Hi Everyone! Thank you for all of your fabulous reviews and messages. I enjoyed reading them all. A bit of horseback riding with our favorite couple for all of you!
This story is AU/OOC
All characters belong to Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement intended.
Mature readers 18+ only.
Three months later...
Mike's POV
We had received a phone call from Amber Putain stating that Jeanine Ratson and Violetta Fisher were heading to Chicago following a lead on a potential newborn. She also stated that Maria's newborn count was building up again.
Edward, Vicky, Jasper, Felix, Alice, and I were in Chicago ready to intercept them. Bella had her shield down so that Alice could use her gift. My wife was being very careful about using her gift. She realized that she had a tendency to become consumed by it and develop a god complex whenever she used it constantly. It had already destroyed her relationship with Bella and Rose and she was regretting the fact that she had let it get to her head.
"I hear them, they're in the area," Edward stated at the same time that I pointed out that I smelled vampires in the vicinity. We were all on red alert.
The two women walked by the alley we were in and didn't even detect our scents because we were doused from head to toe in Scent Away. Jasper knocked them out using his gift. We loaded both of them up into Jasper's Tahoe and made our way back to Cheboygan. Jasper kept them both knocked out for the ride home.
As soon as we arrived in Cheboygan, Jasper woke up the girl identified as Violetta Fisher. She saw Vicky's face and started shrieking, "How did you find me? What do you want from me? I swear, I haven't had a thing to do with James in years!"
"What do you know about Maria?" Vicky asked, getting right down to business.
"M..M...Maria? Nothing. I know nothing."
Slap! "Don't lie to me, you know how much I hate liars!"
"Oh, God! Oh, God! James! James! Help me! Please!" she started screaming.
"James isn't going to help you. Why would you even consider crying out for him when you know he's mine. Only I can help you, girl."
"Please, please, I'll tell you anything. Please."
"You're not going to tell me, you're going to tell my friend. Oh, Majorrrr!"
Jasper came out of the shadows looking scary as fuck, and when I say scary, I mean scary. I felt like pissing my pants and I have no piss to piss. I really felt for Bella at that point, I know the Major made an appearance when we caught Amber, and Bella was marked continuously by him. I didn't mean to overhear the conversation between her and Rosalie, I just happened to be walking by Bella's house when they were talking. Bella told Rose that she had never been more frightened or turned on in her life.
Violetta Fisher's eyes widened in fear. She started shaking continuously.
"Tell me everything you know about Maria."
"Sh...Sh...She's f...forming an army to take most of the southwest. Sh...I...I...I'm supposed to call her if I ever run into you."
"Are you recruiting for her?"
"Y...y...yes."
"How many newborns have you recruited for her?"
Violetta Fisher suddenly fell silent.
"How many newborns have you recruited for her?"
More silence.
"Vicky, loosen her tongue up for me a bit, will ya?"
"My pleasure." Vicky bit her over and over again on her arms. Violetta Fisher was howling in agony. My sister ended with a bite to her neck. "I thought you needed a bit of a reminder of who exactly you belong to Violetta."
I'm not so sure I could ever be that sinister. Vicky's like Bellatrix Lestrange in the Harry Potter series on steroids. I can't believe they let her around school children. Shit, I mean, if any of the teachers at Forks High were like her, I would have gotten straight A's cause I would have been scared shitless to make a mistake in front of her.
Violetta Fisher started talking. She didn't tell us anything different from what Amber Putain said. She did say, however, that Maria was getting closer to her goal of five hundred newborns. The Major asked her how she was staying in control of so many newborns. Violetta Fisher said that she had no idea, but they were the most controlled newborns that she had ever encountered. She added that Maria has moved bases to Hinsdale County, Colorado—one of the most remote parts of the United States. When there was no more information to be gained from her, Vicky took her into the woods, ripped her apart, and charred her.
Next up was Jeanine Ratson. This one was a different ballgame altogether. She was strong and fast and she kept offering to do Jasper for cash.
"I doubt his mate would appreciate it, Ratson," Vicky scoffed.
"I heard about his mate. She's weak and pathetic. Maria said that she's probably only his companion. Can I meet the wimp?"
"No," Vicky scowled just as Chelsea walked in to inflict her brand of terror. She was clad in her Volturi robe with the crest standing prominently on her chest.
"You're working with the Volturi?" Ratson asked Vicky, terrified. She regained her composure and spoke to Chelsea, "How can I help you, mistress?"
Chelsea smacked her a few times across her face then kicked Ratson in the gut. You see, now, if Vicky is Bellatrix Lestrange on steroids, then Chelsea is Voldemort on crack. I mean, this girl appears sweet, innocent, and cheerful, but when push comes to shove she's an absolute terror.
Jasper sent Ratson a dose of pain and fear just so she was clear as to who ran the show here. She started talking, confirming everything that Violetta Fisher said. She even gave us the exact GPS coordinates of Maria's camp. Maria's newborns all fed on animals. Hinsdale County was abundant with wildlife so she took a page out of the Cullens book and decided to have them feed on animals. This way, they were more controlled because they had constant access to blood. They also didn't attract much attention because there were no mass killings of humans. She asked Chelsea how it was that the Volturi found out about her?
