AN: I'm sorry it's late! I've been sick and life's been crazy lately. If there are any mistakes, I apologize.

Quick warning! This chapter contains blood, gore, and Miss. Bella's first meal as a vampire. It's about to get messy! Enjoy xoxo

– Jasper's POV –

A few hours later, everyone was slowly making their way back to the house. Bella lay in my arms, her head restin' on my shoulder, as she practiced droppin' her mental shield and pullin' it back over her again.

She was getting pretty good, but The Major pointed out that her newfound ability to protect herself from mental gifts was only the beginning. Her future training was not going to be so easy. And eventually, she'd need to learn to cope with the emotions without the use of her shield.

I was surprised she was so eager and willing to be trained. She did however have one stipulation; she'd only train with me and Pete.

"I want to learn from the best. And there's no one better than the two of you."

That was fine by me.

I wasn't about to leave my mate unprotected. If anythin' happened to me or Pete, she needed to be able to protect herself.

"We'll start yer trainin'—"

My words cut off as the front door was thrown open with far too much force.

"Honey, I'm home!" Emmett called, gleefully.

My mate had no interest in the grinning vampire. As soon as the door opened, her complete attention was on the scent filling the house. I tightened my arms around Isabella, holdin' her against me as the scent of fresh human blood filtered into the room.

The Major purred. "Easy, Kitten."

She growled in response.

"I know, baby." I cooed, carefully easin' her off the couch but keepin' her body pressed to my chest. "Let's go see what Pete's brought ya back and get ya fed."

"What's goin' on?" Emmett's voice boomed through the house as he was joined by Rosalie and Carlisle.

As soon as Emmett spoke and the other two appeared, Bella was behind me, her whole body pressed flush to my back.

"What's her problem?" Rosalie asked, her nose crinkling in disgust.

"It's okay, Baby Bells. I ain't gonna hurt you." Emmett said gently, taking a step into the room.

Behind me, a low warning growl began to rumble in Bella's throat as Emmett tried to approach.

"Stay where ya are, Em," I instructed. "I'll explain what's happenin' later, fer now, why don't you three give us some space so I can get Bella out to the barn and get her fed."

Rosalie smirked. "Aw, isn't that sweet?" She sneered, "Jasper's going to feed his pet . . . like a common barnyard animal . . ."

For now, I ignored that comment. My mate was far more important and I was sure when she was in her right mind and fed, Rosalie's snide comment would come back to bite her in the ass.

A low, dark growl reverberated through me. "Leave. Now." The Major spoke, puttin' the full weight of his ire into those two words and makin' the three vamps before us shake in fear.

At my back, my little mate was shakin' and tryin' her best to keep herself in place. The scent of human blood had the venom floodin' her mouth and poolin' at the corners. I couldn't see it, but I could feel it soakin' into my shirt where her head was pressed into my shoulder. Her fingers gripped my biceps, rippin' through the thin fabric of my shirt as she clung to me.

Scared of The Major, the three vampires hightailed it out of the living room, leavin' me and Bella alone.

From outside, I heard the slow approach of Peter and smelt the two humans he'd brought along with him. "Ready when you are, Major." He spoke softly, barely a whisper on the early mornin' breeze.

A low growl rumbled through Bella.

Right now, though she was mated to Pete, in this state, she likely didn't recognize anythin' but her Sire and bonded mate. I'd marked her. Claimed her. Scented her. And my venom flowed through her veins. She was mine in every possible way.

Pete hadn't marked and claimed her as his mate yet. And, though her instincts knew he was hers, in her current state of mind, the only one she'd listen to and trust was her Sire. Better than anyone, save Char, Pete understood.

"It's just Pete, Kitten." The Major purred. "He's right outside with yer breakfast. And I'm right here. Yer safe. Ain't nothin' gonna interrupt yer meal or harm ya."

Movin' slowly so as not to spook her, we made our way to the front door where she could see Peter who had two unconscious men draped over both shoulders.

As soon as she laid eyes on him, I felt her recognition. But Pete made no move to approach her and she remained behind me, though her grip on my arm loosened just a fraction.

