2. The Hunt
A warm, yet nervous smile worked its way to Jasper's lips as Alice slipped her hands around his arm and came to let her head rest on his shoulder. The way she pulled him close to her made his breath catch in his throat. Weaving his arm out of her grasp, he slipped it across her shoulders and hugged it around her neck, tracing his fingers lightly up and down her arm. The contact of her skin sent an electric current through his finger tips and he glanced at her nervously, uncertain of what her reaction would be.
Alice shivered, but not with displeasure. Quite the opposite. Though she couldn't be sure, this was probably what it felt like to be truly alive, the way humans felt when they touched, though perhaps intensified with her extra vampire senses. She sighed again and closed her eyes. Something about Jasper, though they had met only hours ago, felt like home, another entirely human concept she had not been able to fathom until now.
Jasper flicked a small attentive smile down to Alice as she sighed and closed her eyes, relieved that she hadn't taken his move as too bold. Although he didn't know it yet, she had forever altered him. He clearly remembered his life before coming here. Without this small vampire in the picture, it had all seemed so wrong. Unreal almost. He couldn't deny the fact that and even though he kept a brave face, he was undeniably nervous.
Without even realizing it he slowly shifted his gaze off of her and focused it on the man in the seat in front of them. The loud thud of his heartbeat was pounding in Jasper's ears and his throat burned and tightened uncomfortably as he sucked in a breath of flames, a pained expression forming on his face. He focused his gaze back on the little vampire in his arms, trying to chase away the dark thoughts he was currently entertaining and hoping that by focusing his attention on her he could dispel them.
She reached up to lay a hand on his chest, sensing his discomfort. "We're almost there," she said, in a soothing tone.
Alice's gentle touch was both reassuring and a distraction, something he needed to break his focus. His gaze flitted to her hand, then her face. What he saw in her eyes was concern and empathy. A strained smile graced his features. "I'm ok," he lied smoothly, not wanting to worry her.
"I didn't think it would do to run through town. Someone would surely have seen us," she explained.
"Yes," Jasper, agreed quietly. "That would be a bit obvious." He kept his voice low, so that the cab driver didn't get suspicious.
"We'll have to run back, of course, but by then it will be night time and it will be easier to remain unseen."
"Then we'll go watch 'It's a Wonderful Life'. My treat of course," he said, his voice gentle.
"Have you ever seen it before?" she asked.
"No," he admitted. "I haven't seen many movies," he said, quietly, pausing briefly. "I've never seen any actually. I never took much interest in human entertainment."
"I saw it last year when it was first released. I think they're showing it again for the holidays. It was a beautiful. If I could cry at all, I think I would have," she said, wistfully.
He eyed her nervously when she spoke about crying. "Will you be... attempting to cry tonight?" he asked, with a nervous hitch in his tone.
"Probably," she said brightly. "Just wait until you see the ending. As adverse as most men are to showing emotion, you just might find that you'll wish you could cry, too."
Jasper laughed nervously. Crying…another foreign thing. He'd not given much thought to human emotions. Ever. He'd been created to become a single minded fighting machine. Pity, sympathy and mercy were not in the cards when you were fighting for your life or taking someone else's. He wasn't sure what to say to her that wouldn't come off sounding heartless. "I'm still quite unattached when it comes to…those type of feelings," he mumbled, quietly. He gave her a nervous glance. "But perhaps, you'll be surprised..." he added, with a half-smile.
She looked up at him, her nose scrunched as she eyed him thoughtfully. "I don't think that's true,' she said. "That you are unattached, I mean. I think you feel things more strongly than you admit to yourself."
Jasper raised an eyebrow, giving her a questioning look. "You do?" He couldn't quite understand this petite, little vampire. She was definitely intriguing, if not very unique. "I feel something…" he admitted, quietly."Although I don't quite understand it. It's difficult for me to convey how I feel in words…" he trailed off, chewing on his bottom lip nervously.
"Not everything has to be said aloud." She nuzzled her head into his arm with a smile, inhaling his scent.
"I know," Jasper agreed quietly, flicking his gaze to her as she nuzzled contentedly into his arm. Her sweet orchid and citrus scent wafted into his nostrils, smelling better than any perfume a human woman could wear.
The driver pulled the car over to the side of the road. The sun was still hidden behind ominous looking clouds but it was growing darker, indicating that evening was on its way. Alice opened her little coin purse and gave the man another one hundred dollar bill, thanked him sweetly and opened her door to exit the taxi.
Jasper popped his door open and exited the cab, moving around to the other side and took up Alice's hand. He stared confused into the trees, having never hunted in this way. He wasn't sure what all that entailed. All the scents were foreign to him and quite new. Some smelled quite good, some were better left avoided.
