A/N: This week has been crazy busy! I'm sorry this chapter's so late. I've just started a new job so updates won't be as regular as they have been. I'm still writing. But my usual Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday posting schedule may need to change. If you'd like to stay up to date join my Facebook page BlueBubbleBurst.

Okay! Now, let's get to the chapter. Enjoy xoxo

– Jasper's POV –

Fuck me.

. . .

. . .

. . .

Fuck me.

. . .

. . .

. . .

What the fuck was that, Whitlock?

. . .

. . .

. . .

I wasn't sure I knew the answer. Fuck. I was askin' myself the same question.

The moment that golden pearl leaked from Isabella's breast and sat proudly against her luscious pink nipple I lost all sense of myself!

I've always been a breast man. There ain't anythin' better than a sexy woman with beautiful breasts fer me to tease, nuzzle, fuck, and play with all night long. The warmth and pleasure of 'em wrapped around my cock, or bouncin' hypnotically as a little filly rides me, or the feel of their weight in my hands as I take my bed partner from behind.

Big or small, I love 'em all.

But there ain't any woman on earth with breasts like my Isabella. She's utterly perfect fer me.

Not too big.

Not too small.

Beautiful round globes that fit perfectly in my hands, sitting high on her chest, with delicate, rosy pink nipples that stood at attention, beggin' me to tease and taste, filled with the most delicious nectar . . .

My cock was hardenin' just at the thought of tastin' her again.

Fuck me.

The taste of her . . .

One taste—just that droplet—and I was lost. The frenzy took over and I had to have more and more.

After a hundred and fifty-eight years as a vampire, I'm used to what happens when we let ourselves go and hunt. This experience was like the feedin' frenzy. My instincts were in huntin' mode. I was the hunter. She was my prey. Yet it was entirely different.

The frenzy was there, my control was almost nill, but there was no desire to kill my prey. Fundamentally, I knew my mate was pinned beneath me, her warm, luscious body pressed beneath mine, and I could never, would never harm her.

Still, I needed more of her. I wanted to taste every inch of this little creature beneath me, but I couldn't prize my mouth from her breast. I was a starved, ravenous man bein' led to an all-you-can-eat buffet. I gorged myself on her sweet nectar.

Isabella's response to me was just as strong. The lust pourin' off her surged through me, spurrin' my own desire and need. There was no doubt what she wanted, what she desperately needed from me. And I happily gave it to her, lovin' the way her ambrosia tasted as she orgasmed. Fuck! I could taste her pleasure.

It had to have been the single most pleasurable experience of my life.

And I wanted to experience it again, and again.

Breathing hard, I lifted myself off Isabella and knelt between her parted legs, the taste of nirvana still on my tongue.

A soft whimper came from my little mate.

My God, she was stunnin'. Sprawled naked on the bathroom floor, her dark hair a stark contrast to her lovely alabaster skin. Her deep brown eyes were hooded and tired. Her breathin' was beginnin' to slow as she reached down to dip her fingertips into the pool of cum I'd left on her belly.

There was somethin' very erotic about seein' my seed markin' her.

Fer vampires, we form a multitude of bonds, but the True Matin' Bond is exceptionally rare. I've met only one pair of True Mates in all my years. Soulmates. It's a bond very few of us ever get to experience.

When we do form such a strong bond, our matin' instincts will take over. From what I've heard and seen, the more dominant of the pair, typically the male, will always cum inside his female or on her skin. It's just one of the ways a dominant male will mark his True Mate.

I never gave it much thought before. Gettin' off was always my main goal, not where I was gonna cum. Fuck, I didn't care, to be honest. But, now I was thinkin' about it . . .

We ain't ever cum inside any of the men or women we've shared our bed with, Whitlock. Never inside. Never on their body. Never down their throat. Not even with Maria, Pete, Char, or the midget . . .

He was right.

I'd never noticed until now.

With Isabella, it was entirely different.

Everythin' in me was demandin' I leave my matin' scent on her body, cover her in my essence. Seein' my seed pool on one of her most delicate areas was bringing out the darker, most primal part of myself.

