DISCLAIMER: SM owns all Twilight characters and settings. No copyright infringement intended.
WARNING: Contains graphic scenes of sexual violence and dominant/submissive behaviors. This chapter is more sexual than the previous. Consider yourself warned.
Edward/Jasper slash but don't forget, all canon couples. ;o)
CPOV
"See if you can catch me Edward." Bella's voice drifted up from the trees some distance away from the house. Her squeal and subsequent giggles confirmed that whatever game they were playing was brought to an abrupt end much to her delight.
"Next time I'll try giving you a mile head start." Edward responded, laughing at the idea that she could ever outrun him as a human.
Their good natured frolicking was music to my ears and I couldn't help but eavesdrop occasionally, enjoying my once disillusioned son's happiness and high spirits.
It had been two months since I'd confronted Edward about his aggressive behavior towards me and reaffirmed my dominance over him as coven leader as was my duty to the rest of my family. Edward did not dwell on the incident much to my surprise and embraced his new found role within the family with enthusiasm and acceptance.
When our move to Duluth was delayed by some problems with contractors consequently delaying Bella's change, he accepted the news without bemoaning over changing dates again to accommodate construction issues. Instead he solemnly explained the situation to Bella, who though eager to become one of us in every sense of the word, used the additional time to enjoy her human life and family even traveling to Florida without Edward one last time to visit her mother.
Now as our time in Forks gradually wound down, I could only look back on the last few years with a sense of relief that it was over. The endless drama, angst and emotional turmoil were days I did not remember fondly. I was eager for us to start over as a family and become acquainted with a son that I always knew was there, buried under the layers of self loathing and despondency he'd cloaked himself in for almost a century.
Yet despite all the evidence to the contrary, I still had a nagging feeling that our final days in Forks weren't going to be harmonious and without conflict and it had nothing to do with my loneliness over Esme's absence. She'd gone to Duluth to supervise the final renovations and as she mused, "take names and bash heads." Construction woes aside, I didn't need to be a mind reader to know she had some surprises in store for her family and my guess was that she wanted to be there to put the last minute touches on the home that we would hopefully live in for the next ten years. Bella's newborn status and her ability to control her thirst could force us to move before then, but Esme, always the optimist assumed between the seven of us, we keep her away from humans. Still I missed my mate, her presence alone could alleviate my fears no matter that they were completely valid.
There wasn't one instance that I could put my finger on that triggered my latest round of foreboding. It was rather a culmination of events that elicited my unease and made me more watchful whenever Edward and Jasper were in the same vicinity of each other. It was no secret that Jasper's behavior on the night I forced Edward to recognize his role in the family, had created a rift between them. It was neither of my sons' fault. Jasper was reacting to his instincts and was completely justifiable in attempting to establish his dominance over Edward when Edward was at his weakest. Days later after suffering under a shroud of remorse from Jasper, I'd had a long chat with him about why I'd intervened in something that was bound to happen eventually reemphasizing that it was not his fault, that he was being driven by an instinctual need and had every right to take Edward as I'd done.
With Edward, who had none of Jasper's experience in coven dynamics, I carefully explained Jasper's motivation. Covens led by males that contained other males were in an endless struggle to establish their rank. Ideally the coven was led by the strongest most resourceful male best equipped to lead. Any other males in the coven would establish their place through posturing, competition and outright battles resulting in sexual dominance of one over the other. This ensured that a coven always had heirs in waiting should the leader be destroyed or weakened in some way. I had to reassure him that Jasper's obvious attempts to establish his dominance when Edward was at his weakest was a natural response to the newly mated male.
Where Jasper had taken solace in my words, Edward, as usual, refused to be placated by them. He saw Jasper's posturing as a betrayal, refusing to believe that there had been anything natural or justifiable in Jasper's actions. His refusal to empathize with Jasper's situation had consequently put Jasper on the defensive and tensions between the two had escalated with each passing day.
Bella and Alice were caught in the middle. Bella had no idea why Edward suddenly felt such animosity for Jasper. Her human mindset wouldn't yet allow her to understand the dynamics within the coven and I'd advised Edward to keep information from her for the time being. Consequently, he could not rationalize his feelings about Jasper to her and their arguments about the situation did not fall on deaf ears. Alice on the other hand knew entirely too well what was coming and tried without success to defuse the situation with mockery and snide innuendos despite my counsel that she could do nothing to stop the inevitable. At minimum she kept them from hunting alone together and offered defensive tactics that included bringing Bella into their company when their posturing became too intense.
I cursed my stupidity every night as I left for the hospital, wondering what had possessed me to extend my employment past my original resignation date that had come and gone three weeks earlier. I felt my presence at home did more to defuse the situation than any of Alice's antics. My hours in the hospital passed exceedingly slow as I waited for that phone call from Alice that would bring with it news of injury or even death to one of my sons at the hands of the other. Of course, as Esme liked to point out, I took a rather pessimistic view on the situation. Males fought within covens all the time and death was not usually the result of such confrontations. Still, I knew how stubborn Edward could be and I'd seen firsthand Jasper's deadly skills as a fighter. I wasn't sure that Jasper had the control to contain himself if Edward should push him and I knew Edward's temper and lack of experience in submission tactics could conclude with a situation that would haunt him for all the rest of eternity. So to say the situation was ripe with tragedy was a bit of an understatement.
As dusk approached, I heard Edward's soft footsteps approach the house. He carried Bella in his arms as she chatted about the forthcoming overnight visit to her father's house one last time before we left Forks. I expelled the air I hadn't realized I'd been holding releasing the stress that had been building inside of me all day. Knowing Edward would be with Bella at Charlie's house tonight would make the hours spent at the hospital, bearable. Perhaps I would try talking with them both in the same room tomorrow. It did not occur to me that I was ignoring my own advice. I was trying to prevent the inevitable from happening just as Alice did.
EPOV
Bella had been out and out giddy all night in her father's company. Her mood had been so unusually perky that even he raised an eyebrow at her behavior. In his thoughts I could see he was suspicious of it and one look said more than any thoughts from him ever could. I better not even consider about having sex with his daughter under his roof.
Now lying with her in her bed as we'd done so often in the past but this time as husband and wife, I stroked her head listening to her slow even breathing and wondered if she understood that this was perhaps the last time she would spend the night with her father.
