A/N All the reviews were great, they always make my day. Keep them coming, they encourage me writing more … and with any luck even faster. ;-)

I hadn't planned to change the POV in this story but as it turned out, it was necessary to let somebody else speak for a change.

Over the next two or three chapters you will learn a little bit more about our two other vampires, Peter and Charlotte, their relationship with each other and of course their history with the Major. I know that you are all very curious about the mystery girl's background story, but that will have to wait; for now I won't let her speak (don't want to spoil the fun). Anyway … I promise that most of the story will be told from Jasper's POV (it's my favorite anyway).

Well enough said, on with the show! Oh before I forget … there is a lemon in here somewhere. So you've been warned.

Enjoy!

Chapter 6

Peter POV

Neither one of us was in any hurry to return back to the house, but for completely different reasons though. Whereas I simply needed some time to think and process everything my brother had just told me, Jasper was clearly just stalling, dragging his feet, behaving almost like a petulant child.

Of course, I knew why. To put it mildly, he wasn't looking forward to face my mate's wrath. He was probably hoping some more time would work into his favor, giving her the opportunity to calm down some. Oh, Jasper, time is so not the issue here …

Sure, physically Charlotte was no match for him – neither was I for that matter, not really anyway – but then again I knew he wasn't afraid of her using any kind of physical violence against him. Quite the contrary actually, I was pretty sure he would gladly take any form of beating over my mate's verbal attacks. He truly hated getting rebuked by her. And it seemed to happen at least once every time he came to visit, in some form or another. It was a given. Maybe it was part of the reason why he didn't stay for long. My wife truly had a talent to make him feel small, inferior even. And something like that never sat well with the Major.

I thought it was kinda hilarious, considering that he was the most feared vampire on this continent … but then again I knew how vicious my wife could be using nothing but her quick tongue.

And what a wicked, talented tongue she has … I smirked. Pictures of my mate kneeling before me, opening her sweet little mouth, taking everything I had to offer, assaulted my brain. And it was a very, very nice vision. Charlotte was certainly a pro at giving blowjobs. I shook my head vehemently, knowing that now was not the right time.

Enough of this … back to the subject! I reprimanded myself. Just to be safe, I peeked at Jasper from under my eyelashes. I was afraid he might have noticed my 'slipup'. But fortunately for me he hasn't. He leisurely walked by my side, lost in his own thought process.

To tell the truth, more often than not Jasper has deserved the scolding. He was an old soul, but in some ways still so young, immature. He certainly still had so much to learn … not only about true, positive feelings like trust, compassion, and love. He might be an empath, but in all those years he still hadn't managed to put it to good use. Given his past, I could understand his reluctance to embrace his gift. Maria had done nothing but exploit his special talent, abusing him in the worst kind of ways, physically and emotionally. This was why he thought of his gift as a curse, not a blessing.

But I begged to differ, I always have. Countless times I'd offered him my assistance. All I wanted was to help him get control of his gift, teaching him how to use it properly, maybe even help him learn some kind of defense mechanism against any kind of emotional onslaught while we were at it. But every time he'd declined, claiming that he didn't need my help, and that he was doing just fine on his own. Like hell he was, stupid, stubborn son of a bitch. Let's face it, Jasper had left the pit decades ago, things should have changed by now. But they hadn't. His choice of lifestyle, spending most time on his own, away from anyone, wasn't beneficial for his mental state, far from it. In my opinion it had made things worse, more complicated.

And this leads us right back to where we are now … I concluded. Once again Jasper had shown his insensitivity, his disregard for the feelings of others. Pretty pitiful, considering he is an empath.

In my opinion my first … well more like my second reaction was totally justified. I couldn't help it anyway. When my eyes had fallen on the easy recognizable wound on the sleeping girl's neck, I'd just snapped. In fact, it had taken every ounce of my willpower not to rip out his throat and tear him limp from limp right there and then.

To say that I was relieved when I'd found out the truth was an understatement. Sure, deep down, I'd never believed Jasper would stoop that low and take on a human pet, not after what he'd been forced to witness during our shared time with the bitch from hell, Maria. I knew for a fact that he'd more than despised her for using that kind of torture on all those humans … for nothing more than to satisfy her own sadistic needs. There was really no other purpose behind this cruel act.