The desire to scent, mark, and cover her in my seed coursed through me. My cock was hard, rising as if to reach out to her, eager for her. A few more drops fell from my weepin' cock, fallin' against the creamy skin just above her beautiful pink pussy.

She was completely bare. Smooth as silk. It wasn't somethin' I was expectin' of the shy, mousy virgin girl Edward's been obsessed with fer months.

I wouldn't care either way.

Bushy, bare, trimmed; it ain't somethin' I spend too much time thinkin' about. As long as she's willing, enjoying herself, and getting off, nothing else matters.

But I gotta admit, seein' her completely bare, it was a turn-on!

I watched as Isabella lazily spread my cum across her stomach and then moved her fingers down to her wet, drippin' pussy.

A soft gasp left her lips and her hips lifted as she rubbed my cum into her pussy lips, combining our essence.

"Mmmm." She sighed as her cum coated fingers grazed her clit.

"Fuck, Darlin', yer stunnin'," I breathed, gazing down at my perfect little temptress.

She smiled and reached her arm out, pressin' her fingers against my belly. "You're too far away from me," she whispered, attempting to grab my arm so that she could pull me closer.

I remained where I was. Now I was thinkin' with my upstairs brain, I could feel how tired she was, but also how blissful she felt after her climax.

Was her exhaustion normal?

Shit, is any of this normal?

"How are you feelin', Darlin'?" I worried. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

The need to take care of her, to ensure she was safe and protected was overwhelming.

I've never felt anythin' so strong. I needed to care for her. I needed to ensure she was safe, protected, and bathed in my scent.

My body reacted on its own, seemin' to know what it needed to do to ensure our mate was marked and claimed. My cock was still hard, leakin' onto her stomach. She sighed happily as a few more drops landed just above her slit. I could feel her lust spiking, but it was accompanied by an enormous amount of relief, need, and peace.

"I need you closer," she whispered, reachin' out fer me again.

"I know, baby." I remained where I was. "Focus first. Tell me how yer feelin'."

"Tired. Drained." She smiled. "Confused but satisfied, and a little uncomfortable . . ."

Shit.

Of course, she's uncomfortable. She's lying on a stone floor fer fuck sake!

I stood and swept her up into my arms. She giggled softly, leaning into my embrace. Carryin' her bridal style, I took her back into my study. I don't have a bed, I've never needed one in this house, and there's no fuckin' way I'm puttin' her in anyone else's.

There was only one option: the dark blue, velvet chaise corner sofa in my study. It was soft and comfortable and would be better than the stone floor in the bathroom.

Unwilling to let her go, I laid down with her, keepin' her warm little body pressed flush against my own.

She settled as soon as we lay together. I felt her relax into me as the peace she was feelin' cascaded over us.

I didn't bother with blankets. I wasn't expectin' anyone, and if they came in . . . well, I wasn't above lettin' Edward see his precious virgin wrapped around me, her beautiful bare pussy covered in my cum, still seekin' her True Mate's cock.

"That was," she whispered, nuzzling into my chest, "certainly unexpected. I only came over for my sketchbook."

"I have it," I assured her, brushin' my fingers through her soft tresses. "Edward stole it from ya, he was gonna burn it after seein' one of yer sketches . . ."

She frowned. "Which one?"

"I dunno. He never said and I haven't looked at 'em." I told her truthfully. My fingers lightly swept over her shoulder and down her arm.

She tilted her head back, so she was looking at me. "You didn't look at them?" She asked, a light blush covering her cheeks as her hands moved up and down my chest.

"No. They're yers. If you'd like to share yer artwork with me, I'd be honored, but I ain't gonna take that choice from ya."

She blinked a few times and shook her head. "No? How come? There aren't many people who would care or think twice about it."

I shrugged. "I wouldn't want some stranger lookin' at my work."

Her eyes lit up, her hand pausin' on my hip. "You sketch?"

"I do." I nodded.

We spent a few minutes talkin' about our favourite medium and the sketches we've done in the past. She opts fer watercolors, pencils, or pastels while she's sketchin'. She doesn't have the space or light required to paint on canvas as I do. My preferred medium is charcoal while I'm sketchin', but I would rather paint. I find it far more satisfying and helpful.

