A/N: HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY! Who was the vampire watching Jasper and Bella leave? What is going to happen next? Enjoy the new chapter!

Chapter 41 – One Down

A punch of a button, a beep, and the phone call died. James's expression had turned from annoyed to curious to irritated, and then to elated towards the end… and Edward knew why. Bella and Jasper had been found and she was no longer human. Dreams of drinking her blood died in an instant for both male vampires. Both had longed to drink her warm blood, to be the one to change her or kill her depending on if they could stop themselves, and now they were being denied the very thing that they had craved. This was twice now that James had lucked out on a meal he desired, and the older vampire was irritated; however, Edward knew that James didn't only want Bella for her blood, and there was something else the tracker wanted from the newborn. The mind reader could see different scenes and scenarios play out in James's mind. Unable to stop the images, his libido was stoked and he was instantly hard. He wanted what James wanted, but the only way to claim the prize would be to take out the empath and the tracker… and he was sure he could do it without too much of a fuss. First though, he would use the rogue vampire to fight the Cullen's. It was the only way to get Bella away from them – from everyone.

One moment he was lost to what he was seeing inside James's head, unable to control his own desire for Bella, and the next he was groaning; although it was more in agony than pleasure. He had not been focusing to what was happening around him, allowing his "partner" to get the jump on him. A foot stomped on his dick and it remained lodged there. He tried to move away, but the pressure increase. He tried to push the appendage away, but it would not budge, would not let up on the pressure or pain. All Edward could do he try to hold his painful moans.

"I've got you figured out, Eddie boy. You want that sweet girl all to yourself, and you don't care if she isn't human any longer. I know she was your singer, but there isn't a drop of blood left in her lush little body. Do you want to pound her? Rape her? Make her scream with desire or fear? Something tells me you're a sick bastard like me and you don't care one way or another. Don't think for one second I don't know your game. You want to play me? Just remember, I have been around a lot longer than you, have been hunted by vampires who had more skills and gifts than you, and I ain't died yet," James sneered before turning his attention to his foot and rubbed it a little causing another moan to escape from the other man, "You know, most would lose their hard-on when it gets abused like this… not you though. You really are sick. Do you like pain? Do you get pleasure from it? Well sorry, I'm not interested." He pulled back and brought his foot forward kicking the exact spot his foot had been previously resting.

James went five feet where they had four humans tied up, their voices long spent from all the screaming they had done. Screaming in horror as they watched other captives raped and killed. Screaming when they watched some of their brethren drained completely of blood, murdered by people who used to be their friends; the friends that should have been dead, but were up and moving around as if they were alive. Vampire were only supposed to be fairytales, stuff of legends and stories one used to scare their friends or siblings, or the fake being Hollywood used to make money. They were never supposed to be real.

Grabbing one of the blondes, the one that looked the least like Bella, James jerked her over to where Edward was just getting to his feet and threw her to his accomplice, "There have your fill. And when you're done, keep an eye on the others while I go out and gather some new sheep. If I send you to do it, you may not come back with anything too tempting, and while they may like your pickings, I have to eat too."

His departing laughter echoed through the trees, mocking Edward in its wake. He only came to his senses again, when he felt a squirming body against his. The girl was trying to get away, and while her thoughts made it somewhat difficult to do what he must, it was not as hard as it once was. There had been a time when taking an innocent life like this would have been nary impossible, but no longer. He had found a way to enjoy the screams, enjoy the body as he fed, and it was partly thanks to the sick sadist he had decided to align himself with. Maybe he had turned into a monster as well, however, he was different from James because he still held onto part of his humanity. He would never let his animal side completely consume him. And as he ripped away the girl's layers of clothing and thrust into her at the same time as he bit her neck, he savored the warm blood and the pleasure her writhing body supplied him, telling himself that this was all for Bella and once he had her, he could go back to his old way of life. His eyes would once again be topaz instead of the murky brown/red they currently were. The more he fed from humans, the more they would become bright red.

