Disclaimer. All publicly recognizable characters, settings etc., are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. I only do this for fun. – B
Attempting to Covet
A/N: If you have any questions or comments about the story, post them in my reviews and I will answer them in my next Author's Note at the bottom of the next chapter! I hope you enjoy the story!
Chapter 4
(Bella's POV)
This has all been so amazing! Opening my eyes to this world was like waking up in another dimension! Everything was so vivid and clear. There were colors that I didn't even know existed! Everything was so confusing at first, and to be honest, it still is. But it feels like something is missing. Like I am forgetting about something or someone and I couldn't put my finger on it.
I couldn't help looking around me and thinking back over everything that happened since then as I stayed out of Jasper's way as he hunted.
When I first heard everyone's intake of breath, it scared me probably more than it should have. It just caught me off guard, so I backed myself into the corner. My instincts were screaming at me to face this and fight or run away as far and as fast as I could through that open window in the room. That was until Jasper caught my attention. Looking in his golden, honey eyes, my heart swelled and I felt this pull in my chest that almost dragged me straight into his arms. I didn't even realize I was moving until I was wrapped in his embrace. It felt safe, content, comforting, like I was where I was meant to be, and to be honest, this was the first time that I had ever felt this way before. I knew right then, what he said about us being mates, had to be true. And when we touched...this electric-type tingling feeling went right through my body and gave me the warmest feeling. His voice was like velvet and honey with a seductive edge to it.
Some of the stuff about me freaked me out though. Like the blue eyes? What's with that? I have to admit that though it nerves me being different and sticking out, they are quite pretty and I do like them. I haven't learned all that much about the new me, other than the normal vampire traits. The only things, aside from my different eyes, is my control - from what I understand - and the fact that I can still UNFORTUNATELY blush. I was kind of excited about getting rid of that signature trait.
Running was amazing! Seeing the world flash by you so fast and never breaking a sweat or getting tired was so exhilarating! I don't think I will miss my truck as much as I thought I would. Speaking of...since my change was so sudden, I won't have anything from my human life. I felt a sharp pain go through me at the thought. I already am going to miss Charlie and Renée so much, and to not have any reminders of them is almost too much to bear. I can barely even remember what they looked like through all of my murky human memories. It's like swimming under muddy water, trying to see their faces in my head.
"Darlin?" Jasper called as he approached me. When he saw he had my attention, he continued. "What has you feeling such pain and sadness?" He asked as he took my hand in both of his. He has been so amazing through this for me so far.
"I'm just thinking of my parents. My change was so sudden; I didn't even get to collect any mementos from my human life to take with me." I said sullenly while I stared at my hand in his.
He brought his fingers under my chin and turned it up to look at him. "Well, we can always fix that, you know? If you write a list of things you want that won't be all that noticeable if they go missing, I can always have Alice or somebody go and pick them up for you."
"Really Jasper?" I asked as my hope flared.
"Yes, sweetheart. That is one thing I always regret; not having certain mementos of my human life. Yes, I have my army uniform and some things that I bought from many museums from that time, along with a few letters that they wrote me, along with my hat and badge. But any pictures or books I loved that I had on my person when I was changed were destroyed." He said as he looked back down at our hands, almost as if he was trying to repress the sadness that those memories brought on.
"Why were they destroyed? Who destroyed them, Jasper?" I asked. I didn't like seeing him so sad or in pain. It's like I felt it as my own. I didn't know if it was my pain for him, or maybe he was projecting or something, but I didn't want to see him like that.
Jasper sighed as he started pulling me under a tree and sat down, still holding my hand.
"Bella," He sighed. "I think I should tell you my story. Really listen to what I have to say, because it will have an effect on how the rest of our talk takes us." At the nod of my head, he continued. "You remember the story about my human years correct?" I nodded again. I couldn't forget them. They got me through the burn. "Good. That means I can jump to the night of my change." He said as he leaned back against the tree.
"As you know, I was a Major in the Confederate Army. They year was 1863 and I was in Galveston, Texas evacuating the women and children. Everyone was gone and I was doing one last sweep of the town before I left and followed my men. After I decided that all were evacuated, I didn't get far up the road before I saw three women on the side of the road. I thought that they were stragglers or maybe returning to the town and weren't aware of the evacuation notice. So, I decided to be a good southern gentleman and offer them my aid. I hopped off my horse and as I approached them, I really saw them. They were the three most beautiful women I had ever seen at the time. Their names were Lucy, Nettie, and Maria. They then started speaking like I wasn't there, saying that I smelled lovely. They noticed that I was an officer and that there was something else about me, that they could feel it. My head was telling me to run that they were dangerous, but during that time, it was ludicrous to fear women. We were meant to protect them. The two of the women, Lucy and Nettie, then disappeared into thin air. I still stood stock still with a brave face, even though fear was coursing through my veins. Maria then looked at me and asked me my name. I told her. She started to approach me, saying that she hoped I would survive, and that I could be of great use to her. She leaned in like she was going to kiss me, but instead sunk her teeth into my neck.
After three days of the agonizing burn of the change, I awoke in an old run down barn with Maria, Lucy and Nettie standing over me. She then went on to explain what I was and why I was created." He said, then looked up from our hands where he drawing shapes into my palm.
