Authors note: Sorry again for the long time between updates. I am sad to say my Grandma passed away. It's been a long couple of months. However, I hope you enjoy this chapter

Bella POV

This other vampire was beautiful. I couldn't take my eyes off him. They roamed from his face, down his torso and arms, to his feet. That is when I noticed them, the scars. He had so many. But rather than frighten me, as they should have, they comforted me. They reminded me of my family. Peter and Charlotte are covered in the same crescent marks from their time in the wars. I didn't even realized my shield went up. Sometimes I can't even control it. It's like it has an autopilot. What I didn't expect was for this new vampire to start growling at me. He was crouched like he wanted to attack.

I knew this was Peter and Charlotte's good friend, but how dare he growl at me. I had done nothing to him. I crouched down in case he attacked. He just kept growling at me. I had enough of it. I felt around for my shield and pushed it out at him. I watched him get lifted off his feet and knocked back against the house. I turned to Char who looked slightly taken aback.

"Sorry Char for the dent in the house," and I turned and ran into the forest. I ran for at least 10 minutes. It felt so good to run. It felt free. I came up on one of my favorite thinking spots. It was a little pond in the middle of a small clearing. I sat down on a rock and crossed my legs. I sat waiting for Char. I knew she wouldn't be too far behind me. After a couple of minutes she emerged into the clearing too.

"Bella, are you ok?"

"I'm fine Char. Why wouldn't I be?" I scooted over so she could sit down next to me. She smiled and flopped down next to me and put her arm around me.

"Well I know how you don't like meeting new people so I don't see this encounter helping relieve that at all. You don't have to worry about him though. You know that. Although I will be having a talk with him about how he reacts to family. I don't understand what happened though."

"I don't know! He all of a sudden looked like he was going to attack me!"

"Oh! Did you put your shield up before you pushed him back with it?"

I paused a moment to think. "I didn't do it on purpose, but I might have without thinking about it. I remember seeing him and it kinda stopped me in my tracks. There is just something about him."

"Jasper is an empath. He feels emotions. Your shield being up must have cut your emotions off from him. It must have thrown him off. He is a very calculating person. He runs on instinct sometimes, even more so than normal vampires." She rubbed my shoulder soothingly.

"Good to know my shield blocks emotional attacks as well as everything else," I mused. "I didn't mean to catch him off guard. I do have this weird feeling about him though. I'm not sure how to explain it." We sat, watching the occasional leaf drop into the pond and float for hours. Neither of us talking, just enjoying the quiet company. I stood up when the last rays of sun passed the horizon.

"I suppose we should be heading back, huh?"

Char looked up at me, "If that is what you want." She stood up and dusted off her pants. "Come on, I'll race you." With that she darted off before even finishing saying "go!"

"Cheater!" I yelled after her and took off. Luckily, I am the fastest in this family and I beat her to the back yard. I stopped and waited for her and she zipped past me and stopped just at the back door of the house. I followed her up the stairs.

"You ready?" she whispered so the other two vampires in the house would not hear. I simply nodded. She smiled and opened the door and went inside. I took a deep breath and walked in.

I watched Char walk up and hit him on the side of the head. I smirked slightly. Typical Char. I walked up to him and held out my hand. "Hi, I'm Isabella, but everyone calls me Bella." He looked slightly shocked. After a seconds hesitation, he put his hand in mine.

"I'm Jasper. It's nice to meet you. I didn't realize another vampire had joined Peter and Char." The moment his hand surrounded mine, I felt this spark, this energy travel up my arm and through me. I felt amazing. It felt like it awakened something in me. I heard his breath catch so I assumed me felt it too. I made no mention of it though. I gave myself a mental shake.

"I asked them not to mention me to anyone. I like to keep a low profile" I said, smiling slightly. "I am excited to get to know you though. I've never met another vampire with my diet, although Peter says he found that I could live this way because of you and your family." I was excited to talk to him about this, about how he found out about living this way and why he chose to.

I turned and went and sat on Peter's lap. This was nothing new. We were very comfortable with each other. I also liked to think being physical with each other helped keep our humanity. It reminded us that we were all the same. I smiled at Peter than looked towards Jasper. He had a smile on his face, but it didn't reach his eyes. I raised an eyebrow at him and he turned and sat down in the chair he had been sitting in before we came in.

He gave his head a small shake and this time, the smile met his eyes. "How did you come to live with Peter and Char?"

I smiled. Even though I was sad to leave my life, I loved Peter and Charlotte. "It really isn't some amazing story. I was quite clumsy as a human. I tripped and fell down some steps. I also generally have extremely bad luck. A friend of mine used to call me a danger magnet. I guess you could say it was true, because I cut myself when I fell. I just happened to fall where a vampire must have been in the area." I rubbed my wrist subconsciously.

Peter chuckled, "She did have some of the best smelling blood I have ever encountered."

"You bit her?" Jasper looked shocked and slightly irritated.

"Of course he didn't. He saved me. I guess you could say Peter and Char are my guardian angels. They attacked whoever it was that bit me though I really can't blame whoever did it knowing now what blood lust is like."

Peter rubbed my arm. "It was some nomad. Never met him before. I tackled him while Char picked her up and ran back to our house. He ran off once I got a good bite into him. By the time I made it home, the change was already in progress. Sometime told me she would be fantastic as a vampire so we moved here." He kissed me on the cheek. Char came and sat down next to us. "We think of her as our little sister"

"You guys are best." I leaned back and hugged Charlotte. I turned back towards Jasper. "I do have some questions for you though!" He looked wary.

Peter stood up. "Since you guys seem to have everything under control now, Char and I must go hunt. We will be home by morning." He and Char both kissed my cheek, nodded towards Jasper, and headed out the door.

I watched them leave. A throat clearing caught my attention. "You said you had questions for me?" I nodded.

"How did you come to know that animal blood could sustain you?" I asked eagerly.

"My entire family drinks only animal blood. It was because of them I found I didn't have to kill people. Being an empath makes killing humans a hard thing. It can wear on you"

"I have never killed a person. Apparently Peter says my control is unrivaled. Then again, I don't go near humans much. I try to stay out of the scene though. They say if other vampires come around me, there could be trouble. You know Peter and his "feelings" he gets, I'm sure."

Jasper laughed. It sounded like honey. It was deep and beautiful. "That I do know. I'm afraid my past isn't as clean as yours."

"Will you tell me about it?" I inquired.

He hesitated. "Not tonight, but someday I will. It is hard for me to talk about."

"Alright, no problem. You know, I could use to hunt too, would you like to come with me?" I stood up and headed towards the door.

"Sure." He ran past me and held the door open. "After you."

I chuckled, "Wow, such a gentleman. Try to keep up" and with that, I ran out the door and into the woods.

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