Around him, six newborns fed from various humans. Feeding their thirst, quenching the burning in their throat. They were lambs for the slaughter, the first line of defense and a distraction to be used while Bella and Alice were secured. Pumping faster into the girl and nearing his own climax, Edward pushed away the guilt he felt about Alice's involvement, but there was no way to leave her behind in order for his own plan to work. While James was busy with the seer, Edward planned on killing him and taking Bella away. Alice would then be free to go back to the Cullen family, or wherever she wanted to go. Of course if James lost his life in the heat of battle, then there would be no reason to take her with them; he would just take Bella and leave. Bella belonged to him, not Jasper. Closing his eyes, he imagined it was her body pressed up against the tree as he rutted, and pulling his mouth away from the bloody neck, he screamed his release and then finished his meal. Throwing the drained body to the side, he almost laughed as one of the newborns ran to it and tried to get any trace blood from body that may have been left behind, either by the wound or in the body itself.

He went to the tree where the humans were kept, where the newborns didn't venture because if they did, James would kill them… they had seen it done. Grabbing another victim, he threw the man out into the middle of their camp and watched as all six vulture converged onto the prey. No, he wasn't a monster… not completely… not yet. He still knew how to reason and think for himself – he was better than these animals.

About 100 miles away…

The city was ripe with people, or at least riper than some of the smaller towns he and Edward had come across. Boise, Idaho may not be the biggest city out there, but it would do for his purposes. He just needed a few bodies. Knocking them out was the easy part, it was attracting them, and luring them into his trap… that was the fun part. There was no way feasting on an animal that wasn't of the human variety, could give a vampire a rush like humans did. A vampire was made to drink human blood. It quenched the thirst like nothing else. In comparison, animal blood was like eating gruel at some hovel. Oh James had tried it a couple of times, when he had to, and he had decided long ago, if he didn't have to drink it, he never would again. Humans were put on the planet to feed them after all. The perfect prey to go with the perfect hunter. They fought until they couldn't fight any more, and sometimes they would still find a last burst of strength and try to escape once again… even if they were on the verge of death. Nothing could or ever would compare.

As he stood on top of a tall building and searched the area, James thought about the phone call he received from Melody, a woman he had turned without Victoria knowing about a hundred years ago. The redhead was the only one that believed they were true mates. He had a few woman scattered across the globe that could be helpful to his cause when needed, and every one of them very loyal to him and him alone. This particular vampire was the perfect person to spy on the Cullen family, mainly because she was the closest. Of course by the time she had arrived, Bella had been moved. She followed a trail to a reservation where she had been chased by a large wolf, but Melody had tricks and gifts no other had. Where Victoria could evade an enemy, Melody could turn ones strength against him. Absorbing, making her prey temporarily weak, and then striking with her own power and that which she "collected". It only lasted about 10 seconds and only on one victim at a time, but most of the time that was all she needed to strike a fatal blow and she didn't seem to let the count problem hinder her. For that reason, the wolf should have been dead, and yet somehow, he managed to survive. It was of no consequence to him, however, Melody always hated losing a play thing almost as much as he did.

Looking down, two women staggered slightly, both intoxicated. A smile appeared on his lips, "My first treats." He jumped down and landed softly before dragging them both into the dark ally. They never knew what hit them.

Quileute Reservation…

Sam waited beside Billy's truck waiting for Jasper and Bella to arrive with Jared. How had his beta gotten beat so quickly? He still didn't understand, and neither did his pack. They all waited, hidden in the woods in their wolf forms. If Jasper or Bella tried anything, their lives would be forfeit; although, the alpha didn't think anything would happen, the others wanted to be there when Jared came home.

Almost an hour of waiting and finally, the truck he was waiting for came to a stop behind Billy's. Sam could see Bella in the passenger seat, could see that her eyes were no longer the brown he remember, but other than that, there were no major differences. Somehow that made his decision to allow her to change a little easier. He wasn't sure what he was expecting, but he didn't really expect her to appear the same.

Getting out of the truck slowly, Jasper nodded towards the alpha as he hefted the wolf into his arms from the back seat and deposited him in the bed of Billy's truck, "Sam."

"Jasper."

"We found Jared in the middle of the woods near dead. He seems to be doin' better and he became conscious about forty minutes ago. Almost went batshit crazy when he realized he was in the truck with two vampires. We pulled over because he said he could come home on his own, but somethin's wrong with one of his legs. You may want to let whoever know about that."