"You see, Bella, in the south back then, and even today to a slightly lesser degree, they all fight over the major cities and towns. That includes some of Central America. They figured that if a certain amount of vampires owned a large city as their territory, that it would be harder for the humans to get suspicious of the humans that they were feeding from and they would get to hunt more often. The humans were nothing, but cattle to those armies in the south; a food source. So the warlords down there would create armies to protect them. Not just any armies, though; Newborns. They would have a few mature vampires held to a higher standard that were still useful to help maintain control over the newborns and to train them. But then, once their extra speed and strength begins to fade after their first year fades, they would kill them and create new ones." Jasper explained. I gasped at this information. How could they hold human life to such a low standard? They were once human too, before they were changed.
Jasper studied me for a moment before continuing. "Maria, Nettie and Lucy were creating a newborn army. It started out as just me and 9 other newborns. Maria trained us herself. She was the most experienced fighter of the three. I was quite defiant though, at first, very head strong and kept killing the other newborns regardless of Maria's orders. She found a way to break me, though. She my things that I had with me right before I was changed; Letters from my family, photos, a few books, clothing, along with my major's badge and my hat. Every time I would disobey her, she would burn something. Then, when I did something she felt was worth rewarding, which wasn't much, she would give me something to keep. By the time she got through everything, most of it was burned. By then, I would bend to her every whim. I worshipped the very ground she walked on and did everything she said without complaint. Though, I will say after that, if something displeased her, she got very creative and more ruthless with her punishments from dismemberment, to starving me, biting, and many others that I won't get into specifics with, but it was bad, even for me."
After a few months, I was the only one of the ten original newborns left. I was stronger, faster, and a much better fighter and was quickly improving. Then, once Maria discovered my gift, she promoted me to her second in command. She would have me make new newborns, train them, and then kill them when their time was up. We claimed many territories as ours together. She would reward me often." He paused as if contemplating how much he should tell me.
"What kind of rewards?" I asked, even though I thought I already knew.
He took a deep unnecessary breath. "Extra feeding time, or once, she came in with a child that smelled extremely sweet, sex with special...benefits." He relentlessly said.
Jealousy course through me at the aspect of him and Maria together. That just didn't sit well and I felt a pain my chest.
Jasper, of course, caught this and pulled one of the hands that was holding mine in and held my neck as he began tracing my jaw with his thumb.
"It wasn't like that, Bella." He started, "She never loved me. I was her puppet, and she pulled the strings. She was never my soul mate and by the time I realized this, I was so far gone that I couldn't get out of it alone. This brings me to the last part of my story."
I felt a little better at his words, and then nodded at him to continue.
"Many years later, Maria and I discovered that Lucy and Nettie were planning against us. So we killed them before they had the chance to kill us. It was just Maria and I then. Our territory was expanding fast. I earned many nicknames along the way, from the Major of the Southern Armies, to the God of War. Since we had more territory we needed more to protect it, so she sent me out to make a few more newborns. That is how I met Peter. He somehow broke through my cold and merciless exterior and became my first real friend. He would stand there and tell me jokes or just be a smart ass and even though for the longest time, I showed no change in my demeanor, he would continue to talk to me relentlessly. He became my Captain and was assigned a duty to watch the newborns and assist me with training them. He didn't like watching the newborns though. He used to call it 'babysitting duty' and would always grumble about it.
"One day, many years later, Maria ordered Peter and me to kill a dozen or so newborns that had outlived their use. As we lined them up, Peter was yelling at me, trying to convince me that some of them were still useful. One by one, I went down the line killing them, until I came across a newborn named Charlotte. As soon as Peter looked at her, I felt his love and determination, along with his fierce protectiveness. I knew then that she was his mate, so I told him to take her and leave. I got punished severely for them escaping."
"After Peter was gone, things got worse. My depression was at an all-time high and I couldn't stand how I was living. I would often succumb to my demon and let him take over. When I came to, I would wake up to utter chaos around me. Bodies of drained or torn shredded humans and dismembered vampires everywhere, with me in the middle covered in blood or venom. Maria would love when I got like this. She would often provoke my demon to come out at her will to benefit her.
"Finally, after four years, while I was doing a run of the perimeter, Peter came back for me. He spoke of the life him and Charlotte had in the north where vampires came out during the day and were able to co-exist with humans. Where vampires wouldn't fight one another and were living peacefully. I was sold on the idea after little convincing and immediately left with him.
"For years, I lived with him and Char. My depression wasn't as bad, but was still there. Peter noticed it was after every time I fed since I could feel the emotions of those I drank from. I left and lived as a nomad for three years, until one day I was in Philadelphia. It was raining pretty heavy outside and I didn't want to raise suspicions as to why I was out in the down pour. So I slipped into a small half empty diner and sat in a booth. I immediately smelled another vampire and tensed as I saw her approach me. Her emotions were very positive and radiated nothing but happiness and excitement. She slid into my booth and told me that I kept her waiting for a long time. I didn't really know what to make of that, so I just apologized and tipped my hat. She then went on to explain about her gift and how she saw us traveling together and finding this family that fed on animals instead of humans and that we would be living with them. I decided that I had nothing to lose and even though doubtful of what she spoke of at the time, was still curious, so I went with her. The rest you know." He told me.
I noticed that he kept his head down and wouldn't look at me. Almost as if he was afraid to look up at my reaction.