Chelsea slapped Ratson across the face, "I'm the one asking questions, not you. Are we done here Major?"
"Yes."
Ratson was dragged off into the woods by Vicky and Chelsea.
Bella's POV
"I've got her Chelsea," Vicky stated. "I've got a bone to pick with this bitch."
"Are you sure?"
"Oh, yeah."
Chelsea nodded her head and took off back to headquarters. I was walking around in the woods to take a breather. I was so worried about Jasper that I needed to clear my head. I knew that he was back, but I still hadn't seen him yet.
It happened in a split second. One moment, Vicky and the female vampire were facing off against each other, and the next, Vicky was lying in pieces on the forest floor. Agony, despair, pain—that's what I felt, as I saw Vicky in sheer pain and me unable to do anything. The bitch that took her apart was digging through her pockets for something, probably a lighter. She found nothing. Muttering a curse, she started running. The almost unbearable pain in my heart morphed into pure rage. I took off after her. There was no way that I was letting her get away with ripping apart the woman who raised me. I was angry and running on pure adrenalin.
I caught up with the bitch and jumped on her back. Remembering everything that I was taught, I took the witch by surprise. She shrugged me off of her back hurling me into a tree, but I took one of her arms with her. The woman was feral, she was growling like a grizzly bear, but I had to win this one. No one fucks with my family. The woman came running for me at full force, but I used one of Riley's defensive maneuvers and managed to avoid her and sent her barreling into a pond. She came back out looking scary as fuck, I didn't let it bother me, though. She got into a crouched position, I backed myself into a tree. I was trapped. Fuck. I suddenly remembered the karate move that I used to take off Alice's head all those years ago. With all of my might, I kicked the bitch's head and it tumbled off and rolled onto the forest floor, her body crumpled to the ground immediately after.
Jasper came thundering into the forest followed by Rose and Rex. He immediately pulled me into his arms and started checking me over for injuries. I heard the pounding of more feet running. My entire family was here to help me.
"She took Vicky apart," I cried. "I had to do something."
"Okay, baby, everything's gonna be alright. Where's Vicky?"
"Right where Chelsea left her. About eight miles back."
Chelsea ran to Vicky with half of the family. Irina and Laurent approached me and hugged me. Laurent looked absolutely terrified. He cradled both me and Irina in his arms, whispering about how he wouldn't know what to do if anything happened to either of us. Peter and Rex looked as if they were about to cry. I reassured everyone that I was okay; that it was sheer chance that I happened upon them, and that I was more worried about Vicky than I was about myself.
Jasper picked me up after that and carried me to where Vicky was. I nearly lost it then. She had been beheaded and her limbs were all scattered around the forest floor in at least twelve pieces.
"Is she going to be okay?" I sobbed.
"She'll be fine, we'll put her back together, baby girl," Daddy and Riley grabbed her body parts and brought her back to headquarters. "I need plasma and human blood. Rose, kitten, go get some from the storage unit in the basement."
Amanda and Emmett walked up to us with the woman's head, torso, and arm.
"What do we do with these?" Amanda asked Jasper.
"Drop them here. Rex, take Bells back to the house and stay with her. Kate, Chelsea, Charlotte, Peter; we have work to do," an angry Major growled.
"I'm staying too," an angry Irina seethed. I was pretty sure that this bitch was going to die a most painful death and a well deserved one, too. The Major may be scary, but a pissed off Irina was the scariest vampire of all.
Rex cradled me in his arms and walked into my house. "You know that you scared the fuck out of all of us, don't you, wifey?"
"Sorry, Rex. I don't know what came over me. I saw Vicky lying there in pieces and I got pissed off, then the bitch started running. I didn't want to lose her so I took off after her."
"Just what the fuck were you doing in the forest alone anyway? I would have gone with you!"
"I was thinking. Clearing my mind, if you will. I'm scared Rexy, all this shit's raining down on us and I feel like it's getting worse by the second. Why the fuck was our family dealt such a raw deal?"
"I don't know, wifey. I really don't, all I know is that I was scared. Terrified. I felt it in my chest, you know. I knew you were in trouble. So did Rose. She and I both doubled over along with Jasper and we went running into the forest looking for you. I've never felt that way before. It really hurt."
Okay, well, this is news. I'm going to have to have Char look at our bond again. I know Rex isn't my mate, but maybe he's like Rose is to me. We were really close. Sometimes closer than Rose and I were. We had a different kind of friendship.
I snuggled into Rex's chest and let him hold me. Jasper came walking inside of the house a few minutes later. "Thanks, brother," he said to Rex who stood up, kissed the top of my head, and went on his way. He looked extremely stressed.
My husband knelt down in front of me and cradled my face in his hands. He kissed my lips sending me all the love he had in the world to me. "I love you, Bella."
"I love you, too, Jasper." He continued eyeing me with an odd expression on his face. It was as if he were trying to stay in control. "What's wrong, babe?"
"Nothing, I'm just relieved you're okay. By all accounts Jeanine Ratson is a strong fighter. Just look at what she did to Vicky. I'm so proud of you, Bella. I really am. You kept your head together when you were in danger."
"Don't lie to me, Jasper. Something's bugging you, what is it?"
"Nothing."
"Jasper, tell me."