"I appreciate you bringing him home."

"I owed you, and I couldn't leave someone out there to die. I think a vampire attacked him. What was he doing so far north?"

"That's tribe business and has nothing to do with you," Sam snapped.

"I figured you'd say somethin' like that," Jasper muttered. "Look, I don't care what he was doin' up there, but you do need to know that Edward and James are comin' back soon. Alice says they're not gonna be alone. We'll let you know any details as we get them."

The pack leader gestured with his chin towards the truck, "And her? Do we need to worry?"

Snorting slightly with laughter and wonder, the southern vampire answered, "Not at all. I've never seen it before. She has more control than Superman has with his superpowers."

"If she…"

"We know, and that ain't gonna happen. We will watch her. The only reason we came back when we did is because of James and Edward." His eyes drifted to Jared and Jasper commented, "Maybe that was a good thing though."

Sam hesitated a moment and then said, "Then you may want to know that there was another leech around here lately. A stranger and no one that has been here before. Not even those rogue vampires you have warned us about. Jared followed her and she attacked him."

"Newborn?"

"We don't know how your… species works. She had red eyes and was able to get the drop on him within minutes. It's almost like she lured him as far away from us as possible."

"That's why he was just south of the border. Do you know anything else about her?"

Shaking his head, the leader told the other man, "No. She had raven black hair, red eyes, and was about the same height as your coven member Alice. When first attacked, she mentioned that James never said she couldn't have fun."

"Damn it!" Based on what Sam just told him, Jasper suspected it wasn't a newborn, and that meant they were dealing with someone that could take out a wolf without batting an eye. Not good. "Let me find out what my family knows and we will call y'all."

Sam nodded and got in the pickup. The conversation was over.

Deep in the woods, a large brown wolf paced back and forth. Jacob could see Bella through the window, and based on the conversation, he knew the deed had been done, and with that knowledge, his hate of the Cullen's grew as well. He had a hair trigger and without thinking he ran at full speed towards the vampire who was walking towards his own truck. Growling and snarling, he snapped at the man who had taken Bella's life… his Bella. The girl he had had a crush on since they played in the mud together, and now she was gone. Turned into a leech by this man… this monster.

"Jacob!" Sam rushed out of Billy's truck and yelled at his subordinate. The wolf stepped back one pace, but still growled low and deep.

"Jacob?" Bella got out of the truck and walked around to the side where Jasper stood. Never before had she seen something like this. Why was this wolf's name Jacob? Why did those wolf eyes remind her of her friend?

"So he really did finally turn," Jasper spoke offhandedly.

"He did," Sam answered. Glaring at the wolf, he ordered him, "I want you and Quill to go on patrol… NOW!"

Ears fell backwards, but the growls did not stop. The only response that the wolf heard the order was that after one last snap, he turned around and disappeared into the woods once again.

"What the hell was that?" Bella demanded.

"We'll talk about it later. Sam, Jared needs medical attention. We'll go on home and call y'all later," Jasper stated. This was not the time or the place and there was still an injured party that needed to be taken care of; and he had a feeling if he didn't get him and his mate out of there soon, Quill and Jacob might attack using whatever excuse was at the disposal. He would not subject his mate to that kind of danger.

Once on the road towards the Cullen house, Bella asked again, "Jacob? Was that really Jake?"

"Darlin', do you remember when I told you the reservation had their own secrets they needed to protect and that we had a treaty with them?"

She thought about it for a second before she said, "Yah. What? Are you going to tell me they are raising wolf hybrids?"

Giving her a sideways glance, Jasper shook his head and chuckled, "Not exactly." He took a moment to think about how to break the news to her, but before he could speak, she was blurting out her own thoughts and ideas.

"Wait! My dad said he saw giant wolves on the reservation. Carlisle said it was a trick his mind played on him."

"That isn't exactly what Carlisle said, but regardless of that, they have their secrets and we have ours. It's up to each of us to keep each other's existence secret."

"What do you mean by not exactly a wolf hybrid then?"

"I sayin' certain tribe members can turn into wolves. They were granted or given a special gene or whatever, and they can change. The brown wolf you saw was Jacob Black."