"Helpful?"

"Mm. When I was reborn into this world, I was thrust into a warzone. I spent decades fightin' someone else's battles. Back then, I had . . . other outlets. When Alice brought me here, I had to find a new way to cope," I explained. "That's when I began paintin'. I pour everythin' I'm feelin' into my work. It helps me to clear my mind so that I can think without the constant flow of emotions bombarding me."

"Is that how you got these scars?" She asked, her index finger lightly brushin' across one of the scars on my chest. "When you were part of a . . . vampire war," she frowned, ". . . Vampires have wars?"

I leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "Just the one. The Southern Wars. Edward didn't tell you?"

"No."

I ain't surprised. The boy doesn't plan on turnin' her, despite his promises of ferever, why prepare her fer this world?

"Is it still going on?" She wondered.

I nodded. "They've lasted fer centuries; I doubt anyone's gonna be powerful enough to put a stop to it. I'm lucky I got out when I did. The Volturi intervened just two years after I'd left, and fer a while, it was quiet. But we all know they continue to fight, even now."

"What are they fighting for?" She asked. "And what's the Volturi?" She frowned and then yawned.

See? The little shit didn't tell her a damn thing!

Just means we get to tell her and prepare her, as it should be.

I left her first question unanswered. For now. We could get into the wars and my history when there's more time.

"The Volturi are our ruling government, so to speak," I explained. "They're a very large, powerful Coven that makes and upholds the few laws we have."

There was more to it than that, but we didn't have the time to get into the Volturi, the laws, or what I thought of it all. Hell, after watchin' her these last six months, I wouldn't be surprised if she had her own opinions on our fucked-up world.

Instead, she asked. "What happened to you?" Her warm hand slid up my chest to rest above where my heart should be beatin'. "When . . . you drank . . ." she frowned, "I didn't know vampires could consume anything but blood."

"We can't."

In the Cullen Coven, as we remain so close to the human world, occasionally, it's necessary to play the part and that means consumin' human food. We've all been subjected to one of Esme's dinner parties for Carlisle's work colleagues.

I've smelt milk. I've even tasted it. And believe me, nothin' tastes as revoltin' to us as animal products. Particularly milk and eggs. Eggs are, by far, the worst thing I've ever had to choke down.

Bella, however, was pure heaven.

As I didn't want to keep anythin' from her, I told her exactly what I was thinkin' and how she had affected me, versus regular cow's milk.

She took in everythin' I was sayin' to her and then looked down at her breasts and back to me. "It's not breastmilk. Milk is white. Whatever I'm producing is usually sparkly and gold."

She went on to tell me about visiting her doctor and the specialists he sent her to. Neither was helpful. When they'd examined her, she told me that the liquid was white, not its natural golden color, which was certainly odd. As far as I'm aware, breastmilk doesn't change color. And if it does, it's certainly not sparkly or gold!

"It tastes nothin' like milk . . ."

"Then what's coming out of my tits?" She asked.

"I've got no fuckin' clue, Darlin'," I told her, honestly. "I've never had anythin' that tastes so wonderful. Hell, I'd rather drink from you fer the rest of eternity than choke down another mountain lion or hafta harm an innocent human."

"See, that's what I don't get . . ." She sighed softly.

"What, Darlin'?"

She looked at me for a moment, searchin' fer somethin'. When she found whatever she was lookin' fer, she took a deep breath.

"Did you know, since you guys moved to Forks, the wildlife has severely declined?" She asked. "Charlie keeps banging on about how the hunting's no good around here anymore and something's killing off all the game. It's you guys!"

She sighed and leaned into me. "I get it, you don't want to be vampires, you want your humanity back. I've listened to Rosalie's whining and Carlisle's spiel about preserving human life and being better. And Edward going on and on about how you're all soulless monsters."