"Wow Jasper." I started, "I admire you so much for everything you've been through and still being able to rise above it."
He dropped my hands and his head snapped up to look down at me in disbelief. "What? How can you say that? How can you even still be here sitting with me and not running away or be absolutely disgusted with me and everything I've done? I'm a monster!" He asked me slightly appalled.
I couldn't believe him. I grabbed both of his hands back in mine and looked at him dead in the eye.
"Jasper, tell me. What do you feel from me?" I asked him.
He studied me for a moment and then responded. "Pride, understanding, awe, love, and acceptance... But how?" He asked astonished.
"Because, you were born into this life and taught a certain way. A horrible way and the way she treated you...but you had the courage to leave that all behind as soon as you learned of a new way and you never looked back. I'm so proud of you. You are so strong and fierce and amazing in every sense of the word. You've had your slips in the past, but never let it discourage you and you felt remorse for your mistakes. A monster couldn't do any of that. Nobody is perfect and has their own slip ups. You dealt with your blood lust and for a damn good reason at that. Not to mention, from what I understand, transitioning from human blood to animal is quite difficult and when you feel your own blood lust, but you also have to feel it of any vampires around you, as well and you are still able to resist. I don't care what they say back at the house. You're not the weakest link, Jasper...you're the strongest." I told him with conviction sending him every bit of what I was feeling.
He sat there looking at me for a moment as if he was shell-shocked. Then, out of nowhere, he pulled me towards him into a hug.
"Thank you, Bella. Nobody has ever said anything like that to me before and it amazes me that you have this outlook on my past and myself. I don't know how I will ever repay you for the gift you have just given me today, but I will spend every day for the rest of my existence to make sure you know how truly special and loved you are. Nobody, not even Alice, has had any type of reaction close to yours and just knowing you and your purity makes me feel something special, Darlin." He said looking into my eyes.
I could feel the venom welling up behind my eyes. How could no one see how special this man in front of me was? I could only hope to be as strong as he is one day. Next thing I knew, I blinked and the tears fell. I touched my wet cheek at looked down at my damp fingers with wide eyes.
"I thought vampires can't cry?" I asked him.
"They can't, sweetheart, but just like you always have been, you're something special." He told me whipping his thumb over my other cheek, drying my tears.
Attempting to lighten the mood a bit and change the subject from how different I am, I decided to get our conversation back on track.
"What did your story have to do with what you needed to speak to me with about, regarding the plans for the future?" I asked him.
"Well, to start, we are going to be leaving here around 1am to go to the air strip where we will be getting on a private charter to take to Texas. We can't have a newborn in Forks, and especially when that said newborn is supposed to be dead, now can we? The place we are going in Texas is a ranch that's owned by Peter and Charlotte. You will really like it there ,Bella. It's about 150 acres, give or take, with a great abundance of wild life for us. The property lines up to the ocean, but it's a private beach, so you will be able to swim during the day, as well." He told me in a wistful voice. I can tell he misses Texas and his friends.
"Is everyone leaving?" I asked him.
"No, it's just going to be you and me if that's okay? Edward, Alice, Carlisle and Esmé have to stay here for a few more months so things don't get suspicious. Rose and Em are going to stay here with them until Esmé purchases a house in Texas, as well, at which point Rose and Em are going to come down and get it set up for everyone. Then, once it's okay for the rest of them to come, they will be moving in."
"Of course it's okay, Jasper." I told him thinking on what he just said. Then it finally clicked on what was missing. Edward! "Wait Jasper! Where is Edward? I haven't seen him since I woke up! I am so stupid! I am the worst person ever to forget about the person who started this whole mess to begin with! It's just when I woke up, everything just distracted me and it completely slipped from my mind! I can't believe I did that!" I said looking around me frantically trying to spot him, figuring he wasn't too far off. He never gave me space as a human so I didn't see that changing as a vampire, especially when he didn't get a chance to finish what he started at the house and kill me either.
"Darlin, Bella, calm down." Jasper said rubbing the sides of my arms, bringing me to look into his eyes. "Edward left for Alaska for a few days. By the time he gets back, we will already be in Texas and the family was instructed not to let him know where we were for the time being."
"Why can't he know where we are going? Does he really hate me that much that he would kill me, even if he can't drain me?" I asked him solemnly.
"No sug, quite the opposite, in fact." He mumbled out. My head rose to meet his eyes and looked at him questioningly. Obviously, he sensed my confusion and continued, "That's another thing I wanted to talk to you about and I'm not sure how you are going to take it." I nodded my head for him to continue. "Did Edward ever tell you about mates?" he asked me.
"Yes, he told me that vampire mating is instinctual. It's like gravity pulls the two people together and it is impossible for them to not be together once they realize what they are. Once they find their mate, they stay together for eternity. Just like Carlisle and Esmé, Rosalie and Em, and -"
"You and me." He interrupted me. "Did you know that, Bella?"
"Up until Edward attacked me, I didn't. I thought that Edward and I and you and Alice were mates. That is what I was told, anyways." I answered him.