He turned toward Alice, when the cab driver drove off. "So, now what do we do?" he asked, sure the question would sound quite ignorant to her. "Which scents are the animals?"
"I'll show you," she said, happy that he had agreed to try her way of hunting. A mischievous light came to her eyes as she approached him. "But first…" She reached out a hand and slapped at his arm. "Tag! Catch me if you can!" With a giggle she danced out of his reach and took off running full speed through the maze of trees.
His expression turned to surprise when she slapped his arm and ran. Tag? Jasper's expression became confused. She apparently wanted him to chase. What sort of game was this? He didn't know but he didn't care, really. A wide grin spread across his face and he took off in a sprint, ghosting after her. Everything turned into a streaky blur around him as he all but glided over the ground, bent on catching her.
Alice looked over her shoulder as she ran, her feet barely making contact with the ground as they propelled her forward. Seeing him running after her, she laughed, the sound bursting forth from her lips. Primal urges of fear colored the giddiness she felt, making her run faster while at the same time she hoped to be caught, snared in his wonderfully strong arms. Her hat slipped down over one eye and so she reached up and took the bobby pins out of her hair, grabbing it and tossing it aside into the underbrush. She didn't care if she ever saw it again. She had as many hats as she had dresses.
Jasper's hat, due to the wind, blew off of his head and within seconds he'd left it behind as he easily closed the distance between them. "Gotcha!" he yelled, when he got close enough to her and launched himself at her from behind, laughing whole heartedly for the first time in his existence as he tackled her to the ground.
Alice howled with laughter as they tumbled to the forest floor. She playfully kicked at him, pushing at his chest with her hands as she struggled half-heartedly to get free.
Jasper's laughter echoed into the trees. "Uh uh, I don't think so..." He curled his lips back over his teeth in a menacing, playful snarl as he grabbed one of her legs. "You're mine now!" he said, flashing grinning and moving to pin her down. He felt alive. With this woman, he felt totally and completely alive. He couldn't explain in words how she made him feel but he loved it.
Alice giggled and thrashed even more wildly. There was no way she could win, he was inescapable. And truthfully, she didn't want to escape. She turned her head to look up into his face so she could savor the unbridled joy of his expression. When she had first seen him in that diner, he had been so wary and afraid. The way he laughed now, the way he smiled…it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.
The change in him was quite noticeable. He'd gone from paranoid and withdrawn to carefree and laughing. He noticed it himself and, quite honestly, it was surprising to hear himself laugh, to find himself acting in such a childish manner. Alice's wind chime laugh echoed through the woods once more as she continued to laugh and struggle and block her feeble attacks. "Aha!" he said, triumphantly, successfully pinning her underneath him. With a hand planted on each side of her shoulders, he gazed down upon his prize. Wild locks of his blonde hair, windblown, framed his face, his deep obsidian eyes. A wide grin spread across his face, flashing his teeth.
Their gazes caught. Something she saw there made her laughter and her struggling cease. She lay perfectly still beneath him, her eyes tracing every line of his face, committing to memory the exact way he looked in that moment.
"Jasper?" she breathed, staring up at him with wide eyed innocence.
Alice's tinkling wind chime laughter faded, her gaze frozen on his. When she spoke his name in that most irresistible tone, Jasper felt a shiver flow through him. He didn't even notice that his laughter had faded as well as he stared back at her. His smile disappeared and he felt a swell of nerves flit through him as he assessed her expression.
"Alice..." he whispered quietly and leaned down to press a soft kiss to her lips. He felt as though he had no control over himself anymore, as if something else was driving him.
For a moment she couldn't think, couldn't breathe. Her lips, slightly parted, stayed frozen under his own. She had never been kissed. Not in this life anyway and this life was all she had ever known. Then, as if by instinct, her lips began to move. She reached up to tangle her little fingers in his windswept hair with one hand while slowly tracing the other down the ravaged skin of his throat.
His lips parted as he molded them against hers tenderly, her sweet scent curling around him. It was so intoxicating that his head swam. A wave of warmth flooded through him and in that moment, everything else faded away. The only thing that mattered was this beautiful and intriguing woman beneath him. If he had a heartbeat, it would be racing and yet the nervousness he'd felt earlier almost completely disappeared though, to some degree, it was still there. He'd never been this close to someone before, not to this magnitude, not in this way.
Another scent blended with Jasper's, wild and with a salty tang. Deer. Alice's mind did the calculations even as she moved her lips to hungrily leave a line of kisses down the length of Jasper's jaw. They were about three miles to the west. There were four of them. Two each, she thought with a smile. Even that far away she could just make out the sounds of their heartbeats. She growled against Jasper's throat.
