Chapter Twenty Eight
Bella
We broke through the trees and I was horrified by what I saw. Emmett was struggling to hold on to Jasper who was fighting him savagely, snapping teeth and fists flying. Peter meanwhile was watching for a chance to attack as soon as Em gave him an opening. I saw Jasper, eyes black as midnight, face distorted with rage and I was scared. Petrified, but not of him, for him. Peter saw me and screamed at Char to get me out of here as Jasper redoubled his efforts to free himself from Emmett. Char shook her head, "Peter, she can feel him", he looked at her again startled, "What?" he screamed over the terrible noise. "Bella can feel him". Peter looked at me, "You can?" I nodded, although it was hardly true now and I knew to save him I had to act. As Emmett pinned him to the ground and Peter went in for the kill I pulled my arm free of Char and stepped forward to look into the tortured face, "Jasper?" He snarled at me and Peter motioned me away but I stood my ground, "Jasper?" He looked at me with black glittering eyes that held nothing but fury.
He snarled again and struggled harder, almost throwing Emmett from his back. As I saw Peter lunge for his exposed throat I screamed "NO" and thrust out my hand, putting it between Jasper's throat and Peter's teeth. He almost bit me before pulling back. "You crazy, girl? You'll get yourself killed that way". "Please Peter, just hold him still with Emmett and let me try, at least give him a chance". He looked at Em who shrugged, "We can try". At that moment Jasper used all his strength and threw Emmett across the ground to land hard against an old oak tree. It groaned and quivered but stayed upright. Peter threw himself forward but Jasper caught him by the throat and threw him to crash into Em.
Then he turned to me, the snarl on his face bestial, and I knew the last vestiges of the Jasper Hale I had known were slipping away, leaving only the animal inside. Char grabbed me by the arm and whirled me into her embrace. She winked at me before opening her mouth and placing her teeth against the pulsing vein in my neck. "I'll kill her Major if you take another step". I gulped, feeling her teeth against the skin of my neck and struggled to break free but it was impossible. He stood panting and shaking with barely suppressed rage, his face still as full of violence, but he hesitated. "Come on Major. What are you waiting for? Come and get me. Two for the price of one" and she snapped her teeth closed a bare centimetre from my skin. He stepped forward and I saw him figuring the odds. Em and Peter were back on their feet ready to spring if he took another step, while he hesitated again. "If she means nothing to you why do you hesitate? She's here so you must mean something to her". He shook his head as if trying to clear it. His eyes scanned my face as if looking for something. I looked back, trying to let him see that I was here for him.
"Jasper" I whispered, "Its me, Bella. I came to explain". I'd said the wrong thing and he snarled again, fists clenched and raised a foot to step forward again. "I wanted to tell you I never got your message. I didn't ignore it". I was crying now, and I put my hand out slowly". He snarled again and stepped forward. Peter tensed as did Emmett, if he closed the gap any further they would act to save me. "Jasper please give me a chance to talk to you. I know you're in there, don't let the beast win. Please try to think, try to remember yourself". Peter moved forward one pace as Jaspers muscles tensed, but I shook my head. "No Peter please don't. Give him a chance". He glared at me, "What, a chance to kill you?" Emmett also took a step forward in readiness and the movement caught Jaspers eye.
He turned from me and launched himself at them. They all three crashed into a twisted heap of limbs. The other two desperately trying to keep out of the range of his snapping teeth. Char pulled me back. "Its no good Bella. We have to go". I shook my head. "He stopped Char, he stopped. It was the movement that started him off again. Please give me another chance" Peter heard this, "Not a chance Bella. He's too far gone. Char get her the fuck out of here now". I dodged her arm before she could clamp it on me and darted to Jaspers head. "Jasper. They're going to kill you if you don't calm down and I couldn't bear that. Please stop fighting them"
His eyes darted back to me and I thought I saw a glimmer of the Jasper I knew in them. Then his muscles bunched up and with a Herculean effort he threw them both off and set off running. As he passed me he clutched at my blouse and ripped the bottom of the sleeve off. Peter and Em were ready to follow him but I shouted for them to stop. "Leave him, he's running from you. He isn't going to attack, please". Peter stopped and Emmett ran into him with a sound like thunder. "He could have ripped your arm off just then" Peter pointed out. I looked down to the red mark the tearing material had left. "Yes he could. But he didn't. Leave him please". Peter looked at Em who shrugged. "We're going to regret this" murmured Peter as he passed me. "You do realize that if he decides to come back for more than just your blouse we may not be able to stop him. Heard of the Berserkers Bella?" he snapped. I nodded "Yes". "Well they are nothing compared to the Major if he decides to get the job done". I looked at him stubbornly "I wont let you kill him while he hesitates. It means there's at least a part of Jasper in there.
Em snorted, "Delusional" he looked at Peter. "Well?" Peter turned to the truck, "fuck it we'll never catch him now anyway. Lets get back". Rose who had remained silently watching, came over to me and put her arm around me, "Thanks for believing in Jasper and saving him. I just hope you know what you've done". I thought about that for a few seconds. "Yes. I stopped a good man from being killed by his friends". "Good?" spluttered Peter "Fuck, she's out of her mind. The good man's gone Bella. He died about the time he mounted that horse. You've let a murdering monster loose and it wont be long before we have a trail of bodies to follow. That's what you've done. I love Jasper but he's gone, there's only the Major left now and he's a beast with cunning and tenacity. What is it they say? Be afraid, be very fucking afraid".