Chapter Five

Jasper

I should have expected the reception committee and the questions but everyone seemed to like Bella and Esme was thrilled when I said I was taking Bella out again, this time on a real date.

"Where will you take her son?"

"I haven't decided yet, I was just glad she said yes."

"Do you think the Quileutes will try to make problems for you?"

I turned to Carlisle who had just appeared at the head of the stairs,

"No, I think Jacob Black would have liked to but his Alpha is keeping him on a short leash. Having him as Bella's ex complicates matters slightly but she is not interested and I think that message got home today."

"Just take care son, we don't need trouble with the tribe, it took a lot of hard work to forge that treaty."

"I will Carlisle but I won't let Jacob get between Bella and myself."

"So, she's the one then?"

I nodded looking a little abashed,

"Yes and now I have to get her to fall in love with me."

Rose smiled and Alice snorted with laughter,

"I think that's a foregone conclusion, she's already halfway there and I can't wait to meet her properly. When are you going to bring her over?"

"Alice stop being so pushy, give Jazz a chance, this is his first date and we don't all move at lightening speed. Besides, can't you tell us the outcome? It would be a relief to Jazz to know all ends well."

Alice turned her head, eyes glowing with excitement, and put her tongue out at her sister who pantomimed slapping her down and Esme smiled, happy to see everyone happy and relaxed. Then Alice frowned looking a little annoyed,"Actually I haven't seen any visions of Bella, I didn't even see Jazz meet her but then my gift isn't always reliable. If I see something it usually comes to pass but I don't always see which is really annoying."

My biggest concern wasn't Jake, I could handle him if necessary, but how Emmett and Edward would take me having a human girlfriend, especially as it was potentially dangerous for all the family. The only thing I knew for sure was that Bella Swan was my soul mate and we would be together eventually. I just wondered how long and torturous the journey there would be.

Jacob

I shrugged Sam's arm off angrily and phasing ran back to the village, his warning sounding over and over in my brain sending my rage to such a pitch I could have howled my anger at the moon. By the time we arrived back the whole pack had assembled just beyond the edge of the open area of land the cabins were nestled in, at our usual meeting place. I recognized my opponents immediately, Paul, Jared, and of course Leah Clearwater who had hated Bella and my relationship with her from the start. Embry, and Quil being my friends were more inclined to my way of thinking, that the treaty with the bloodsuckers was a travesty and we should kill them all now while we could.

Sam waited until the sound died away although only members of our pack could hear the din of opposing attitudes.

"Jacob, I will not allow you to break the treaty over a girl who has no interest in you. A war with the vampires would be in no one's interest least of all ours and the Cullens are a large and potentially powerful adversary not to be ignored."

"Are you frightened Sam? There are enough of us to kill them easily. You could stay behind and wait for us to do the job."

Sam bridled at my calculated insolence.

"We have peace here Jake and believe me, no one wants a war. The Cullens have done nothing to break the treaty and the elders would be most upset if we broke it first. You have no idea what a war could mean, more vampires arriving to join the Cullens, innocent lives being lost, our own men, women and children. Not to mention how our leader would see such a betrayal of trust. You aren't interested in ridding our land of vampires, you just want to ease your injured pride."

"He's a leech and he's trying to become involved with Bella who has no idea what he is or the danger she is walking into."

"That is not our concern, Bella is not one of our tribe and so long as the leech does not harm her there's nothing we can do."

"The treaty states…."

He cut me off with a snarl of impatient anger,

"Don't spout the treaty off to me. I know what it says and so long as the Cullens do not spill human blood, bite a human, then we are honor bound to leave them in peace. I am ordering you to stay away from Bella and from the vampires Jake. Do you understand?"

I remained silent, fuming at his arrogance in telling me what to do.

"Do you understand?"

Still I refused to speak,

"Very well, you force my hand. I am giving you an Alpha command. You will stay well away from Bella Swan and the Cullens, all of them, especially the one involved with her, Jasper Hale."

I could feel the weight of his command crushing my spirit and bowed low to the ground in submission which hurt even more. However angry or determined I was, an Alpha command bound me as tightly as chains. There was nothing I could do to keep Bella safe, to warn her against becoming involved with the leeches. Others had tried to break an Alpha command before me I knew, and all had failed. No matter how strong or determined I might be Sam's word was the law to all in the pack, I was defeated.

But defeated or not I would be watching and the first time one of the leeches crossed the line, any line, I would be there ready and only too willing to rip their flesh and destroy them just as our forefathers had done. It was what we were brought into being for, it was our nature. As I lay awake in my tiny room staring up at the stars visible from my window and the crescent moon I swore an oath to kill Jasper Hale if he hurt Bella in any way. I still loved her, of course I did although the others tried to explain that the feelings I had for her were not those of an imprint. She had told me in no uncertain terms that we were finished, that I had changed and I almost laughed at that.

Sure I had changed, there had been an influx of nomad leeches using our territory as a hunting zone, we appeared easy prey, small communities out in the wilder areas of the country. Their kills could be mistaken for predators such as bears and wolves and word had soon gotten around. As we began to phase one after another and form our pack they learned this was not such a safe place to be and then the Cullens had arrived, just the doctor and his "wife" at first and then the rest of the creatures. No more nomads hunted here once the Cullens had staked a claim to the area and the elders were relieved telling us the tribe and the townsfolk would be safe now. Safe? With a coven of vampires living among them?

Sure they claimed to live on animal blood but I didn't trust them. I had argued we should wipe them out but Old Quil had just shaken his head slowly.

"So long as they keep to the treaty so will we. It is safer for everyone and Carlisle Cullen has kept his word, no humans have been killed nor were any when he was here before. It would be better if they were gone but while they remain we will watch and that is all."

I was pretty sick of all the orders and commands we were given as if we were stupid or reckless when maybe we were in fact just smarter than the elders. If I had phased first, been the pack Alpha as my grandfather had been, things would be very different but as things stood my hands were firmly tied.