The new intrusive scent was quite unpleasant. If he weren't so caught up with Alice, he would probably have been repulsed by it. He found it quite easy to ignore, gasping quietly as Alice left a trace of kisses on his jaw. A shiver of pleasure tore through him and a low growl rolled up his throat and escaped him. He met her lips hungrily, working his own against hers, parting them slightly to let another quiet gasp escape.
"Dinner," she breathed against his lips, kissing him again. "Not far from here. Do you smell it?"
When she spoke, his lips froze against hers, reluctant to pull away. His eyes flicked upward, scanning through the thick veil of blond locks that fell over his eyes. The revolting scent that had assaulted them earlier must be the deer. "I do..." he murmured against her lips.
Alice burst into laughter. "Don't sound so thrilled," she whispered as she began kissing him again, frozen as he was by what she could tell was less than enthusiasm for what was on the menu.
"I'd be lying if I said I was..." he admitted, with a slight laugh. In all honesty, it didn't smell that appetizing, not nearly as appetizing as people. But he promised her he'd try it and he would. Perhaps, the taste wasn't as bad as the smell. He highly doubted that though. The interruption was short however, because the movement of Alice's lips against his caused an instant reaction in him. He soon found himself, once again, putty in her hands. His own began working automatically in unison with hers, molding them to his own like a perfect fit.
Alice giggled, opening her eyes as she kissed him and turning her head slightly in the direction of the deer. While all the people she had encountered today had not sparked her thirst except on some unconscious level, the smell of the deer, however distasteful to Jasper, had her mouth flooding with venom. The breeze shifted, sending her throat to aching.
Jasper parted his lips from hers, tracing kisses along her jaw and down her neck. The sweet orchid and citrus smell swirled in his nostrils, trying to overpower the tangy scent of the deer. He paused, though, noticing Alice's distraction and lifting his gaze to follow hers in the direction of the woods. His hearing picked up the faint heartbeats of the four animals, three miles off, their unpleasant scent assaulting his nostrils and causing his nose to crinkle up in revulsion. As the breeze shifted, the scent only got stronger and he flicked his gaze back to Alice. "Alice?" His voice was soft, mixed with confusion as to why she was so focused.
"Hmmm?" Alice turned her head to look at Jasper. She was unable to hold back a giggle at the way his nose was scrunched up in disgust. "I hope that look is for the deer and not for me," she whispered, raising her head in order to plant a kiss on his cheek.
"It's for the deer," Jasper confirmed, his expression smoothing out and his lips upturning into a wry smile as she kissed him. How could he ever detest a scent as sweet as hers? It was ingrained into his memory. He was quite certain he'd recognize it anywhere.
"I know it's not the most appealing smell in the world, but you get used to it," she said, bringing her fingertips to his lips where he kissed them softly.
"Trust me, it's not..." he agreed, quietly. The scent was downright revolting although Alice seemed to react to it differently.
"In fact," she said, "I'm trying to decide what I currently want to indulge more. My thirst or the utter enjoyment I find in this." With that she tilted his head back with one hand, giving her greater access to his neck which she kissed and then nipped with her little white teeth.
Alice's lips were suddenly at his throat and her hand had his head tilted back. His eyes widened and a gasp escaped his lips. A placid smile, worked its way to his face, like that of a patient pumped full of morphine. It felt good. Her lips against his neck sent a rush of electric through his body. "Well, I certainly know what I would prefer to indulge more."
She laughed, the sound throaty and full of playful menace as she continued her path down his neck and towards his collar.
A new chill ran through him with each kiss Alice planted. "Amazing…" he whispered in pure bliss.
Just then the wind shifted, blowing the scent of the deer directly toward them. Alice froze, her lips pressed against his skin as she listened. They had drawn closer. They were less than a mile away. Running. Running towards them. She pulled back and gave Jasper a wicked grin.
When the wind shifted, Alice's orchid scent was overpowered by the tangy scent of the deer. Jasper's nose crinkled in response as he noticed Alice's frozen form. Jasper's gaze turned toward the scent, a dull ache burning away in his throat. His hunger was slowly starting to become more prominent as the heartbeats drew close. He'd not eaten in over a month and now was not the time to be picky. He sniffed the air cautiously and though the scent burned his nostrils, a small amount of venom leaked into his mouth. When Alice withdrew and grinned, a coy smile touched Jasper's lips. "Shall we?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow.
Alice smiled at his expression. His mouth was turned up in a smile but it didn't quite seem to reach his eyes. "Your first stinky deer," she said with a laugh. "Now the question is can you catch one before I do?"
Alice's challenge registered with him and the pouty expression on his face turned to one of anticipation. A wicked smile curled at the corners of his lips.
