Chapter 6: Promises

3rd P.O.V

Jasper had more than a few utter motives to their little outing. He would've been perfectly happy to keep his mate home, in his house, his room, and his bed. Would've been pleased to stay buried deep inside of her and happy to tell his brother and sister to fuck off as he continued to claim, love, fuck, and breed his mate. He could've easily persuaded, hell, have her begging him to continue their fun, but he didn't.

For one, his mate needed to realize that whilst she was his, that she was free, and with freedom came choices. Choices that he would respect, oh, he might persuade her to do something a bit...different, but in the end it would always be her choice.

Number two, as much as he'd love to see her wearing his clothes, or even better nothing at all. Serenity needs things of her own.

Things she can call hers, clothes, shoes, or anything really, and he needs to be the one to provide that. Give her those things, not only because she needs them, but because he wants to give them to her.

Number three, His mate has only known pain, loneliness, sadness and being in a place as mundane as a shopping mall and absorbing the simple emotions that come from something so normal.

Jasper knew she needed that. He knew she needed that as much as he knew that Peter and Charlotte would've came back to the house sooner or later and drag them both out of their lust filled mating.

Just like Jasper knew that their plan of sticking together would go out the window as soon as they stepped into the mall, and it was probably a good thing. The lust hanging between him and her over their shared moment in the truck was, from what Jasper had sensed, only grew stronger, and Jasper had been both grateful and vexed as Charlotte dragged his mate away from him. Leaving him, escaping from his careful eye, and thus came his final motive.

Peter, it had been about, mostly about, minus the intimate moment with his mate. That had been a bit of fun on his part. It boiled down to getting to Peter, alone, but in a crowded place where he couldn't automatically kill him, least his kind is outed by humans, Why?

Because it bugged him!

" I want to meet them, for real, properly, as your mate, and not some invisible shadow that I am almond 95% certain that Peter knew I was there by the side eyed glance he'd throw my way."

Her words had struck a certain chord. Had Peter, his Captain, had he known, and if he had why hadn't he immediately told him?

It was bugging the fuck out of him!

"You would've killed her."

Peter's voice caught his attention as they stood in front of a wall of men's shoes. Peter's voice was low, low enough that the few humans grouped around them wouldn't hear.

"What did you say?" Jasper drawled thickly at the same volume.

"You would've set the whole camp ablaze and in your rage, killing the armies, getting revenge on Maria, before not only killing me and Charlotte, Major, you would have killed her, killed her without ever knowin, and then died yourself right after." Peter's own voice was as heavy as his, still too low for humans to detect as he swiped a pair of brown boots off the wall.

"Trust me, Jas, there wasn't a single fuckin day in the wars, after we escaped, that I wasn't thinking about telling ya, but I knew, I knew that I had to wait until she summoned ya, any other option and you would've killed her. If you don't face your still lingering rage at the situation. Talk to her about it. You still might if all that anger you keep pushing back bubbles to the surface."

There's no longer anything that scared Jasper, nothing that caused fear for the Major of the southern wars, but the finality in Peter's voice, the look in his brother's eyes as he turned to look at him, begging, pleading for understanding, and knowing that had he known that he would've...That he still might.

Made him fuckin nervous

"I won't," It was a promise to himself, a promise to her. He wouldn't, couldn't do that. He swiped his own pair of boots, pretended to inspect them.

"She's been waiting." Peter said softly, speaking once more still at the low volume. At Jasper's confusion he clarified,

"For you to bring it up, in some manner because she can feel it just below the surface festering and each day you say nothing about it, do nothing about it, well, All those instincts she's suppressed over the years are still hesitant to come out."

"Ya mean she's still suppressing-'em!" His voice lowered even more, a low inhuman growl caught in his throat, and he reminded himself that he couldn't loose it here.

"Wouldn't you? She was ready to die that night. Would've let you rip her apart, Major, but you didn't. Instead you got vengeance, claimed her, made her yours, but you have yet to bring it all up, and it's only making her silently panic, cause her instincts are demanding it be you who broaches the subject."

"She's still waiting for me to prove that I actually want her. That she's mine, that I really ain't going anywhere and she's waiting for me to either do that or-or kill her." Jasper breathed in realization. Placing the boots back on the shelf.

"Yep," Peter replied

The tension in his body left. All thoughts of maiming his brother leaving as he thought about his mate, and how he could easily see... If he hadn't had the chance to see her memories...If she hadn't summoned him and he found out in any other way.