"It's Rex, okay. I'm jealous! I'm fucking jealous! Why am I not enough for you, Bella? Why? What does Rex have that I don't."
"Jasper, you're being ridiculous."
"I know I am! It's just that the two of you are so close and sometimes you talk to him about things that you can't discuss with me. I just get so jealous sometimes! You even fight better with him."
"Stop, Jasper! Stop this, right now. How is my friendship with Rex different from your friendship with Vicky? I know that the two of you get along well. I know that the two of you talk about stuff you can't discuss with me or Riley and I'm okay with it. I'm glad that you have someone that you can turn to when you can't talk to me. What do you feel from me?" I asked my mate.
He inhaled a deep breath and donned an intense look of concentration. "Love," he sighed.
"And who do you think that love is for?"
"Me."
"That's right. I can talk to Rex until I'm blue in the face, but I'll always, without fail, come home to you because my heart belongs to you."
Jasper tore my shirt down the middle and exposed my heart where the Major left his mark. He placed his hand on my heart and I instantly felt warmth and security running through my body. I know what made him feel this way, he had a big scare. Not only was I in danger, but his favorite sister was hurt terribly by an evil, psychotic vampire.
I pulled his lips up towards me and kissed him. He picked me up and carried me to our bedroom. We made love, each of us showing one another how much we meant to one another. He claimed me. I claimed him. In the end, there was no doubt left of our love for each other. We were strong again. Jasper and Bella were back.
A few hours later, we went to check on Vicky. She was lying on her bed looking terrible. Riley was shielding her body protectively.
"It's okay, babe, it's just Bella and Jasper," Vicky rasped to Riley. "Come here, Bella."
I slowly approached the woman who had helped to shape me into the person I was today. "I heard what you did. I'm so proud of you."
"I saw what she did to you, Vicky. She got you when you looked away. I was so horrified. I just couldn't let her get away with it."
"Let that be a lesson to you, baby girl. Never, ever take your eyes off of the enemy."
"That was the very first lesson that you taught me, Vicky."
"That's right, I just wanted to prove my point. Now, be a good girl and take Riley hunting. I need to talk to Jasper."
"I'm not leaving you, Vicky," Riley said adamantly.
"Come on, Rye. Vicky has stuff that she needs to get off of her chest."
"She'll be fine, Riley. I'll guard her with my life. You know I will," Jasper promised.
Riley nodded his head and put his arm around me. The two of us left the house and went for a hunt.
"I wasn't there to protect her, sis. My own wife," Riley sobbed into my arms. "I wasn't there to protect you. How did this happen? I vowed on Daddy's grave that I would protect you and Vicky with my life and I wasn't there for either of you."
"Riley, you can't be everywhere all of the time. No one can. It wasn't your fault. It happened in a split second. Besides, I don't know what Vicky was doing out in the woods alone with her anyway. She sent Chelsea away. I just happened to be there when it happened that's why I was able to get the ruthless bitch."
"What the fuck were you doing out in the woods alone, Bells?" Oh, shit. I was hoping that he wouldn't catch that part.
"Um, thinking."
"Bella!" Riley looked mad as hell. Alright, I give, I probably shouldn't have been out in the woods alone. Scratch that, I know that I shouldn't have been out in the woods alone.
"I swear Bella! The next time you pull a stunt like that I'm gonna bend you over my knee and spank you. I can't lose you, sis! I can't lose you, Vicky, or Peter; you three are my reason for my existing."
Speak of the devil, Peter appeared out of nowhere. "What the fuck were you thinking walking out into the woods alone, Bella? You can't do shit like that. Not now, not when Maria is coming for us. Bella, you and Riley are all that's left of my bloodline. You two have to stay safe. Promise me, promise me that you'll stay safe. Promise me that you'll stay together. Promise me, Bella."
I looked into my great-grandfather's eyes and saw that he had genuine fear written in his eyes. I snuggled up into his chest and whispered, "I promise."
He pulled Riley in for a hug, too, and the three of us just held onto each other, just in case this was the last chance we had to do it.
Jasper's POV
"I fucked up, Major," Vicky rasped. "The only reason why I'm not dead is because we took her lighter from her before interrogating her. Had she checked my pocket, she would have found my Zippo and I would have been ash."
"So, you fucked up this time, just don't do it next time."
"She was strong, stronger than I remember. Bella was lucky that she wasn't killed."
"You trained her well, Vicky—you and Irina both. Bella is smart and resourceful. Somehow, she managed to rip her arm and her head off."
"I'm scared, Jasper. I really am. I don't know if I can face Maria again." Vicky had venom tears brimming her eyes. She was shaking and wracked in fear. I sent her a dose of calm so she'd settle down.
"Vicky, I'll keep you safe. I promise. I won't let Maria hurt you. You're a strong woman, you're smarter than she is. Look at how far you've come. You've overcome tragedy and adversity and you're living life to the fullest now. You raised Bella. You taught her to become strong and independent. You're a school teacher. You're a wife. You've got too much to live for to let that venomous bitch hurt you."
"Jasper, promise me that you'll look after Riley and Bella if anything were to happen to me."
"I promise, Vicky, but nothing is going to happen to you. I won't let it."