The sight of the neck wound had brought back very old and very bad memories to the forefront of my mind. I'd hoped to never be reminded of that again, at least not like that. It was enough to have the evidence being flaunted right into my face each and every day. Sure, these days the countless bite wounds, once covering my mate's beautiful, human body had been replaced with bite marks of a different kind, almost matching mine in shape and numbers, but the memories had never fainted.

It was okay … well maybe not okay but I was used to it by now, not actually seeing them anymore. And it wasn't like she wasn't beautiful anymore. Char would always be the most attractive woman to me, scars or no scars. But they were there, constant reminders of what we'd had to live through to get where we were now. But at the same time they also showed what we'd accomplished. Against all odds we'd survived … and stayed together.

I distinctly remembered the circumstances when Char had received her last vampire bite mark, since it was the first and only one I had put on her body …

We ran … we just ran … with no particular destination in mind, purely driven by the desperate need to put as much distance as possible between us and the pit we'd just managed to escape. I knew we weren't followed, but still … better safe than sorry, right? Since we couldn't stay in our home state Texas, we headed up north. It was the most logical choice, less sunny days and lots of wilderness, an easy place to stay hidden.

We barely exchanged a word since we'd left Texas, both knowing it was a fucking miracle that we were still alive.

I'd seen it for what it was … the perfect and only chance. I'd realized at once I had to take it. And now I was more than glad that I hadn't wavered, otherwise my mate would be dead by now … and probably me too. I still couldn't believe that Jasper had let us go, just like that.

I knew that Maria wouldn't ask him about Charlotte's whereabouts, since she'd ordered him to get rid of her, but she would certainly miss me, her trusty Captain. Well, what a pity, but to tell the truth I've stopped playing that role the minute I'd first laid my eyes on my future mate. In that moment something had shifted inside of me, bringing forth an instant, irrevocably change.

Part of me was worried what he was going to tell our Mistress, worried if he'd risked to much by letting us go … but unfortunately there wasn't anything I could do about that.

Jasper and I had never been close. It wasn't that I hadn't wanted that … no quite the opposite, given that he was my sire and all that, there already was a bond between us, even if it was very faint. But Jasper was very reserved … socially speaking … always just being the Major, cold and withdrawn, keeping his distance from everybody. Not really surprising. None of us invested feelings lightly in something like friendship or even love, knowing that it could be a risk, a weakness that could be exploited, not only by our enemies.

This was why I'd hidden mine. I'd taught Charlotte very early, when she'd been still human, how to do the same. We knew that we were taking a huge risk, but it was worth it in the end.

I would never forget the expression on Jasper's face, when he'd finally realized what had eluded him for so long. A flicker of hope …

Charlotte and I fed on the way, but only twice. I could tell from Charlotte's twitchy behavior that she didn't feel very comfortable to stop running for any length of time, but as always she took her time choosing the right victim, and I let her. She wouldn't feed of just anybody. I'd noticed pretty quickly that she only fed on male humans, never on a female. Even in her early days as a newborn she had been lucid enough to make that choice. It was quite remarkable actually. Maybe it had something to do with her last experiences as a human, but I'd never asked for a reason. It was bad enough that she could remember every detail about those last six months. I'd hoped that she would have forgotten everything … well not everything, but at least the bad stuff. But as it was, she seemed to get driven by those memories, not slowed down. Her will to survive was strong … and so was her hunger for revenge.

"One day … one day she will pay for all of this, I'll make sure of that." She'd vowed, shortly after she'd been forced to fight and kill for the first time. Of course, she'd made sure that no one could overhear us. I hadn't contradicted her, but I hadn't encouraged her either. As long as the Major was on Maria's side, she was basically untouchable. It would have been suicide to try anything.

Anyhow … for the moment our plans for revenge were the last thing on my mind. I just wanted to get my mate to safety … far, far away.

We finally found a small abandoned cabin deep in the woods, somewhere in northern Canada. It was fairly obvious that it had been vacant for quite some time. I estimated it had been used for hunting purposes. How fitting!

"Peter, how long can we stay here?" Charlotte asked, sounding weary. I knew that she wasn't physically tired, but the events of this day were starting to wear on her. To tell the truth, we both needed a breather.