She rolled out from underneath him and quickly brushed off her coat and dress before taking off into the trees, running in a crouch. Her ears could hear the sound of hooves on the ground and between that and their scent, she quickly moved to the edge of a clearing, staying hidden in the shadows. She turned her head to look behind her, waiting for Jasper to appear.
Jasper took off after her, ghosting through them at a blinding speed. He navigated the pathway easily enough, keeping an eye on Alice's form ahead of him. He slowed when he caught up to her and slipped into a crouch, mimicking hers. He never would have imagined that he would be doing this.
The deafening pounding of their hearts reverberated in his ears, accompanied by the loud crunch of their hooves and the offending odor. He flicked his gaze to Alice, feeling like a complete idiot. Slinking forward, he moved along with her toward the clearing. "What do we do now?"
"Watch and learn," she whispered, watching intently as the four deer emerged from the trees opposite them and began to graze. "I'll take the two on the left. Your two will probably run right. I think you'll find they're much more of a challenge, especially to catch."
And Alice was right. While humans were attracted to their appearances, the silky smoothness of their voices, even their particular scents, a deer had no such interest. As wary as they were of humans they were even more so cautious of vampires, recognizing them for what they truly were. Predators. To catch one, one had to rely solely on stealth and speed, something Alice had long ago mastered. She was curious to see how the great Major Jasper Whitlock would fare.
Jasper nodded sharply, his gaze flying from her to the deer emerging from the trees. His gaze locked on the two on the right, gauging their distance and calculating the escape routes. Alice's words reached his ears, but he didn't turn to look at her. This style of hunting was something he'd never encountered before and while he felt awkward partaking in it, his hunger was sending his senses into overdrive. Hunting humans was easy. All you had to do was let them come to you. This was a completely different game.
With a delicate growl, Alice launched herself from the trees, gracefully leaping across the clearing so fast that she was nearly upon the group of deer before they had even sensed her. Leaping from the ground, in high heels no less, she flew through the air to land between her two startled deer, quickly snapping their necks and sinking her teeth into one to drain it before the other one's blood grew cold.
With one graceful leap, Alice had her prey downed. She looked so good doing it he got mildly distracted. The other two deer began to flee and without wasting any more time, Jasper shot forward like an arrow, making a beeline for them. He planted his feet into the ground and launched himself into the air in a graceful arch, closing the distance between him and his prey in seconds.
He landed next to the first deer in a dead run and shot out his arms, getting a grasp around its neck and bringing it to ground. Snapping its neck in the process and parting his lips over his teeth and low triumphant growl, Jasper sought out the jugular and sunk his teeth in. The other deer unfortunately got away.
Alice looked up over the neck of her second deer as she drank, watching Jasper. She smiled as she fed when she saw that he had also been successful. Feeling her thirst was finally satiated she abandoned her drained prey and walked over to where Jasper was finishing his own meal.
"So is it as bad as you thought it would be?" she asked, her lips quirked with an amused smile.
The taste was just as bad as the smell. Tangy and salty, his nose crinkled in reaction to it although he didn't stop. His hunger had been the driving factor behind his lack of aversion. He withdrew from the carcass as he drained out the last of the blood. His hunger wasn't fully satisfied but he found it was tolerable as the burning discomfort faded but didn't completely disappear. The deep purple bruises under his eyes became faint reminders now that the deer's blood coursed through him.
"It was…" he said, pausing momentarily. "Actually kind of fun, though. Much more of a challenge than humans...but the taste was awful."
Alice giggled. "Well, not everything tastes the same," she explained. "Here there are also black bears, wolves, coyotes, bobcats, elk, and the occasional mountain lion though I try to avoid those as they are close to endangered. Hardly seems fair."
Jasper laughed quietly and shook his head. "I didn't know the flavors varied," he said, his expression turning thoughtful. Humans all smelled and tasted the same. His gaze went to the dead animal in front of him and he rose from his kneeling position on the ground, casting his gaze down toward it.
"Oh most definitely," she said, following his eyes down to his fallen deer. "These are my least favorite but unfortunately the most plentiful."
"I'm still reeling from the fact that I actually hunted an animal. I would've never guessed in all of my existence, that I would be out in the middle of the woods, doing this. If you would've asked me this even a year ago I would have assumed you were insane." A light chuckle escaped his lips.
Alice's eyes lit brightly, their golden hue deepened now to amber with her kill. "You wouldn't have been the first one to accuse me of that," she laughed.
Jasper laughed, at Alice's admittance. "You don't appear to be crazy, ma'am," he said, eyeing her meaningfully. "Of course, I could be wrong," he added, teasingly, accenting it with a wink.
"Oh, its ma'am again, is it?" she asked, taking another step toward him and tracing a finger along the lapel of his coat as she favored him with a coy smile.