Carlisle had decided it was better to wait until after we moved to change Bella so we wouldn't have to deal with trying to get a newborn across five states fighting her thirst for human blood the entire way. That suited me just fine and when our move was delayed consequently delaying her change, I didn't pursue it with Carlisle despite Bella's prodding. I knew Carlisle was making the right decision for all of us.
I was still getting accustomed to my new attitude that had blossomed after Carlisle had forced my submission to his will. Gone was the constant state of anxiety I felt over Bella's upcoming change. I was no longer responsible for the when's and how's and Bella respected Carlisle too much to question his decisions. The resentment I often felt when Carlisle made decisions regarding Bella and myself was gone as I now understand that those decisions were based on the well being of the entire family of which Bella and I were a part of.
Where before I looked at every situation on how it would affect me, I now understood that there were others to consider. I tried not to dwell too much on my irrational behavior over the last few years; the shame I felt after putting my family through hell was too fresh in my mind. Carlisle never chastised or embarrassed me by reminding me of my mistakes. Why had I fought him so much in the past? I could no longer fathom my bad behavior. It was alien to me.
Bella had noticed the change in me too, noticed it from the first day after Carlisle had forced me to submit to him. She said I looked different, peaceful and content as if the weight of the world had been lifted from my shoulders. I had not given her specifics. Carlisle did not think that she would understand as a human, felt it would scare her and make her distrustful of him. I wasn't so sure. Bella was very perceptive and as she herself often pointed out, she felt more vampire than human with each passing day. However, I didn't question Carlisle's advice for a change, and as it turned out, Bella soon forgot about my new more placatory personality accepting it in stride and reveling in our shared delight with our new life.
Initially bewildered by my passive disposition, I quickly learned to appreciate the uninhibited freedom it allowed me to just enjoy my time with Bella and not worry about what the future held for us. I no longer made any big decisions. Carlisle dictated what he thought should be done and I accepted it. Looking back over our decades together, was like looking back on new memories, like I was viewing things from a new perspective through someone else's eyes.
I could recall clearly now, how first Emmett than Jasper would concede to Carlisle's whims, while I argued vigorously in an opposing viewpoint, scoffing at the weak-minded attitude of my brothers. Carlisle had been astonished that I had no inkling what awaited me on the night he demanded my submission to him, assuming I'd picked up bits and pieces of my brothers' own experiences over the years. And now as I thought back, I could remember specific events that preceded my own fateful night with Carlisle, significant now, but overlooked by me at the time.
Emmett, the towering new brother that none of us could hope to over power, meekly cowering at Carlisle's feet shortly after he and Rosalie, for the umpteenth time had destroyed a piece of Esme's favorite furniture during a sexual frenzy. How a stern look from Carlisle could make him wilt in shame and beg for forgiveness as I stood by rolling my eyes at his emasculated behavior.
Or Jasper, who came into our family as a seasoned warrior, his scars affirming his violent past, his eyes holding decade's worth of the horrors he'd witnessed and participated in, his memories so terrifying that I had to finally beg him to stop thinking about it around me, would avert his eyes from the ever patient ever gentle Carlisle, during disagreements and would stammer out responses only after Carlisle pushed him for his opinions. At the time I thought what I perceived to be his cowardice in confronting Carlisle was a product of his past. But now I knew he'd accepted the unspoken rules of a coven saw Carlisle as the unconditional coven leader and had difficulty understanding that his opinion, thoughts or ideas mattered.
Over the years, I developed the attitude that my brothers were cowards in Carlisle's presence and I held a sense of superiority over them that created tensions in our own relationships. Towards me they were anything but docile and compliant. Both were formidable opponents and despite Esme's repeated attempts to thwart our roughhousing, our good natured brawls earned them my respect notwithstanding their kowtowing to Carlisle.
One thing that was always present during minor confrontations between Carlisle and my brothers which I'd never tied directly to their submissive behavior was the pungent odor of lust and arousal. It was a scent that I just assumed was the residue left over from Carlisle and Esme's matings which were frequent in those early days. It could bring Emmett to his knees at Carlisle's feet or make Jasper as soft as a kitten. It wasn't until I found myself abandoning my deer kills to Carlisle that I understood how he'd used it to control my brothers over the last several decades. The power of it was like nothing I'd ever experienced before and it had the same effect on all of us; but until two months ago, I was oblivious to it.
I was astounded at how quickly I'd changed. Now in Carlisle's presence, I felt the same unrelenting need to concede to his whim and accept his decisions. His approval had always been important to me, but now I courted it, my behavior modified, my opinions altered to align with his, so much so that he had to coerce the truth from me when he thought I was lying to appease him.
We still had our family meetings, Bella now had a place at our table and a vote too and it was during these meetings that I noticed how far removed I was from the Edward of the past. Looking back, it was always me that challenged Carlisle before something was brought to a vote. I'd never seen Jasper or Emmett out and out thwart his decisions or align themselves against him. We all had opinions and I'd assumed we all expressed them openly, but now I was beginning to understand how difficult it was for my brothers to speak their mind in front of Carlisle. I found myself simply unable to contradict him, the idea of it abhorrent to me. Carlisle insisted that it was only temporarily. Eventually I would get my confidence back and feel comfortable challenging him.
My hand slid through Bella's hair and she sighed contentedly shuddering a little at my cold touch. My thoughts were of Jasper, the only blotch on my newfound worry free life. Carlisle had explained it to me the day after Jasper's aggressive blustering in the aftermath of my submission to him. Male vampires in the same coven, even mated males could be extremely aggressive towards one another. Emmett and Jasper had resolved their issues years ago and because of his natural good natured attitude and his lack of motivation to lead, Emmett had quickly relented to Jasper without a coupling. Now I was a threat to Jasper, to his place within our family and more importantly I represented a weak link that threatened Alice.
That I didn't understand. I adored Alice and would give my life defending her. How could my existence suddenly be a threat to her safety? Carlisle explained it to me during one of our many conversations that followed my submission to him. If the newborn battle were to occur now after I'd been mated but before Jasper and I had established our ranking within the coven, we would not have been able to put our conflicts aside for the sake of the family. Standing shoulder to shoulder in an apparent show of solidarity, we could have just as easily turned on each other influenced by the sights and smells of the battle which might trigger our instinctual needs to seek domination over a cohabiting male. Unfathomable in my mind, but as Carlisle elucidated, until we established a pecking order we would not be a cohesive fighting unit. Any emotional, stressful or violent situation might elicit our own unresolved issues resulting in a violent confrontation, regardless of the dangers it might present to the rest of the family.