Shaking her head, Bella tried to deny it all, "There's no way. This is a joke… right?"

"Darlin', we exist. Why can't they?"

"But…"

"You should know by now that there is more out there than just what you know. Vampires are real, and shape shifters are just as real as we are."

"Why do they not like you?"

"You picked up on that, huh? Their natural enemy is the vampire and vice versa. We have a treaty with them, but that doesn't mean everyone agrees with it or likes it. They police us stringently."

"I kind of remember you saying you had to get Sam's permission."

"I did. I had to tell him that I was goin' to change you. He finally agreed, but I don't think Jacob appreciates that."

"So Sam is a wolf too? And Jared?"

"Yep. Sam's the alpha of the pack and Jared is the beta. We aren't exactly sure how many wolves they have, but they have enough."

Bella sat back and stared out the window trying to digest everything, and as they were pulling up to the Cullen house, she muttered, "Does that mean Jake hates me now?"

Getting her attention by running a hand through her hair, Jasper told her, "I don't think he hates you because he loves you too much, but I think he is confused and angry. And since he is a newly turned wolf, I think he is more volatile than some of the others. Although, most of the ones I have met have a temper on them that can rival my momma when we did somethin' bad. I need you to steer clear of him and be careful around any of the tribe members from now on. They don't like us because we are vampires."

"Sam called us leeches."

"They all do. We drink blood and therefore we are bad. The only reason we have that treaty is because we don't drink from humans."

"Is Billy?"

Shaking his head, he answered, "No darlin'. I don't know who all is, but I know Billy isn't. Remember Jared's smell?"

"Yes. It was awful!"

"The wolves will have that smell. Remember it well."

"Ok."

He didn't like seeing the downtrodden expression on her face, or to feel it in her emotions. Pulling her towards him, he kissed the side of her head and whispered, "Don't worry. He will come around eventually." There was no way to tell if the wolf actually would, but there was always a possibility.

"Jazz! Peter and Charlotte are fighting a stranger in the woods! They need your help!" Alice rushed out of the house to warn her best friend.

"Where?"

"West! Hurry!"

"Take Bella into the house! Where are Emmett and Rose?"

"Inside."

"Git her inside and stay there. We'll be back as soon as possible."

"JW?" Bella wasn't sure what was going on and her fear suddenly increased.

"Go with Alice. I need to help Peter and Char. I'll be back as soon as possible." With one last kiss, he darted into the woods and left his mate behind.

Bella looked towards her friend, "Alice? What's going on?"

"Peter and Charlotte were doing patrols and came upon a strange vampire who tried to attack them. They are losing."

"But JW… we have to help. We have to…"

"Bella, Jazz knows how to take care of himself and others. He probably has a better battle record than the Volturi. He will handle her and win."

Still terrified of what may happen, the brunette found herself giggling in spite of it all. Alice with her visions. She should have known. "You never actually saw them fighting."

Shaking her head, the petite woman answered, "Nope, but I saw it in a vision. He can handle himself. Don't worry."

Jasper rushed towards his friends, using his gift to guide him towards his destination. It wasn't only useful in controlling emotions, in a pinch it could help him locate others because he could feel their emotions as well. Closer and closer he got. He could feel the terror coming from Charlotte, and the pain and general pissed offness coming from Peter. His friend had been hurt, and for that reason and a few others, the enemy would pay.

Rushing forward, he could see a woman holding Charlotte against a tree, her hand around her throat, while beneath her foot lie a struggling Peter. The woman didn't look strong enough to take on both vampires at the same time, so how was she winning the fight. It didn't matter because she would become ash in the end.

The moment Charlotte saw Jasper running towards them, relief filled her. This vampire was more than she or Peter could handle. When they had first encountered her, they had tried to ask her questions, and the only answer she gave before they knew she was truly an enemy was, "I came to pay respects on behalf of James." Charlotte had attacked first, but before she could land her first blow, her body felt drained and she felt herself being kicked in the gut and then flying through the air and landing against a tree, forcing the wood to splinter and break from the impact. Peter had been next, but Charlotte watched in horror as the stranger was able to gain the upper hand quickly. Her love lost both arms, and just as the bitch was about to rip his head off, she tried to attack again in order to save Peter. She had been grabbed around the neck though, the strength in that one hand was greater than any one vampire should have unless they were a newborn, and this woman behaved far too controlled in order to be a newborn.