Remainin' quiet, Pete lowered himself to the snowy ground and deposited the two men onto the grass. Stayin' on his knees, he backed up a good ten feet and sat against one of the trees, placin' his hands on his outstretched legs, lowerin' his eyes, and tilting his head to the side to expose his throat.

"It's okay, Kitten. Eat," The Major encouraged. "I'm here. Ain't nothin' gonna hurt ya."

She let out a little mewling noise, so I shifted to stand between Pete and her breakfast, ensurin' her safety. As soon as she felt she was safe, she lunged fer one of the humans like the starvin' newborn vampire she is.

There was nothin' elegant or graceful about her approach. But then, I didn't expect there to be. Newborns were messy eaters. Most don't have the patience, skill, desire, or control to be gentle and slow.

I watched as she let out a low growl and sank her teeth into the first jugular she came to. As soon as her teeth pierced his throat, the human's eyes snapped open and he let out a shrill echoing scream. It didn't deter the newborn. However, it did get the attention of the Cullens, who raced outside to see what was happening.

From the looks on their faces and their emotions, the only two not horrified and disgusted by what they saw were Emmett and Edward. Not only could I feel their excitement, but they were aroused at the sight of our gorgeous Goddess covered in blood.

It was definitely a sight to behold.

Carlisle, Esme, and Rosalie on the other hand, were shocked and deeply disturbed by what they saw.

What the fuck did they expect a newborn feedin' to be like? The Major asked.

I wasn't sure how to answer that question because, honestly, I was as baffled as him. They've all been newborns. They understood the strength a newborn wields. The only one with no experience with a newborn is Emmett. I could understand his curiosity, but the others knew what to expect, especially Carlisle who'd sired four vampires!

Bella's first feed was as messy as I'd expected. Her fingers tore through the delicate human flesh as an arm was ripped from the man's body.

Shock billowed through the three vampires as blood sprayed outta the human. His screams were loud, echoin' around us and the more he screamed the more Bella growled. I could feel her excitement mixing with her annoyance.

Behind Carlisle, Esme, and Rosalie, Emmett's eyes had gone black as Char and Ren moved into position to hold him back. The last thing we needed was a fight between Emmett and newborn Bella. She'd rip his head off and likely crush his skull with her newborn strength.

Not wantin' to risk his life, or Bella bein' upset, I knocked Emmett and Edward out and watched from the corner of my eye as they both toppled to the floor unconscious.

Char breathed a sigh of relief and sent me her appreciation but, neither she nor Ren spoke a word. Doin' the only thing they could, they slowly eased back and disappeared into the house before Bella's attention was diverted from her meal.

The remaining three Cullen's were sendin' out all sorts of emotions. Fear. Worry. Shock. Disgust. Horror. Lust. Need. Thirst. Intrigue.

It seemed my curious little newborn wanted to play because somehow—and I have no idea how unless she released her hold on him—the human slipped through her fingers and attempted to run! She watched him for a moment, growling as he tripped over himself trying to get away. From the blood he'd already lost, even if he escaped, he wouldn't survive. He was weak, running on pure instinct. Fight or flight. He chose flight because he sure as hell couldn't fight the little monster who'd ripped his arm off with her bare hands!

With a snarl that echoed through the mountains, Bella was in front of the human. He let out a shriek upon seeing her and emptied his bladder.

Gone was the naive, innocent human we'd all known in Forks. This gorgeous woman was a vampire who was finally embracing her new abilities and prowess. Her strong fingers tore through the man's flesh like it was butter. More blood sprayed across the front yard, covering the white snow, and spattering all over my mate.

His screams were horrendous. Echoin' around us. The more he screamed the more Bella growled in response. I could feel her excitement mixing with annoyance as she bit into his throat again.

"Jasper!" Rosalie cried. "Stop her!"

"Someone do something!" Esme insisted.

Next time, we do this in private! The Major snarled in the back of my head as Carlisle tried to intervene.