This terrified me. If Bella were anywhere near us when that happened she could be injured or worse. When I expressed my concerns to Carlisle he did not try to ease my fears reaffirming that I was not reverting back to the Edward of old; it was a legitimate concern.
Carlisle insisted a confrontation was coming, how violent it was would be was anyone's guess. Hoping to prevent an escalation to an all out battle with Jasper, I'd faltered, willing to do whatever Jasper needed me to do avoid it. But Carlisle just shook his head.
"No Edward, you can't plan for this, you will react how you were meant to react. You can't hide what you are and you can't fight your instincts, not in this situation."
Carlisle's words filled me with dread. I looked at Bella in my arms and remembered how I'd laid with her so many times like this only to slip out just before dawn. I didn't have to slip out now, but it suddenly occurred to me that now was the perfect opportunity to address my issues with Jasper while Bella was safely in her former bed. Carefully I slid my arm from under her shoulder. It wasn't too late, I would have plenty of time to deal with Jasper and make it back before she awoke. Of course there was always the possibility that she would awake and find me gone. I quickly wrote a note, explaining that I went hunting. Then like so many times in the past, I slipped out her window and silently made my way home. Jasper and I were going to end this one way or another, tonight.
JPOV
"Let's go hunting, Jasper." Alice's whispered voice created a tingling down my spine. My arm tightened around her shoulder. I could think of something I'd rather do than go hunting.
"We just hunted last night, baby."
I nuzzled my face into her neck, my lips nibbling on her flesh. When she did not respond in her usual coy Alice fashion, I lifted my head. The look on her face was pensive and drawn.
"What is it? What do you see?" Her visions dominated our life and I could always recognize when she was reacting to one.
"Let's go hunting….please." She was by the door waiting for me before I realized she was no longer in my arms. Her quickness never ceased to amaze me.
"Not until you tell me why." It wasn't hard to decipher that this need to hunt was in direct correlation with the vision she saw.
"First hunt, then I'll tell you." She wasn't being cooperative and she wasn't going to wait. I could barely make out her tiny steps as she ran down the stairs.
"Emmett….Rosalie, we're going hunting with you after all."
I groaned. I could hear the rumbling of the land rover in our lower garage. I did not want to hunt with Rosalie. She would be ready to leave for home before the hour was up. Rosalie wasn't one that found any thrill in hunting. It was too inhuman for her.
"Hurry up than." Emmett called out cheerfully. For Emmett, hunting was a social event, the more the merrier.
"Jasper." That little pipsqueak was already in the SUV.
I sighed. I'd been looking forward to spending a quiet night at home alone with Alice. It wasn't often that we had the entire house to ourselves. In fact, I couldn't remember the last time. Well I could, if you didn't count the times we went off by ourselves it was four hundred and two days ago to be exact.
With Carlisle at the hospital, Esme in Duluth, Emmett and Rosalie hunting and Edward at Bella's it had promised to be a very gratifying night. What had gotten into Alice? What had she seen?
The wind was particularly strong, blowing gusts right through our large bedroom window that opened like a door. I smelled his scent, faint but unmistakable. He was coming. Alice had seen it.
Edward!
Instantly, my muscles tightened, my body became very still and venom pooled in my mouth. I tested the air again. I couldn't tell if he was within range and could read my mind but I immediately shut down, reciting the text of the confederate constitution over and over again. He would know I was deliberately blocking him. He would know I was ready for him.
"Jasper." Alice sounded frantic. She must have caught Edward's scent too.
"You go Alice, I'm going to stay here."
I heard the car door slam and the sound of the SUV rumbling down the driveway. The relief I felt over having Alice out of the house with Edward fast approaching was short lived. A few seconds later she was back in our bedroom looking none too pleased.
"Alice, you need to leave." My voice was firm, low.
"I will not. I can't bear the thought of either of you getting hurt" She crossed her arms against her chest, her irritation plain on her face.
"Can you see what will happen?" I asked softly holding my arms out to her.
"No. Neither of you have made any decisions yet. I never see much anyway, it's too instinctual. Everything happens at the last minute so by the time I see it, it's already occurred." Her unease was apparent in her quivering voice. Carlisle had tried to prepare her but I could see she was losing her resolve.
"Alice, you cannot interfere. You understand that don't you?" She buried her face in my chest and shook her head. I pushed her gently away from me. "Alice, I mean it; this is between Edward and I. If you interfere you could get hurt and it won't change anything. This is between us; there is nothing you can do."
This time, she nodded her head and flung herself back into my chest. "Please….please be safe and keep Edward safe too. Please Jasper."
We both heard Edward's approach now. I knew Alice would be repeating those words in her thoughts to Edward. She loved us both. For her we would both try to do as she asked, but I knew that in the end, her words would mean nothing. In a situation like this, words never did.
"Stay here, Alice." I pushed her away again, my finger under her chin forcing her to look up and meet my gaze. "I mean it Alice, no matter what, stay here."
She nodded and stepped aside, she was letting me go. I did not look at her again as I made my way downstairs to meet Edward.
I didn't need to think about what was going to happen next. Unlike Carlisle, I had no expectation on how I would take Edward down. I couldn't plan it, because unlike a coven leader exerting his control over his male subordinates, Edward and I were seeking the same thing, would be battling for the same thing and now Edward knew what was coming. There would be no surprise attack from me. If I tried to plan this, Edward would see it; he would understand it even if I tried to hide it in with other thoughts.
My experience would be my one advantage. Perhaps it would offset Edward's formable mind reading abilities perhaps not, but it was the one thing I brought with me that Edward could not emulate. Years of living in Maria's coven surrounded by aggressive male vampires had prepared me in a way that no one should be prepared.
The newborns she created and put under my charge were not in themselves a threat to me in the sense that Edward was to me now. Their strength, speed and unpredictability, the byproduct of their newborn status was what I had to control, not their need to dominate me. They actively sought my guidance, their unfamiliarity with their new vampire bodies, their fears, their unending thirst made me their undisputed master.
