Chapter Thirty Five

Jasper

We drove as fast as we could to the motel praying that there wouldn't be another attempt on the girls before we got there and the relief I felt at seeing Bella standing there safe and unharmed made me weak. Emmett took Rose up in his arms worried about her injuries and we went inside the room. Darius had quickly set up a perimeter search using sensors he had invented for just such a purpose.

"The screen's clear Major. Whoever they were the survivor isn't hanging around."

"Is there any way of tracing him back to Caius?"

Bella looked up at that, eyes wide in shock,

"Caius Volturi? What's this got to do with the Volturi? Are they trying to get their hands on Jay?"

"It's complicated Bella. I'll explain it all to you later but for now I think we should get out of here before anyone else comes looking. Darius its more important than ever you keep an eagle eye on Caius and any correspondence he sends or receives. If these were two of his thugs then you can bet there will be another attempt and I want to know ahead of time."

Bella

I was confused, why would the Volturi want a human Jasper lookalike? It didn't make sense but I was too relieved to see Jasper and happy to be warm and dry again that I could wait to hear any of the details. He kept close to me, holding my hand and kissing my neck and hair as if reassuring himself that I was really here and unharmed. Emmett meanwhile had left Rose only long enough to catch a deer in the woods behind the motel for her to feed on. It wasn't much apparently only small but it would have to do for now. They went through into the bathroom for her to feed and I remembered how sensitive she was about her vampire state.

Darius packed up and put all the bags in the trunk of the car while I just stood still, shocked by the things I'd witnessed, in Jasper's arms my head on his shoulder.

"You're safe now Bella, I won't let anyone hurt you and I promise to explain everything once we're somewhere safe. I nodded my understanding then remembered what Rose had said about Jay and Jasper.

"Is Jay OK? Did Maria hurt him?"

Jasper stiffened and I wondered what I'd said that was so wrong,

"He'll live Bella. Why?"

"Well you went to save him I just wondered if it had been hard."

"No we saved him I'm just not sure we should have bothered."

"Why on earth not?"

"He did accuse me of being a coward, you of being crazy, then he deliberately left you stranded in the middle of nowhere."

"But none of it was his fault, well except for the paper, he just got dragged into all this insanity."

"I'm not sure I like you being so interested in him."

I was about to laugh when I saw Darius shake his head in warning and understood this was all wrapped up in this mating thing. Jasper saw Jay as a rival and that could be dangerous, especially as they were almost identical. If I loved him then maybe I could be drawn to his double. So instead of laughing I cuddled in and kissed him,

"Jasper, I'm not interested in him, I just feel sorry for the way he's been drawn into all this. After all he didn't do anything to deserve all this. He was just a history professor who happened to have a face that made him interesting to someone and now he's a vampire. He was a victim just like you and he deserves a little of the compassion and guidance you never got."

Jasper

I heard what Bella was saying and I even understood and agreed with her but I couldn't help the way I felt. Bella wasn't fully mine yet and the thought of her standing up for another man had me seething. I tried to swallow the feelings of rage and jealousy I felt but it was hard and I knew if I didn't get better control of myself I could upset Bella and I really didn't want to do that. So on the way back to face Jay again I sat in the back with Bella on my lap holding her close and feeding off her to remain calm. As she lay her head on my shoulder I thought about my double and everything that had happened. True it hadn't been his fault. Sure the guy was a dickhead writing a paper bringing my courage into doubt but he was entitled to his opinion. True he had left my mate in danger but he didn't know how much and true he had been kidnapped and turned into a vampire so just maybe thinking of all that I could manage not to hit him next time he opened his mouth.

When we got to the place Charlotte was in their alone with Hunter and seeing my expression she spoke quickly,

"Jay needed to hunt so Peter and Alice took him out. They'll be back soon."

She turned from me then to take a look at Rose who was healing slowly but looked happy enough in Emmett's arms.

"I'm gonna find them. Darius, Hunter, set up, let me know the minute you hear anything. Bella darlin' I'll be back as soon as I can OK?"