"Well, that is actually not true. Alice told Edward that you were his mate, because she knew from the start that her and I weren't true mates. She knew from the start that you were mine. She still hasn't seen her mate and is still in love with me. She didn't want to give me up to you. So, she fabricated this story and showed Edward the visions that followed, leaving him thinking that you and he were, in fact, mates. You see, darlin, a mate can't physically harm the other mate. Once they realized Edward attacked you, they understood that you weren't really mates, especially when his instincts took over when he smelled your blood. "
"When I saw him throw you into the glass, the Major in me came out and announced that you were ours. He has only come out one other time briefly since I was with Maria. That was when we were in Phoenix and I saw you on the floor of the ballet studio. Edward found out yesterday what he did to you and that you and he were not mates. He took it pretty badly, so he went to Denali for a few days to clear his head." Jasper went on to explain.
"Ok. I think I understand." I told him looking down at my lap. I felt really bad that Edward was forced to leave his family for any period of time because of me. Even though Alice was the one who planned this whole scheme, I still felt as though if I never came along, everyone would be happy and together.
"Why are you feeling so sad and guilty, sweetheart?" he asked tilting my chin up to look at him.
"It's just that I don't understand how Alice could do that to us. I didn't think that she was so selfish and cruel to do something like that and hurt everyone involved. She was supposed to be my best friend. My sister! If I never came to Forks, or at least was able to keep my curiosity at bay, Edward wouldn't be forced to leave the family right now, because Alice never would have done any of this. Everyone would stll be together and happy." I told him getting angry.
He growled and grabbed me by my shoulders and forced me to look at him. "Listen to me. None of this was your fault. Alice has always been quite manipulative and selfish to some degree. I don't understand either why she insisted to make me think that her and I were mates. I know that this might sound selfish of me, but I am glad you came along. I always knew that there was something missing. A hole in my heart that was the shape of you that only a true mate can fill. While I feel bad that people were hurt because of what she did, I don't regret you coming to here and becoming part of our family. You make me feel whole again, Bella. I need you. Not only that, but what Alice did was very dangerous."
"How so?" I wondered.
"Well, in order to answer your question I will have to tell you about mates. Being mated means that you share one soul. Each of the pair holds half of it. The tingling electric feeling when we touch means that our soul is connecting and we found our other half.
"There are two kinds of mates. There are true mates, and bonded mates. True mates are two vampires that were created separately and found each other. They still have the mating pull and have an unbreakable bond. Bonded mates is when a vampire finds his mate in a human and changes the human his or herself. Bonded mates have a significantly stronger bond and are very rare. The only other bonded pair I know of is Carlisle and Esmé.
"Now, regardless of how it comes across, the male is always the dominant in the relationship. Though, with Rose and Emmett, it seems like Rose is more dominant, I can assure you that when it comes to matters of her safety, fighting or in the bedroom, Emmett is dominant. In most cases, especially with older mated pairs, it is very obvious that the male is dominant. Each male has their own set of rules for the female to follow." Jasper explained.
"What kind of rules?" I asked him.
"You will learn the rules as we go along. Most rules come instinctual to a female so there is no need to get into detail. Respect is a major rule, along with sex. The sex rules usually vary depending who the male is, but is always a common rule. I can tell you right now that I am a possessive bastard and I refuse to share you." He told me making sure I understood.
"Good, because I don't want to be shared." I said. Thinking on my lack of sexual experience suddenly had me feeling very insignificant.
"What's wrong? Why are you feeling that way?" He asked me, almost in a panic.
"Well, I don't know how to say this, but in that department, I am very inexperienced." I told him, feeling my signature blush coating my cheeks.
"You mean you're a virgin?" He almost seemed stunned at this information.
"Yes, Jazz. I am. Edward never went further than chaste kisses here and there and he was my first boyfriend. So, you understand why I feel that way. You have all this experience and I am scared I won't be able to please you where sex is concerned." By the end of my explanation, it almost came out a in a whisper. I couldn't even look at him from this point on and he wasn't saying anything. I was starting to panic a bit, until he seemed to snap out of it.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart. You took me by surprise and that's not an easy thing to do. There is no reason to feel embarrassed about this. On the contrary, darlin, it actually pleases me that you are untouched. As I said, I am quite possessive and it only fuels my ego that I will be your first. I am honored." He told me smiling. "You are my mate and you just being you guarantees that you will please me. In fact, having no experience gives me the chance to show you so many things. This is far from anything to be ashamed of."
I admit, after he told me this, I was feeling a lot better and more confident.
"Thank you." I said with a shy smile. "Now, will you finish telling me about mates?"
"Of course." He said as he grabbed me by my waist, spun me around and pulled me back to him, so I was sitting in between his legs with my back against his chest. He put his chin on my shoulder and wrapped his arms around me. I sighed in contentment. "Has anyone every explained what the mating pull is?"
"No, but if it has anything to do with the pull I feel in my chest the further away from me you are, then I can assure you that I feel it." I answered him rubbing the spot on my chest where my heart should beat where I had felt the pull the strongest.
"Yes, that is the mating pull you feel. If you ever don't know where I am and you need me or I need you, all you have to do is follow that pull. Also, with bonded mates, since our connection is stronger, you will be able to know what I am feeling. Say you were scared or upset and we weren't together. I would be able to feel your fear and pain and know that I needed to find you. You will be able to do the same with me. Do you understand?"
"I understand." I nodded.
