Chapter Thirty Five

Jasper

I had expected the beating as a welcome back gift from Maria but I have no idea how much later it was that she finally got bored watching Nathan rip me to pieces and me fuse back together but eventually she ordered two of the newborns to take me to the pit and throw me in.

"I don't need to lock you in now do I Major? Not with men watching your precious human and her family."

I didn't bother to answer her, there was no need, I knew she meant every word and she knew I wouldn't do anything to hurt Bella. Instead I lay in the pit waiting as my limbs fused back, my throat scorching with a thirst I had forgotten existed and closed my eyes trying to visualize Bella. I could see her smile and feel her hand on my cheek, hear her whisper my name and the ache in my chest became the worst of my pains yet the most precious. Heads appeared at the rim of the pit over the following day, curious newborns straining for another look at Maria's famed Major Whitlock.

As I regained movement I tried to straighten up and look around me. Nothing had changed, it was still the same chamber of horrors containing the skeletal remains of humans thrown down here to feed imprisoned newborns. Dried blood stained the cement walls and the openings where flames were ignited to burn bothersome newborns were blackened with soot deposits. I almost wished she would just burn me and be done with it but I knew she needed me just by looking at the state of the compound, discipline was terrible and the place a mess, Nathan just couldn't cut it as a commander, not on his own, but I had warned her of that many years ago.

A struggling human was thrown down for me to feed on as the sun set once more but he had been almost bled out first, she wanted me to suffer. I tried to control myself but my thirst was so strong after all the healing that I couldn't resist the smell of the fresh blood and I finished draining the weakly kicking body in seconds.

"Bravo Major. They told me you were living on animal blood but I said they must be wrong. My Major only drinks from humans, to keep him strong. If I let you out are you going to behave? Take your rightful place at my side?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Of course you do Major. You can refuse and stay down there while I give the order to kill Chief Swan."

She stood watching me, her lips slightly parted, her eyes gleaming with excitement, as I climbed slowly from the pit to stand on the training ground once more. Nathan stood beside her just waiting for the order to take me apart again and I smiled at him disgustedly,

"Aún después de Maria alrededor como un perro después de una perra en calor que veo Nathan. ¿Cuándo va a aceptar que no eres la mitad de hombre que soy yo?"

He hissed as Maria smiled, her white teeth gleaming in the light from the bonfires lit in the compound.

"Now Major that's cruel, Nathan is not a cur although I guess I am like a bitch on heat where you are concerned. Besides Nathan here knows full well he will never be the man you are I'm sure."

Nathan looked like he'd just been hit with an iron bar when she insulted him but that was her way, Maria used every tool at her disposal, words, sex, violence, anything to get what she wanted.

"Come, lay with me Major, like the old times."

I ignored her still staring at my old adversary and she flashed over slapping me hard enough to knock me back a step,

"Eres mía Major. Yo te hice, yo te mando, soy dueño de ti, nunca olvides que una vez más. "

"Yes you made me and you command me but I will never be yours, you will never own me Maria and you should be very careful."

"Are you threatening me Major?"

I didn't need to answer her but for my insolence I found myself once more on the end of Nathan's hands and booted feet and eventually rolled back into the pit once more. I would rather be here in pain than laying naked with Maria and she would understand that eventually, she may have control of my body but my heart and my life belonged to another...to Bella.

Aro

There had been little debate, Marcus looked at me and nodded while Caius sat back scowling before finally inclining his head slightly,

"Destroy the compound, kill the newborns, and bring Maria and Nathan back with you Felix. We will have to put her on trial. That way the other warmongers in Mexico will see that sloppiness will not be tolerated."

"I'll get right on it."

"And Felix."

"Yes Aro?"

"If you should run into The Major I would like to have a word with him."

"You want me to bring him to Volterra too?"

"Yes I think it might be best but as a guest not a prisoner."

"What if he refuses?"

"Oh I think you should make it clear that the invitation is non negotiable."

Felix

I chose my group carefully knowing that it was not permissible to take both the twins from Volterra at the same time, not that I wanted both of the arrogant pricks with me anyway they were always more trouble than they were worth. Alec was eager to accompany me but I found him difficult as well as arrogant, he always saw himself as a little above the rest of us whereas Jane and I worked a little better together so I chose her, Santiago, Afton, and a relative newcomer Rebel made up the remainder of the party. Rebel had just turned up in Volterra one day offering his services to the guard and it didn't take long to see he was a good fighter and extremely fast.

He was also easy to get along with and I wanted to see him at work out in the field more closely. Maria wouldn't give us much trouble, her newborn army was in disarray and her commander Nathan was little more than a child playing at soldiers. If The Major had still been with her it would have been a different matter altogether but then if he had still been with her this expedition would not have been necessary. He would never have allowed things to get out of hand in this way. We flew into Nogales International and picked up a rental truck, the drive was only a couple of hours and we timed it to arrive at the compound just before dawn.

I had sent a spotter ahead the day before to check out the lie of the land and sentries and we met up with him an hour away only to find the rumors had been true, The Major was indeed back but not in Maria's good books by the sound of things.

"I couldn't get close enough to hear what was said or I might have alerted the few guards Nathan had sent on a roving patrol but I can tell you that Maria is extremely unhappy with The Major and giving him a very hard time."

"You don't think he came back of his own free will?"

"I doubt it from the look of things."

"Then somehow they captured him? I don't see that, which means he must have agreed to return."

"But why? He escaped from her years ago, why would he go back?"

I shook his head and shrugged,

"That remains a mystery for now I can only imagine she must have some hold over him. Still we can solve that little mystery later. For now we have a job to do."