Chapter 23
A/N:Mature as always.
3rd P.O.V
It had been nonstop driving, eating on the road, sleeping in the car, and stopping every so often at a rest, and hunt. Jasper could tell it was taking its toll on his mate.
"We're close, Darlin," He says softly and squeezes her hand. She smiles at him.
"I know, excited?" She asked, making him chuckle.
"More like nervous as hell," He answered.
She laughed, then her phone rang.
"Hello?" She asked, a shaky breath, and just when she was about to hang up, thinking it was a spam call, the voice of her boy spoke.
"Hey, Mom," He said softly.
Jasper watches as her face lights up. "Hey, Sweetheart!" Jayson sighed relieved on the other end.
"How far away are you?" He asked,
"I think we still have a days drive before reaching the city, we're stopping for tonight and tomorrow we'll be on our way to Volturi. What are you doing?" She questioned. He huffed softly.
"Trailing, Rosie, Avery, and Jane around the mall. They wanted a girl's day, but I don't feel comfortable letting them go off on their own, besides, I am pretty sure, Alec, Demitri, and Felix are doing the same thing." He says casually. Making her laugh.
"Always protective." She teased making him laugh. Gosh how long had it been since she had heard that laughter.
"Hey, I learned from the best, I'll see you soon, love you mama," He said softly.
"Love you too," She hangs up the phone.
"Boys," She says leaning back. Jasper huffed and grabbed her hand intertwining her fingers. "Girls," He teased back. She turned raising an eyebrow, Jasper laughed, "You started it, Darlin," He teased.
"Shut it, Whitlock," She says playfully. Jasper turns as they pause at a red light, He leans over and his lips caress her ear. "Tsk, so disrespectful,"
She raises her other eyebrow, "My apologies," A wave of hesitation, before another wave of playfulness mixed with caution, "Shut it, Major Whitlock," She breathes in his face. Jasper lets out a dark chuckle. She relaxed slightly at the sound. Before shuddering as his voice dropped deep as he replied.
"Now, Now, is that how you address an officer, Ma'am?" He drawled before leaning back and starting to move again.
'This is turning dangerous fast, but we should give him a chance.' The General whispers in the back of her mind. Aphrodite rumbles in agreement.
'Mate challenging us, wants us, needs to see that we are not afraid. Not now.' She explained. Secelia took a deep breath and drew herself up, she turned so her blind eyes were staring at her mates face. Secelia hummed.
"An officer?" She playfully asked.
Jasper hummed "Yes, Ma'am, Major Whitlock, Ma'am,"
'Oh? I like where this is headed Jay!' The Major cackled from his mind. Ares rumbled in agreement.
She hummed, "Then, Officer, Major Whitlock, sir, shouldn't someone of high rank know not to underestimate a lady?" She grinned. Jasper squeezed her hand and sends her a wave of playfulness mixed with lust and love.
"Oh I know not to underestimate a lady, but who might ya be to be makin such high demands, Ma'am?" He questioned. She laughed, "General Whitlock at your service." She purrs. Jasper brought their intertwined hands to his mouth, kissing the back of her palm, he whispered against her skin,
"Oh, you'll be at my service, Darlin," He purred making her shudder. He brings her hand to his hard clothed cock, and wrapped her hand around him.
"Do you feel how you are making me ache?" He growled, "Such fire in you woman." He hissed. She huffed softly in amusement, "Is something fuckin funny, my mate?" He snarled lightly.
"It's just," She paused a wave of uncertainty before confidence takes its place, "You're saying that we're like fire, yet you're the one who's always making us burn." She said biting her lip. Jasper turned serious as he snorted softly in disagreement, and disbelief.
"Do you not believe me?" She demanded.
"I am sorry sweetheart but there is no way that you can want me as much as I want you." He said softly, "Ya can't even see us, Darlin, and if ya could you'd fuckin-" He stopped talking when he realized that he could no longer feel her emotions.
"Pull over," It wasn't a question. It was a demand, a demand that made him shiver because he had never heard her talk to him like that.
'Oh fuck, I get the feeling that we're in deep shit.' The Major said making Ares whine.
"We're about five minutes away from the hotel." He stated. He pulled in, got them both checked in, and led his mate to their room. As soon as the door closed Jasper breathed a sigh of relief at feeling her emotions again, but he realized that he was in big trouble because instead of their playful mood, the only emotions he could feel was anger, love, and pain. Jasper didn't have time to question her change in mood as he found himself pinned to the door.
"You," She hissed her eyes flashed between white, black, and black with the purple iris. They finally settled on white, so Jasper knew that Secelia was in control.