She broke down and started crying tearlessly. I held her until she was all cried out, then I fed her some human blood through a straw and rubbed human plasma onto her fresh wounds like a salve. She needed both to heal. She was in horrific shape and by all accounts, she should have been dead. Afterwards, I used my gift to put her to sleep because she really needed to rest in order to recover. The injuries that she sustained would put her out of commission for the better part of the week, which is long for a vampire.
As I watched Victoria rest, I couldn't help, but let my mind wander to thoughts of my wife. When I felt the pull hit my chest, I was terrified. Instinctually, I knew that something was terribly wrong. That fact was confirmed when Rose buckled over in pain and started running. Then, I saw Rex do the same thing. That's when I lost it. I became terrified, angry, and jealous all at the same time, but I knew that I had to reign in my feelings because there was no way in hell that Rex was Bella's mate. I'd never felt anything, but platonic feelings for each other between the two of them. They were just incredibly close friends.
Bella had a point though. Vicky and I shared a friendship much like Rex and Bella did. There were things that I just couldn't delve into with Bella. For example, she would never understand what it was truly like to be controlled by Maria, but Vicky did. She also wouldn't understand what it was like to be manipulated sexually by someone like Maria, but Vicky understood. She was controlled in a similar way by James.
I also understood that there was a generational gap between me and Bella that Rex could fill in. They were of the same generation. Tanya was over a thousand years older than Rex while I was over a hundred and fifty years older than Bella. Those two needed each other because there were certain things that neither Tanya nor I would ever understand about them.
Riley walked inside and took over watching his mate. I gave him a hug and told him that everything would be okay, then I sent Vicky an extra heavy dose of lethargy to keep her knocked out for a few hours. My brother-in-law thanked me as I left his house.
"Are you ready to go?" Bella asked. She was waiting outside on their front step.
"Yeah, baby, let's go."
She threw me the keys to her Ferrari. Bella decided that she'd had it with learning how to drive a stick shift and preferred being a passenger instead. I turned the key and the engine purred to life, I decided that a little drive was in order to clear my mind. That's how Bella and I ended up in Lexington, Kentucky the next morning with the sun threatening to blare out and expose us.
"Um, Jasper, you've got to find a hotel pronto asap."
"No, shit. Do you know of any good ones?"
"Jasper! Pull into any fucking hotel with an underground garage. This isn't the time to be picky!" she scolded.
I spotted a Hyatt Regency so I pulled into the garage and parked the Ferrari. The two of us got out and took the elevator directly up to the lobby and requested a room. Well, I requested a suite, but my wife insisted that we only needed a room.
We checked into the hotel room and plopped down onto the bed. "How the fuck did we end up here?" I asked.
"Hell if I know. I was just enjoying the ride," my mate replied.
Well, hell, we have a hotel room all bought and paid for, I might as well make love to my wife. I think she had the same idea because the next thing I knew, she was lying naked on the bed next to me.
"Careful with your clothes, baby. We didn't bring any with us," she warned.
"Can I just make a comment here, Bella. This kind of reminds me of sex with Alice. She always took her clothes off and hung them neatly on a hanger before sex."
Bella started giggling as she straddled me. "I don't know if you noticed, but my clothes are lying in a pile on the floor and my bra is...where is my bra?"
I scanned the room. There was an oblong dresser with an oversized mirror and a lamp directly in front of the bed. Ah, there's her bra. "It's hanging on that lamp over there."
"Oh, thank you. Why don't you let me help you with your clothes?" She slowly undid my jeans at human speed, then slid the zipper down with her teeth. That action alone had me moaning her name. She took off my cowboy boots one at a time, then my socks, then she slipped my jeans down over my hips and off before she dropped them on the floor. I helped by taking my t-shirt off.
Bella threw my cowboy boots on her feet before she descended onto my cock facing the mirror on the dresser. Oh, hell, yeah—reverse cowgirl with a full view of my beautiful mate. She arched her back as she rode my cock at human speed. I reached up to stroke her clit. The look of pleasure on her face as it reflected in the mirror was gorgeous. I increased the pressure of my two fingers pleasuring her mound. She reacted by speeding up her pace causing both of us to suddenly explode in passion onto each other. I sat up, brushed her hair away from her neck, and watched myself as I sunk my teeth into her neck. The initial look of pain, then of pleasure on my mate's face as I marked her was one of the most erotic sights I've ever beheld. With each pump of my venom in her system, Bella winced then relaxed into a look of untold ecstasy.
My cock didn't even have a chance to go down, I flipped my wife over onto her hands and knees, and watched myself take her doggie style. The look of sheer pleasure on her face as I thrust into her longing pussy drove me over the edge and I was soon ordering my wife to keep her eyes open and watch in the mirror as I blasted my load straight into her core and marked her. "Mine, all mine," I whispered into her ear and sent shivers throughout her body.
I nestled my woman into my body and held her to my chest murmuring words of love to her. I vowed to keep her mine and safe for all of eternity. Mentally, I told myself that I'm such a selfish bastard that if I were ever to leave this earth, I was taking her with me.
A few hours later...
I was lying naked in bed with Bella snuggled up to me reading a brochure with information on Lexington, Kentucky. The sun was still shining high and bright in the afternoon sky. Neither of us had ever been to Kentucky so we knew nothing about the place.
