Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

"Bella?"

I jumped in surprise, turning to see Angela standing behind me. She was looking at me in confusion and surprise, which I could understand. I hadn't been at work for four days and suddenly I was back. Normally, I would have found her as soon as I arrived at school, so I could ask her what I missed and to get the class notes. Instead, it was halfway through the school day and I was cleaning out my locker.

"What's going on?"

I shook my head as I admitted, "It's nothing. My... I'm going to stay with some of my dad's family in Washington for the rest of the school year."

"Are you sure?" she asked, a look of worry on her face. Her voice suddenly dropped to a whisper, "I mean, you have the coven and..."

I knew what I was giving up, but it didn't matter anymore. "I just can't, Angie." My phone began ringing, making me jump again. She gave me a concerned look as I saw an unknown number. "Hello?"

"Isabella Swan?" A female voice asked on the other end.

"W-who is this?"

"Just a friend calling to give you some advice: Do what he says and he will never harm you."

"Who are you? How do you know me?"

"I'm not even supposed to be calling you. He's going to be upset at me. Just trust me on this."

"Why do you want to help me?"

"I know how it feels to be a vampire's mate when you're human." My breath hitched at that. "It gets easier, but you have to give him at least some control."

Before I could say anything else, the line went dead. Turning to see Angela staring at me with narrowed eyes, I laughed and said, "Dad's niece decided she wanted to play a joke."

"That didn't sound like a joke."

I finished cleaning out my locker and hoisted my backpack over my shoulder. "I'll see you around, Ange."

I could feel tears threatening to spill as I went out to Jasper's car and tossed my things in the back, along with my suitcase. After all, if I was going to live with him, I may as well have some clothes.

Of course, when I got there, he wasn't around. However, he did have some staff around. They were looking at me worriedly when I came in carrying a backpack and suitcase. Of course, they knew something was going on. I remembered one of the staff members from a hospital visit; she had been on the housekeeping staff.

"You shouldn't be here," she whispered as they all surrounded me. "The Master has a horrid temperament."

I nodded in agreement. "I know." I looked away from them, when my tears threatened to spill once again. "H-he threatened to k-kill my family and... if I didn't do what he..."

"Just listen to what he says," she spoke, touching my arm. "Follow his instructions and you'll be safe."

I momentarily thought back to the phone call from earlier, before picking up my things and heading up the stairs. As soon as I dropped my things onto the bed, I went over to the window and looked out towards all the houses, thinking about those stories Esme told me growing up; the one where the princess was locked away in the tower and waited for her prince to come. Only now, it was me who was stuck and my prince also happened to be the one keeping me locked away.

XXX

I wasn't sure how I ended up cooking for myself that evening. One of the staff members offered to stay and help, but I couldn't do that to her and assured her that I would be fine by myself. This was the only way I could feel somewhat normal. If I was stuck here, I wanted things to be as normal as I possibly could have them.

"Would you like any help?"

I couldn't help the jump or the yelp when I heard his voice.

"N-no. I-I'm fine."

Turning to face him as I backed up against the counter, I could feel him staring at my chest, probably looking at the pentacle that hung around my neck. I knew vampires despised humans possessing the gemstone. The rarer the color, the stronger the stone and, according to Esme, blue was the rarest and strongest of all.

"Don't be like that." His voice was soft as he walked towards me. My eyes automatically closed and I flinched as his hand touched my cheek. "This is all for the best. I am never going to cause you any permanent harm."

I pulled away from his touch, leaning over the counter. Some part of me was screaming to follow his rules and to do what he said—just like the person who had called me earlier had said. The other part of me, though, was telling me to fight for all I was worth and not to give him the satisfaction of controlling me. Sadly, that second part won out in the end.

"You may have me living here, but you need to stay away from me. I'm not some toy you can play with."

As I watched his hands ball into fists, I tried to fight the urge to run. I already knew that it wouldn't end well for me, especially if he was this angry.

"You will learn your place, Isabella." His eyes once again moved down to the pentacle. "You will also stick to my schedule. You are never to leave this place alone, unless you are accompanied. And you will have no contact with your father or anyone else for that matter, until your eighteenth birthday."

"You have no way to keep me here." There was a smirk in my voice and I knew for a fact that I was playing with fire.

"Would you like to try me?" His lips turned up into a dark smile that made me shudder. "There is so much you don't know about me. However, one thing you do know is that if I want something done, it will be done… even if I have to punish you. You learned this only the other night." I did and I would rather forget that night. "Do not make me repeat myself."

He grasped my wrist and my fight or flight reaction kicked in big time. My body chose flight and I tried to pull away from him. Once again, my mind began flashing back to that call, where the woman told me to not fight his orders.

"Let me go," I ordered as his grip tightened. "You're hurting me."

"Good." His voice was harsh and cold. "Where is your necklace? The one I bought you?" I looked away until he wrapped my hair into his fist. "Isabella, you will tell me."

"The... the bedroom. In…in my backpack."

He kept his grip on my hair, leading me up the stairs none too gently. When we got to the room, he shoved me onto the ground and walked towards my things. I watched as he sneered at the clothes he was going through. At the very bottom, he found the necklace he had given me. I had never worn it and I was never going to for as long as I lived.

Of course, as long as I lived didn't seem to matter to Jasper. He put it on me and backed away to survey his work.

"You will keep that on unless you are showering. You will treat it with the utmost respect at all times. Do you understand me?"

"Bite me." As soon as those two words left my mouth, I wanted to kick myself. That was possibly the stupidest thing I could ever say to one of his kind.

"Don't tempt me." He ran his fingers through my hair. "Do you want to follow your rules now?"

"Go to hell."

He grabbed my hair and yanked it, before shoving me back down. He walked over to the door and paused before saying, "You will not get any leisure during your time here, until you agree to submit to me. And trust me, it will be easier for you to learn quickly."

With that, he shut the door and I could hear a lock click into place.