"You, you," She stuttered out again. She closed her eyes in agonizing pain, "How fuckin dare you!" She hissed then kissed him. She kissed him, her tongue thrusting into his mouth, Jasper didn't have time to fight, she wrapped his tongue around her own so tightly that he couldn't even tell who's was who. She stayed holding him against the door and her lips only left his as they started to turn blue.
"How fuckin dare you! Major Jasper Ares Whitlock! How fuckin dare you!" She growls softly at him.
"Darl-" He goes to speak, but she puts a finger to his lips.
"Don't you fuckin say a fuckin word, Major can give me fuckin hell for pulling fuckin rank later, make us fuckin submit to his fuckin hearts content, but right now, I am pulling fuckin rank, and you'll fuckin listen because I will make you fuckin listen!" She hissed. Jasper's eyes turned pitch black.
The Major looked at his mate, Such fire, such confidence, and she fuckin knew him well. He lowered the finger from his lips, and leaned forward letting his nose brush hers.
"Give me a reason, why should I allow ya to pull fuckin rank on us, ya dominant mate?" He asked. White eyes locked on his.
Anger
love
pain
sadness
need
Those where the pure emotions leaking from his mate. The Major was quite confused, why was she angry, sad, and in pain, and why did she feel the need to pull rank?
"I'll give you four reasons, number one, you know we've never pulled rank on you before Major, think back to the conversation in the car, what in that could make us do something that you know we would never use as advantage against you. Number two, you're allowing it, you're still in control and we'd never take that from you, we'd never use our rank against you, but don't you want to know why our emotions are very strong right now? Number three, after this, after I rant, rave and scream at you until you understand what we are trying to tell you, you can dominate us, claim us, establish your rank over us, and make us submit however much you want, anything you want and the last reason, we need this, for a moment, just a moment, let us do this, we're not going to hurt you, and you'll understand why we need to do this in a moment, just please?" She finished her long rant. Her voice pleading at the end. The Major hummed softly, and gripped her chin.
"Compelling argument ya make Sugah ya have ya lil moment, but ya keep in mind that lil promise ya made afterwards, for me, hm?" He hummed and brushed his lips with hers harshly before returning control to Jasper. Jasper pulled away.
"Fuck, did you have to tell him anything, that he could do anything?" Jasper groaned. Secelia raised an unimpressed eyebrow as she retightened her grip on his shoulders.
"Focus, quit whining and worrying about The Major, He'll take fuckin care of us just like you, now shut the fuck up, Major Jasper Ares fuckin Whitlock and fuckin listen!" She growled pressing him against the door.
Jasper snapped his mouth shut.
"How fuckin dare you insult us that way, do you think our words mean nothing when we fuckin say ya everything? That it's just sweet sugar we're sayin. That you're not in our every fuckin waking thoughts, that you don't surround our dreams, that we don't love you as much as you love us because you don't think you're worth it? Worth everything? Worth livin for, breathing for, loving for, breaking for, and do you think so little of us that we don't mean what we say, when we tell you that we love you, that you're touch drives us crazy," She paused taking a breath before laying into him again.
"Don't you know we'd spend eternity in your arms just to hear you fuckin speak? To feel your scars against ours, to spend eternity showing you that you're worthy of fuckin love and that you have ours wether you want it or not? Don't you fuckin know that you drive us over the fuckin edge just by knowing you're there, that you're the one who makes us burn with fuckin pleasure just by the fact that you are fuckin ours, and as for the fact that we can't see you." She paused and kissed him roughly.
'Fuck who knew a fuckin closed mouthed kiss could make us feel fuckin alive?' Jasper moans mentally. Ares rumbled in agreement. The Major cackled darkly, 'Oh, Jay, Ares, just listen to what those pretty lil lips are saying to us, mm' She pulled back before speaking again.
"Do you think that we don't know that we got the fuckin most handsome, sexy, fuckin beautiful, yeah I called ya fuckin beautiful, fuckin suck it up! Most dangerous, protective, and yet the most caring fuckin mate? You think our sight is limited when actually it's more, Major Jasper Ares Whitlock, We fuckin see you, we see you in your voice, when it's light, when it drops an octave, and when any part of you comes forward, we see you, we see your strength each time our fingers brush your scars, we see your pain, the fuckin pain you hide behind ya walls, the pain in every fuckin breath that we hope to ease, we see everything, even the things you don't want us too, and guess what?" She says and cups his face letting her lips glide over his.