It was only when they started to turn to each other for sexual gratification in the most primitive of ways that my precarious hold on them began to slip. This usually occurred later in their young lives, when they had some semblance of control over their thirst and looked to other avenues of release for their pent up energy and to fill endless amounts of free time. Frequently their insubordination was met with their demise. Maria wanted her newborns young, strong and easily manipulated by promises of human blood when they pleased her. As their strength ebbed, their will became stronger and they became a liability that was quickly destroyed. But every now and then, a very young one with atypical control over his thirst would turn to sexual activity as another means of deriving gratification and in turn would need to be dealt with as he tried to take me down in order to better align himself with Maria. She found it amusing. I found it terrifying. They were much stronger than me and if there was one, there were always two. Seldom would they gang up on me, being more likely to turn on each other before it ever got that far. But even one young vampire driven with the instinctual need to change his rank within the coven could easily over power me given the right set of circumstances.
I killed as many as I coupled with, much to Maria's irritation. But I was left with little choice. Some were just too formable for me to subdue and mount and the only way for me to survive an encounter with them was to kill them outright. I had no illusions that they were capable of seeking only my submission. Their instincts were too strong, too new, too out of control. They would not be able to stop at a simple mounting, an exposed neck of an adversary would be too hard to resist. Any bite from a newborn in the dominate position would almost certainly be fatal.
On the occasions when I was able to tame them, they accepted their place willingly as my subordinate but within months they were destroyed anyway. I hardly thought it was worth the effort. All except for Peter that is. From the moment he was turned, I knew he would be a friend and confidant, a brother in arms. When his strength began to dissipate, I convinced Maria that we needed him to help with the newborns. Perhaps she was sympathetic to my plight, more likely she was grooming Peter as my replacement should I succumb in battle or at the hands of one of the newborns. Either way, I won and Peter was allowed to live.
As our territory expanded we needed to create more and more newborns to replace the ones lost in battle or disposed of by Peter and I. Handling males exclusively was becoming problematic and dangerous and again at my request, Maria agreed to start turning females. This didn't lessen or increase the amount of sexually active males, but it did eliminate the number of them. Females were much more docile in such situations and never attacked me out of a need to establish their rank within the coven.
When Peter mated with Charlotte, I knew what to expect. Peter did not and only reacted to his uncontrollable need to challenge and consequently remove me from my Beta status however he could. Our battle was fierce and lasted for several hours. Many of my scars were from Peter's sharp teeth. Unlike most newborns, Peter was in control and fought with tenacity of an experienced warrior. He was almost my equal. But his lack of strength and his inexperience was also his undoing and eventually I was able to secure the upper hand, forcing him down under me, my rage and lust barely under control as I pounded him into submission each thrust bringing a roar to my lips and a whimper of acceptance from him.
From that moment on there was no question who was in control and my final act of dominance over him was aiding him and Charlotte in their escape from Maria. Even though we no longer shared a coven and he and Charlotte only visited me occasionally; one look from me done in nothing more than a teasing gesture would still cause him to drop his head and refrain from making eye contact with me for hours.
I was thinking of Peter as I descended the stairs. I knew Edward would see him in my thoughts. Perhaps I could intimidate him with my remembrances of all of those I'd taken and even those I killed. Perhaps, but unlikely. Edward would not be easily intimated. He was inexperienced and untested, but under any circumstance, it would not be wise for me to underestimate him. And if I could not subdue him, I could not resort to the one option I'd always had in the past; I could not kill him. I would have to submit to him instead.
Edward came through the front door of the house as I reached the bottom of the stairs. Our gazes locked and held; for several seconds neither of us spoke.
"You're home." I finally said calmly.
"And you're expecting me." His tone matched mine.
"Alice is upstairs." I thought it important to remind him we were not alone
"I know, I wouldn't expect her to leave you alone."
"She won't interfere, Edward. This is about you and me. She knows that." I could not have him believe that Alice was a threat to him.
"If you were in danger she would." He contradicted me. I felt a tightening in my abdomen.
"Alice will not interfere." My voice was void of emotion, disguising my distress. I could not let him focus on my mate.
The tension in the room was palpable. I noticed a slight shift of posture; Edward was assuming a crouch. It would happen then. The time had come.
"You don't have to do this Edward." I spoke to him as I spoke to one of my newborns, my voice enticing, suggestive of an alternative that didn't exist. I assumed a slight crouch as well. We began the slow dance of circling each other.
"Neither do you," his eyes hadn't left mine, a slight smile played on his lips. "And I'm not one of your newborns. This will be a little different."
"Yes I expect it will, a little less dangerous." I smiled as well. He frowned at my insult.
"Don't count on it." His crouch deepened.
You'll learn your place soon enough, boy.
The time for conversation was over. A low growl rumbled from my chest. Venom pooled in my mouth. I tried to keep my mind blank as I stared into his onyx eyes, knowing my eye color matched his. I could only react, not plan and never think about my next move. My years of playful wrestling with him had prepared me for this. Not only could he see every move I thought to make, he could defend against it then turn it to his advantage. Everything I did had to be a reaction to something he did, a response to something he initiated. He would control the sequence of his advances; I would react to thwart them. I could not let his mind reading abilities be the catalyst that turned this confrontation in his favor.
I did not need to read his mind when he finally flung himself at me. I saw his body coil, his teeth clench, an intake of breath that preceded his attack which was all vintage Edward and I was ready. As he threw himself in the air at me, his mouth agape, his teeth shimmering with venom, I thrust my hand against his chest sending him catapulting end over end into the focal point of the room, the piano. One leg buckled sending the entire instrument over with a loud crashing groan, a dreadful clamoring of notes played a final tuneless farewell.
Edward sat in the ruins of his piano, stunned. His head slowly tilted toward me, his eyes enraged as he read my thoughts.
Yes I did it on purpose. I bared my teeth in a hostile smile. He charged again roaring in rage as he leapt at me. He was prone, completely exposed and I caught him around his torso tossing his body into the bookshelf by the front door destroying it and the dozens of ancient texts that were never read but occupied the space for their aesthetically pleasing exterior covers.