"Well, it's only proper," he said, a genuine smile touching the corners of his lips.
"I don't think you can kiss a girl the way you kissed me back there and still call her ma'am."
"Yes, ma'am," he teased, chuckling. "You're right, I can't. Not if I want to kiss that girl again, anyway. How about I just use Alice, then?"
She ducked her head, looking up at him under her eyelashes and nodding. "I like the way it sounds when you say my name," she admitted.
Jasper fell quiet, listening to her as she spoke, her beautiful wind chime voice carrying on the wind and floating all around them. He couldn't get over the enthrallment of it.
"Come on, let's find you something else. I'm quite full so this time I'll watch. Close your eyes and see if anything smells good."
A faint smile made its appearance on his features as she mentioned hunting again though on the inside he cringed.
"Do I have to?" he complained with a pout and sighed, closing his eyes.
"Are you still thirsty?" she asked, her voice playfully taking on the tone of a scolding parent. He didn't answer. He didn't have to. She knew the answer by the shadows that still clung to the skin under his eyes. "Then yes, you do. You can't take a lady on a proper date when you're in danger of eating everyone in sight."
An amused smile played on Jasper's face as she told him he was going to eat whether he liked it or not. "Yes, ma'am." He had told her he wouldn't call her that anymore, but he had to do it just one more time. He couldn't help it.
She playfully smacked his arm. "Ma'am," she said, exasperated. "I'm not even old enough to be a ma'am! Well, not physically, anyway." She laughed.
Jasper's eyes snapped open and his eyebrows shot up in surprise when she smacked him. He wasn't expecting that. "No more ma'am," he promised, quietly. "I do apologize," he mumbled with a small, charming smile. He couldn't help but suppress an amused chuckle at her reaction.
"I smell a lot of things, none of it really smells good," he said, honestly. "Wait..." he said, sniffing the air again. There was another scent carrying on the wind. It wasn't the most appetizing, but it definitely smelt better than the deer. And it definitely wasn't human, either, that was for sure. The scent was hovering on tangy but it had a hint of spice to it.
He tried to zero his ears in on the sounds around him to see if he could possibly locate it. Perhaps it was too far off. "Do you smell that?" he asked, confused.
"Yes," Alice said with a frown, eyeing his clothing. "Oh Jasper, really? A bear? If you get those clothes shredded in the process and I have to miss my movie, I'm going to be very put out with you." She put her little hands on her hips, fighting back a smile.
Jasper's eyebrows creased together in concentration as he sought out other scents and heartbeats. "What's wrong with a bear?" he asked, a smile touching at the corner of his mouth.
"Well, its winter for one thing so if you smell one it's because he's come out of hibernation so I doubt he'll be very happy," she giggled.
"True," Jasper agreed with a light chuckle. "Perhaps the battle will be that much more entertaining," he mused, arching an eyebrow. His deeply pitched eyes trained on her expectantly. He could feel Alice's displeasure on the idea and opening his eyes to look at her standing there with her hands on her hips, it became all the more obvious. "Fine," he submitted with a sigh. "I'll find something else." He pressed his lips together to keep himself from smiling at her expression.
The rich tangy scent of a small band of elk caught his attention and his lips pulled down at the corners in disgust but his nose didn't crinkle. A good sign. He focused his hearing in the direction the wind was blowing and picked up the sound of five hearts. "What's that scent? It's horrible," he complained.
Alice sniffed the air. "Oh, herbivores," she said with another frown. "Just like the deer, they're not the most appetizing. Carnivores taste better and closer to humans. That would probably be easier for you."
Jasper linked his hands together behind his back and nodded in agreement, a slight frown pulling at the corners of his mouth in distaste at the memory of the flavor. "Yes, they're quite…assaulting. I'm not sure how you could ever get used to this."
She sighed, smiling indulgently at him. "Ok, just go after your silly old bear! Just try not to get too dirty!" She shook her head. "At least the movie theater will be dark."
A smile lit up on Jasper's face when Alice gave him the go ahead. He much preferred the scent of the predators than the herbivores. "I'll do my best," he promised, a smile quirking the corners of his lips.
"Shall we?" He indicated with a nod in the direction of the scent, unlinking his hands from behind his back and gesturing with his hand. "Ladies first," he said, ducking his head.
Alice held up her hands in front of her. "Oh no," she giggled. "This is all you. Besides, it will give you a chance to impress me. You thought the deer were more challenging than humans? Wait until you try and take down an angry bear!"
Jasper quirked an eyebrow at Alice's hesitation, a wry smile slipping to the corner of his mouth. "If you insist," he said, politely. His eyes slipped away from Alice and moved in the direction of the arousing scent. Just then the wind shifted and a new, stronger wave of it arrived, thick in the air and as the scent filled his nostrils, Jasper felt his throat tighten uncomfortably. The thirst, reasserting itself.