"Good. Now, the reason that what Alice did was so dangerous is because most of the mechanics of mating are instinctual. Our animal comes out in any kind of threat and when the animal in me comes out, I have no control. He doesn't know who anyone is, except for probably his mate, and would kill anyone who got in his way. No one would understand why I behaved that way and you could get hurt and if I harmed anyone and if I didn't understand why, it would kill me. I couldn't live with myself harming someone I loved. A mate's bond is the strongest bond and cannot be forged. That is why I did research on mates, because when I noticed how different Alice and I were from other mated pairs, I started to doubt our bond. The Major knew all along that you were ours and was begging to come out and announce it to the world. He didn't like seeing you with another and I didn't understand my feelings. He is a lot more dominant than I am. So I just wanted to warn you about that. If he comes out, I highly suggest that unless he okay's it, not to stray from him and not to touch any other men."A mated couples bond is so strong that if one of the pair dies, the other usually dies immediately if not shortly after. It is almost impossible to live without each other. Especially after they consummate their bond. That means that they have mated and marked each other with their scent, and bite. You can tell who is mated by looking on the right side above the heart on the neck where the shoulder meets. There is a certain kind of venom that only gets produced when they are with their mate. It is called Il veleno di amore, the poison of love. It marks their mate with their scent." (A/N: The ll veleno di amore is given credit to amaris12345 for her aqua di amore in her story 'The Warlord', but with some differences. It's a great story and you should really check it out! It's a Jasper/Bella story for all of you Jasper and Bella fans out there! She is an awesome author!)
"Do females mark the males too?" I asked him.
"Yes, they do actually. One of the reasons that they exchange the Il veleno di amore is because if one of the mated pairs is ever injured, it helps to heal the other, and it also changes their scent to mingle with their mates scent so that they can tell who the mate belongs to. Until we are mated and marked, I will be instinctively more protective and possessive of you. The male's urge to claim is very strong, but since you are inexperienced, I will not force myself on you. I will let you take the reins just for this first time and let me know when you are ready. I would never want to do anything that you were uncomfortable with, so I will fight that urge for you. I just wanted to warn you that until we are mated and marked, you won't be out of my sight." He told me.
"That's fine, because I wouldn't want to be away from you." I smile at him and turned to look at him in the eye. He brought a hand to my neck and his thumb started to caress my jaw. Our eyes were locked in an intense gaze. I felt like he could see past my outer shell and into my very soul. Everything outside of us became nothing but a blur. He looked to my lips and back to my eyes, asking permission. He started tilting his head to the side and started to inch closer. My tongue came out to moisten my lips and I met him half way. His lips touched mine in a sweet chaste kiss.
It was amazing. I have never felt like this before. I felt like my body left the ground and I was floating. His tongue came out and swiped across my bottom lip, begging for entrance. I complied and felt his tongue slip into my mouth. He tasted amazing. Like apples and cinnamon. Our tongues battled for dominance and eventually I gave in and let him win. He brought his other hand to the side of my neck as I turned my body fully around to face him on my knees. The kiss started to get heated, full of passion and hunger. I moaned into his mouth as I felt one of his hands travel down my neck, across my shoulder, then down as his fingers traveled lightly on the side of my breast and to my thigh where he pulled my leg from under my knee and with a quick flex of his muscles, he moved me up on top of him straddling him in seconds. I could feel his erection through his jeans and let me tell you, he was a big boy.
He broke the kiss and started kissing along my jaw to my ear and down my neck. The feeling went straight to my core. I ground myself into his erection looking for friction as he traveled his lips back to my up as he moaned into my ear.
"Darlin," He said, his breath heavy with lust. "We need to stop this now or I won't be able to control myself."
"Maybe I don't want you to control yourself." I replied back to him, pulling him closer to me.
"We can't do this right now, sweetheart." He said putting his forehead against my shoulder. Disappointment and rejection flooded through me.
Jasper must have felt this, because he pulled back to look at me.
"I'm not rejecting ya sweetheart." He said tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "I just want to make the consummating of our mating special. Where we would have as long as we wanted with no interruptions and can make it special. Lets just get everything squared away here and once we are settled in Texas, your going to have a hard time keeping my hands off of you." He finished with a devilish smirk on his face.
I smiled at him and nodded my head in agreement.
"Alright darlin, lets get going. The family is probably getting worried because we have been gone so long." He said standing up and pulling me up with him.
We were walking back to the house hand and hand, just enjoying the feeling of being together, when the wind blew the scent of another vampire straight towards us.
I was immediately on the defense and I noticed a strange, shimmering, light blue bubble suddenly engulfed Jasper and I.
"Bella? Are you doing this?" He asked looking at me.
"I-I guess...I mean...I smelled another vampire and I got scared and defensive...and I don't know..."
"Shhhh," Jasper said soothingly stroking my cheek. "I think it is your shield. Do you remember how Edward couldn't read your mind?" I nodded still too stunned to speak. "Well I think that not only do you have a mental shield, but a physical shield as well."
Just as Jasper was finishing he speech, Emmett came bounding through the trees. He immediately stopped dead in his tracks, looking at us still inside my shimmering blue shield.
"Whoa! Bellsie! Are you doin that?" Emmett asked as he came up and ran his hand across the outside of my shield.
"Yeah Em. It seems that not only is she a mental shield, but a physical shield as well." Jasper answered for me.
"That's an awesome power you got there, lil sis!" Emmett boomed. I blushed and said I quiet 'thank you.'