'What?' He asks mentally
'What?' The Major repeated
'Mine,' Is all Ares rumbled as the three parts of a whole listen, hanging on for just one more word.
"You're still our fuckin everything and we will spend forever reminding you that if you make us, and one last fuckin thing," She adds taking a deep breath and leaning forward to brush her lips across his.
"When we speak to you, we are speaking to All of you. To you, our Jasper, to our Major, to our Ares, to every fuckin part of you. Remember that fuckin always, every fuckin part of you is our fuckin everything!" She kissed him harshly again, her tongue tangled tightly with his and again she didn't let go until her lips turned blue.
Then she let's go, and steps back, but something changed. Something that hadn't happened since the wars. Since she connected with Charlotte. A power that she had almost forgotten. In her need to make him see what she sees. Her mind opens and reaches, before...
Her vision flashes gold.
Their minds connect.
Jasper feels himself being drawn inward. Looking around his mental space he spots the Major who had his cowboy hat pulled over his eyes, and dressed in his favorite leather jacket, black shirt, haired tied in a low ponytail at the nape of his neck, blue jeans, and cowboy boots. The Major looked at Jasper.
"The hell ya doin in here?" He asked. Ares who wore only jeans rumbled in concern. Suddenly they hear a familiar voice echo around them.
'Well fuck, Lia did we do what I fuckin think we did?' The General's voice echoed from far away. The Major, Jasper, and Ares looked at one another before looking around their desert mindscape,
'I don't know, Gen, fuck this hasn't happened since...' Secelias voice echoed.
'Char, different here, not Char's mind, minds connected was gonna happen sooner or later.' Aphrodite rumbles again her voice only an echo.
'Well you're not wrong, Dite, however it would've been nice to warn our mate, give 'em a heads up, they're probably really confused right now, meaning we gotta find-'em and explain before they freak out about being stuck in their head, and not being able to get out until we do the thing.' The General drawls, this makes Jasper, The Major, and Ares look at one another. Slight historical laughter echoed around them.
'The thing, what makes you so sure they will want that? Gen, what if I fuckin screwed up, I was hoping to explain this, but I-I,' Secelias voice trailed off.
'Enough of that Whitlock, knock it off, they're our mate, they won't run from this, not us, ya didn't fuckin screw up, ya wanted 'em to know, to know how much we care, it's not your fault our powers reacted, and drew us into their minds, hey if nothing else we get to see what our handsome maté looks like. Dite an I can't but you can, cause ya happen to have mental vision, you remember what seeing is like.' The General comforts. A huff of laughter, more like rumble. Catches the males attention.
Just want to know if mate is wearing leather jacket.' Dite teased. The General laughs. Slowly the sound moves closer but Jasper, The Major, and Ares still can't see them.
'Maybe, hey, what's this place look like it smells like Texas?' The General's voice grew near and slowly Jasper, the Major, and Ares can make out three blurry shapes.
"It is Texas, the desert, it's warm, open, not unlike our little forest clearing. The sun's high in the sky. It's quite beautiful, but no doors.'Gen?' Secelia asked softly. The General hummed in acknowledgement.
'Everything's gonna be fine right? You don't think, I mean, our minds connected, we don't just have access to his mind, he has access to ours and you know what happened once...' Her voice whispered a flash of fear.
'Won't happen!' Aphrodite snapped. The footsteps and blurred figures that were slowly becoming clearer stopped.
'That was a long time ago, before, before the wars started, when you were a child, you didn't have the control that you have now. You wanted to reach out, it's not the same as when he forced ya mind to reach out, that was before, when we didn't have Peter and Charlotte, when we didn't have our Jasper, our Major, our Ares, our mate, Whitlocks don't hurt Whitlocks remember? They'll understand, and if they don't, ya got us, me and Dite, but they won't do that, not even on accident, so get that thought outta ya head. Ya stronger than that, ya built ya mind back up, made yourself fuckin strong so no one could ever get in, but ya let our mate in, and just like with Char we'll explain, and then they'll give us, you, the worst lecture, and I am talkin worse than Charlotte threatening to bite us for even the fuckin thought, before lovin the ever lovin fuck outta us for even the idea that they'd tare our mind apart like that bastard did! You know that our mate would never fuckin break us like that! Got it!' The General demands.
'Yes ma'am, Thanks Gen!' Secelia replied, and the General let out a huff, 'Well, come on now, let's move! We gotta mate to explain too!' The footsteps resumed.