"Isabella . . ." he said calmly, though his emotions told me he was deeply aroused by the sight of my mate's first feeding.

Who the fuck gave him his tongue back?

As soon as Carlisle moved, Bella's head snapped up, a loud, very angry snarl left her lips and her concentration on the human slipped, resulting in her fingers tearing through his throat. More specifically, his carotid artery. Blood spurted out of him, spraying all over Bella and the snow beneath the two.

At this point, her prey didn't have much blood left.

Undeterred by the blood coverin' her from head to toe, Bella went to lunge fer Carlisle who was interrupting her first meal. I was sorely tempted to let her attack him and teach him a lesson in newborn etiquette.

What the fuck kind of vampire—who's three hundred years old fer fuck sake!—interrupts a newborn's first meal? The Major raged.

But I could feel how hungry she was, and right now wasn't the time to be giving a lesson. She was far more important than any Cullen.

Simply ignoring the Cullens wasn't gonna do shit. They'd find a way to intervene. So, I knocked 'em all out and watched as they fell to the floor like rotten planks of wood. Then I turned my attention back to my mate.

She was ready to attack me, but with more control and experience, I was ready for it and caught her around the middle, turned her around so her back was pressed against my chest, and held her to me.

She snarled.

"I've gotcha, Kitten," The Major purred in her ear as she let out a dangerous snarl, tellin' me how unhappy she was.

In response, a warnin' growl rumbled through me as my lips brushed across her throat where I'd marked her durin' our claiming. As soon as my teeth grazed her matin' mark, her snarl turned to a purr and her head tilted in submission.

"Good girl," I smirked. "Ya did a good job rippin' this fucker apart but I doubt any of his blood made it into yer mouth. Let me help ya."

She wriggled against me, another purr leavin' her lips. If she were in her right mind, it would've been all kinds of sexy. Her little body pressed intimately into mine. That gorgeous ass rubbin' against my cock. One of my hands was on her hip, keepin' her pressed against me, the other just under her breasts.

I moved her so we were couched in the grass with her positioned between my legs.

"Stay still," I instructed, reachin' fer the unconscious human.

I yanked him closer so that his chest was pressed against hers. She went to grab him, but I quickly readjusted so that I had both of her arms pinned to her sides. She let out another frustrated whimper and rubbed herself against me.

"I know, baby. But until ya can control that strength, I'll hold yer meal for ya, so ya get some blood in yer belly instead of all over ya." With a grin, I leaned down and gave her throat a little lick, tastin' the human's blood on her skin.

Let's not be too hasty there, Whitlock. The Major grinned. I enjoyed watchin' her play. And lickin' her clean once she's finished is part of the fun!

This time, instead of snarlin' at me, my little mate let out a low purr and rubbed herself against me, obviously enjoyin' The Major's suggestion.

"Go slow, Darlin'," I instructed and showed her how to position the jugular and where to bite to get optimal blood flow.

Again, as soon as she bit into the human's jugular, his eyes sprang open. This time, before he could take a breath to start screaming and trigger her desire to rip him to shreds and play, I pumped him full of euphoria and peace.

He may be a criminal but it was the screams that elicited a response from a newborn. Right now, I wanted her fed. She could play later.

It took me decades to figure out that various emotions affected the taste of a human's blood. Fillin' 'em with euphoria and peace made the blood sweeter and brought with it a sense of calm.

"Good girl," The Major purred. Perhaps next time, we should do this naked.

Fuck yes!

If she was willin', I sure as hell was!

Hearin' The Major's thoughts, Bella lifted her head and let out a content purr as she turned to tuck herself into my chest, her bloody lips brushing against my throat.

Smilin', I tightened my arms around her as a deep, possessive growl rumbled through my chest, assurin' her that she was mine and she was safe.

– Bella's POV –

The taste of human blood was euphoric.

There was nothing in the world like it. Not even blood bags could compare to the taste still lingering on my tongue. The bags would do in a pinch, but blood straight from the vein was on a whole other playing field.

It wasn't anything like I expected. I couldn't find the words to describe the taste. It was . . . life.