"Other than the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Fried Chicken, what else do they have here?"
"Hell, I don't know. Other than it being of strategical importance to both the North and the South during the War of Northern Agression, I know nothing else about this state. Well, there was a famous whorehouse in Bowling Green that soldiers from both the North and the South stopped in. Three dollars a screw was the going rate back then."
"By a screw, did that mean you could only cum once? What if you had more in you and you had to go for round two?"
"Then you had to pay three more dollars. Well, actually, you had to go downstairs and buy another token from the madam, then you got your second screw. You couldn't just fuck her twice in a row unless you had two tokens already."
My wife started howling in laughter. I can't believe that you and Felix used to stop at these places! Weren't you worried about sexually transmitted diseases?"
"Bella, I didn't go to them that often."
"Yeah, but it only takes once."
"I know that now, but back then I didn't. We were seriously uninformed and sex wasn't discussed out in the open like it is now."
She was still giggling. I pulled her over my lap and gave her a love tap on her ass.
"So, other than Colonel Sanders, the Kentucky Derby, and three dollar screws, what else is in Kentucky?"
"Well, it says here that there's a Victorian Square that's supposed to be pretty cool and it also says that Lexington is known as 'Thoroughbred City' and the 'Horse Capital of the World'. Let's walk around a bit when the sun goes down before we head home," I suggested.
"Sounds good to me."
A few hours later, Bella and I decided to venture out and explore the city. The city was a mix of modern and traditional and gee whiz, there were a lot of horses here. It brought me back to the good ol' days when horses were the only mode of transportation available.
"Have you ever been on a horse, Bella?"
"I went on a pony ride when I was a kid, but never a big horse."
"Well, that's going to change, baby. Come on."
I took Bella's hand and pulled her along with me to a stable offering horseback riding by the hour. I walked inside and chose a quarter horse for Bella to ride and an Arabian for me. I also paid for a horseback riding lesson for Bella because after trying to teach her how to drive the Ferrari unsuccessfully, I knew that shit like this had to be left to the professionals.
I watched as the instructor led the horse with Bella on it for the first fifteen minutes, then she gradually started letting my wife go on her own. By the end of the hour, Bella was trotting along next to the instructor. On the other hand, I was a natural when I jumped back into the saddle. I was jumping fences and putting the Arabian through it's paces. Riding as a vampire was much different from riding as a human. I noticed that I was taking more risks than I did as a human. One thing was for sure, after the shitstorm with Maria was done and over with, I was going horseback riding more. Maybe I'll even buy a little stable and keep a couple of horses. I wonder if Felix would go riding with me?
After our hour was up, I tipped Bella's instructor and told her that we'd be back in a few months for a longer stay at which time she could give my wife more lessons. She gave us her card and we went on our way to the Victorian Square. Bella and I picked up some clothes to change into at a little boutique. We were about to head out when I spotted a pretty ring at a jewelry store. It was a perfect sapphire ring interspersed with diamonds. I dragged my wife inside and had her try it on.
"They call it an eternity band," the salesperson informed us. Well, that's kind of fitting considering she's mine for all of eternity.
It looked beautiful on her. I think she thought so too because, for once, she let me purchase it for her without any protest.
"Thank you, Jasper," she purred into my ear and kissed me, making me instantly hard.
Okay, enough of this touring shit, time to go back to the hotel, make love to my mate, then head on home.
A few hours later, while we were driving home when Bella's cell phone rang.
"Where the fuck are you?" a pissed off Rose asked.
"Um, somewhere near Toledo, Ohio. Why?"
"Because Rex is going nuts. Something's wrong with his mother and he won't say a word to Tony or Tanya. He keeps mumbling your name."
I took the phone from Bella. "Rosie, keep him calm. I think I can make it home in about three and a half hours."
"So, you're driving then?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Cause Bella should never be allowed behind the wheel of any vehicle, especially a Ferrari, that's why."
I chuckled at Rose's blatant honesty and put the pedal to the metal, hoping there were no cops along the way.
Two and a half hours and one mind-blowing session of road head at a hundred and ninety miles per hour from my wife later, we arrived in Cheboygan. Hell yeah! I shaved the driving time in half and got a blow job. Toledo, at human speed, is roughly five hours away. That had to be the ride of my life.
We rushed into Tanya and Rex's house. As soon as he caught sight of Bella, he pulled her into his arms and started sobbing. Tony and Tanya were both standing worriedly by his side.
I pulled Tony aside and asked him if he called the nursing home.
"I did, there's been no change in her really. There was nothing that they could tell me that would be of concern. I think the stress of the impending fight is getting to him. I saw a lot of this when I was in the army. The build-up and the hype combined with all of the training can really take a toll on a soldier. Listen, Jasper, I need to talk to you. Let's go for a run."
Tony and I went running into the woods. He had a serious expression on his face as we arrived. "Major, I think the stress is getting to everyone, not just Rex. Some of us, like you, me, Felix, and Garrett don't feel it because we're seasoned war veterans."
"Yeah, well, so is Rex," I pointed out.
"I know he's a war veteran. The thing about Rex is that he suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after serving his tours in Iraq. He couldn't handle the carnage and the stress of warfare. That's why he never made it past enlisted status when he was in the Marines."