The three females slowly become clear. Jasper, The Major, and Ares immediately know who is who. Secelia wears a red silk shirt with ruffles, her hair straightened, blue Jeans, and flats. Her eyes unlike the cloudy whiteness they loved were a shining bright purple. The General was dressed in a black tank top, that old leather jacket that they wore the first time they saw them, black jeans that clung like second skin, and a pair of worn leather cowgirl boots. She topped it with a black hat that hung low covering her face hiding her beautiful ebony eyes, her hair in a low ponytail. Aphrodite was dressed in a loose white shirt, loose jeans and was barefoot, her hair was curly. They came to a stop just outside of arms reach.
It was silent for the longest. Before...
Smack!
The General had taken her hat off and knocked Secelia upside the head, "Well?" She dragged out. Secelia took a look at the three in front of her before grinning.
"We all match, and yes, Major is wearing the leather jacket and looks mighty fine in it too, but they look a bit confused right now." Secelia hummed. The General huffed placing the hat back on her head and clasping her hands behind her back.
"Short version, because of our strong emotions, our mind reached out to yours, and we connected, and long version, our mind reached out to yours connecting our minds, like a bridge connecting one piece of land to another, this creates a deeper connection, a deeper bond and we won't be able to return to the outside world until we do the thing." The General explained.
"What's the thing, and why does it make you uncomfortable?" Jasper asked calling her out. The General looked to Secelia, who gazed back. Apparently Aphrodite had enough of their hesitation.
"Memory share," She rumbled.
"What the hell's a memory share?" The Major drawled not liking the way it made the three slightly uncomfortable. The General snapped to attention.
"Basically we gotta share our memories with ya, Majah, complete the bond." She answered.
"And if the bond remains incomplete?" The Major asked. Secelia flinched harshly making the General pull her behind her. "Easy, Lia, Ya know our Majah ain't upset, he just wants information. Breathe!" Secelia took in a breath brushing her nose across the Generals neck breathing in her scent of smoke, lavender, and old leather. The General tightened her arms. She could feel her mates stare wide eyed, their gaze burning, Judging, and the General straightened her stance.
"If the bond remains incomplete," The General drawled tightening her grip on Secelia, "Then you force us out, we return to our body with an open soul bond that anyone can connect to. Anyone could come in tare our mind to shreds, and if the link remains open, and unfulfilled." The General paused shivering, and passing Secelia to Aphrodite who rumbles comfortingly as The General clasps her hands behind her back, again, draws herself up, and locks eyes with Jasper, The Major, and Ares.
"It shatters, our mind shatters, into a million pieces that will have to be rebuilt." She stated.
"What do you mean by shatter?" Jasper asked.
Dite's soft, comforting rumble hadn't stopped. Instead she was joined by Ares who was cradling both Secelia, and Dite pulling them to him, and sat on the ground with both of them in his arms while him and Dite purred comfortingly.
The General turned to Jasper, "The mind is like glass it can break into millions of tiny shards. Shards that can be put back together, but aren't ever really the same." The General let her unseeing eyes flicker to Secelia and Dite. Before looking back at Jasper and The Major.
"Lia?" The General asked never breaking her unseeing stare with the Major and Jasper. Ares and Dite's purring lowered, "Yes?" Secelia asked her voice just a whisper. It made the Major and Jasper flinch. The General frowned, but she had to ask,
"Ya mind if I access that memory? Make 'em understand, maybe access a few?" She drawled. Secelia took a breath.
"I can stay here, with Dite, and Ares?" She asked softly.
"Yes," The Major, Jasper, and Ares answered as one.
"Okay, and it won't let him in?" The General let out a low rumble. "Yah know memories don't work like that, Lia, we just need to show-'em, let them understand what's at steak here. Ya know that once they understand that Majah and Jasper won't let us go. Ares is in, He already understands. Ya know Jay an Majah won't let us down, and they won't break us, now can ya open our mind? Just a door is fine, I'll be able to find it, but I'll need the key."
Secelia hesitated before standing from Aphrodite and Ares embrace. Aphrodite grabbed her arm.
"key now, I give key to Gen, you stay, need mate.'" Aphrodite held out her hand. A key was dropped into her palm. A black metal key on a black leather cord that Secelia had in her shirt. Aphrodite pushed Secelia back into Ares arms before speeding to The General. Placing the key in her hand she moved back into Ares side.
"Thanks, Dite, come on, Majah, Jasper, follow me, and shut the door behind ya," She drawled as she opened the door that suddenly appeared. The Major motions for Jasper to go infront of him. Jasper chuckled, "Always a gentleman Major even for yourself."
