Chapter Forty Two

Bella

When I was allowed to surface I was choking and found Hunter holding me until I could stop. Looking around I saw Alice and Jay standing together on one side of the boat and that was it, everyone else was missing. I managed to croak out a question puzzled as to where Jasper and the others were. Hunter shook his head looking annoyed.

"Peter pushed him just too far Bella, he should have known better. He and Darius took him to cool off."

"I'd better go see him and try to find out what the problem is."

"Ah….that's gonna be a little difficult right now Bella, he's somewhere in the lake."

"In the lake? They threw him overboard?"

I know I sounded scandalized but he shook his head,

"Not quite, they went over with him, they'll be back once he calms down."

I had no idea what was happening but pulling free of Hunter with thanks I went down to our cabin and stripped off the stupid bikini going to shower and burst into tears once the water was flowing. I didn't know why Jasper was acting so strangely, it wasn't necessary to lose his temper just because someone grabbed my leg, it was just fun. When I finished I dried myself off and put on a pair of jeans and an old sweatshirt eager to cover myself up as much as possible. Then I sat on the bed and started to cry again angry with myself but I was so confused, I had no idea why Jasper was acting so edgy with everyone but I needed to find out.

I washed my face again, scraped my hair back into a ponytail and went back on deck where I found Hunter, Alice, and Jay. The others still weren't back yet and I felt suddenly very alone, I missed Jasper despite his strange behavior.

"You OK Bella?"

I nodded not trusting myself to speak and went to stand at the deck rail looking out over the dark water and straining to see the others returning but the water was silent and calm.

I went back below, aware the others were talking about me, and shut myself in my cabin once more. There was a knock a few minutes later and my heart leaped, was this news of Jasper and the others? Then I heard Alice's voice,

"Bella, Can I come in?"

"I'm busy Alice."

"Please Bella, I think you need to understand what that was all about."

Oh I did but for some reason I didn't want to hear it from my boyfriend's ex wife.

"Go away Alice I don't want to talk about it."

She tried the door but I'd locked it when I came back down and after a few more knocks and pleas she finally gave up.

I started crying again as everything went round in my head and must have cried myself to sleep because when I next woke I found I was no longer alone. Peter sat in the chair looking at me towel drying his hair and sporting a deep bite mark on one bicep. I sat up quickly,

"I was beginning to think I'd have to kiss you to wake you up. You OK Bella?"

"No, where's Jasper?"

"He'll be back soon, Darius took him to hunt, I wasn't very welcome."

He rubbed his arm grimacing and I looked closer,

"Did Jasper bite you?"

"Yeah but it was my own fault, it was a stupid thing to do and don't worry I'll never hear the end of it when Char finds out."

"What happened Peter? What's happening?"

"Well the first question is the easy one. I grabbed your ankle ready to pull you under like Alice and you screamed. I underestimated The Major's anger and paid for it."

"So why? Tell me what's happening, I don't understand."

"I know and I think it's important you should. Seeing as you wouldn't let Mystic Meg in to talk to you I thought I'd better."

"But the door was locked."

"Yeah well, lock picking is one of my many talents and seeing as Hunter wouldn't give me the spare key…..well anyway, here I am."

He looked somewhat abashed, embarrassed even, and I wondered what was coming next.

"Look Bella, I'm not good at explaining things, fuck I'm not good with words at all so you'll have to excuse my bluntness. I know The Major told you that the two of you were mates but I don't think he explained what that actually meant or at least what it means now."

"Well I know he loves me and I love him but he's acting really strangely, as if he doesn't trust me or anyone around me."

That's cos he doesn't. Look he wants you, he needs you, and he's going to go crazy if he doesn't get you. Mates, at least vampire mates, have this overwhelming urge to take each other, to become bonded and that means sexually."

I blushed and he groaned,

"Don't do that, sex education ain't my forte girl. We vamps are strange creatures, part sophisticated or at least some of us but very primeval in other ways. When two vampires meet and find they are mates they just get on with it, the urge overcomes them and they…..well…...you know what I mean."

I nodded unable to hide a smile and he sat back,

"That's it, make fun of the yokel, fuck me, everyone likes taking the piss out of me."

"Oh I'm not Peter, really. I'm sorry. Go on."

"Well, you and The Major haven't …..yet."

"No but in fairness there hasn't exactly been much time has there, it's all been such a rush but we….well."

"I understand that Bella but you need to understand something too, The Major has no control over any of this, he's trying real hard I know but it's instinctual. There's gonna come a time when he just can't control it any longer, when his need to bond with you becomes overwhelming and even he won't be able to tell you when that happens."

"Oh."

"Yeah oh and the thing is, when that happens you need to understand that's what's driving him, his feelings for you will overwhelm him. He won't hurt you but he won't be able to stop either. A vampire mate understands this instinctively but you don't. He's becoming dangerous Bella, to everyone around him."

"Dangerous? How?"

"Look darlin' sex and violence are closely linked even in the human world. He's frustrated and struggling to keep control and if anyone gets in his way or upsets him they are likely to end up with a few missing limbs at least. I was lucky."

He dabbed his arm where the bite was slowly healing into a scar like those Jasper sported.

"So what you are saying is that the longer this goes on the more unstable Jasper will become?"

"In a nutshell yes Bella, so its down to you."

I sat thinking and I know my cheeks were red with embarrassment but Peter never said a word, he didn't tease me or mock me and I understood this was too important to make jokes about.

"I want to Peter, I really do but I can't, not with all these ears around. You only have to sneeze and everyone on the boat shouts bless you! It would be like doing it on a stage full of people."

Now I could feel the glow from my cheeks but he just nodded,

"OK, How about I arrange for the rest of us to go off hunting, leave you two alone?"

I bit my lip thoughtfully, it still sounded so contrived but it was probably the best we were going to get and if truth be told I was getting a wee bit impatient myself. I wanted Jasper, maybe not as desperately as he needed me but I did desire him so I nodded,

"OK, if you can arrange for everyone to go hunting and leave us alone then its up to him, I'm not going to throw him on the bed and ravish him."

"Shame, that sounds kinda fun but OK."

He grinned and winked at me,

"I think you and I are gonna get along famously Bella and now I hear splashing and I'm assuming the others are back so its time for me to work some Whitlock magic."

I couldn't wait to see this but most of all I wanted to see Jasper again urgently, it just hit me suddenly how much I had missed him these past few hours.