Wet.

Hot.

Fresh.

Pulsing and splattering with each thump of a slowing heartbeat.

It invoked multiple different feelings within me. As I was pressed into my mate's chest, his arms wrapped around me, all I felt was safe. It was that warm fuzzing feeling, like drinking hot cocoa on a cold winter night.

Then I felt his arousal pressing into my backside and my own need for him went through the roof.

On the other hand, there was the sheer . . . joy and exhilaration of ripping into a human's flesh with my teeth and hands and feeling the hot spray of blood covering my skin and knowing that when I was done playing my Sire . . . my mate . . . would lick me clean and mark me as his all over again.

It was vicious.

It was sensual.

It was monstrous.

It was compulsory.

As soon as the fragrance of fresh human blood filled my senses—so attractive, so alluring—my mind shut down. There was no choice. The scent and the need for it ruled completely. All I saw was a red haze leading me toward my meal. If Jasper hadn't been there to hold me back, I likely would have attacked the Cullens to get to my prey.

I know Jasper and probably Peter were waiting for me to freak out as I slowly came back to myself but, honestly, I just kinda want to do it again.

Is that bad?

. . .

. . .

. . .

From the way the Cullens reacted when they saw me feed, I'd say it was likely a bad thing.

. . .

. . .

. . .

Then again, they aren't the poster family for normal, are they?

. . .

. . .

. . .

Behind me, Jasper shifted, his attention to Peter, who was still sitting against the tree, ten feet away from us. Now that I was in my right mind, I was happy for him to come closer.

As my fingers twirled in the red snow beneath me, I missed what Jasper had said, but I didn't miss Peter's reply.

"Affirmative, Major. Three more. Rex is guardin' 'em. Char and Ren are searchin' fer others. She'll need more in a couple of hours. I'd recommend teams of two constantly on the hunt to keep our Goddess fed and happy."

Hmm.

So, there were three more humans close by. Which was good because my mates would need to feed soon. Peter, especially, after his injury. One blood bag would not do!

And someone named Rex was guarding our prey.

I lifted my head and looked at Peter, then at Jasper. "Who's Rex?" I asked. "Has someone new joined us?"

Perhaps it was someone they knew from the wars or an old friend.

As far as I could remember, neither of them had ever mentioned anyone named Rex. Though, there's a chance Jasper told me while I was human and I just didn't remember. My human memories were there but they were fuzzy. Like I was looking at them from underwater now that my eyes were clear.

"Ah . . ." Pete sighed, "sorry, Major."

I looked over my shoulder at Jasper. "Something I should know, mate?" I asked. "Who exactly is Rex?"

He sighed. "Rex was . . . is . . . an experiment that went wrong . . ."

"Would you care to elaborate?" I asked, feeling frustrated. "What kind of experiment?"

"Could be easier just to show her, Major," Peter suggested.

Jasper nodded and offered me his hand to help me up out of the snow. Though he'd licked my skin completely clean, I was still doing a great impersonation of Carrie at the Prom. My white dress was now covered in blood. The Major's idea of feeding in the nude certainly had its merits. At least it'll save my limited wardrobe.

Taking my hand in his, Jasper led me towards the barn across the other side of the property. It was far enough away that I wasn't constantly assaulted with the scent of human blood. But close enough that someone would hear if the humans inside tried to escape.

There was part of my brain that wondered if holding humans hostage was wrong. But the other part—the more supernatural part—wasn't at all bothered by it. It was sort of like . . . a farmer keeping cows or pigs that are eventually going to be slaughtered and end up on our plates. A crude analogy, yes. But what was the difference?

I realize humans have their role in the world and most of them are good, kind, compassionate, and useful members of society. Those humans are not food. The humans that are housed in our barn are some of the worst criminals around. This is merely a less hospitable jail cell before they make it to the death chamber.

"Should I be more affected by what just happened?" I asked as Jasper walked beside me, calm and casual. "I mean, I did rip off that guy's arms and, I'm pretty sure, I'm wearing his intestines . . ." I looked down at my dress, frowning, ". . . or brains, I'm not sure . . . Shouldn't I be, you know, freaking out or something?"