"Shut ya mouth Jasper, don't want our General to think ya find yourself sexy!" The Major taunts as he walks through the door. Shuttling it loudly behind him. The General jumped and turned locking black unseeing eyes to Jasper who stood beside her.
"I'ma let you get away with slammin the door to our mind shut and cutting my connection to Lia and Dite so violently cause I think ya simply closed the door loudly so I knew ya closed it. Next time don't do that! I lost connection and couldn't feel them, forgot how fuckin scary that feeling was!" She shivered. The Major sped in front of her. He learned in close letting his nose brush hers.
"That mean Jay an I gotcha alone, Darlin, completely Al-" The General turned around her hair whipped him in the face. "Do not touch that door!" She hissed making Jasper freeze. He held his hands up and sent a wave of apology to her.
"Sorry, Sugah, I have never seen a door built in a tree like that. If ya don't mind me asking, just where are we? Major are you so focused on our beautiful General that you're unaware of your surroundings?" Jasper asked. At his words the Major snapped his head up. The sun hung low in the sky making it shimmer with pink and orange, trees were spread out, some old, some new, some with dark green leaves, and some with bright green leaves and even flowers bloomed in some places.
"Huh, stunnin, quite beautiful, the fuck is this place, General, this ain't our mind." He questioned and wound a hand in her hair tugging slightly. The General hummed.
"Is pretty neat ain't it? Nope ya not in ya mind anymore, welcome to ours, the doors." She went to move and the Major reluctantly let her. She walked forward letting her hand run over the bark of the door. She hummed softly. She couldn't sense any pain from the door. In fact she felt a slight feeling of peace from it. A peaceful feeling that she recognized. She traces the carving in the door, and smiled at the W on the door. Of course this would be the first door in their minds. A reminder.
"Hold memories, some good, some bad, I stopped ya from opening the door cause I didn't want ya to open the wrong one. This one however," She paused and turned grinning and grabbed the knob.
"This seems like a good place to start, unfortunately or fortunately ya won't be able to see in this one. Cause this one's one of mine. An I don't remember things visually, this one's a good one though and I don't think Lia an Dite will mind me sharing this one, sides I never told her What memories I was gonna share, just listen," She said opening the door. The forest around them faded to nothing. The Major and Jasper moved closer to their mate. They noticed a slight red glow around them. As if they were closing their eyes on a sunny day. There was a loud creaking that made the two males tense.
"Just a swing," The General murmured softly. Footsteps sneak up from behind.
Slam!
Both Jasper and The Major jumped.
"Damn it! General Whitlock knock it off, Sugah, gonna think ya don't like me anymore!" Peters voice rang out. He lets out a breath.
"Ya should know not ta fuckin sneak up on me, Peter!" Jasper and the Major look at their General but she hadn't spoken. A huff and the creaking starts again.
"Ya keep callin me that." She drawls. Peters chuckle rings out. "Sugar?" He asks, making her snort softly.
"General Whitlock, Whitlock, ya add it to our name no matter who ya speak to me or Lia, and I still don't understand. Why are ya referring to me as ya would ya mate like, like family?" She questioned quietly.
"Cause it's who ya are now, ya apart of our coven, even if the Major doesn't know yet." Peter said.
"The Major? The vampire that-" Peter cut her off.
"The vampire's life ya fuckin saved? Ya got him out, even if he doesn't know it. He thinks I was the clever one who rescued him, but it's been you, you who took the fuckin blame for it." The General flinched slightly.
"Forgot that part, totally gonna get shit for that later, stop staring at me! We'll talk later, promise," She mumbled as Jasper placed his hand in hers squeezing. The Major moved behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"Damn right we will, Sugah, I get the feeling that brand ya said was only the real beginning of what that bitch put ya through, and I will know everything." The Major whispers but he and Jasper paid attention as the voice of their mate rang around him.
"Figures ya would know about that, but I still don't understand, why? Don't ya gotta speak to ya coven leader before just adopting someone into ya coven? Sides he ain't got a clue about us. Why are we important? What's a Whitlock and why do ya keep actually callin us that? Ya can't actually-" Peter cuts her off with a soft growl.
"Can't actually what Gen? Say ya fuckin family now? Accept ya? Ya my sister, and I don't give a flying fuck if the Major agrees like I just know he will, or not, ya a Whitlock now, ya ours now, and we won't let ya fuckin run from this, us, because one thing you'll learn is a Whitlock never hurts a Whitlock, a Whitlock doesn't leave, a Whitlock fights, just like ya did for who knows how fuckin long! Ya family now, and if ya run we'll find ya, we won't stop fuckin lookin! We won't give up! You're fuckin stuck with Charlotte and me for eternity, and ya never have to worry about being alone ever again! We are never going to fuckin leave! Ya want to know what a Whitlock is? You are, you! What was the first thing I ever said to yah?" Peter asked.
