Chapter 103

Bella

Jasper had fastened all the wooden shutters now the snow had begun to fall and it was cozy inside the cabin with the log fire burning and the stove for cooking banked up too. It felt like a camping holiday only better with Jasper at my side. Now we had plenty of blankets, hot food, and a space heater if the temperature dropped too much, he had no excuse not to sleep with me although I had to admit that while I was warm enough and didn't feel the chill of his body as he made love to me. When I woke in the middle of the night needing the bathroom I shivered and he immediately moved away wrapping a blanket around himself so when I got back into bed I had to contend myself with the feel of his body through a thick layer of wool. Personally I could have stayed here like this for the rest of my life, wrapped in his arms content in the knowledge that no one would be disturbing us. I even took to wandering around the cabin in the nude during the warmest part of the day which drew admiring glances and more than a few short sexual interludes between the longer steamier ones.

It wasn't until the end of the week I noticed Jasper was becoming agitated, with deep bruises under his eyes, eyes that had become darker day by day and it suddenly hit me, he was thirsty. Having me, the scent of my blood drenching every pore must be torture for him.

"You should go, Jasper. I'll be fine here."

"I'm sorry Bella, I wanted to wait until you were asleep before going to hunt, but I don't think I can wait any longer."

As he spoke he rubbed his throat and I just smiled,

"Go, you need to refuel. I intend emptying your tank again soon."

He laughed, but I could see he was apprehensive,

"Do you want me to come with you?"

He jumped at that,

"NO, Sorry Bella but no, I don't want you to see the monster. I'll be fine although I've never hunted animals for food."

"Think of them as humans on all fours."

"Don't joke Bella. I'll happily do this for you, but I'm concerned I won't know what to do. I feel like a child again learning for the first time."

"You'll be fine Jasper just trust your instincts."

I waved him off reluctantly then shut the door against the arctic blast and settled by the fire with the e-book reader and started on Emma although one part of my brain was busy thinking about Jasper out there alone and hunting animals for the first time. After a while knowing I wouldn't be able to concentrate I put the reader down and got up stretching then decided this would be an excellent time to wash my hair so I boiled plenty of water and took it through to the small bedroom we now used as a bathroom.

There was a small wood burning stove in there, but it did little to dispel the cold and I didn't waste any time but washed my hair and stripped off to wash everything else too only noticing at the last minute with a groan that I was bleeding. I hadn't given any thought to my periods. How much worse it would be for Jasper, the scent of fresh human blood even stronger than normal. I checked in my bags relieved to see someone had considered this and sprayed plenty of deodorant and perfume around after dressing, hoping it would disguise the scent of blood sufficiently. Then I went back into the other much warmer room and wrapped myself in the blankets that smelled of Jasper and waited putting one earpiece in to listen to the music Darius had put on my iPod.

I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I knew he was back and holding me tightly breathing in my scent.

"God I missed you, Bella."

Sitting up I looked into his face, the bruises were much less noticeable under his eyes which no longer looked quite so red.

"What did you decide on in the end?"

"You make it sound like there was a menu to choose from. I tracked a couple of elk looking for pasture."

"And how did it taste?"

He shuddered,

"Let's just say it's an acquired taste."

"Perhaps you would do better to stick to carnivores, their diet might make their blood taste more like human blood."

He nodded thoughtfully,

"Maybe."

Then I saw him testing the air before looking at me again,

"Did you hurt yourself while I was out?"

I shook my head blushing,

"No, it's just...well...it's that time of the month."

"Oh, I'm sorry if I embarrassed you it's just..."

"I know, I tried to mask the smell, but I guess I didn't do a very good job."

"It doesn't matter, but I might need to hunt again sooner than expected."

"Is it really hard to control your thirst with me?"

"Not so bad...not usually but I hadn't thought about this."

"Me either, I'm sorry."

"Don't be, it's natural and besides I have to learn to control myself around humans so this is good practice."

He did really well although he found it difficult being too close to me for the next few days. I missed his closeness but I understood and we spent our time outdoors as much as possible, making snowmen, walking, although the snow was too deep for me in places, he even made a toboggan out of some wood from the outhouse and we had fun going down the small slope by the cabin.

As I watched him I understood there had been no fun, no laughter in his life for so long now he hardly knew how to smile, but he tried very hard all the same. After this we fell into a routine, we would spend our days talking about the past, the future, and what we would do once I became a vampire and our nights warm and cozy in the cabin making love. He would leave every few days to hunt and sure enough, the blood of carnivores settled his thirst far better than the elk and deer. During that time of the month, he hunted further afield staying away much longer and though I missed him I did understand. We became like an old married couple, comfortable alone together and not wanting any more than we had here and now.

I have no idea how long we had been here exactly, just that it had been a few months when everything changed. I was cooking myself some spaghetti with sauce with Jasper due back anytime when he came crashing through the door, his now golden eyes filled with hunger and fear.

"What happened? Are you OK?"

He shook his head,

"There are humans on the mountain and at least one of them is hurt. I heard them Bella and I could smell their blood."

I could see he was thirsty, tempted by the scent of human blood, but he had come here, not gone after them.

"But I thought no one came up here this time of year?"

"They don't. There's something going on Bella. I want you to contact Darius, get him to take you off the mountain."

"How did you know I had a way of contacting him?

"I knew they wouldn't leave you here with me and no way of shouting for help now do whatever you have to do to get them here."

I thought for a minute then shook my head,

"We'll work this out Jasper. If there are humans up here then they are lost and in trouble. If we find them and help them down you'll be fine."

He shook his head, his jaw working convulsively,

"No Bella you don't understand." The smell of the blood, I can't resist it."

"Yes you can, I'll help you now come on let's get some blankets and the first aid kit. Can you track them in this weather?"

It had been snowing hard for days again and the wind howled through the trees.

"I'm a vampire, of course, I can track a bleeding human but what if I can't stop myself from attacking Bella? You have no idea how strong the lure of human blood is for me."

"I trust you, Jasper. I know you can do this and I'll help now come on."