"I think it's safe enough to stay for a while, if you like." I answered, pulling Charlotte into my arms. She went willingly, melting into my embrace.

I buried my head in her blond locks, breathing in her luscious scent. "I love you." I said, sighing in contentment.

"I love you too … more than anything." She replied, taking a deep breath. I could feel the tension starting to leave her body. I knew it would take some time … for both of us … to stop looking over our shoulders.

We took the next five minutes to evaluate the state of things in the cabin. We were in luck. Aside from the small water damage in one of the rooms, it was in pretty good shape. It wouldn't take too long to fix anything broken, but I knew I wouldn't do that tonight.

Right now I had other plans. I led my mate back into the small bedroom.

"Hmmm …" she purred, as I kissed along her throat.

"I need you." I mumbled against her skin, tugging at her shirt.

"Then you shall have me." She permitted, lifting her arms thus making it easier for me to remove her shirt. Part of me wanted to tear her clothes off of her, but I knew that wouldn't be wise, because they were all we owned at the moment.

The other part of me wanted to take his time, savoring the moment, celebrating our victory.

We undressed each other slowly, layer by layer. I laid her on the small bed, and began to caress every inch of her body, lovingly, thoroughly. She relaxed more and more, clearly feeling safe in my presence … protected and loved. She knew I would do everything to keep her safe and happy, and vice versa.

We kissed and caressed each other for what seemed like hours. When I finally entered her, we both moaned loudly, in a mixture of relief and pure pleasure. She was still so tight, like the first time I'd done this. Back then she'd been a virgin and still human, and I'd had to mind every move I'd made, in order to keep her safe. Now things were different. I was able to use my entire strength, and speed, but the feeling remained just the same. It was pure bliss. I was home.

I thrusted in and out of her, slowly at first, allowing her to feel each inch of my length, caressing her from the inside. She was warm, tight and oh so wet, I never wanted it to end. But finally she couldn't take this gentle treatment any longer, begging me to move faster. I rolled onto my back, pulling her with me, handing the reigns over to her. She immediately began to ride me in earnest.

It was a glorious sight, her breasts bouncing with each thrust. Her nipples were hard, begging to be licked, and bitten. I moved into a sitting position, suckling on them in alternating turns. Her moans got louder, joined by my growls of pleasure. In this position, we were quickly nearing the end. I licked and kissed my way up to her neck, and like always I had to fight the urge to bite down. I wanted to mark her so badly. I didn't know how long I would be able to resist this natural impulse, but I was scared. I didn't want to hurt her … not like this, not ever.

Somehow she seemed to know what I wanted, without me saying it out loud. She tilted her head sideways, giving me more access to her neck. "Do it!" She said.

I stopped mid-thrust, staring at her in shock. I couldn't believe it, but she sounded so sure. And even more, I couldn't see any sign of indecision in her red eyes, only trust and love. "Char, love … are you sure? You don't have to have to do this."

She smiled warmly, affectionately. "I know you want this, I want it too."

I kissed her with all my passion. "Oh God, I love you so much, Charlotte."

"Me too, Peter, me too. This mark will be our symbol. A new beginning, an icon of our union. I belong to you, only to you." She began moving again, up and down my shaft. I met each of her thrusts with my own. When our orgasms finally took over we both sank our teeth in each other's necks. Oddly, the stinging of our venom wasn't as bad as I'd imagined. If anything it heightened the already strong sensation of our mutual release.

When the feeling subsided, I fell on my back, pulling her with me. We were both exhausted, but blissfully happy. We clung to each other, lovingly licking the bite marks, sealing them shut.

We stayed like this for hours, still joined, bathing in the aftermath of the final step of making our union as mates.

I came out from that memory, with a smile on my face. That day had truly changed everything, and not only for us.

Char and I had stayed in the cabin for almost a year, only leaving it to feed or get any supplies we'd needed, like new clothes. It had been our first real home. The cabin was still there. Today we actually owned the property. And once in a while we returned there to celebrate, making it a sort of anniversary thing, spending days at a time doing nothing but have sex. Lots and lots of sex. Good times …

Me and my mate had come a long way, learning how to deal with the aftermath of our pasts. It was safe to say that it had gotten easier with time … a lot of time. Acceptance was the only solace, since forgetting was out of our reach. But it was enough. All that mattered was that we were safe and happy. And we were.