"That ya weren't gonna leave me, I almost tore ya from limb to limb, told ya to get ya ass outta there for ya got ya self killed, and then Char said-"
"Not without ya, Darlin, Peter's right, ya the very essence of Whitlock, and not even our own sire can fuckin change that!" Charlotte said. A heavy breath.
"I hate ya both," She choked out clearly crying. She was safe now as arms wrapped around her.
"We love you too, Sis," Peters soft chuckle fades as the forest slowly comes back into view.
The General moved from the Major's arms and shut the door. Before the two can say anything she starts talking.
"Damn Idjits made me cry, the fuckin dam burst and for the very first time since our split. I knew somehow things were gonna be okay. Surprised it's still our first door. Makes sense though, We've held onto that for a long time." She mumbled, then she was pinned against the door by her throat.
"Did ya know? Did ya know all those years ago ya were our fuckin mate?" The Major growled in her face.
"Yah think if we did that we wouldn't have found yah? Do ya think we'd have let ya go once we knew. We didn't know until we found ya! Though it does explain why we found ourselves in ya room, but Majah, we wouldn't have known back then! Hell not even Peter an Char knew until Forks!" The General lets out a frustrated noise.
"No way we could've known, we found ya scent comforting, thought it was maybe cause we shared a gift. Ya gotta understand Majah, back then we were different, broken, and Peter, an Char put us back together. Why do ya think Peter gave himself so much grief over the fact his gift didn't clue him in? Do ya think so low of us that we'd fuckin hide? Trade a single fuckin second with ya?" She asked softly. The Major lessened his grip and let her down. A low comforting purr fell from his chest as he drew her into his arms.
"Damn Idjit!" She smacked his shoulder lightly as she buried her face in his neck.
"You'll have to forgive him, Darlin, old habits die hard, Major is still getting used to being loved, Sugah," Jasper says softly. The General hummed.
"It's alright, Jay, he's not the only one, sometimes we can all be Idjits." She murmurs against the Major's neck.
"What's an Idjit?" The Major asked pulling back. The General laughed.
"The first Tv show we ever watched was Supernatural, Peter made us watch it, and our favorite character in the series uses that word, and we stole it, the word Idjit means, well," The General drawled her cheeks lightly dusted pink.
"It basically means stupid lovable idiot," She rushed out. Jasper laughed, the Major raised an eyebrow.
"Really now?" He drawled. The General hummed as an answer. Before he could reply Jasper grabbed both of their attention.
"You realize that once we're out of here, even if we have to force you out of our mind that you're going to explain right?" Jasper asked. The General turned serious.
"I know, just one thing, Jasper," The General moved, and the Major watched as his mate pinned Jasper to a nearby tree. The General leaned forward.
"Ya can use that threat on me, but don't, just don't, please don't ever use that threat against Lia, please, promise? Don't," She whispered flinching slightly and letting him go. The Major hummed.
"Never seen ya that protective over Lia before, why? Why is it important that we not use that threat on Lia?" The Major inquired.
The General sighed and ran a finger over the key in her hand. "She'll fear you, like really fuckin fear ya. Come, time I show ya what I've been avoiding." She said and walked forward deeper into the trees. Making her way through the clearing. The Major and Jasper followed. After a very long, silent walk, they came to a stop in the middle of the wide clearing. Right in the middle stood a tree.
The tree was taller than any other tree, it was wide, with a plain black door. The bark was old and worn. It looked like it was going to fall but still it held. The branches were thick and stretched out with leaves that seemed black. The tree hid the sun making it appear dark underneath, but none of this was what caught Jasper and The Major's attention.
No, it was the slight chill that surrounded the area, it was the pain and pure darkness that radiated from it. The General stopped hesitating before touching it. She inhaled, and absorbed just a fraction of the pain.
"What are ya doing! Ya hurting yourself, stop it!" The Major demanded. The General turned, her black eyes locked with his. "This ain't nothing compared to what is inside. This memory is the beginning for me, how I came to be, but to a nine year old Secelia it was the end." The General paused taking a breath.
"It's the end of being whole, the end of seeing, the end that shattered her into tiny pieces, pieces she had to put back together. This tree like a lot of others is filled with pain, and if somehow I can-" The Major grabbed her hand kissing the back of it. As she went to place her other hand on the bark, Jasper grabbed her other hand doing the same as The Major.
