Chapter Seventy Two

Jasper

As I exploded within her I bit down on her neck instinctively to mark her mine but as I tasted her blood I remembered she was still human. I was too late by then, the deed was done. I now had two choices, drink her blood and kill her or inject my venom and change her now. Without a thought I swallowed down the mouthful of blood and bit down again, the taste of her blood urging me to slake my thirst with the rest of it but I resisted and injected as much venom as I could into her jugular. Then I picked up her arms and bit into her wrists injecting more venom to overload her system that much more quickly. When I'd finished I got up from the bed and looked down on the still body of my wife. The bite marks I had inflicted standing out as stark reminders of what a monster I was. What had I done to my precious Bella? It was never meant to happen like this but my nature took over and it was done now, there was no taking back the first bite which doomed her to death or worse. I pulled on my jeans and got a bowl of warm water and a cloth from the bathroom wiping the smears of blood from her throat before pulling the sheet up to cover her nakedness and the marks of my crime. I sat beside her, holding her hand, and apologising over and over again while taking her pain as best I could. My mind was in turmoil and I couldn't concentrate enough to make a good job of it. All I wanted to do was to scream out my own agony and run as far as possible from the woman who had trusted me so unwisely to keep her safe.

Bella

The molten lead flowing through my veins turned my organs to piles of ash but still found fuel to keep burning from somewhere. I felt a coolness on my hand and knew through the torment that Jasper was still with me, trying to help. I could feel his pain at what he'd done as well as my own. He was tormenting himself with guilt that wasn't necessary, I was always going to become a vampire, it just happened without planning but at possibly the best time of all, when we were joined as one. I wanted him to know I didn't blame him but I couldn't get across the burning bridge to contact him. All I could do was endure to the end and then tell him it was OK when my lungs stopped searing. Even tortured as I was I felt his love and that gave me the strength not to move or scream out. I would endure this in silence so as not to make it worse for him. I knew I had three days of this to endure but I had no idea of the passing of time. I could have been suffering a minute, an hour, or a day, with no way of knowing. I strained my ears to hear his apologies which went on and on relentlessly.

Peter

Char and I had dined well on a pair of out of season hunters and were laying on the grassy bank after a swim when I got a cold shudder down my spine. I sat up suddenly, concerned.

"We have to go home"

Char looked confused,

"Why? Leave them alone Peter please. They deserve a little privacy"

"No some thing's happened, we need to get back".

"What? Don't say Alice Cullen turned up?"

"I don't know but we need to get back. He's in trouble Char."

I grabbed our things and we turned the truck for home. The closer we got, the more I felt we were needed, felt there was something terrible happening and I pushed the truck to its limit to get back as quickly as possible. When I saw the house I noticed there were no other vehicles in sight,

"Well if anyone turned up they weren't in a car."

Then it hit me,

"Fuck Char I think he's attacked her. He's bitten Bella. Shit, we should never have left them, If he's killed her..."

"He would never do that Peter."

"Yeah I wouldn't have thought he'd bite her either but something bad is going on. Come on"

I pulled the truck to a screeching halt and we both ran in and up the stairs.

Charlotte

We stood in the bedroom door horrified by the sight. Bella lay still and white in the bed covered by a sheet while Jasper knelt at her side holding her hand, dry sobs coming from him, his shoulders heaving. I walked in and put a hand on his shoulder and as he turned I saw the look of self loathing in his eyes.

"What happened Major?" I said gently.

He looked without really seeing me and I noticed a small smear of blood on his lower lip.

"I bit her Char. We were making love and I lost it just for a second. I forgot she wasn't like us. I couldn't lose her so I had no choice."

I stroked his hair

"Its going to be all right Major. She'll understand, she loves you and she was always going to become like us. Its just happened a little sooner than planned"

He shook his head and closed his eyes,

"How can she Char when I can't forgive myself"

Bella

I heard Charlotte's words through the haze of the flames racing about my body and hoped that he would listen to her, see the truth behind her words.

Peter

I was furious with him and I couldn't contain it any longer. I walked in pushing Charlotte aside and pulling him to his feet.

"What the fuck were you thinking Major? She trusted you, we all did. We trusted you to keep her safe and what do you do? You fucking bite her. You sicken me"

I threw him against the wall but he just stayed there, no spark, no attempt to fight back. I was so angry I went over and took hold of him by the throat,

"You really are the monster everyone says you are Major. Not fit to be with an innocent young woman. You killed Bella you bastard. Get the hell away from her"

This time I threw him against the window and he disappeared in a shower of broken glass. Char tried to remonstrate with me but I just glared at her

"You want some of the same?"

She shook her head and walked out, leaving me with Bella.

I sat on the side of the bed amazed that she was silent despite the pain of transformation she must be suffering. I picked up her hand and spoke to her

"Bella you'll be OK I'll make sure of it. I'll look after you. Once its over you can decide what you want to do about The Major but for now I'll keep him away from you. Don't worry darlin' he wont get near you again".

Bella

I heard the fight in the room and Peter throw Jasper out of the window. My heart flew out there with him and I wanted to scream for him to come back but then Peter spoke and I knew as long as I was burning I wouldn't have Jasper with me. I willed it to be over soon so I could go to him, comfort him and tell him I wasn't upset, that there was no need for forgiveness. I hoped Charlotte might be able to comfort him but I doubted it. My poor darling would have to wait until I could open my mouth, without sparks and a scream coming out, to hear my words.