"Well, Carlisle sent me out to come and get you guys. It seems he has found some information on why Bella has blue eyes and some of her human qualities left. He wouldn't tell anyone what he found but he said it was pretty important that you guys come back straight away." He said rubbing the back of his neck.
"Alright then," Jasper said turning to me. "Do you think you can drop your shield so we can get goin, sweetheart?"
"I'm not sure." I told him. "I don't know how to take it down."
"Well, do you remember how you threw it up?" He asked.
"Yeah, I got scared when I smelled another vampire, and I wanted to protect us and next thing I know, we are encased inside my shield." I answered.
"Ok, so you just wanted it to happen and it happened?" Emmett added in.
I nodded my head yes.
"Alright, so why don't you concentrate on feeling safe. Picture your bubble snapping back inside your head and wanting to be free from the shield." Jasper instructed.
I closed my eyes and did what he said. I pictured myself safe in Jasper's arms and pulling my shield back into myself. I felt the shield flex out and retract back into myself. I opened my eyes and saw that the shimmering bubble had disappeared and Emmett was walking towards me and pulled me into one of his infamous bear hugs.
"You did it, lil sis!" Emmett bellowed, spinning me around. I giggled happily until I heard Jasper growl. Emmett immediately set me back on my feet and put his hands up in surrender.
"Sorry dude." He apologized.
Jasper immediately put his arm around my waist and pulled me close. "No, I'm sorry, Em. I know you ment no disrespect. I just couldn't help it." Jasper countered.
"No, really. I should have been more considerate. I forgot what it is like being a newly mated pair that hasn't consummated their bond yet." Emmett replied.
"Thanks for understanding man." Jasper said pulling me along with him as we made our way back to the Cullen house. Emmett said we were to have a family meeting before we went to pack and I was to write my list of things that I wanted from my house.
When we walked in through the back door, I noticed everyone was already sitting in the livingroom waiting for us.
"Welcome back, Bella." Carlisle said standing up from next to Esmé as she leaned on the arm of his chair. "How was your first hunt?"
"It was really great, thanks for asking. Jasper is a great teacher." I said rubbing Jaspers arm in appreciation. He smile at me in thanks and kissed my temple.
"I'm happy to hear that." Carlisle answered. "Why don't you two take a seat and we can get started."
Jasper pulled me across the livingroom to the love seat and sat down then put his arms around me and pulled me against his side. Emmett, Rose, and Alice were sitting on the couch all waiting anxiously, including Alice, who was rubbing her temples as if trying to get a vision. I looked over at her quizzically.
"What's wrong Alice?" I asked her concerned.
She looked at me still rubbing her temples. "I can't see. Anything that involved you, I can't see. It's giving me a headache trying to figure this out."
I looked at Carlisle confused, seeing if he knew the answer.
"As a matter of fact, that is one of the things that we will be discussing if you let me work up to it." He replied. "Bella, have you showed any signs of having powers?" He asked.
"Actually, in the woods, when Em was approaching, I smelled him before I saw him and I didn't know his scent as I wasn't paying attention when I first woke up and got scared. I wanted to protect Jasper and I and next thing I know we were both inside a shimmering blue bubble. Jasper said that it is a physical shield, just like my mental shield that makes it so Edward can't read my mind." I explained to him.
"Wow, that's great news. The reason I was asking is because I was doing research in my study trying to find out a reason why you would have blue eyes and I came across this." He said handing me a book with the page already opened up. It was written in italian so I couldn't understand it. On the page, there was a symbol of a crescent moon. I looked up to Carlisle clearly stating that I have no idea what any of this says.
"It says that many millenia ago, before the Volturi when the Romanians ruled, there was a seer named Clarious, who lived among them. One day, she was hit with a vision, which made the prophecy that you are now looking at. It goes on to explain that one day, there would be a human girl who would draw the supernatural to her. Even in her human form she will have a powerful mind and be able to keep those out who wish to penetrate it. She would be turned into a vampire in her 18th year, and she will be a true beauty. Anyone who lays eyes on her will be stunned by it. She will have ice blue eyes and the crescent moon on her lower back. She will also retain her humanity. The girl will have powers that can control the elements, a shield to protect herself and those she loves, and will be able to have any power she can think of and will it to happen. Her mate will be known as Ares, the God of War. Their bond will be the strongest ever known and together they will bring peace to our kind. Though, many will attempt to covet the girl for their own reasons, their love will not falter once found. Battles will be fought for her and there will be many obstacles along way. But together, they will bring a new era to our kind that will bring peace and fairness to the whole supernatural world."
I just stared at him. Minutes passed in silence and no one so much as blinked. Finally, Emmett broke the silence.
"So, you are saying that Bells, here, is the girl from the prophecy?" He asked.
"That is exactly what I am saying, son. From everything I can gather from this book, and any extra research I could find all leads me to the same conclusion, but there is one way to finalize it." He answered then turned his attention to me."Bella, would you mind turning around and lifting up the back of your shirt?"
I looked to Jasper and he nodded his head and stood up, pulling me with him. I turned around and Jasper lifted the bottom of my tank top. Everyone gasped.
"What? Is it there?" I asked anxiously.
"Yes darlin, it's there." Jasper said sounding flabbergasted. He pulled my shirt down and I turned around to face the room.
"But no other powers came to me except the shield." I countered.