My ears picked up a whimper from Alice. Edward caught it too, because rather than launch himself at me again, he cocked his head and listened to her thoughts. A second later, he was up and out the front door. I followed. Apparently the destruction of the house was becoming too much for Alice.
I ran out the door without thinking, assuming Edward would give me a moment to orient myself, but to his credit, he hit me the moment I was clear of the house, our bodies flying end over end across the yard. Our growls ripped the crisp autumn night as we grappled with each other, struggling to break the other's hold, our teeth snapping the air, hisses escaping from our lips.
There were no words, nothing to civilize this skirmish. We were animals in every sense of the word; our grunts and growls, our struggles to ensnare the other in our grip becoming increasingly ferocious. The object was to subdue the other then mount him, effectively forcing the submission. It was ingrained in our species that this physical act would create the relationship and define the dominate and submissive roles without any other forms of communication. The roles could always be changed with subsequent challenges, but the initial contact, almost equivalently established the relationship for the rest of eternity.
Carlisle had resorted to biting Edward in our most vulnerable and potentially fatal location behind the neck at the base of the skull. I doubted I would be allowed a repeat performance as Edward always made sure his back was protected, never allowing me the opportunity to get behind him as we broke apart time and again, only to charge and resume our wrestling that was not in the playful spirit of previous tussles between us. On one such charge, I made the mistake of thinking about my inroad of attack and Edward caught the thought preparing for it as I made my lunge. I felt his teeth sink into my arm and screamed as the venom scorched my veins. Edward hung on, his teeth firmly planted forcing me backward, his body propelling hard against me driving me on my back into the ground.
I grabbed his throat with my free hand forcing him away from me, my fingers squeezing into his flesh, my hand not strong enough to snap his neck but making it uncomfortable and painful to remain as he was, attached to my arm. With a frustrated roar he released my arm and sprung back from me prepared to attack again. The agony in my arm was distracting, more debilitating then the actual bite. I worked my fingers, hoping my mobility hadn't been affected.
Edward lunged again and anticipating it, I thought about my evasive action before I did it, giving the advantage to him once again. His teeth found their mark in my shoulder, dangerously close to my neck. I roared in agony throwing myself forward, driving my shoulder into Edward. He staggered back from the momentum of my charge, releasing his grip on me, struggling to keep from going down but knowing it was futile, he turned and landed on his hands and knees. Scrambling to escape me he'd exposed his vulnerable side to me and ignoring the pain in my arm and shoulder, I sprung on him landing squarely on his back. It was my first chance to take him down and I grappled with his arms trying to force them together behind his back. Intuitively, I thrust against him, simulating a mounting. This occasionally worked in defusing the aggressive, but vulnerable opponent as they recognized their place and submitted without further remonstration. But he bucked and withered against me breaking my hold and squirmed out from under me.
We were both up squaring off again, Edward distinctly at an advantage as the burning of my wounds sucked at my reserves. I knew my thoughts were my enemy and I tried to clear my mind letting him make the decision on how to attack, getting back to reacting to it.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a figure flying from the house. Alice! Edward saw her too and his focus was monetarily drawn to her. His face darkened, the working of his jaw was clearly visible. He no longer saw her as his favorite sister, but my mate, who would defend me to the death. She was a threat to him.
I involuntarily responded to the powerful rush of protective emotions that rushed over me; my mate was in danger. I saw the vampire before me, the livid expression on his face staring at the approaching pixie of a girl and my only thought was to kill. His head snapped back focusing on me, neither of us reacting to the oncoming headlights, visible through the trees, but Alice saw them. Her expression was of worry, than horror as she saw the future, her eyes locking on Edward. She spun and ran towards the car which had stopped abruptly still one hundred yards from the house. I did not see Carlisle emerge from the car, but I did see Alice get yanked in it and just as quickly the car was backing down the drive way, a protesting Alice clearly audible beneath the gunning of the powerful Mercedes engine.
A rumbling in my chest, increased exponentially as thoughts of my mate in danger rushed to the forefront of my mind pushing all other emotions, thoughts and feelings aside. I no longer remembered the rationale behind the battle. I only knew that the vampire before me was a lethal threat to my mate. He had to be destroyed.
Edward's eyes were on my face. His expression had softened somewhat, his senses returning, but he could see it was too late for me to contain my fury or control my emotions as I contemplated the safety of my mate and the danger that Edward was to her.
He shook his head ever so slightly, his only visible indicator that he knew what was coming and I answered him with such a roar of fury that I could feel the ground vibrate under me. I charged him, unconcerned that he would be able to read me, assuming his advantage would do little to stop me now. He tried to dodge my charge, but flustered, he'd misread my thoughts and aimed too high. I ducked under his arm and hit him full force in the chest, driving him across the clearing and into a tree that splintered under the onslaught of our bodies.
I had no interest in getting into a wrestling match now and as quickly as I'd taken him down, I jumped up and away from him, preparing to charge again. This time, I thought about taking him low, but at the last minute I sprung up catching him in the face slamming him against a rock that was reduced to powder as Edward's head made contact with it.
Edward twisted away from me but had no time to brace himself as I charged him again. I let him see my thoughts full on and felt a sadistic little thrill run through me as I saw his eyes widen before I even made contact with him. He saw what was coming but he did nothing to defend himself, something I didn't try to analyze as I launched myself through the air, my mouth parted baring my white venomous teeth. The kill was mine.
EPOV
There was a moment when I thought I had him. I saw it in his thoughts, the wavering of his confidence as he nursed the two painful bites. Had it been anyone else, I suspect it would have been a foregone conclusion, but Jasper was different. He'd been on the receiving end of hundreds of bites; his scars embedded one on top of the other each one representing a separate painful reminder of his past. I should have known that two bites wouldn't disable him, wouldn't even distract him from his ultimate goal. But instincts told me my opponent was hurt, weak; my time was now.
Then Alice distracted me. Her thoughts, intermittently filtering through my consciousness throughout our tussle; she was terrified. When I saw her coming towards us, I instinctually viewed her as an enemy. She was Jasper's mate; she would protect Jasper; she had to be stopped. The thought only flickered in my mind for a second, but I couldn't deny that I no longer saw her as Alice, couldn't deny that my only consideration was to rip her to pieces. And then Carlisle was there, his thoughts screaming at me to back off even as he was pulling Alice into the car and speeding back down the driveway. He was protecting her from me. It was unsettling. I forgot about Jasper in those brief seconds, but when I finally turned to face him, it wasn't the same Jasper I'd been brawling with just moments before.