I plopped down on the forest floor and dropped my face into my hands. During the War of Northern Aggression, I dealt with this type of thing a lot. Of course, back then, there was no clinical diagnosis for it, but it was all the same.
"There's more, Jasper," Tony continued. "I have a feeling that Peter is suffering from the same thing. I don't know if you noticed, but he's overly stressed and he's..."
"You're right, I interrupted. He is suffering. Riley actually diagnosed him with PTSD years ago. I think we'll need him to intervene, but Riley's not doing so hot himself right now."
"Jasper, I think what's needed is a furlough, if you will. I think everyone needs to take a break for two weeks and do their own thing. They need to unwind. I think it'll do more harm than good to continue on in this fashion and, frankly, you look like you could use a break, too. I know that I sure can."
"Let's make it happen, and Tony?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for noticing."
"You're welcome and you should thank Claude. He's the perceptive one."
Claude is perceptive, unbelievably so. This led me to a thought. "Tony, I think Claude might have a gift of sorts. Not a concrete one like I have or Bella has, but more like Victoria's. You know how she has the ability to escape from tight situations for the most part? I mean, when you think about it, even if she was ripped apart the other day, she wasn't turned to ash because Jeanine Ratson didn't have a lighter to finish her off. Claude might have a sixth sense of sorts. Even when he was human, he kind of knew what we needed."
"Yeah, you're right. I don't know if you noticed, but he's able to finish our sentences before even we do sometimes. He can also guess what's on our mind."
"We can have Eleazar look into it more when he comes in June. How are you holding up, Tony?"
"I'm used to this sort of thing. I've always had the ability to adapt to whatever situation I was dealt. My human life wasn't that easy either. I came from a huge family, we were poor, and we had to work hard for everything. So, I realize that in life, sometimes we face challenges and we have to work through them. Rex has a tendency to carry everything on his shoulders then let it blow up. He holds everything in. He always has. I'm different in that sense, I'll bitch and moan to Claude until I get it all off of my chest. You know, I think Bella taking off to fight that Ratson bitch by herself scared the shit out of my brother. He cares about her as much as he does Tanya. How do you deal with it?"
"I just do. I have no choice. Sure I get jealous sometimes, but they need each other. You know, Bella and I are together because of Rex."
"How?"
"I met Bella at Climax, you know the club in Boston where Rex was headlining. We were having Edward's bachelor's party there. Bella, who was still human back then, and her friends were there celebrating a friend's bachelorette party. She and her friends were there to see Rex. That's the night Bella and I met again and hooked up. We've been together ever since, except for a couple of snags in our relationship. So, in a roundabout sort of way, it was Rex that brought us together."
"And it was Bella that brought me to Rex, so I guess we have the two of them to thank for our insane happiness."
"I suppose that's true," I chuckled. "So where are you and Claude going to unwind."
"Beats me, I guess home."
"Home in Las Vegas, home in Boston, or home in Dallas?"
"Honestly, home to me is wherever Claude is."
It was incredible. His one simple sentence summed up how I felt about Bella. To me, she was home. It didn't matter where we were as long as we were together.
We walked back to the house to check on Rex. Bella was cradling his head on her lap and he was noticeably calmer. My wife winked at me and Tony as we approached. It was just the four of us in the house.
"Hey, bro. Are you feeling better?" Tony inquired.
"How would you like to go on vacation?" I questioned.
"Are you sending me away?" Rex asked worriedly.
"No, not just you. I think we can all use a break. I know for sure that I need one. Maybe it's time you and Tanya went on a honeymoon."
Rex clutched onto Bella tightly. "Hey, Rexy, I think Jasper has a good idea. You've always wanted to go skydiving, why don't you give that a whirl?"
"I don't want to skydive without you. Tanya might fall flat on her face."
"Okay, we'll have to do that another time. Hey, I know, what if you have Tanya take you on a tour of Russia? You've been wanting to do that for a long time."
"Do you think she'd be willing?" he asked my mate.
Tanya must have been listening from outside because she zipped inside of the door and knelt down so that she was eye-level with him. "I'd love to take you to Russia. I can show you the town where I grew up. Of course, it was completely barren back then, but the tree that I used to climb as a little girl still stands and it's grown tall and mighty now. Oh, and I'd rather you go skydiving with Bella. I refuse to jump out of a plane. I'm glad you have her for your crazy antics."
Bella slowly sidled away from Rex and let Tanya take over comforting her mate. She thanked Bella with a nod of her head. Tony, Bella, and I left the couple to themselves. The three of us made a quick stop at each house and told everyone that we were going on a two-week furlough beginning tomorrow so that everyone can unwind. Never, in my entire existence, did I feel as much excitement and relief coming from everybody than when I told them about our little break. Almost everyone started making plans immediately, everyone was going away on their own as couples.
Among the couples staying in the States, Peter and Charlotte were going to their home in Montana, Mike and Alice were headed to Forks while Edward and Amanda were off to Chicago. Garrett and Katie were going to Alaska, Laurent and Irina were returning to Boston, Felix and Gianna were going to Charleston, and Emmett and Rose were spending a week in Rochester and a week in Gaitlinsburg.