And our lives had stayed quiet … for the most part. I had returned to Texas only once, for the sole purpose to repay the favor, in getting Jasper out of hell. Since then neither one of us had returned back home, even though things had clearly changed since then. We hadn't heard so much as a peep from Maria. Jasper and I were convinced that she was lying low, maybe even ceased her plans for world domination. But in the end it didn't really matter what the bitch was up to or not, as long as she left us alone, we wouldn't have a reason to prepare for a fight.

Finally, Jasper and I made it out of the woods, entering the backyard of the house. We came to a halt near his car, and I turned around to face my friend. I couldn't help myself, voicing my earlier thoughts out loud. "If I didn't know it any better, I would say that you're scared, Major." I taunted, daring him with a challenging look to try and contradict me.

"Arghhh, shut the fuck up." He growled in response, but not denying anything. It would have been pointless anyway. The strained look on his face was proof enough, but it was his emotions that truly gave him away. He'd been projecting them the entire time; there was mostly guilt, spiced with a little dosage of anxiety. "And just for the record your woman is scary." We kept our voices low, so Charlotte wouldn't be able to eavesdrop on our conversation.

"You don't say?" I replied, shrugging uncaringly. "But can you blame her? Or me? For reading the signs wrong?"

"No, probably not." Jasper conceded, but only half-heartedly. He glanced over to the house, pinpointing his gaze onto the second floor, frowning. He stayed quiet for a few seconds, concentrating hard, trying to get a read on the mood of my mate from where he was standing. Suddenly he huffed. "Yeah, just like I'd thought. She is pretty pissed … and very concerned. Maybe I should …"

I didn't let him finish. "Maybe you should do something to show her that you care about her feelings … and the human, too. Even if it's not completely true. Whatever … How about you head into the next town and get some supplies." I suggested, not out of courtesy, more out of necessity. Allowing him to go into the house before I had the chance to explain things to my mate would probably only end up in a fight, or at least a screaming match. And I didn't have the nerve or the time for either one of them. So I came up with the next best thing, sending him off to do something useful.

"Supplies … like what?" Jasper asked, confused.

Was he kidding me? "Food and water, you idiot. The girl will need it … a lot of beverages if memory serves. You better get some pain medication as well, like Aspirin or Tylenol, just ask for help in a drugstore." I told him.

"That's fine by me." He agreed at once, acting a little too eager for my taste. I was a little surprised that he didn't object to the fact that it was me to give him an order for a change. Jasper tried to walk past me towards the car, but I grabbed his arm, stopping him.

"Don't think about skipping off, and leaving us hanging with the human. She is your responsibility, not ours." I reminded him sternly, letting go of his arm, when he started growling.

"I thought you didn't want me near her." He snorted.

"Yes, and I'd meant what I'd said. You won't get a chance to hurt her, ever again. But I think we both know that you owe her an apology." I raised my eyebrows, crossing my arms.

"Apology for what? Not giving her what she wanted." He scoffed, shaking his head.

"Jasper." I growled more or less in warning. My guess was that he was just trying to provoke me, so I decided to play along. "You better go, before I change my mind and set my wife on you … without telling her about the misunderstanding." I threatened. "Or we could just continue what we've started back there. It's your call. And don't think that I can't take you. I've got skills, man."

"Yeah, right." He chuckled. "Maybe later." He opened the door to the backseat, reaching inside and then tossing me a bag. "That's all she owns. Maybe you'll need it, in case she wakes up before I am able to make it back here." A second later he was behind the wheel, speeding down the lane as fast as possible.

He was escaping, sort of. For a moment there I was concerned that he would just leave, taking the easy way out, but after what he'd just told me in the woods, I was sure that he would be back. He might be taking his time, but he would return, because he was too damn curious. But there was something else, something I couldn't quite put my finger on … yet. Getting answers didn't seem to be the only reason that had inspired his interest in the girl.

I turned around and walked into the house, upstairs to find my mate.

A/N So what do you think? Does this insight scoop answer some of your questions? Well, at least one, I hope. I guess it's obvious that Peter doesn't have a special power. As much as I like this 'knowing-shit-stuff' I think it's starting to get old. And Peter doesn't need a gift to be special, don't you think?

Next time I'll give you Charlotte's point of view.