"Thank you," He had to force the words out, remembering to speak them at a low volume that a human couldn't hear instead of scream them, wrap his arms around Peter in a rare show of affection and sob them over and over again. If it's one thing that Jasper has however, it was control. Peter for his part shrugged as if it was nothing, before slapping him on the back.

"Pick some fuckin boots, already!" Peter exclaimed aloud this time. Giving him a subtle nod. Jasper chuckled, trying not to show how shaken he actually felt and swiped the same boots Peter was holding from him before turning on his heel and walking away.

Unlike normal where Peter wouldn't have let him get away with this. Peter simply grabbed another pair and followed his brother without saying a word. As he knew that his brother needed time to think.

"Are you sure about all this, Char?" Serenity asked nervously motioning to the full cart of clothing she had gathered. Shirts in all materials, from soft cotton to sleek silk in a variety of colors. Her personal favorite was between a crimson red silk top with ruffles or the matching bright purple top.

Pants, anything from jeans to tight leather, and leggings. Her favorite was the sleek black leather pants that clung tightly to her skin. Shorts, shoes, everything from simple boots to heels. Her favorite being a pair of black leather boots that had a slight lift to them making her appear about an inch taller than she actually was. Jackets, a jean jacket, a few hoodies, her personal favorite were the two leather jackets, a brown one, and a black one.

A few dresses were thrown in the mix as well. Her favorite dress being the bright red one, it was silk, sleeveless, and despite the open back making her feel exposed and vulnerable. It also made her feel beautiful, confident in a way she had never felt, and she just had to have this dress!

They had, much to Serenity's slight embarrassment gotten a variety of undergarments. Bras, and panties. All in all Serenity had found out a few things on this trip. Number one, her two favorite clothing materials were leather, because it was tight enough without being suffocating, the texture rough and yet comfortable to the touch, something about the leather made her feel... well, sexy, and confident.

In contrast to leather, she liked silk, the coolness against her skin, almost soothing to her scars, something about the soft material didn't only make her feel sexy, but made her feel, well, beautiful.

Granted it wasn't the type of beautiful and sexy her mate made her feel. It was different. It was just...her own. The second thing she learned was about Charlotte.

Charlotte wasn't pushy, she let Serenity find what she wanted, and if she tried on something that she didn't like, or was uncomfortable with. Charlotte put it back without hesitation. Without judgment, no matter how it good she herself found the item to be. Number three, Charlotte was easy to talk with, a good listener, and even though Serenity was quiet, not ready to come out of her shell.

Charlotte never grew bored or bothered with the fact. Instead talking herself, sharing things about herself, like how before she became a vampire she spent her days in a shop, a seememstress, creating dresses, and suits. A profession that was passed from mother to daughter, and the fourth thing, Charlotte, while not being pushy, or overbearing was stubborn. Charlotte paused in their walking making Serenity stop beside her.

"Sugar, listen, you are getting all of this and if I know my brother like I do. He's going to insist on more." She laughed as Serenity gave her an incredulous look.

"Come on," She says as she continues moving.

Charlotte was right. Jasper wasn't nearly as satisfied as she was and talked her into a few more things while they were at the store. The fact that he wanted her to get even more things, even as they were walking away and back to the truck made love swell in her chest.

"'s not enough, are you sure, really sure-"

"Jasper," She cuts him off making him pause as he places the last bag into the truck.

"It's not enough." There was a certain amount of emotion in his voice this time. A certain break that caught her attention as he scooped her up and placed her in the back seat before climbing in beside her. Opening his mouth once more as Peter and Charlotte climbed up front.

"Shh," She cut him off with a kiss this time. Brushing their lips together. "Not again!" At Peter's exclamation she pulled away from her mate.

"What?" She asked as she scooted closer to her mate.

"No cuddling, kissing, or fuckin in my truck! I can't stand it! Just cause ya can block your scent doesn't mean that we ain't got an idea of what's going on back there! Ain't like we can't feel the Major projecting lust!"

Well, had it been a few hours ago Serenity would have blushed, mumble out an apology and sunk into her mate in embarrassment but a few hours ago she hadn't spent time with Charlotte. The brave, bold, and sassy vampire who just slapped her mate upside the head. Instead she looked at her mate once more and crossed her arms.

"You going to let Peter tell you what to do, Major, in your own truck?" She asked, watching as her mates eyes darken, the arm around her shoulders tightened in an almost painful grip, and he leaned forward to once again kiss her before pulling back.

"Take us fuckin home, Captain, Now!" Peter stepped on it.