He'd seen that look on my face, the look I'd give his mate and now I was facing the full wrath of his explosive skills as a warrior. His thoughts hit me first, his rage, his absolute fury, no longer was he thinking about forcing my submission, he was thinking about destroying me. Twice he charged me and twice I failed to use his thoughts of attack to my advantage. As he rose again, his eyes burning into mine, I could see every vampire he'd ever take down, every kill he ever made as his mind flashed through them in rapid succession, hundreds of vampire corpses had burned at his feet. And just as he tensed to charge, I saw a vision from Alice, an image of him dismembering a vampire, vividly clear. A house behind us, our house, the vampire at his feet dressed in my clothes and as he twisted the head, snapping it from the body, I saw the face and it was mine.
An instant later he hit me, hit me for real.
I was thrown fifty feet in the air and landed against the corner of the house, large sections of cement foundation blocks turning to dust on impact. Carlisle's thoughts managed to filter into my consciousness. It's over Edward. You must not fight back. If you fight you will die.
Over? It was hardly over. I saw Jasper stalking me. He was still focused on the kill. I needed to defend myself. I had to fight. But I felt my resolve weaken. I still didn't fully understand the coven hierarchy or pecking order that existed just beneath the surface, there for all time, completely unbeknownst to me until two short months ago. I didn't understand why we were fighting, even as Carlisle tried to explain it to me, emphasizing the importance of establishing the strongest male as leader, assuming the coven was led by a male, with subsequent males falling in line based on their strength and skills that brought varying degrees of value to the coven. Using Carlisle's logic, there was no need for Jasper and I to fight. I'd seen his memories, seen his formability in battle, his capacity to dispel his enemies quickly, efficiently, while still holding onto a level of compassion that kept him from becoming a ruthless monster destroying those that were not of his persuasion. It was all there in front of me, I had no will to battle him over something that was rightfully his.
I didn't resist when he grabbed my throat, my body limp in preparation for what I anticipated would follow. I grabbed his wrist in a weak attempt to pull his hand off of me, but an involuntary whine escaped my lips, as his lips curled back from his teeth, and he leaned in preparing to bite. Again I whimpered my compliance and this time he hesitated, pulling back a little, his eyes flickering over my face. His surprise was evident. Through his thoughts I saw his confusion, his reason returning, his rage defused and another image from Alice. It was of me again, not torn to pieces this time, but bent under him as he roughly took me, his body covering mine…thrusting.
The force of the emotion that hit me, an emotion initiated by him was as powerful as any physical blow he'd delivered all night. I gasped as I felt his need, his desire to use me, mount me. The scent came second, his own inimitable smell, not unlike Carlisle's; but distinctly his own. The odor of his arousal, the smell that burned my nose when he coupled with Alice, but now in a different context, it had a more pungent aroma driven from a different need. His black irises swam with emotion and I followed the line of those eyes to my hand, still wrapped around his wrist. I instantly let go of him, my body held up only by the grip he still had around my neck.
With his free hand, he pulled at my shirt, the buttons popping as it was ripped from my body. He held me up higher until my feet were dangling in the air and yanked at the fabric of my jeans, shredding them and my boxers in one sweeping motion of his arm. I did nothing to hide the proof of my arousal growing between my legs and he snorted in satisfaction when he saw it; a validation of my desire to submit to him.
I wasn't prepared when he sent me flying across the yard again, my body rolling end over end, taking down whatever natural or manmade obstruction that got in my way including most of Esme's newly planted trees and a light pole that crumbled like a matchstick when I struck it with a flailing arm. His scent was overpowering and I breathed in deeply, the odor serving as my own private opiate. But it wasn't enough and I hungrily sucked it through my mouth and over my tongue, my lips opening and closing around the delicious tasting musky air as I tried to draw in as much as I could. I didn't recall the act of rolling onto my hands and knees, but I found myself in that position as I heard Jasper approach. His breathing heavy as he too sucked in the luscious bouquet that wafted up from our bodies.
I heard the ripping of his own clothes as he tore free of them and with my head hanging between my arms; I watched his otherwise silent approach. His luminous skin glittering in the moon light, his battle scars, including the ones I inflicted on him, standing out like medals of honor, justifying his right to mount and use me. He knelt between my legs, spreading them wider, positioning me as it suited him. I tensed, as I felt his breath against my ear, the odor that exuded from his pores was nothing compared to inhaling it from between his lips. He pressed them against the scar on the back of my neck, outlining the crescent shape, his thoughts revealing that he was contemplating biting me there again, perhaps in defiance of Carlisle.
But then they moved way and I could feel his nose slide down my back, as he sniffed along my skin, drinking in every bit of the stench permeating from my own flesh, different from his, but as powerful to him as his was to me, the smell of my submission. I felt his hand against my neck, forcing my face down into the grass, lifting my hips higher. My body tensed again, I knew enough to recognize that when he mounted me, I would be forever under his influence, at least in some small way and though the act could be reversed, I could challenge him again, we would never be equals as we had been.
But instead of feeling the pressure of his maleness invade me, I only felt the brushes of his nose and occasionally his lips as he continued to inspect me, first around my backside, and then further down, between my legs. I shuddered as a low growl of desire escaped from his lips and his lust increased significantly as he was drawn to the core of my maleness. I could feel his breath against my testicles, the sucking of air as he drew in the aroma of my maleness. I whimpered and shuddered under the non invasive assault, recognizing his need as he lips moved against me, a humming emanating from him, a torturously slow appraisal of what he now deemed as his, all of which I could read in his thoughts, cycling in with my own, my body convulsing of its own accord as I waited for him to finish his assessment of me.
But unlike Carlisle, Jasper appeared in no hurry to take what was his, no longer concerned with establishing his dominance over me. He was reveling in the experience, something that wasn't an option to him when he'd been forced to mount newborn after newborn in an effort to keep from being killed. I felt his face pressing against me, shuddered as he inhaled deeply, bracing myself against the ground as he butted his head again and again against my gonads. I heard him swallow as he tasted the scent between my legs, the hottest area of that aroma burning from the two orbs. Yet I was unprepared when I felt the flicker of his tongue against them, and I shot forward several feet with the new assault on my senses. His growl of displeasure, made me cower into the ground, my knees still bent under me, huddling beneath his glare.