Jasper's frozen gaze reanimated and he flashed his eyes to Alice. "Let's go." His voice was quiet but confident, however he didn't give her time to respond. Instead he took off in a sprint, darting in the direction of the smell. Everything around him turned into a streaky blur as he tore his way through the meadow and towards the woods being sure to keep tabs on the animal, speedily calculating its exact location. As he ran, the heartbeat got closer and the smell got stronger, the rhythm of the animal's heart blotting out everything else in his mind as his ears became attuned to the welcomed sound.
Alice raced after Jasper, taking in the way he hunted. He was focused and powerful, utterly sure of himself as he sought out his prey with grace and skill. It gave her a thrill to know this wild, untamed creature now belonged solely to her.
Just in the distance, Jasper's sharp eyesight caught a glimpse of a large black shape, moving sluggishly through the break in the trees. He slowed down considerably, rolling into a crouch and stalking forward, trepidation in his steps. His gaze locked on the target ahead as he froze in the shadows, his statue still form unmoving except for the instinctive breaths he took to gauge the scents around him.
Alice slowed her pursuit, coming to a stop a few yards away. She didn't want the bear to catch her scent on the breeze and ruin Jasper's attack, especially not when she expected this to be wholly amusing.
The black bear, in the middle of rolling over a log, looking for a cache of tasty termites, caught Jasper's scent. His head shot up instinctively, ears forward and turning in Jasper's direction. Muscles rippling under his black fur, he stalked forward, taking slow steps, gauging the threat, head in the air and testing the foreign scent. Without further hesitation, Jasper sprung forward, closing the distance between he and the bear and launching himself into the air. Arms fanned out at his sides, he landed just feet from the bewildered animal.
The bear roared in anger, hauling itself up onto his back legs and thrashing out his heavy paws in an attempt to make himself look bigger. A determined smile spread across Jasper's face and a hungry gleam for battle sparkled in his eyes as he darted forward, locking his arms in a deadly embrace around the bear's neck. The enraged animal thrashed his head trying to shake Jasper off but he wasn't going anywhere. One of his heavy paws caught Jasper's side and tore through the fabric of his coat and shirt but it felt like a feather caressing his body. Not a scratch.
Alice stepped forward and leaned casually against a tree, watching Jasper at work with a satisfied smirk. That was until the bear ripped his jacket and shirt. "I told you that would happen," she groaned. "Oh well. If you keep your arms folded, no one will see it when you buy our tickets."
Although the heavy paw would probably do much damage to human muscle and bone it had no effect on him except for the damaged clothing. A low, irritated growl escaped Jasper's lips as he fought to gain supremacy over the enraged animal. The bear roared in anger, hurling another swipe at Jasper's side. Expecting the blow now, Jasper hurled himself backward in an attempt to evade the animal's claws. He deflected himself off of a tree, planting his feet against the trunk and launching himself forward after which he landed in a crouch, awaiting the animal's next move.
The enraged animal charged forward causing Jasper to launch himself off the ground and over the animals head, landing behind it and spinning on his heels. He rolled forward and charged with a half crazed look in his eye. Before the bear could even turn around Jasper had leapt into the air and landed on its back, balancing himself instantly and locking his arms around the animal's neck once again, quickly seeking out the jugular. His teeth sank as easily into the animal's neck, cutting through sinew and fat, as a knife cutting through butter.
The bear's enraged attempts to throw him off became more feeble as Jasper drained the life out him. Weakened by blood loss he succumbed and sank with a hard thud to the ground. Jasper however, driven by thirst, kept a firm grip and moved to straddle the animal's downed form, caving himself in over it and eager to get out every last drop possible.
As Alice watched Jasper triumph over the bear her expression changed from one of amusement to one of awe. He had fared far better than she had expected. In fact, she could see how, without her gift and previous knowledge of this man, he would have appeared to her. Dangerous, cunning, lethal. In fact, she was beginning to think she had never met a vampire with such a potential to be deadly. She understood, perhaps more clearly than she had, why he had survived the southern vampire wars when so many others had not.
Still she gave a jovial smile, clapping as she strode forward to his side. "I must admit I am impressed. The first time I took on a bear, I had so many rips in my clothing that I was positively indecent. I don't even know if they qualified as clothes anymore! You managed to get by with only one."
As he took the last drop, Jasper unwilling pulled his mouth off of the now dead animal. His dark eyes were now considerably brighter from the feeding and the deep purple bruises under his eyes had become no more than faint shadows. He stood up in one swift movement as Alice approached, the adrenaline from the kill still coursing through his body. The burn in his throat was no more than a faint echo, for the time being.