"The fact is, with the way the world is these days, you're doing more harm than good." She stated. "I mean, for crying out loud, a rapist is trolling the streets of Port Angeles, picking off young girls every night and the cops are no closer to finding and arresting him. With your gifts, do you know how many innocent young women you could have saved? Seventeen! The little fucker's probably out hunting for his next victim as we speak and what are you guys doing? You're off killing poor innocent Bambi and reducing the bear population! And don't even get me started on the white-tailed deer and caribou, both of which are endangered in Washington State!" She eyed me suspiciously. "Do you eat seals or sea lions?"

I smiled. "No."

Her eyes narrowed. "What about squirrels? I'm passionate about them, too."

I chuckled. "No, Darlin'. I ain't partial to squirrel."

She sighed heavily. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to go off on you. I'm passionate about these things and . . . I can't stand the thought of hurting an innocent animal . . ."

Mmm. Yes. I'd noticed that, too. Her change in diet was strange. At least, it seemed that way to me. Admittedly, I don't know much about modern humans. Is it normal fer humans to suddenly develop an aversion to meat and animal products after consuming them their whole lives?

"But then," she said softly, "you aren't hunting animals anymore, are you?"

"No, Darlin', I ain't."

She reached out and lightly brushed her thumb beneath my right eye and down my cheek.

"I couldn't do it anymore, Bella," I admitted. "The animal blood . . ." I shook my head. "You don't hafta worry about the rapist in Port Angeles anymore, he's been taken care of. No innocent woman will be harmed by him ever again."

"You fed from him?"

"Worse," I smirked. "I put a few of my people on the case. They tracked him, gathered evidence, and then handed him over to the cops so those women could get justice and find peace."

It seemed like a better solution than killing the bastard. The women he hurt deserved justice. The evidence found would be sufficient to put him away for life.

Bella smiled. "You have people?"

I sighed. We didn't have time fer this conversation, either. "There's so much I wanna tell ya, so much I need to explain, but we don't have the time, baby. The others will be back soon and I need fer you to make some decisions."

She stiffened and shook her head. "Alice will see and then Edward . . . Oh, God, when he finds out about this . . . about us . . . about what we just did . . . he'll kill me. No worse, he'll kill you!"

How the hell is him tryin' to kill me worse than him hurtin' her?

She's our mate, Major. Course she'd put my life and safety above her own. We'd do the same fer her.

The difference is, Whitlock, we'll win. I ain't met an enemy I can't defeat and this time will be different; I'll be fightin' fer her. Ain't no way in hell that boy will beat me!

I agreed with The Major. Edward thinks he's the best at everythin', but he's never fought me. We've wrestled a few times. And as per Carlisle's insistence, I've always let the little shit win, which is likely what's made the boy so fuckin' cocky. Because of his Sire, he thinks he's better than he is.

Ain't no way in hell he'll ever beat me.

Not in a real fight.

Not when I'm fightin' fer my mate.

"He's lost his fuckin' marbles, Jasper!" Bella continued. "Ever since James and the ballet studio, he's been different. I can't sleep without him watching over me. He won't let me hang out with my friends. He took my truck apart just so I couldn't leave the house! He's constantly ordering me around. He's threatening the family. He threatened to kill Alice!"

I could feel her panic rising higher with each word she uttered. Her fear wasn't far behind. Her little body shook against mine.

I've seen her attempts to escape. She recognized the danger she was in and was tryin' to get away. It's not like she could do much else besides run. She couldn't go to the cops, or the family, I doubt either would believe her.

She couldn't even go to her fuckin' parents. Her father—the town's loveable Chief of Police—thinks the world of Carlisle and wouldn't believe a bad word against him. The bastard spends more time fuckin' his best friend's wife, dotin' on her children, or drinkin' than with his daughter! For God's sake, she might as well be his fuckin' slave.

As far as her mother goes, I don't know much about the woman. From what Esme's told me, though, Bella hasn't spoken to her since she moved to Forks!

What kind of mother lets her seventeen-year-old daughter go live with a father she barely knows and doesn't, at least, call to check on her?

The only time Bella reached out to the Quileute Shifter Pack—though I'm not sure she knows what they are—she was treated like shit by their so-called Alpha.