"Yer a vampire, Darlin'," he answered. "No matter how controlled ya are, yer mind ain't human anymore."

"But there's part of my mind that knows what I did was wrong . . ."

He nodded. "That ain't a surprise. Yer so new to this life, yer body and mind are still adjustin'. Unlike a regular newborn, yer more controlled, which means yer mind is capable of thinkin' clearly. The newborns I've had experience with are crazed and can't think beyond their core instincts . . ."

"Feeding. Fighting. And Fucking." I smiled.

Jasper chuckled, a lovely deep rumbling sound that had my pulse quickening.

"While I feel absolutely no desire to fight," I continued, "every single molecule in my body is screaming out for more blood and you . . . Given the opportunity, I would not hesitate to have both . . . possibly at the same time . . ."

The sound of his deep chuckle turned into a sensual purr as he gently pulled me closer to him. "That can be arranged, Darlin'."

"Really?"

"Ain't nothin' better than feedin' and fuckin' at the same time."

"You've done this before?"

Yes. I'll admit, there was a big, huge, massive part of me that did not like what he was telling me. Not one bit.

But Jasper is one hundred and fifty-eight years older than I am. He has multiple lifetimes of experience that I don't. He's had sexual partners. He's done things that I've never even considered! And, though I really don't like it, it's something I'm going to have to come to terms with because I—no matter how powerful I am—can't change the past.

Nor would I want to.

Jasper is the man he is today because of all he's been through. The good and the bad. I wouldn't want any other version of him.

"Never with another vampire," he admitted. "But I've been with humans in the past. Both male and female. None of 'em lived to tell the tale."

I nodded, intrigued by what he was telling me.

Despite my willingness to share my body with those who've drank from me, no part of me wanted to add humans into that mix. But the thought of feeding, while my mate was inside of me, was certainly something that excited every part of me.

Before I could get too distracted, Jasper turned my attention to where he was leading me.

There are two barns on the property. During our tour, I'd only seen the old-fashioned red barn, where they'd usually keep the horses. The second barn was further away and sat at the far end of the property. It was white with wood shutters and doors. It looked like a new structure. There was a golden light illuminating the inside and I could feel the warmth billowing out into the cold mountain air. From what I could tell just from the outside, the humans inside were well taken care of and their basic needs me. They had warmth and shelter from the elements. I would assume they'd be fed and had access to a bathroom or toilet.

I could hear the heartbeats inside. Four of them. Hadn't Peter said there were three humans left? Whose was the fourth heartbeat? Obviously, this Rex wasn't a vampire if his heart was beating.

"All right, Darlin'," Jasper sighed, leading me over to one of the nearby trees. He sat in the snow and pulled me down onto his lap, holding me against him as if he suddenly needed comfort. "Do you remember me tellin' ya about my history and sendin' Pete and Char away from the wars . . ."

I nodded. "Yes. Five years later Peter returned for you and you left with him."

He took another deep breath. "When Maria found out I'd let Pete and Char go she was . . . well, fury doesn't do what she felt justice. Pete was an asset to her and she felt Char was nothin' more than a distraction fer the two of us. She was past her newborn year, and despite bein' a descent fighter, Maria wanted her gone. I told ya, she was a jealous bitch. Ain't no woman she was more jealous of than Char. She hated her, despised her, and she wanted Char gone so that she could have me and Pete to herself."

"But you let them go," I whispered.

I didn't like where this was going.

"I did." He nodded his eyes on the barn. "And she spent the next, god knows how long, punishin' me fer it . . ."

I leaned into him, burying my face into his neck as the memories filled his mind and he did his best to block them from me. Still, I saw snippets of what she'd done. Awful, horrendous things. Starvation. Tearing off his limbs. Removing his head. Fight after fight. Forcing him to have sex with her. Draining him of all his venom. Burning his skin. Torture.