A soft chuckle escaped his lips, accompanied by an amused smile. "I'm sure that was quite a sight," he said, hardly able to imagine such a small, fragile creature tangling with a bear. "So you enjoyed it then?" He had to admit, it rather thrilled him to have her watching.
"It was probably one of the more entertaining things I have seen in a while," she admitted, a smile curving her lips. "I wasn't so sure how you'd do but now I see that the bear never had much of a chance, poor thing. I think he only got in the one swing."
She reached down to poke a finger through the gash in his shirt. Her fingertip came in contact with the smooth marble of his skin and for a moment she marveled at the lean, sinewy muscles she found there, her touch lingering for a second longer than was appropriate.
Jasper's gaze moved to Alice's hand as she assessed the damage. He assumed she probably would since she'd already warned him about the possible outcome. When her finger made contact with his skin, Jasper felt an electric current run through his body, not unpleasant. He shivered in reaction, but didn't speak. He glanced down at the slash marks in his shirt, the alabaster skin beneath, untouched by the claws. Touched and forever altered by Alice, however.
Turning away she cleared her throat, placing her hand on her hips and looking up at the night sky. The stars were starting to show now in the dusky twilight. "I think we had better get back to town if we're going to continue on with our date."
Jasper's gaze remained locked on Alice, committing everything about her in that moment to his memory. "Yes, I think that would be…a good idea," he agreed, reaching forward with his hand to take hers.
She turned to look at him, her eyes searching his face. "Your hunger, it's gone now?"
He nodded, quietly, a soft smile, gathering at the corners of his mouth. "Quite."
She tugged on his hand. "Come on then," she said, her tone exuberant once more. She took off running, pulling him with her.
He followed her willingly, easily keeping pace next to her. A carefree grin stretched the corners of his mouth, flashing his teeth. Soon the forest became less dense and lights appeared on the horizon. The sound of cars reached Jasper's ears in the distance and he moved his gaze to Alice, beginning to slow his pace.
Alice slowed her pace as well, moving instead at a light jog by human standards. Soon they would have to walk to avoid suspicion. "We're almost there. We'll have to slow down as we get closer. Too many humans." She freed Jasper's hand from her grasp. "Wrap your coat around yourself to hide the gash in your shirt and keep your head down so no one sees your eyes. You're going to need another hat." She frowned, wondering why she hadn't thought to retrieve his old one before they had left the forest.
"Right," Jasper agreed, nodding quickly and letting go of her hand to grab a handful of coat on each side and wrap it firmly around his waist. He folded his arms across his chest to hold it in place and hide the slash marks and dropped his gaze as she instructed. Being without a hat to cover his eyes caused him to feel slightly exposed. He sighed quietly, kicking himself on the inside for not going back and getting his hat. Why had he left it? Jasper kept his gaze aimed toward the ground, silently walking along beside her. They, or rather he, were taking a risk by walking out into public without something to hide his eyes. He trusted in Alice though, trusted that she knew what she was doing.
The first of the city's streets opened up before them and Alice walked casually so as not to draw attention. She swept her eyes from side to side until finally she found what she was looking for.
"Stay here," she said, grabbing Jasper by the arms and planting him firmly in place in the shadows against a building.
Skipping across the pavement she approached a man who appeared to be hurrying home from a day at the office. Perched on top of his head was a hat not unlike the one Jasper had been wearing earlier in style but of far better quality.
Before Jasper could ask any questions Alice was gone, dancing across the pavement and in the direction of a man in a gray, wool coat. His eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "What is she doing?" he mumbled, trying to figure it out, his expression turning to fascination when he realized the point of her little mission.
"Excuse me, sir?" she asked, batting her eyelashes with expert skill at the gentleman. "I was wondering if perhaps I might buy your hat off you?"
The man stopped and looked down at her, completely taken aback. "What?" he asked. "Why would you want to buy my hat?"
"It's a nice hat," she remarked, fixing him with the full force of her dazzling smile. She pulled out her little purse and shuffled through the bills there to produce another one hundred dollar bill. "And you would be doing me an immense favor. Isn't it the goal of every fine gentleman such as yourself to always help a lady in need?"
The man stared at her for a moment as though he'd be willing to sell her the shirt off his back as well as his trousers now that she had unleashed her ability to attract her prey. He quickly reached up and removed his hat, handing it to her with an eager smile. "Well, since it's for a lady in need, and such an enchanting lady at that! Is there anything else I could do to be of assistance?"
Alice pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Well, since you're so kind to offer, I would also be grateful for your coat if you could spare it."
Without a word the man juggled his briefcase in his arms so that he could slip off his gray wool overcoat. Watching her in utter fascination, Jasper couldn't help but chuckle as she persuaded the man to hand over his clothing. The man never even had a chance. He was completely under the spell of her charm. Of course, he thought, who could refuse such a beautiful creature?