If it weren't fer Alice insisting I needed to bide my time, I would've killed the little shit the moment he threatened to rape my mate!

I heard every fuckin' word of that conversation.

Every lie.

Every threat.

Ever insinuation.

Every growl as his wolf tried to force its way to the surface.

And they call themselves protectors? Threatening to rape an innocent, HUMAN, female!

If it weren't fer Alice shoutin' down the phone, I would've slaughtered the entire fuckin' pack there and then. I don't know why I needed to wait. She knows I ain't a patient man!

Alice, bless her, was the only one in a position to help, but even that weren't easy. With Edward keepin' a close watch on her visions, the moment Bella steps a toe outta line, he knows about it. Even when she does her best not to make decisions; that ain't an easy thing to do fer a human. It was commendable that she got to Seattle before slippin'.

Fuck, it ain't been easy to watch her struggle and fight and not step in to help her. Every time I tried, Alice was on the phone, telling me to have patience and wait. She was adamant Bella had to come to me. She had to do it on her own, without influence. Fuck knows why! There better be a damn good reason!

I dunno whether Alice saw it or not, but Bella did exactly what I was waiting fer her to do. She came to me this afternoon. On her own. No coercion was necessary.

Now I could protect her.

Now I could keep my mate safe.

So, what'll be, Whitlock? Go after all those who've harmed the God of War's mate since she arrived in this Podunk little town. Or leave. Run with her. Get her outta dodge and to safety as quickly as we can.

"I ain't ever gonna let anythin' happen to ya, my mate," I promised, tightenin' my arms around her. "I've seen the changes in Edward, too. Which is why I'd like to get ya outta Forks as soon as possible."

Good choice. We can come back and kill the bastards when she's less vulnerable. Mmm. Imagine that, Whitlock, our little Goddess at our side, slaughterin' our enemies . . .

Yeah. Okay. I admit, the thought was makin' me hard . . .

She looked up at me. "Y-You want to leave?"

I nodded. "I'd like to think we could do this as mature adults and talk to the boy, explain what's happened and about our bond. But at this point, with the way he's been behavin' toward ya, I don't think he's gonna be able to hear anythin' we hafta say."

I didn't have the same relationship with Edward as the rest of the Coven. We've never bonded. We weren't brothers. Hell, I doubt we were even friends. He's made it clear what he thinks of me on more than one occasion. So, if it meant keepin' my mate safe, I wasn't gonna fret over killin' him.

The rest of em, though, they'd fight to keep him alive. He's Carlisle's first son. Esme's favourite, precious boy. He's Alice's best friend.

Rose and Emmett are wildcards, they could go either way if it came down to a fight. My guess is, after hearin' her out, they'd be on Bella's side, should it come to that. Rosalie won't abide by a male manipulatin' and using a woman the way Edward's been doin'. And, though she hides it real damn well, she's just as intrigued and attracted to Bella as the rest of us!

Emmett adores Bella! He ain't gonna stand by and let Edward treat her this way. If it weren't fer Edward's interference, I have no doubt Emmett would've been all over Bella, tryin' to tempt her into his bed. I've seen the way he looks at her when he thinks nobody is lookin' and I've felt the lust and desire comin' from him.

I ain't sure why Alice hasn't said anythin' to them before now. The three of them could've found a way to help Bella. Or at the very least, come to me!

So, why the fuck didn't she?

I dunno. But I'm sure there's a good reason. Maybe she's seen somethin' and couldn't risk the future.

Uh-huh. Or maybe she has her own agenda and left our mate to be hurt.

I ignored The Major. Alice wouldn't leave her best friend to suffer for some possible future event, no matter what it was!

Leaving Forks before the Coven returned would ensure there weren't a fight and keep my mate safe. From now on, she is the single most important thing in my life. I won't let anyone hurt her!

"We can speak to Carlisle and let him know what's changed and he can deal with Edward however he sees fit. Maybe he'll have more luck gettin' through to him."

Oh yeah. That's gonna end well.

We both know how this is likely gonna end, Major. Might as well try to give him the chance to see reason.

