"Chief Swan," I said, putting a hand out to grasp that of Bella's father.
"Jasper. Nice to meet you. Bella said she was heading to your place tonight. Carlisle's going to be there?"
"Dad," Bella moaned. "This isn't an interrogation."
He grumped and I smiled. I liked Chief Sawn protecting his girl. He had good reason. "Yes, Carlisle will be there. No carousing, just board games."
"Board games?" Bella asked, quirking an eyebrow.
"Yeah, Scrabble, Monopoly, that sort of thing. You have any preferences?" I asked, drawing her out of the door by the hand.
"Scrabble," she said with a gleam in her eye.
"I hope you're good, Jasper. She'll kick your butt." Charlie smiled, and I felt amusement from him instead of a desire to protect. I'd made a small step.
"I'm sure she'll kick my butt. Carlisle will beat us both if we let him use medical jargon." I rolled my eyes and Bella laughed. She slipped an arm around my waist and pressed into my side. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Chief Swan."
"Call me Charlie." He took my hand again, this time much more warmly and in a gentler clasp. "Have her back at a decent hour," he warned, but I could feel his humour. He was teasing Bella.
"Dad! It's a Saturday night! I'll be home when I'm home." She turned, turning me with her. I still caught Charlie's smile, and I nodded to him once more before opening my car door for Bella. He gave us a little salute as I pulled away.
"So what are we really doing?" she asked me.
I laughed loudly. "We're really playing Scrabble." I looked to her when I felt her disappointment. "You would rather do something else?"
"Well, I sorta hoped you would be stealing me away to some quiet corner..." She let her fingers play their way up my arm.
"That's not out of the realm of possibility, but I know Carlisle was looking forward to seeing you again."
She smiled and sat back. She was happier and I tried to ignore the jealousy that spurred. "I like Carlisle, and I love Scrabble."
"Okay, so that's LAX, Xi, At and Lo, with X on double letter... 47 points."
"Jasper, we've been sharked," Carlisle complained.
"You're telling me." I looked at the tiles on my tray. What was I going to do with three I's? Bella's glee was still making me smile even though I was hopelessly stuck. "LITE? I think that's legal, right?" Bella nodded and I put my tiles down under 'Notice'. Then I saw I had made 'Ni'. "Oh for the love of..." I swept the tiles back. Bella giggled at my frustration and I grumbled. Carlisle was smiling at her across the table.
"Do you want me to take a look?" she asked, holding a hand out to my tray.
"No," I grumbled, pulling it closer and hunching, pouting. I felt her foot caress my leg under the table and my eyes darted to her. She narrowed them and pursed her lips. "You aren't helping," I complained.
She laughed again.
"Screw it, I'm taking new tiles." I scooped them up and grabbed the bag from her.
"Well I have 'Quotes', since you didn't take that spot. And that is a double word score..." his eyes were all for Bella who was bouncing at his play. She really did like this game.
There was a knock on the door.
My eyes flew to Carlisle's. He shrugged very slightly. Bella was the first person besides ourselves to come to the house. "I'll get it," I murmured, pushing up from the table.
I opened the door and saw another of our kind. A man who's skin had been dark in life and now had a strange luminescence as the blood no longer added to the pigment. His eyes were a deep red. He wasn't thirsty, but he also hadn't recently fed. I really wished Bella wasn't here just now.
"You are here," he said with a slight accent, one I didn't place - probably European. "We found your scent in the area, but were surprised to find you in a house." He stepped in the door and looked around the sitting room. "And it seems one you have lived in for a while. How do you manage that?"
"Who is it, Jasper?" Carlisle called from the dining room where he still sat with Bella.
"Some ... relatives. Why don't you take Bella home?"
"Well, well, someone else who plays with his food." This came from the blonde male who had his arm around another vampire, female, with bright red hair. His hair was tied back on his neck and he smiled at me. "She certainly smells tasty."
I growled reflexively and listened for Carlisle to take Bella out the back door. What was he waiting for? I moved to put myself in the doorway of the dining room and saw Laurent blocking the other exit.
I crouched. "I'd like you to leave now." I used my gift to make my request more of an order.