He roughly positioned me as I was before. Face flat against the ground, my knees spread wide, my hips in the air. Again his head was between my thighs and this time I was prepared as I felt his tongue flicker out licking at my testicles. His sounds reminded me of when he fed; grunts of pleasure intermingled with sighs and murmurings of delight. He was feeding on me, satisfying his thirst for my scent, drinking in my desire.
Eventually he worked his way up, using his tongue as much as his nose, tasting everything that my body offered finally finishing on the spot that would hold his maleness, lapping at it hungrily, stopping intermittently to bury his nose there before resuming his oral examination.
I'd been whimpering with my need the entire time, but a new sound was escaping my lips or perhaps oozing from the pores of my skin; a soft purring noise, barely audible, different from a growl yet derived from the same place. I was growing insane with my need for him and feeling the intensity of his own desire to mount me only added to my yearning. For the first time I found my voice.
"Jasper, please. I…I can't take this anymore. Jasper….."
He growled, his lips vibrating against my opening. I felt the shifting of his body; felt him press himself against me. His nakedness sliding along my skin was foreign to me. I'd never felt the full length of a hard vampire body against mine before, never naked anyway. The power of it, his maleness, his unrelenting need making me wilt beneath him. I felt the nudging of his organ as his hands pulled at my hips, felt him thrust, once….twice….the third time hitting its mark, but before I felt the delicious sensation of the length of it slip in me he pulled out adjusting my position against him.
Apparently satisfied, I felt my flesh part around the length of him in one long agonizingly sensual stroke. The intensity of my pleasure sent little shivers rippling through my body, but I had no time to savor the fullness of his flesh in me. He started pumping himself against me; his grunts accompanied each one of his long strokes, my body tensing with each assault from his appendage. There was no pain, only a hot friction as he ground against me, a burning sensation, vaguely reminiscent of a healing bite that still commanded attention, but no longer hurt. I thrust my hips back meeting his thrusts, my desire to have his organ buried in me echoing his desire to fill me with it.
The slapping of our flesh sounded like the pounding of rock on rock. I had little doubt that Carlisle and Alice could both hear the rhythmic crescendo, a confirmation of our coupling and this held no shame for me, the bearing of witnesses to my submission felt natural and almost liberating. As I reveled in the feeling of Jasper's hard body against mine, I was unprepared for the excruciating pain that I felt in my shoulder and screamed my agony even as I grunted in pleasure from a particularly deep thrust. He'd bit me; bit the flesh between my neck and shoulder just as Carlisle had done, but on the opposite side. His teeth still embedded there, he held me in place as the thrusting increased.
Remember, you serve me. You are here for my pleasure, Edward.
Jasper's thoughts were punctuated with the sound of his hips smacking against me. I could only moan in response. The pain of his teeth embedded in my flesh intermingled with the gratification of feeling him fill me. I knew he spoke the truth. Under Carlisle's initial assault, I only felt the need to serve him, feel the chill of his seed as he pumped it into me, burning my insides with the force of its projection. It was only under his second mounting that I was able to derive some pleasure from the act myself, much of that due to Carlisle's thoughtful ministering.
Under Jasper's control, I felt more desire, felt a need to take something away from the experience and obviously that hadn't pleased him. The stinging bite was his reminder that I was there to serve him. I no longer thrust back against him, assuming Jasper's bite was intended to hold me stationary. I tried to totally dissolve under him, letting him use me for his pleasure only and was rewarded when he slowly released his hold on me, the pain still palpable, but less intense. As he rode me, I tried to focus only on his needs willing my body to remain as limp as possible so he could exploit it as he saw fit. But the very act of doing that, submitting completely, drove my desire. I smelled his overpowering intense maleness, heard the murmurings of contentment as he drove deeply into me, our bodies being pushed long the grass by the force of the impact. Through his thoughts I saw myself under him, my head bowed, the wound in my shoulder, a mark of his dominance over me and that fueled my passion.
Soon I was thrusting back against him again, my hands bracing against the ground, leveraging myself as I met him with equal fury and desire, my grunts and cries, louder and more timely. I needed his release as much as I needed my own. I was not punished again for my initiative and as the tempo of Jasper's desires increased, I dropped down on my elbows, my face flush against the ground, letting Jasper use me to climax, sealing my submission to him. His groans were borderline growls as the tempo of his strokes took on a new fury. I felt the first spurts of his icy semen empty into my bowels and I arched my back pushing against him encouraging him to fill me with his venom. He continued thrusting, the tempo decreasing as wave after wave of his desire was released inside me.
Venom released through a bite, was excruciatingly painful. Venom released by the male sexual organ was agonizingly blissful torture and whether the receptacle was male or female the feeling was the same. It burned only because of its coldness, the icy chill, swimming in pleasurably currents in the recesses of cavity it resided in.
Upon my initial coupling with Carlisle, when I still was in a state of shock over his actions, I felt his venomous semen burning through my bowels and that triggered in me a wave of sexual need encouraging Carlisle to take me again, in order to attain my own release. Jasper's venom offered the same euphoric sensation, but I was still at the height of my own desire, so its effects were somewhat muted.
With some effort, Jasper pulled his still erect organ from me and crouched over me as I collapsed on the ground and hugged myself in a fetal position. I viewed his face from my peripheral vision and saw it no longer contained the predatory animal of some minutes before but his features remained hard, unforgiving and unapologetic. He leaned over me and I tried to shrink even further into the ground. Viewing my face through his eyes, I could see my confusion and uncertainty clearly. My body still ached for release, but I wasn't sure it appropriate for me to do anything about it and nothing in his gaze suggested he would want me to.
Before Alice gets back, you need to take care of this.
He held out his arm, the arm I'd bitten which was still oozing my venom. The wound looked vicious, it still gaped open exposing the creamy whiteness of the marble bone within. I unwrapped myself and leaned forward cautiously waiting for a reprimand, but when none appeared forthcoming, I allowed the venom to pool in my mouth and cautiously pressed my lips against the injury, letting my tongue transfer the healing venom to the wound. As I administered to the damage I'd inflicted, I felt Jasper's free hand part my thighs and close around my swollen member. He stroked me, his grip firm, his fingers applying pressure as he moved down the base and I groaned against his arm as he increased the tempo my legs spreading wide giving him easy access to me.