And that was just what he allowed me to see. I can't imagine how awful it must've been for him to block the memories from me.

Needing to comfort him, I wrapped my arms around him, holding him to me. "I'm here, my love," I whispered. "You're safe."

"I couldn't take it . . ." he whispered, "so The Major took control but even he broke in the end and . . . eventually somethin' in me snapped and . . ."

"Ares was born," I whispered.

He nodded. "I can't tell ya much of what happened in that time. I was completely gone and The Major refuses to speak of it."

"You don't need to tell me," I assured him. "But if you, The Major, or Ares ever wants to, I'm here. You're mine," a low, possessive growl rumbled through me, "all three of you. No matter what you say or what you've done, that will never change."

Ya might feel differently when ya meet Rex, The Major sighed.

"Tell me who Rex is," I said, my voice a little firmer this time. "Why would this change how I feel about you?"

Jasper sighed. "Because I know how ya feel about animals, Darlin'."

I frowned. "Come again?"

Turning his head away from me, Jasper let out one, loud whistle, the sound piercing my ears and making me cringe into him.

"Little warning next time!"

From somewhere inside the barn, there was a happy little yip and then the sound of claws scraping stone as paws thumped against the ground. A moment later the biggest, fluffiest German Shepherd I've ever seen came bounding out of the barn and headed straight for Jasper, his tail wagging at an unnatural speed.

He came to a skidding halt beside Jasper and quickly sat, though his whole body was shaking with excitement and his tail was still going back and forth.

"Bella Darlin', I'd like ya to meet Rex Harrison," Jasper introduced. "Rex, this is my True Mate Isabella Swan."

"Rex Harrison?" I smiled. "He has his own last name?"

Rex gave a loud bark and shocking the crap out of me, turned his head in my direction to show off his deep golden eyes. His face, ears, and cute little wet nose were completely black with lots of dark brown fur around his neck like a thick mane. But his eyes were definitely unique. A rich, beautiful golden color. Not the dark brown or black I expected.

I've never seen a German Shepherd in person. I've only ever seen pictures. I didn't realize their eyes were so beautiful. Or so bright and full of intelligence. Nor did I realize they could be such a lovely golden color. It was almost the same shade of gold as my Nectar . . . how odd . . .

Moving at a much slower pace, Rex lifted his paw and offered it to me as he bowed his head.

"He's named after the actor Rex Harrington," Jasper explained, though I had no idea who that was.

"He's lovely," I smiled, shaking his paw as I looked back at Jasper. "But I don't understand, Cowboy. Why did you think I wouldn't like him? He's adorable. Why isn't he in the house with us where it's warmer and he can be loved and spoiled?"

Jasper chuckled as he reached out to scratch Rex behind his big pointy ears. "Rex is . . . unique . . ."

Rex was bitten and turned by Ares, Kitten, The Major told me.

I looked over at the sweet dog looking between me and Jasper. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Rex is a, uh," Jasper sighed, "vampire-dog."

A vampire dog?

"That's possible?" I frowned, looking back at Rex. "We can turn animals?"

That was both horrifying and intriguing in equal measure. I can't imagine a poor animal withstanding the horrors of a vampire transformation. But, the thought of having a pet for eternity did appeal to me. Though, as appealing as it might be, I could never turn an animal and cause them such pain. That's just horrible!

"No," Jasper answered. "Which is where this gets weird. It should not have been possible fer Ares to turn Rex."

And yet, somehow he managed it, The Major grumbled, and we have no fuckin' clue how. You gotta understand, Kitten, when Ares was created, despite all he was capable of and his vast power, he was as new to this world as you are now. And, like you, he was curious about himself and his power.

"And his venom," Jasper added. "As I said, those five years are blank to me, but from the little The Major told me, Ares turned countless newborns in that time. Most of our enemies are because of him . . ."

But he didn't only turn humans, The Major told me. He branched out and began experimentin' . . .

"On animals?"

Rex wasn't the first animal Ares tried to turn, Kitten. But he is the only one to survive the transformation.