"Ya can't fix that pain, Sugah, no one can, but ya helped her. This I take it is when ya want to show us? The first split? The thing that created you? Ya can't take that away." The Major said softly. The General swallowed heavily.
"It's not just that Majah, I wasn't there before the fracture. Secelia had to rebuild before our split. She put everything back together, and decided that she wasn't a lil girl anymore, she made herself into a warrior. Me, but I wasn't there before, I should've been there to-" It's Jasper's turn to pull her to his chest. He shuts his eyes at the guilt, and the pain that is radiating from the door and his mate. The Major wrapped his arms around both. A soothing purr falling from his lips.
"Oh, sweetheart, Major's right, and you can't blame yourself for not being there. It's not your fault, and I will tell you now, that whatever horror behind that door, whatever thing that created the perfect mate that we are holding in our arms, whatever shattering your tryin to explain that's behind that door will not ever change how we see you!" He kissed her hair before letting his arms fall to her shoulders, and turned her around pushing her into the Major.
The Major clasped her by the shoulders as Jasper wrapped his arms around her waist. The Major grasped her chin making her unseeing eyes lock onto his. He leaned forward gently, softly, and slowly he glided his lips across hers.
He pulled back, "My beautiful General, my mate, our mate, you are mine and nothing will make me leave ya. Not a single fuckin thing. You are mine! MINE! Nothing will change, nothing will make me see ya less than the fuckin stunnin, beautiful, and strong warrior ya are! Nothing will change the fact we love you! I love you! Do ya understand Whitlock?" He asked.
"Yes, Majah, Jasper, I understand, and love ya both too. Let's get this outta the way. This memory will be visible, vivid, but I won't be able to see it, but y'all will. Reckon we better get a move on, then." She said as both the Major and Jasper let go. The General takes a deep breath and unlocks the door.
Jasper and The Major watched as the scene around them changed to what looked to be a barn. It was obvious that this was being viewed as their mate had viewed it. The barn was old, and worn. The door bursts open making the scene jump as their little mate must have done. A male who looked slightly similar to Jayson walked into the room.
His hair was long and blonde, He wore it in a ponytail. He had green eyes, that gleamed with a glint that made the Major, and Jasper pull the General behind them.
"You look like a girl!" That was something that The Major and Jasper laughed. "He does!" The Major cackled.
"Aw really little one, and I thought we were getting close." The male purrs. The General flinched at that voice, closed her eyes, she clutched the back of the Major's jacket. The Major's arms reached out to wrap his arms around her waist, pulling her into his back. Jasper moved from beside the Major to behind his mate. He wrapped his arms around his mate resting just underneath her breast, and pressed himself against her back effectively caging her between himself and The Major. Jasper rest his chin on top of her head and continued to watch over the Major's shoulder.
"You and I are not friends Zane! You took me! You killed my mother, and my father, and you stole me for your little hybrid project, and for what? You want a warrior, too bad, I am a kid! I may be a hybrid, I may be smarter, faster, stronger, and have powers, but that doesn't make a warrior, and even if I was, I would never fight for you!" The Major and Jasper were proud, who fuckin cared if this was a memory. They were fuckin proud. They both snarled as a hand slipped her making the scene shake.
"Tsk, tsk, you will fight for me, once I get into your head. Your powers are strong. I have had my eyes on you for a long time. I heard your parents worry over you letting in the wrong person into your mind. Don't get me wrong your other powers will come in handy as well. You will be my right hand, my General," The Major and Jasper snarled pressuring closer to their General.
"You will never get in my mind! You will not break me, and I will never be your General! You will never win!" Screw being fuckin proud. The Major and Jasper were in fuckin awe.
"Oh we shall see, my General." Zane said.
"Not his," The General mumbled tightening her grip on the Major. "It's starting," She whispered burrowing her face between the Major's shoulders. "We have you, our General, your safe." Jasper whispered in her ear.
"I am not yours- Ahhh!" The flash of orange fire is the last thing they see. It lifts just as quickly, and the Major and Jasper sneered at the thing in front of them. The face glowed with malice.
"Let me in!" He snarled.
"No!" Is the screamed response. The fire comes again before lifting. The image was loosing focus.
"You are mine! I demand you allow me entry to your mind girl, or I will blind you, and torture you until you give into me!" Zane said.
"I will never give into you!" Is the whispered reply. Then fire and screaming. Finally after agonizing pain. The fire lifted and nothing. There was nothing.