"Well, have you tried anything else?" He asked me.
"Umm...well...no, not exactly." I answered sheepishly.
"Ok, then how about an experiment. Something simple first. How about trying to read minds?" Carlisle pondered to me.
"Alright, and how do I do that?" I asked.
"Darlin, do you remember how you just wanted to protect us in the woods and your shield came up?" Jasper asked. I nodded starting to understand what he was getting at. "Well, how about you will yourself to read my mind?"
"Ok, I will give it a shot." I said turning my whole body to face him on the couch. I started telling myself that I wanted to hear what Jasper was thinking.'
Can you hear me, sug?'
"Oh my gosh! Yes I can hear you!" I said jumping into his lap. "This is so cool! Now, I'm gonna try talking back to you in my head" 'Jasper?'
'Yes, Darlin, I hear you.' He replied smiling.
'Wow, we could really have some fun with all of this!' I thought back to him. He started laughing and kissed me on both of my cheeks while I giggled.
"What's so funny? Care to share with he rest of the class?" Emmett asked pouting and crossing his arms.
"I'm sorry, big brother. I was just testing to see if he could hear me, that's all." I replied giving him my innocent eyes.
"Uh huh, yeah sure you were." He mumbled.
"Ok, now back on track." Carlisle interrupted his ranting. "I think that we should keep all this information in to ourselves and not let it leave this room. If someone finds out about Bella, we could be dealing with some serious problems."
"I completely agree." Jasper added. "The only other people to know will be Charlotte and Peter, since we are going to there. And as much as I don't want Edward to know, I don't see us hiding this from him so Carlisle, would you please talk with him when he gets back and stress how important this secret is?"
"Of course." Carlisle replied. "Now as for your visions, Alice, I would say that would be Bella's shield. I am sure if she willed you to be able to see her, you would be able to."
Everyone turned their heads to look at me.
"I can try." I answered. I thought of how I wanted Alice to be able to see my future and suddenly Alice jumped out of her seat.
"I can see her again!" Alice said with a look of excitement and relief on her face. She ran over to me and engulfed me in a hug. "Thank you so much, Bella! You have no idea what it was doing to me. Your future involved our family's futures and I couldn't see anyone and it is really unnerving to not even be able to see myself! I need to be able to see if there is any danger. Thank you!"
"Of course, Alice." I answered.
"Hey, if we're done, I think it's time for Bella and I to go and pack, then we need to head to the airport. It's getting pretty late." Jasper said to Carlisle.
"Yes, we're through here. Go ahead and get ready." Carlisle answered standing up and bringing Esmé with him.
Jasper stood up as well and took my hand as we went upstairs to his bedroom. There was a suitcase on his bed with a sticky note attached to it. Jasper grabbed the note and read it out loud.
Jasper and Bella,
I took the liberty to pack Bella
a suitcase with clothes from my closet
since she doesn't have any here
at the house to pack.
- Rose
"Rose did this for me?" I asked him shocked. I thought Rose didn't like me.
"It appears so." He answered while feeling my disbelief. "She never hated you, Bella. She just though that you were too good for Edward and didn't want you to give up your human life for him. I'm sure that she will have her own talk with you in the future, but I just thought you should know that she never disliked you."
"Um, ok sure." I said while taking a seat at his desk and started on my list of things I wanted from my house while Jasper packed his bags.
(Jasper's POV)
About three hours later, after we said our good-byes to the family and drove to SeaTac, we were boarding our charter to Texas. It was a beautiful plane and the inside was magnificent. I was sitting in my seat next to my Bella with her head on my shoulder waiting for the pilots to finish their preflight check list.
"Hey Jazz?" Bella asked me in a small voice.
"Yes Angel?" I replied taking her hand in mine and bringing it to my lips to kiss.
"Do you think that Peter and Charlotte will like me?" She asked feeling insecure.
"Of course. They will love you, Darlin." I answered her. "Just be the wonderful person that you are and anyone would be crazy not to like you."
"How do you know?" She asked just as my phone started buzzing in my pocket. I checked the caller ID and saw that it was Peter. Cryptic fucker says he doesn't have a gift, yet he can do this shit.
"Hello Peter." I said answering the phone.
"Hey fucker." Peter replied.
"What's goin on?" I laughed.
"Ahh, not much. Sittin here with wifey, about to go on a hunt, waitin for your bitch ass and my new lil sis to get here when my knower told me I hadda call ya. Put my new lil sis on. I have to have a word with her." Peter responded.
"Why? What's goin on, Peter?" I said straightening up in my seat. Bella was sitting next to me looking at me with questioning eyes.
"Nothin is going on. I just need to reassure lil sis that we already love her and not to stress too much." He answered. I could tell from that remark that my Bella already had him wrapped around her little finger.
"Alright fucker, hold on." I said handing the phone to Bella. I could feel her starting to panic so I sent her a wave of calm and confidence and she immediately relaxed.
As they spoke I could feel Bella's humor, acceptance, comfort and love swirling around her and smiled, happy that my true family excepted Bella and vise versa. Peter and Char never liked Alice. Ok they despised each other if I am being honest. They both saw her as a selfish, manipulative bitch who got a kick of controlling others and was using me. How right they were. Alice never wanted me anywhere near them. She felt that she was above them in every aspect and hated that they drank from humans and thought that they were a bad influence on me. She had no confidence in me what so ever and when she did let me visit with them, she would be with me keeping an eye on my every move in their presence.