I was willin' to give Edward a chance, despite all he's recently done to harm my mate.

He only gets the one, Whitlock. Remember that. I won't allow him to hurt her.

Neither will I, Major.

I'd still like to know what the fuck changed. He wasn't like this when they first got together. Hell, he's never acted this way toward a woman. The Edward I once knew was a gentleman. He would have been appalled by this behavior.

We may not have been best buddies or brothers, but that don't mean he weren't a good guy. Flawed, definitely, but at heart, he was good, kind, and deeply compassionate toward others. Nothin' like the arrogant, possessive, volatile, jackass he's turned into since meetin' Bella.

"Will I ever be able to see them again?" She whispered tears wellin' up in her beautiful brown eyes.

"Of course, ya can, baby," I promised, leanin' forward to kiss away her tears.

Fuck me.

Even her tears tasted like pure heaven.

What the fuck is this girl? No way in hell is she a regular human. I've had a lot of humans in my time, and none of them have tasted like our mate.

"I think it would be better fer you to be on a more even playin' field when it comes to dealin' with Edward," I told her. "I'd like to turn ya as soon as possible if that's what ya still want."

She blinked away her tears. "Why wouldn't it be?"

"I've felt yer emotions when the subject's been brought up, or when you've asked Edward or Carlisle. Recently, they've been leanin' more to the negative than the desire I once felt from ya. And ya ain't mentioned it in months. I figured, maybe ya changed yer mind."

"I had," she whispered and then sighed.

She went on to tell me about Edward's tantrums whenever she asked a question, brought up the subject of her change, or voiced her desire to join him in immortality. He was completely against it, insistin' she was gonna stay human and live a long, natural life. He even went as far as to threaten the rest of the Coven.

And I'm guessin' Carlisle did squat about a member of his Coven makin' threats towards the others. Fuckin' pansy!

None of it was a surprise to me. I've seen what Edward's become since the ballet studio incident. But when she told me he'd left a bruise on her arm, I saw red.

I felt The Major roar in the back of my mind. "He physically harmed you!?"

She nodded. "I had his handprint on my arm for weeks," she said softly. "He apologized but," she sighed and shook her head.

"He liked it," I hissed. "Seein' his mark on ya."

Fuckin' bastard got off seein' his mark on my mate!

"I think so." She nodded. "Thankfully, it only happened that one time."

Fuck. Once is one time too many!

"After that, I stopped bringing up the subject of my change. And, frankly, after the way Edward handled the James fiasco and how he's been recently—if you and I hadn't mated—the only reason I would have agreed to be turned is to get away from him. I figured, if I was a vampire, I could fight back and defend myself. Maybe I could make him hear me when I tell him I don't want to be with him. But, the desire to be with Edward, to turn for him, it vanished the moment you came crashing into that ballet studio."

That's my girl. She recognized our bond the moment it manifested.

Then why did we need to wait? We could have saved her all this pain if we'd just taken her away then!

I dunno, Whitlock. But you can be damn sure we'll get our answers!

I pulled her closer to me, needin' her closer, needin' to feel her safe.

"Now, everything is different." She sighed happily, leanin' into our embrace. "I don't ever want you to let me go, Cowboy."

Mmm. Cowboy. I could get used to that.

"If being with you for the rest of eternity means I have to give up my human life . . . well, to be honest, it's not much of a life at all. I'm not going to miss out on anything nor will anyone miss me. As far as I'm concerned, there is no other choice. Right here, with you, is where I belong. I knew that in the ballet studio. I knew it yesterday. I knew it last week. I knew it the moment I walked into the cafeteria on my first day at Forks High and spotted you. I saw you long before I ever laid eyes on Edward. You are the one I wanted. The one I needed . . ."

I couldn't believe what I was hearin'.

But fuck me, I was thrilled.

Without a word, unable to stop myself, I pulled her even closer and crushed my lips to hers in a fierce, passionate kiss. God, I needed this woman with a desperation I've never felt.

I dunno where life was gonna lead us, I didn't much care, to be honest. I just knew, as long as I had her at my side, immortality had never looked so fuckin' good.