As the wound on his arm closed, I continued to lick the area associating his hand on me with my nursing of his injuries, not wanting it to end. He pulled his arm away and tapped at the injury on his shoulder. I sat up, leaning in, surprised that he would let me venture so close to his vulnerable neck. But he seemed confident in his control over me and he was after all, holding my very erect member which he knew I valued, so any threat I might present to him was almost nonexistent. As I worked on his shoulder, his fingers manipulated me with varying degrees of pressure and strokes and the noises emulating from me increased in volume. My hips lifted involuntarily seeking release.
My attention to his wound was not as diligent as it could have been, still the repairs were bearing results. When it was apparent to him that I was past being able to even offer the minimal attention to the almost healed injury, he pushed me on my back, and still squatting next to me, his hand moved rapidly on my organ. I felt the tightening in my testicles, and shuddered as the rush of venom spurt forth in wave after wave, the volume augmented by the long wait to expel it. I shuddered and cried out and with each new release of my seed brought a fresh chorus of sounds from my lips. When Jasper had milked the last drop of semen from me, he stood and spoke aloud to me for the first time.
"Carlisle is coming with Alice. Do I need to worry about you as far as Alice is concerned?" Jasper's voice was stern, he reminded me of a less forgiving Carlisle at that moment.
"No….no…..I'm sorry about earlier. I would never hurt Alice." I sounded repentant, but Jasper didn't look convinced.
"I would never give you the chance, but I want to make sure that you don't blame her for what happened." He was looking down at me, and I was looking towards the driveway, for the headlights of the car. I couldn't look at him.
"Of course not. She….it wasn't her fault. This was the way it was suppose to be."
"Yes, I think so too." Jasper nodded approvingly. Any other time his tone would have irritated me, but now I could only mimic the nod of his head. I had the same bewildered feeling as I had after Carlisle took me. I felt incomplete, like part of me was missing, yet in its place were feelings and subdued emotions that I needed to explore and embrace. Right now, I wasn't ready, but this time I knew what to expect.
Edward, are you alright?
It was Carlisle. He was running through the trees, not driving his car.
I nodded my head, standing slowly, my legs felt unsteady, and when I felt the powerful rush of Carlisle's lust, I followed the will of my legs and dropped to my knees again. I wasn't in any condition to try and resist the will of the coven leader. Through Carlisle's eyes, I could see that Jasper was glaring at him, his thoughts revealing his perceived ownership of me and his resentment over Carlisle's interest.
My head sagged; the power of the emotions and thoughts of those around me was crushing me with the intensity of it. I was prepared to submit to either or both of them at their demand. I didn't remember ever feeling so exhausted.
Carlisle's piercing stare was unwavering. He made no attempt to control his arousal, obviously spurred on by the scents on Jasper and myself which had subsided significantly but the residuals still clung to our bodies. His desire to take me himself was apparent in his thoughts and his scent.
Alice was there too, slowly inching towards Jasper who was so focused on Carlisle that he hadn't noticed her. For the first time in five decades, I saw Jasper attempt to stare Carlisle down, his thoughts calculating the possibilities of taking him, forcing Carlisle's own submission, thus taking control of the coven.
Carlisle was aware of it; he was allowing the emotion of his arousal and lust go unchecked for that very reason; testing Jasper's resolve, his control over me, forcing Jasper to address it now, when he, Carlisle was ready for him.
A low snarl rumbled from Carlisle and Jasper still naked, crouched defensively. Carlisle was wasting no time reestablishing himself as he slowly advanced on Jasper, not mimicking the crouch himself, standing tall and confident, daring Jasper to make the first move. The wavering came only seconds later, so quickly that if I hadn't been watching through Carlisle's eyes, I never would have seen it. Jasper broke contact, his eyes darted away, then back then away again, his crouch lost its rigidity, his knees were still bent, but more as if he were sagging under the weight of his body then in a preparation to spring. His head drooped, his shoulders slumped and as Carlisle closed the distance standing inches from Jasper's bowed head, he dropped to his knees prepared to take whatever punishment Carlisle felt fitting.
But Carlisle didn't punish and only Jasper's memories of his other coven made him susceptible to believing it was always possible, there was always a first time. Instead, Carlisle placed his hand on Jasper's shoulder, touching the wound I'd inflicted, nodding approvingly at the rate of healing.
"Arm please." He said softly.
Jasper complied, holding up his injured arm and again Carlisle examined it reaching the same conclusion.
"Alice take Jasper upstairs. I think we're done for tonight."
He watched them go and then turned to me. His lust had ebbed; his scent was pure Carlisle again. Are you injured son?
I shook my head. He was not through with me just yet.
"Your shoulder?"
"Its fine," My voice barely above a whisper.
Come here Edward.
I stood up obediently and walked to him, my head still down. Carlisle's hand was under my chin, lifting it forcing my eyes to meet his. "Besides you're shoulder, are you alright?"
I nodded then added, "Its how it should be."
"For now." Carlisle said smiling.
"For now." I couldn't help smiling back at him.
He leaned over me and I tensed as his teeth approached my neck but I could hear only quiet soothing thoughts of the doctor in him as he analyzed my bite and tenderly sealed the wound with his own venom. For a brief instant, I felt the resurgence of his desires, the pungent smell of his lust as he sucked in the aroma of Jasper's odor still impregnated in my body, but shuddering in an effort to control it, he managed to push it back and the smells ebbed away.
He motioned for me to follow him as he turned towards the house.
"I think we'll wait and talk about why you aren't with Bella, tomorrow."
I nodded feeling ashamed that I'd instigated this confrontation, but I heard him chuckle.
"I heard from your mother, she said the house is done, we can move any time."
I stopped and looked at him expectantly.
His eyes locked with mine and this time I didn't look away.
"By this time next week, Bella should be one of us."
Author Notes:
I've decided to do one shots involving Carlisle and Jasper and Carlisle and Emmett. They will be past experiences, 1936 and 1951 respectively.