"No." The blonde took his arm from his companion and crouched opposite me. Determination rolled off him. "Victoria?"
"She's hardly enough to share," the woman complained in a high and soft voice. She was bored and a little jealous.
"Laurent?"
The darker one answered. "Definitely not enough to share. Why antagonize them, James? Does this really become you? We should leave them be, even if they are only two." He was annoyed.
"Carlisle, what's going on?" Bella asked. "Who are they?" Her fear was rising. She had reason to be afraid now.
"Quietly, Bella." I could tell from the sound that Carlisle was at her side now, and the way her voice was muffled, he was probably standing between her and these monsters as well. He was also afraid.
"Why are you so possessive of a meal?" the blonde, James, wondered.
"Meal?" Bella squeaked.
"James, look at him," Laurent tried to reason with him. "He's not inexperienced. Are you sure you want to risk this? For what?" He was angry now.
James pulled back his lip, grimacing at me. "For what he desires, of course. If he wants her, then I want her too." It wasn't jealousy as I was used to it. It was want, possessive.
"Carlisle?" Bella whispered.
That was when James lunged. I collided with him, throwing him back. I whirled to catch the female by the back of her shirt and throw her in another direction. I saw Carlisle had backed Bella into a corner and was crouched in front of her. I could feel her fear, sharp and spiky. Carlisle was steely determination. I continued to turn, meeting James as he came at me again. Forcing his jaw closed, I pushed him back again. I saw Laurent disappear out the door. One less to worry about. I shifted into the path of the redhead. My shirt tore as it caught on her belt. She was past me, though, and Carlisle's arm was in her mouth when I came behind her, my teeth bared. She ran, dropping Carlisle's arm on the floor, jumping onto the table.
In the meantime, James was making another rush for Bella and Carlisle was down an arm. I met his charge, and he knocked me flat, landing atop me. He tried to push away from me and continue his attack, but I latched onto his shoulder with my teeth and put my hands to his chest. His flesh came off in my mouth as I threw him into Victoria and the chandelier. Glass rained down and I ran after the pair who were now bolting for the door. I ran behind him, not intending on letting him get away. I spat the marble chunk into my hand and aimed for their legs, throwing.
"No Bella, don't pull-"
Victoria was tripped and fell, but I didn't chase. I froze in place and they were gone in seconds. The smell of Bella's blood hit me full force; I turned, snarling, and charged.
"Jasper, back off." Carlisle had a bloody hand on my chest. Both arms were in place now. "I'll stitch her up, but you have to get out of here."
Her arm was dripping red liquid and I felt her panic, her distaste, her fear. "Please, stop the blood Carlisle. The smell makes me..." She was pale, almost green. She collapsed and my eyes went wide.
I lunged again, but Carlisle snarled at me, shoving me back. "You need to go, Jasper." He lifted her in one arm and used the other to sweep shards of glass and wooden tiles from the table. He laid her out and lifted her arm up holding it over her chest. He shook out one of the napkins lying on the table and dabbed her wound. "Go," he ordered again.
I backed away, slowly, using all my strength to not succumb to that scent. Venom trickled from my mouth, Freesia and Lavender, hot and sweet, I wanted to taste her so badly. I had to taste her. How did Carlisle do it? I sensed nothing from him. He was utterly calm as he tied the cloth to her arm and tapped her cheeks. "Bella. Bella, wake up."
Her eyes fluttered. "Carlisle?"
"Stay with me Bella. I need you to put pressure on this while I get my kit, all right? Can you do that?"
She nodded, but I felt her pain, her fear. She wrapped her hand around the napkin, squeezing it. I smelled the blood soak through and took two steps toward her before Carlisle grabbed my arm and dragged me behind him. "Go. Get out of here. Hunt something. I'll get this cleaned up before you get back." He didn't release me until I was at the door. I was feeding on his calm, trying to unwind myself.
"Yes. Thank you, Carlisle. Take care of her."
I ran into the forest, at first on the trail of something to eat. Deer were nearby, that should give me the strength to resist and Carlisle the time to make Bella safe. I hadn't gone far on that trail when I found the scent of James and started tracking something else entirely. He would never touch Bella. I would see him burn.
Oooh! Exciting! Squee!