As the man handed his coat to her, Alice pressed two one hundred dollar bills into his palm, graced him with another angelic smile and then, thanking him sincerely, bounced her way back to Jasper's side.
"Here, put these on," she said, handing the hat and coat to him. She was already stripping his old coat off his shoulders.
Jasper let the old, tattered coat slip from his fingers and hurried to slip on the new one, taking up the hat from her delicate hands and placing it securely on his head. He adjusted it so that it cast a shadow over his eyes. "You are an enchanting little creature," he mused, with a meaningful look.
Tinkling laughter filled the space between them. "I'm just very set on getting my way," she said, flashing a toothy smile at him.
"Obviously. And what methods of persuasion you have!" Chuckling quietly, he shook his head. The dazzling smile she unleashed upon him, accompanied by her musical laughter, sent a pleasant thrill through him. His expression turned awestruck as he stared upon her like a spectator looking upon a Botticelli angel. The glow about her was magnetic to say the least. Too wrapped up in her for words, a gentle smile formed at the corners of his lips.
She looked down, holding his old coat out and away from her with her thumb and forefinger and leaning away from it so it wouldn't touch her. "Where did you get this, anyway?"
His gaze went to the coat she held securely pinched between her thumb and index finger, as though it might bite her. "Well, it's quite simple really," he began, unsure of whether she'd laugh at his methods of petty theft. "I stole it from a homeless man." The words rolled carefully out of his mouth. Not that it bothered him to stoop to such levels. No, he was hesitant because a part of him was worried about how she'd react. Would she laugh at him? Or would she think badly of him?
Alice stared at the coat for a moment, her lips pressed in a thin line. She didn't blame Jasper for what he'd done. Traveling around living the sort of lifestyle he had until today, well, you did what you had to do to survive. However, whether he realized it yet or not, life for him was now very different.
"We should return it," she said, all wide eyed innocence. "Was it here in the city?"
"Return it?" His eyebrows came together in confusion. Since when did vampires start returning things? He flicked his gaze to the coat, a frown pulling down the corners of his mouth. "Um, well…yes," he said, still very bewildered by her suggestion.
Alice sniffed the coat and then the air. "Hmmm," she said, looking around her. "I think he's this way."
She grabbed his hand again and led him off down the main street. After a while she turned down a series of alleyways, each one more dark and less desirable than the one before it. A few fires burned in old barrel drums and in the shadows a few men were gathered, their eyes staring out at her from the darkness.
"I'll be right back," she said, dancing away from him and right into the throng of shady figures without fear.
He watched as she danced off into the crowd of people, disappearing from his sight. A flare of worry shot through him as his gaze scanned the crowd impatiently for a sign of her. The humans most likely didn't pose a threat to her but he couldn't help but feel anxious about her leaving his side. It made him nervous, that should something happen to her he wouldn't be there to protect her. He took a few anxious, tentative steps. "Alice?" His voice, too low a volume for human ears had a nervous edge. He didn't like not being able to see her.
Her eyes zeroed in on the particular man she was looking for, huddled close to one of the fires and clearly shivering from the cold. Alice approached him, happy to have found him amongst so many others in the city's unfortunate homeless population.
"I believe this belongs to you," she said, softly, holding the coat out to him. "I'm sorry about the tear. Thank you for letting my friend borrow it."
The man stared at her in bewilderment but reached out with dirty hands to take the coat from her. Alice smiled at him and then fished out her little coin purse again. "It's almost Christmas," she said, reaching inside and fishing out a wad of bills. "Why don't you all try and make it a good one?"
And then, as if she truly were an angel amongst them, she walked around handing out money until her coin purse was completely empty.
Jasper waited on pins and needles for a glance of her. She wasn't back yet and he was seriously debating on whether to go and find her. That would be overreacting though. Wouldn't it? No, not if there was something wrong. The conflict mentally raged on. Were his feelings so strong for her that he would nettle himself over her absence? Yes, yes, they were.
Just then she bounced back into sight. The worried look on Jasper's face smoothed out as relief washed through him. He breathed a sigh of relief as he caught her dancing figure moving amongst the crowd handing out money. His expression turned to confusion. He didn't understand her sympathy and affection for humans. They meant little to him.
Smiling in satisfaction at her good deed, she skipped back over to Jasper's side and wrapped her arms around his waist. "See? Doesn't that feel better?"
"You have no idea," he said, with a nervous laugh as he wrapped his arms around her in return. She had no idea how relieved he felt that she was safe. "Now, let's go watch that movie." A smile touched the corners of his mouth as he reached around to clasp her hand, leading her away from the alley and down the street.