We kissed and I wrenched myself away when all I wanted to do was say the hell with it and take her to bed.

Bella

I hated seeing him leave again so soon but I understood that he needed to get things under control and find out what was happening because although they now had a name they still didn't know exactly what was going on. Jasper had explained what he could in the car but it wasn't much and hadn't taken long. For some reason Caius Volturi wanted Jay, that was all we knew for sure, that and he wanted Jasper and I dead. So he was going to use Jay as a counterfeit Major, but to what end? I was sure no one had any more idea than me so instead of trying to work it out on my own I joined Charlotte and Rose who by now was looking much better.

"Do either of you understand what's going on?"

They both shook their heads,

"No but for now I think The Major's main concern is ensuring your safety."

"Shit!"

We all turned to look at Hunter who was pointing to his screen,

"Now we do have trouble look Darius."

We all huddled round the screen to see what Hunter had discovered. As we did so the door flew open and Alice rushed in.

"I've seen them coming for us. We need to move, find somewhere safe."

The door opened once more and I sighed with relief to see Jasper running to him and throwing my arms around him glad he was back. As I did so I saw Jay behind him with Peter or was it? Something felt different and then I saw the dark look from the one I had thought was Jay and stepped away hurriedly exclaiming in surprise. I had seen my mistake as soon as the real Jasper appeared. They may look alike but they were not mirror images of each other and I apologized flustered to Jay who grinned,

"Well Bella Swan, that's the warmest welcome I've ever had from you and by the way you can hug me any time you want."

I frowned at him ready to object but I wasn't given the opportunity. Instead Jay was hauled backwards out of the room and into the parking lot by an enraged Jasper.

"I told you to stay away from Bella didn't I?"

"Hey she hugged me not the other way round just in case you missed that."

I knew if I didn't do something things could go downhill rapidly and I really didn't want to see Jay die even if he was acting the asshole here. I ran out with Alice following wide eyed and scared, of course she knew only too well what a dangerous game her mate was playing. The thought of getting between the two enraged vampires was the scariest thing I had ever contemplated, my heart was beating its way out of my chest and my mouth was so dry it took two attempts to get the words out.

"Stop it both of you right now."

They both took a half step backwards but the snarls were still ear splitting and I knew one wrong move or word and they would explode into violence from which one would not emerge alive.

"Back up!"

I was shouting to be heard above the noise and I wasn't sure I would be heard or obeyed so I took another step, Peter trying to stop me so I turned to him furious,

"Don't you try to stop me Peter or I'll beat the crap out of you!"

Then I returned to my mate and Jay shouting angrily,

"NOW BACK UP BOTH OF YOU."

There was a pause and then the snarls died away to low sounds in the two chests and I stepped between them so angry now that it masked my fear.

"Jasper it was my fault for mistaking Jay for you and for that I apologize."

I turned then to a grinning Jay,

"And you can wipe that smirk off your face before I do it for you after all you weren't exactly kind to me were you Jay? Still I'm very sorry for what's happened to you."

He swallowed and then nodded curtly and I could see he was holding his breath. I'd forgotten he would be a human hunter and I backed away into Jasper's arms. He pulled me in close and put his mouth to my ear,

"I should kill him for touching you but I won't, only because I know it would upset you. Not because I like him any more."

Jay's face was now devoid of the grin it had worn he looked serious and I knew my actions and words had hit home.

"Well I guess I owe you both apologies. You Bella for treating you the way I did, I guess if I'd have listened to you I wouldn't be in this predicament now."

He turned his gaze to Jasper,

"And you Major for the paper I wrote. I underestimated you and I'm sorry I called you a coward, I know you aren't and I was wrong to cast aspersions on your character."

" Oh really and why would you say that?"

"I read your journal, I know the truth. So does Maria."

My mates body tensed and I wondered if there might be trouble after all. So I put a hand on his chest and pushed gently just so he could feel it,

"No, I won't have you two fighting, especially not over things you both had no control over so just get over yourselves."

There was a long silence at my words and I waited nervously hoping I'd said enough to stop any more violence.