Those traveling internationally included Carlisle and Chelsea who were traveling to Kenya, Alistair and Esme who were off to England, Riley and Vicky who were heading to New Zealand, and Tony and Claude who were going to Amsterdam.
Three a.m...
"Hey, baby, we still haven't decided where we're going," I said to Bella.
"Do you trust me, Jasper?"
"Of course I do."
"Good, then let's get out of here."
"Where are we going?"
"No idea."
"Okay, so we're winging it?"
"Yep," she replied as she threw our passports into a Ziploc bag, then into a backpack and locked the front door. She grabbed my hand and we started running. We ran south to Flint then east. Five hours later we were in the seaside province of Prince Edward Island, Canada.
I was about to ask her if she wanted to stay here when she dove into the ocean and started swimming. I jumped in after her. A few hours later, we made landfall and climbed out of the water.
"Where the fuck are we?" I asked.
"I have no idea, maybe we should ask someone."
"Good idea." Wherever the hell we were, it was desolate. Bella and I started running. Along the way to civilization, we each took down bears to replenish the venom we had spent getting to...where the hell are we?
We knew we were approaching a town when we heard humans speaking. "Hey, Jasper, can you understand what they're saying?"
"Not really. Oh, hey, there's a sign in English."
We both stopped to read the sign that read, "Welcome to Reykjavic" in prominent letters.
"Honey, I believe we're in Iceland," I said.
"I believe you're right. What's in Iceland?"
"Let's find out." I took a look at Bella. Her hair was sopping wet, her clothes were disheveled, ripped in some places, and in generally bad shape. I looked down at myself. My clothes looked like shit too. "Maybe we should buy something to change into," I suggested.
"Why? The last time I played nomad with Rose, I went for a month without changing my clothes."
"Um, baby, we ain't playing nomad and there's no way in hell we're walking around looking like shit. My standards may not be that high, but I draw the line at you looking like a swamp creature. I mean, for God's sake, I can't tell which one's your hair and which one's the seaweed." I started picking out the seaweed from her hair and clothes.
"Okay, maybe you have a point," she said as I dropped a huge wad of seaweed to the ground.
I winked and chuckled at my wife as she rung out her hair. We walked into a department store, quickly purchased a change of clothes, and checked into a hotel. We immediately dove under the shower and scrubbed the grunge from the ocean off of us. I picked my naked wife up and threw her on the bed. I planted my head in between her legs and started feasting on her piece of heaven. My woman started writhing, shivering, shaking as she succumbed to the pleasure I was giving her. She wrapped her legs around my head, pulling me in closer to her pussy.
"Don't stop, Jasper," she moaned. I had no intention of stopping. She tasted like ambrosia and I was a greedy fucker.
As she shuddered to her orgasm I caught sight of the mark the Major left of her inner thigh. A sudden protective feeling overcame me and I couldn't help myself, I had to claim her there again. I ground my teeth into her thigh and pumped my venom into her veins.
"Yesss," she hissed, causing my cock to turn into a granite homing device whose objective was to find it's way to my mate's pussy. I flipped my mate onto her hands and knees and took her from behind. I grasped onto her long locks and lassoed her to me.
"You're mine, Bella! Do you hear me? Mine!" I reiterated with each thrust of my cock.
"Yours!" she screamed and met my thrusts by backing her core straight onto my cock.
"Mine!"
"Mark me, Major, right the fuck now! Make me yours!" my mate ordered as I exploded into her pussy. I sunk my teeth in deep into her neck and pumped as much of my venom as I could into her. As soon as I detached my teeth, she turned on her knees to face me and bit down into my neck to mark me.
I relished in the feeling of pleasure and pain that she so infrequently bestows upon me. Bella rarely marks me, she always feels guilty afterwards for causing physical pain so it was rare that she gave into her vampire senses. This time, though, I felt absolutely no guilt from her as she bathed my wound with her gorgeous tongue. All I felt coming from her was a sense of peace, security, and above all—love.
"Yours, baby, I'm only yours," I reassured her while I wrapped my arms around her.
Later...
"So, baby, what made you swim to Iceland?"
"Well, I wasn't exactly aiming for any particular place, I just felt like diving into the water. It was so blue and peaceful. Then, once we were in there, I became curious as to how long it would take us to reach land and that's how we ended up in Iceland."
"Okay, so where is our next great adventure going to take us?"
"I was thinking Hawaii, only we should probably fly there."
"Hawaii?"
"Bella, it's sunny there."
"So, we make love during the day and at twilight we venture out of our room and explore the islands. Besides, I've always wanted to go there," she pouted.
Oh man, I can't resist it when my mate looks into my eyes with her puppy dog eyes. "Hawaii it is, then."
The next day...
We ended up chartering a flight from Reykjavic to Honolulu. This way, we were able to arrive at nine pm, well after the sun went down. We ended up renting a beachfront house overlooking Diamond Head. The property was completely walled in and secluded so Bella and I would be able to sparkle all we want in the sunlight without worrying about exposing ourselves.