"Have enough yet?" His voice taunted.
"You will never win," This makes him snarl and more pain. The pain was blindng it made The Major and Jasper fall to their knees. The Major roars as he pulled his mate and Jasper to him.
"Sorry, so-" Jasper snarled, "Don't you dare fuckin apologize!" He breathed in her ear. The Major growled, "We are fuckin honored ta share a fraction of ya pain! We are fuckin proud of ya past self for enduring so much. Do not dare say that this isn't ya pain. It is! Just as much as Secelia, ya not just the General, ya, General Secelia Aphrodite Fuckin Whitlock! Just like I am as much of Jasper as he is of me! The same can be said about you!" He growled.
"You won't win, I am not yours! I will never be your anything!" The past version of Secelia choked out just as her vision flashed gold. Laughter, laughter that made the General shiver in the Major and Jasper hold her tightly to them.
"Gotcha!" His voice echoed everywhere. Then if it was pain before, it was fuckin agony now.
"What is this?" Jasper cried out.
"He tore our mind ta fuckin shreds. Hang on Jay, breathe, it's just a memory. Hold tight!" The General demanded and grabbed his hand into her own.
"You do, but you also let me in-Ah!" The pain intensified before finally stopping and nothing.
"Oh little one, I don't think so, I have shattered every piece of you. You'll spend a while cleaning everything up. I give you three days to become the General that I need. My General, three days to rebuild your mind. If you remain broken I will simply find another like you and make them suffer twice as bad." Zane threatens and then numbness.
"Better get started, but I will die before letting someone go through worse." Ever so slowly shapes and colors take place. Memories are restored, and The Major and Jasper watch as their young mate creates a mental image of herself. The girl was tiny looking much to young to be nine. She wore a pink shirt and jeans.
"Mirror, I need a mirror," The mental image of their mate breathes as a mirror forms in front of her.
The image is an exact reflection of herself.
"I gotta get stronger, but I can't do that by myself, but what if I don't have to? Papa once said a warrior is not defined by their physical strength, or even knowledge, but will, a will to not break or be broken. I can't be that, but you." A tiny hand is placed on the mirror.
"You can, you're stronger, you can be the warrior, we'll give Zane his General, but we'll never be his, right, Gen?" A hand grasped hers and slowly stepped out of the mirror. The only difference is their eyes. Purple meet black.
"You can count on that, everything's gonna be alright, now don't you have something else to do?" The mirror image of the young girl grinned.
"Right, Mama always said that innocence is pure, hopeful, happy, but I can't be that either, but you can, we'll name you Santiago, that was mama's favorite place." This one is quicker. A young Secelia grabbed her hand and the young General helped pull her out. Immediately the General way clung too. She wrapped her arms around the other mirrored fragment who had lighter eyes than Secelia.
"It's gonna be alright." The General untangled herself from her mate, and stood. Jasper and the Major followed suit. The General let out a sigh as she shut the door and locked it.
"The agonizing pain is what happens when our mind shatters. The rebuilding ya saw took years. I sped it up, I can't stay to long in there. I tried to minimize the emotions. Didn't help much." She sighed removing the hat from her head and sagging against the door. The Major and Jasper just stared. The General fidgets nervously.
"Will one of ya please say something? Growl, anything? I'm gettin all jittery." She drawls. The Major is the first to snap his mouth shut. "That... was..." He trailed off.
"Terrible, gruesome, horrific, painful, gut wrenching, one of the most horrible things ya ever seen in ya life?" She asked. Jasper cleared his throat. Then makes a strangled noise and moves wrapping his arms around his mates neck, whimpering.
"Sh, it's all right Jay, we ain't goin anywhere. Just a memory." The General mumbled softly stroking his hair. Jasper pulled back his whimpering stops, and he just looked at her. His hands cupped her face, "You will never feel that again, right, Major?" Jasper asked stepping back. The Major is still staring. He's silent.
"Majah, Sug-Ah!" Jasper isn't sure how the Major had moved in a blink and had his lips onto their mate. His hands pulled at the hair tied behind her. The Major ended the kiss with the soft, slow, and heavily accented words muttered against her lips.
"Ya mine, General, mine, mine, mine, and it I didn't have the urge to prove it by completing this bond, Jasper and I would take ya, mind fuck ya until every fuckin pain is replaced by us!" The General shuddered, and swallowed.
"Well, better get back to Lia an Dite, and complete the bond for ya do that then." She said playfully before moving from his arms and playfully dashing towards where they came from. The Major and Jasper both snarled lightly before chasing after their mate.