This was how Jasper had found them. He had a feeling this was the woman who had attacked Jared, and if that was the case, he had to be careful.

Catching a movement out of the corner of her eye, Melody turned and found a third vampire to play with. This was the one that had been with the girl and had taken away her toy. She owed him a debt. "Oh… I've been looking for you. You stole something from me."

"Did I?" Jasper's tone suggested he was bored with the conversation already, but Peter and Charlotte knew better. When he seemed the most bored, he was actually the most dangerous. "You talkin' about the wolf?"

"Just as I was about to kill him, you took him. Are these your friends? How about I kill them in exchange for the wolf?"

"How about I kill you for even layin' a hand on them."

"You are no match for me. Nobody will ever kill me, but you are more than welcome to try." Throwing Charlotte to the side, she started sucking more energy from Peter, ready for the attack.

"See that's just impolite manners. Looks like you need to learn how to be a lady."

"If you think you can, come on."

Peter called out, "Watch out. She has some kind of gift and can…"

"Do shut up!" Melody kicked her foot against Peter's jaw, temporarily dislodging it… well temporarily until she set him on fire. She didn't intend for him to be able to reset it and live much longer.

"She ain't the only one," Jasper smirked and readied himself. In his training under Maria, he knew how to use his gift to help him win in a fight, and he knew how to battle without it; and in this instance, he believed the former was the best course of action. If this girl thought she could use her gift and win against him, she had another thing coming.

During her separation from James since he had changed her, and because he only saw her once every couple of years when he could get away from the bitch Victoria, Melody had honed her gift and skills. They were far more superior than even James knew, and she could hit her target even when they were 30 feet away. As soon as Jasper was in striking distance, she used her gift and drained him, knocking him to the ground.

Jasper hadn't been prepared for an attack like that. He wasn't all that close yet and she had still got him with her gift, however, seeing Charlotte and Peter, they were already recuperating and Peter looked like he had his strength back already… just not his arms. Temporary? Possibly, but he needed to be on guard.

"I told you that no one can kill me," the rogue sneered and was about to grab Jasper's neck with Charlotte tackled her. Throwing off the person who dared interfere, she knew her power had worn off and she needed to hit Jasper again quickly, but she never got the chance.

The moment he felt his strength return, the southern vampire was ready. Sending calm, fatigue, and lethargy towards her, he watched her drop to the ground. He was afraid if he tried to torture her with emotion by sending terror or anxiety, her gift would go crazy; however, if she was too tired to act, she would have a harder time using her gift. "Char take care of Peter," he ordered as he walked up to his enemy. In one fluid motion, he ripped her head off her body and lit it on fire with the lighter in his pocket. Throwing it into a small clearing where there was timber lying on the ground, he watched as the wood caught on fire and then threw her body onto the pile as well.

Glancing over to where his friends were, he found that Peter's jaw had already been fixed and Charlotte was working to reattach his arms. He had almost lost the fight... if Charlotte hadn't intervened, it was possible he would have died. Maybe he didn't need to be so cocky either; and yet, his gift had still been working and he was ready to hit her with it as soon as she got close enough. Her gift never touched his, only his strength. Is that how she had been able to beat Jared? Drain him of his strength? As a wolf, he wouldn't have had other gifts he could have used to save himself.

"She was stronger after Pete lost his strength," Charlotte spoke from her position next to her mate.

Jasper furrowed his brow, "What?"

"She was. After she drained him, I could tell a difference. She was stronger."

Running a hand through his hair, the Texan thought about what he just heard. Drained and then stronger? She could use what she took. Damn. If James had people like this with him, this fight just became a lot more difficult… not impossible though.

It took a little time to get his friend put back together, but when it was finally done, the trio returned to the Cullen house. As soon as Jasper walked through the front door, he went back through it and fell to the ground, his mate wrapped in his arms, "I'm ok, darlin'. I'm ok."

"I was worried," Bella whimpered.

"I know." He glanced up to see Carlisle standing on the front porch, "She's taken care of, but James sent her."