The pilots voice came over the loud speaker saying that we were cleared for take off and soon we were in the air. The flight was peaceful and Bella and I had a great time getting to know each other playing 20 questions and telling stories. Before we knew it, we were preparing to land in Texas.
Bella was laying across the seats with her head in my lap, reading one of the classics I let her bring along from my library when the pilot's voice told us to prepare for our landing. She sat up in her seat, closed her book setting it next to her and then slipping her seatbelt around her waist. I put my arm around her shoulders and tucked her into my side. I loved touching her and holding her close. It gave me such a sense of peace and comfort. It made me feel so whole and I have never experienced that before.
Before long, we made our way to the car that was waiting for us near where the plane stopped. The pilot's were instructed to stay in the cockpit until our car left, because Bella was still a newborn. Though her control was outstanding so far, we didn't want to chance it so we gave the pilot's a list of precautions, which they never questioned given the amount of money we paid for our flight.
I picked up both of our suitcases and followed Bella to the car and put the bags in the trunk. I went around to the passenger side first and opened the door for her and motioned for her to get in. She gave me a beautiful smile and kissed my cheek before getting inside. I shut her door, and walked at a human pace to the driver's side and got in myself and started the car, then made our way across the lot and out of the gates to the main road on our way to Peter and Charlotte's ranch.
On the way there, I told her about some of the fun that Peter, Char and I had over the years and had her laughing most of the way.
It was mid afternoon when we finally pulled up to the ranch and parked the car. It was a beautiful remodeled white plantation house from the 1800's, with a wrap around porch. There was a barn on the property a little ways out that has some horses in it. Peter always missed riding so he searched all around for years for a horse that was not afraid of us and finally he came across two black stallions, who have since had a cult.
I got out of the car and walked around to open Bella's door and offered her my hand which she gladly excepted. I could feel her anxiety and nervousness so I sent her a wave of calm to which she thanked me for.
We were broken out of our gaze when I heard the front door of the house slam and turned to see Peter and Charlotte approaching coming down the steps.
Charlotte ran up to me and engulfed me in a tight hug. "Jasper, it's been so long since we've seen you! I've missed you so much!" She said releasing me.
"Well it's about time, fucker!" Peter said coming over giving me a man hug and a slap on the back. "It took ya long enough to get here."
"Shut up asshole, we had to have an emergency family meeting before we were able to pack it up and get outta there. I'm surprised your knower didn't already warn you about everything already." I replied gesturing to Bella, putting an arm around her waist.
Bella then lifted her head to look at them both, giving them their first full view of her. Peter and Charlotte gasped looking her over. I felt her insecurities rise and decided to break the tension.
"Peter, Charlotte, this is Bella, my mate." I said. "Bella, this is my brother, Peter and his wife and mate, Charlotte."
"Call me Char, sug." Charlotte said and stepped forward giving Bella a hug. "We're so happy that you've come to stay with us."
"It's very nice to meet you both." Bella said stepping back from Char, then looked to Peter who didn't hesitate to step forward and wrapped her up in his arms and lifted her off the ground.
"Thank you for getting him away from the freaky see-it-all, know-it-all, Alice!" He said releasing her, but keeping her hands firmly in his and looking her over. "I gotta give the Major his props. You're definitely a fuckin sight!" Peter said.
I growled at him and he let go of her hands and put them up in surrender.
"Sorry Major, I was just complimenting my new lil sis. I'm not tryin to take her from ya." He said. I could feel the familial love pouring off of the both of them in waves but regardless, pulled Bella into my side.
Bella giggled at this looking between the two of us. "Thank you Peter. And thank you both for letting us stay here."
"Don't mention it, sug." Charlotte said taking Bella's arm and wrapping it around her own. "That's just the kind of thing family does for each other. Let's get you guys settled."
I watched the girls retreat up the porch steps and into the house, leaving me with Peter. I was already getting anxious having Bella out of my sight, but trusted Char all the same.
"So Major," Peter said as we started taking a walk around the house. "My knower has been going off like crazy ever since I've laid eyes on your mate tellin me all sorts of stuff. Any reason that may be." He asked giving me a knowing smirk. Sometimes, I just wanted to slap it right off his face.
"I bet I can guess." I answered him with a sigh. "That was what the family meeting was about before we left."
"You know you are part of that prophecy too, right?" I nodded. "And that we need to be careful about who we trust with this information. She's somethin valuable. It's good that she's mated with someone who actually can protect her and Char and I already love her so you can count us in as well."
"Thank you Peter, that means -" I stopped mid sentence. Something wasn't right. Then, suddenly I realized that I couldn't feel Bella's emotions anymore. I started to panic and felt the blinds go down, and the Major come out. Our mate was in trouble!
A/N: So, what did everyone think? What do you think will happen next? What is wrong with Bella? Review! If you have any questions or comments, post them in my reviews and I will answer them at the bottom on my next chapter!
Sorry this is such a long chapter, but there was a lot of things that needed to be explained and I wanted to get to a certain point in the story so I could move on. I hope everyone enjoyed it! The next Chapter is going to be about Bella learning more about her powers and there will be some trouble brewing. Also there will be the happenings on the Whitlock ranch! Reviews please
Bella'xo
