Leah have some important things to tell us." Carlisle's calm voice ended my reminiscing.

Markus' expression lost its smile and turned serious as he moved to sit down, with Leah not far behind. Alice and Esme had let go of him and moved to sit with Carlisle and me respectively. Markus waited until Emmett and Rosalie were also seated, before starting.

"Before I start, I have to ask; Where are Edward and Bella? They should probably also hear this."

"Little Miss Sunshine, went to visit her wolfy 'best friend' and Emoward is probably slinking around the border, waiting for his Sweetheart to return from her date."

Markus looked more than confused at Emmett's unique way of explaining the situation. I was about to translate, when Leah let out a longsuffering groan and did it herself.

"Bella went to LaPush to spend time with Jacob and Edward drove her and is probably waiting to drive her home or here, after."

That didn't seem to clear his confusion, he seemed even more confused even.

"But why did Emmett call it a date? I thought Edward and Bella were a mated pair? Is Edward some kind of cuck?" His voice became more and more incredulous as he asked away.

I couldn't help my snort at the last part. He had a point, to be honest. Rosalie also sported a malicious grin and giggled, while Emmett almost fell from the couch, due to laughter. I could feel Alice's frame shake in silent laughter at my side.

Carlisle kept his expression neutral, while Esme looked like she was about to scold him again, but Rosalie was faster.

"The whole situation is pretty fucked and I would suggest, for your own sanity, to not think about it further. Believe me, you are lucky that you didn't have to see that shitshow from the start, or at all. Just forget it and get started. Edward can simply read what you said from our minds and Bella will learn through him." She told him in an exasperated tone, while rubbing her left temple with two fingers. Her amusement having left, during her speech.

I could understand her sudden headache. It wasn't that we hated Edward or Bella, for the most part in the latter's case, but the whole situation with Edward, Bella and Jacob was grating to think about. Bella and Edward were already bad enough, with some of their weird interactions, but I would have been happy if it had just stayed at that.

I shook my head to get that situation out of my mind and Markus also seemed inclined to follow Rosalie's advice. An expression of remembrance came over his features and he shot Leah a questioning look. She let out another sigh and nodded. That apparently was enough for him.

He schooled his features and seemingly gathered his thoughts.

"Then let's proceed. There are two points I want to touch on. You have some info on both already. One being my current condition and the other being the army that seems determined to destroy us."

My back straightened at his words and my whole body tensed. This was something that was on my mind, since the moment I confirmed that there was an army forming. I could feel my lust for battle rising, but pushed it down. I needed to focus.

"You all should probably know that someone built an army of Newborns not far from here. Jasper confirmed that already. I myself learned about this just yesterday from Carlisle, after he called me to him during my hunt, and as you can probably imagine, I wanted to go out and deal with this threat myself."

As he said, that wasn't surprising. The pragmatic part of me knew that that was probably the best course of action. Markus was more than capable of disposing of this threat, while getting a feast out of it, at the same time. My pride and battlelust were decidedly less for it, but my musings cut off, when I noticed the grim look that appeared on his face.

"That isn't such an easy option any longer, sadly."

That made all of us startled for a second, but I felt that Leah and Carlisle were the only ones not surprised. Carlisle's emotions were as calm as before, with just a slight bit of concern. Leah was less calm, but still not as startled as these ominous words from her mate should have made her feel. There was Concern, Love, Hope and Fear swirling in her mind, but no surprise. She was playing with one of Markus' hands, probably in an attempt to calm her nerves.

From her emotions and some well educated guesses, I was able to come to one conclusion.

"That is about your condition. Carlisle found something. Something bad."

My cold calculated words cut through the silence, like a knife. My face was frozen in a hard mask as I let my cold military mind take over. Panicking wouldn't help anyone here. I couldn't let my own worries and sentiments cloud my thoughts, when it came to the potential demise of my brother and possibly my whole family.

He calmly returned my gaze, his features neutral. He didn't seem surprised that I was the first to figure it out.

"Yes and no. Carlisle did find out something and that is the reason for my prior statement, but it isn't something purely bad. It would be better, if Carlisle explained it, though." He answered, before looking at Carlisle.

The rest of us also turned to him and he gave us all his usual calm smile.

"I will try not to bore you with the scientific lingo and keep it comprehensible. I found out that Markus' condition is more complex than any of us had thought. The damage doesn't stop at his skin and flesh. His very DNA is affected. It is in an uproar. Scrambled to an almost unrecognizable degree. And all of that around the 26th pair of chromosomes that he has, somehow. For reference, vampires should have 25 pairs, while humans have 23 pairs in general. I have never encountered a vampire that had more or less. Not even gifted ones. Until now. My theory is that his 26th pair is changing his DNA as a whole. And that is putting an enormous strain on his body. The fact that he is as intact and functioning as he is right now, is a miracle on its own."

The uproar of emotions that I felt coming from our family, made it even harder than it was anyway to keep my own emotions contained. Shock, Worry, Concern, Pain, Fear, Desperation and more were flooding my senses and made my head feel like it was about to burst. Exclamations of worry and questions sounded through the room. My own rising anger didn't help. Alice's hand on my shoulder didn't help. After several moments of this storm I had enough.

Anyone speaking at that moment quieted down, when I let out a deep growl. At the same time I sent a wave of calm through the room, forcefully beating down any over emotions. I enjoyed the silence for a few moments, while massaging the bridge of my nose with closed eyes, before looking up.

Everyone was looking at me with varying degrees of surprise or concern. Not surprising really. I wasn't one to lose my cool like that. Ever. I let out a sigh before breaking the booming silence.

"I apologize, I let myself get overwhelmed there. But still; I think Carlisle wasn't finished yet. Let's wait until he tells us all he has to say, before we let hysteria take hold." I spoke, while sending subtle waves of calm around the room, before giving Carlisle a nod.

He sent me a warm smile, before continuing his explanation.

"Well, as I said, Markus DNA is in an uproar at the moment and probably has been for a while. My theory is that the cause of it is his Gift. I think it does not simply enhance his abilities and makes him able to consume Vampires. I think these are just the byproducts of what it truly does. My theory is that his Gift is transforming him into something else. His heightened capabilities are caused by his slow transformation. The need for Vampire flesh came about, due to it being the fuel for this process. I was able to predict some movements and find some order in the chaos, that is Markus' DNA. And from what I was able to piece together from all the samples I examined, I can theorize that the process is in its end phases. This also means that the most dramatic changes are still in the process of happening. His body is currently under tremendous danger of simply breaking down, under the weight of these changes. There is at best a fifty-fifty chance that he will come out of this alive."

Shocked silence reigned once more, after his words.