In the evenings, we'd walk along Waikiki Beach and enjoy the nightlife, catch a movie, or even do some shopping. Bella even purchased authentic hula costumes for herself and for Tony for their class in Sault Ste. Marie. We even got to go to a luau and watched some hula and Tahitian dancing. Man alive they were cute, swinging their hips and shaking their boobies in front of everyone. All I know was that at the end of two weeks, neither she nor I wanted to leave and it was with a heavy heart that we flew back to Cheboygan, Michigan.
We were the last to return to Cheboygan. Everyone looked like they had a heavy weight lifted off of their shoulders and they were visibly relaxed.
"Where the hell did you two go and what's with the matching Hawaiian shirts? You two look like you OD'd on Jimmy Buffett"
"Iceland for a day, then Hawaii," I replied to Peter's inquiring mind. "How was your vacation?"
"Calm, peaceful, relaxing."
"Good."
"Hawaii? How did you manage that?" Alice asked. "It's sunny there all day."
"We rented a private house on the beach. Trust me, it was worth it. We've never felt so relaxed in our existence."
"We brought you all souvenirs," Bella added with a smile.
She opened up her suitcase and dug out a bevy of t-shirts and Hawaiian shirts for everyone. They all thanked us as we chatted about our different holidays and exchanged souvenirs. Bella's favorite gift was actually from Alistair and Esme. They purchased a t-shirt for her that read, "Obstinate, Headstrong Girl," which was a quote from her favorite book, Pride and Prejudice.
"Alistair picked it out for you," Esme pointed out.
My wife walked up to Alistair and kissed him on the cheek. I think he would have blushed a hundred different shades of red were he human.
The next morning, Bella and I drove to the cell phone store to pick up new iPhones. Ours were destroyed when we swam to Iceland and it was imperative that they be replaced immediately. Bella was pensive on the drive home, she was counting on her fingers, obviously trying to calculate something in her brain.
We were currently in a Walmart picking up shampoo, soap, and what not for our townhouse. She picked up a notepad and a pen and started jotting some numbers down while she walked.
"Bella, honey, if you need help with some calculations, I can help," I stated.
"No, no, I can do this."
"What are you trying to figure out? I just went over our accounts last night, everything is fine."
"Dates," Bella answered.
I cashed us out of Walmart and drove us back to our townhouse. "Holy shit!" Bella cried out, an hour later.
"What? What is it?"
"Okay, hear me out. Three and a half months ago, Amber Putain stated that Maria acquired a shield and a power neutralizer roughly fifteen months prior. She also said that she had three hundred newborns ready to go the last time she saw her which had been six months prior. It was nine and a half months ago when you first spoke to Amber. When you talked to her a couple of weeks ago, Amber stated that Maria had upped her newborn count even more. The thing is, if we went by the way you, Peter, and Vicky described things, Maria should be culling newborns when they reach a year old. Jasper, I don't think Maria is forming an army exclusively of newborns, I think she's creating an army of vampires that are on the younger side, but not necessarily less than a year old. I think she's training them to specialize in one or two things, kind of like Felix was a sniper in the Confederate Army. Think about it, Jasper, the majority of the people she's been staking out on Facebook and Twitter have military backgrounds or show prowess in World of Warcraft. Jasper, she's trying to create an army using experienced soldiers. And some of them are close to two years old and most likely fully trained."
Holy shit. It dawned upon me that my wife was correct in her assessment. There was no way in hell she could train and create over three hundred newborns in one year. This has been going on for a while and if she acquired her shield eighteen months ago, that means that Alice's visions have been inaccurate for that long.
I picked Bella up bridal style, left the apartment, and fired up the Tahoe with her on my lap. I needed my mate close to me right now. When we arrived at the property, I called everyone to a meeting and explained my mate's discovery.
Alice looked like she had been impaled by a mack truck. "This is my fault. If I hadn't succumbed to my visions, none of this would have happened."
"It's not your fault, Alice. If it's anyone's fault, it's mine," I stated.
"Actually, it's the fault of everyone who was strategizing. Bella was the only one that was thinking rationally and looking at the whole picture," Pete said. "We should have taken her opinions more seriously from the beginning."
With that, Pete, Tony, Felix, and I started planning. This time, we looked at everything from all angles. The conclusion that we came to was that no matter what happens, our group of vampires was physically prepared to face newborns and experienced vampires. At this point, we were waiting for Maria to spring the unexpected and we were as prepared as we ever could be for it. Bella had been right from the beginning, any more planning was useless and unnecessary. We all knew what we had to do in case we were separated. At this point, we were as prepared as can be.
Three months later...
Summer had arrived, which meant we had approximately six months until Maria's arrival. Carmen and Eleazar and our Indian brothers and sisters were here for a short visit. It was Saturday and we were all doing our own thing. Rose had taken off for Detroit to pick up a part for my Tahoe. Something was wrong with the steering column. Bella and Rex had flown to Boston last night to do their monthly incognito check on Rex's mother, they were due back later this evening. Claude, Amanda, Esme, Chelsea, Gianna, Sush, Amrita, Carmen, and Kate were shopping two hours south at an outlet mall in West Branch. Riley, Laurent, and Mike were in Grand Rapids catching an arena football game. The rest of us were just hanging out at our homes minding our own business.
Suddenly, Pete's desperate voice came ringing through with clarity, "Red alert, Major! Red alert, the bitch...aaaagggghhhh!"
Fuck.
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