"And it shouldn't have been possible," Jasper said. "Our venom is toxic to animals. Rex should've died like all the others . . ."

"But he didn't," I frowned, wondering why this dog was so unique. "What does he eat?" I asked. "Does he still have all his doggy traits? Can he sleep? Is he safe to be around humans? What vampire traits does he have?"

Jasper chuckled and proceeded to answer all my questions.

Rex does not drink people blood. For unknown reasons, human blood makes him sick. Instead, he drinks the blood of animals and eats their meat, leaving nothing to go to waste. He does sleep, though he doesn't need as much, just a nap here and there. And he still has all his doggy traits, but he's also incredibly fast, his bite is enough to rip through vampire flesh, and he's pretty damn strong, too. However, unlike a vampire, he does not have venom in his veins, though Jasper doesn't know if he still has blood as his skin is as impenetrable as ours.

"If he drinks animal blood, is he safe to be around humans?" I wondered.

"Yes and no," Jasper answered. "Rex doesn't like humans. He can tolerate them for a short time but prefers the company of vampires, preferably me, Pete, and Char."

Rex Harrison gave a deep bark and looked at me.

Jasper chuckled. "And now you," he added. "He doesn't have a bloodlust the way you and I do. He's never attacked a human or shown any aggression toward them. I ain't sure why he can't tolerate human blood," he shrugged. "He's highly trained. Very intelligent. A great guard dog and really only a danger to someone who threatens him or those he's loyal to and the wildlife he enjoys chasin'."

Rex inched closer and then a little closer, moving very slowly, as if he was trying to be inconspicuous, and then leaned down to rest his head on my thigh. He was absolutely the most adorable dog I'd ever seen.

"Well, he can't live out in the barn. It's far too cold," I said, decidedly as I reached out to scratch behind his fluffy ears.

He lifted his head and gave a big woof as if agreeing with me.

"Exactly," I nodded, I nodded in agreement. "He needs love and to be with the family."

"You aren't upset about this?" Jasper frowned.

"What's done is done." I shrugged. "For whatever reason, Rex survived the transformation. Something about him is obviously unique and maybe one day we'll discover what that is. Maybe we'll never know. I don't know. And, frankly, it doesn't really matter. He's ours."

Rex gave another woof as he nodded his head in agreement, his tail began to wag at an astronomical speed.

I turned to face Jasper, meeting his eyes. "However," I growled, "there will be no more experimenting on animals."

I was both surprised and curious when Jasper's eyes flashed black. Completely black. Showing no white.

This was definitely not Jasper. Or The Major.

A low, raspy growl rumbled in his throat. Promisssssssse.

As quick as it had happened, Jasper was back with me, shaking his head as if something unpleasant had just happened.

"Was that . . .?"

I nodded. "Ares has promised not to experiment on animals anymore."

Jasper was looking all kinds of freaked out. I leaned into him and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. "C'mon, Cowboy. Call Peter and have him join us. The two of you need to feed before we go back and deal with Alice and the Cullen drama that awaits at home. I'm sure at least Carlisle will have something to say about my first kill and Rexie here."

I reached out to run my fingers through Rex's soft, plush fur, surprised by its thickness. It wasn't cold, though. Not like a vampire's hard, marble flesh. I couldn't tell if his skin was as hard as mine. To me, it felt perfectly soft and smooth.

Rex gave another loud woof as Jasper and I stood. "Yes, baby, you're coming home with mamma," I promised, kissing the top of his head as his tail swept through the air in his excitement.

I think I was going to enjoy having a vampire dog!

AN: This chapter was a complete surprise to me! None of it was planned, but I kinda love it! Bella's first hunt was nothing like I expected. I was going to go with her being all perfect and controlled but that gets boring. So, now we have a Bella who, I think, might be a bit sadistic. Well, at least when she's hungry.

Rex was a whole other surprise! But I kinda love him. I'm fairly sure, in canon, it's not possible to turn an animal. However, this story is nowhere near canon so, Rex is an adorable addition to the Whitlock family!

Let me know what you think and I'll see you in the next one!