As soon as they were home. Serenity barely had time to blink as she was suddenly in Jasper's room. Their room? She didn't have time to contemplate that as Jasper's lips were at her ear.

"Release it!" He demanded and she knew what he wanted. She took a deep breath and with that breath the carefully crafted control on her gift that had been masking her scent was gone and the lust from earlier that had been suppressed came crashing onto her in one big wave and her knees gave out. She fell against him only being held up by his hand between her legs.

"Listen," He hissed as he removed his hand but not before giving her a slight press against her sex. He steadied her as she once again went to fall against him. "I want you on the bed, don't you worry about removing your clothes, just go, get on the bed, flat on your back, legs open wide, that is how I want to see you when I walk back in here. Do you understand?"

"Yes," She choked out, stumbling once again as he lets her go but regaining composure and then he is gone. His words ringing in the silence and she hurried to do as he had told her.

Major Jasper Whitlock P.O.V

"You would've killed her."

"If you don't face your still lingering rage at the situation. Talk to her about it. You still might if all that anger you keep pushing back bubbles to the surface."

"She was ready to die that night. Would've let you rip her apart, Major, but you didn't. Instead you got vengeance, claimed her, made her yours, but you have yet to bring it all up, and it's only making her silently panic, cause her instincts are demanding it be you who broaches the subject."

"You would've killed her."

"You still might."

"She was ready to die that night. Would've let you rip her apart, Major,"

"Major?"

"MAJOR!" I snapped out of it. The bags of my mates clothes is saved from the mud only by Peter catching them and I suddenly remembered what I was doing. Peters looking at me again. He's giving me that look when he knows something is up.

"You think if I actually thought it was going to happen that I wouldn't have taken her and Charlotte and hightailed it?" He asked and I stifled the growl of rage in my throat at the threat of my mate being taken.

"You wouldn't."

"We both know I would. Thank fuck we built this house as soundproof. You're both going to be around a long time, Major." He drawled handing me the bags before moving out of sight. Back into the house. That crafty bastard!

I made my way back inside and back into my room to see my mate laying on the bed, flat on her back and her jeans clad legs stretched wide open. Any thoughts of Peter are erased from my mind. Any anxiety I have is replaced with sheer fuckin need. I kicked the door shut behind me. Placing the bags in the closet. I can easily hang them up later. I inhaled and the fact that she had been wet for me the whole fuckin time. Fuck, the things I would love to do, but that can wait.

I moved and am now hovering over her. I brushed my lips with hers before trailing kisses to her ear. "We need to talk, Darlin," I breathed tugging her earlobe into my mouth and sucking.

"Talk about?" She asked.

I can hear it, feel it, the lust fading to hesitation, weariness, and I pulled away, cupping her face, brushing her hair back. "Us." She tensed beneath me and tried to sit up, but I didn't let her, pressing closer to her with a light growl.

"Don't move."

She stilled, still too tense for my liking but at least she was no longer trying to sit up. Trying to get away from me, distance herself from me. I can feel the dread rising in her, can see it in her eyes, but my mate had no need for such emotion.

"Relax," I cooed brushing my lips over the scar on the right side of her face. She trembled beneath my lips.

"I...is..this..is about" The more I let this simmer then the more she will hesitate.

"About you hiding, about the wars, about suppressing your instincts," I tried to say it gently and still she flinched as if I had slapped her. She closed her eyes taking in a sharp breath. I nuzzled my face into her neck. I breathed her in.

"Tell me, Sugah, what would a regular vampire do if they were ya mate?" I drawled against her skin. Curious to know what she thought.

"They'd be, well their instincts aren't as strong so they'll rely on the emotions more than their actual instincts. Nonetheless they're still, at least the males are dominant and would have the need to." She paused for a moment.

"Reprimand, or teach their mate a lesson. They might bite said mate, maybe even remove limbs but they'll do. Well they would then probably...leave?" Hm, her answer told me a lot more than I expected.

"And they'd leave why?"

"Because they can." I suppose that's an answer enough.

"Would I leave?" I had to ask. See what she thought about it. I felt the one thing I never fuckin want to feel from her.

Fear,

"I don't know... You haven't left yet, but that could be instinct...Do... You... wanttoleave?" I almost didn't catch the words, but I did catch them and my heart broke at the uncertainty in her voice.

"No, and after we finish talking I cannot wait to show you how much I really want," I tangled my hands into her thick scarlet hair and moved my lips back to hers.

"To stay with you, forever," I breathed connecting our lips. Enjoying it as she melted back into the mattress. Yes! That's a good mate! Relax, baby, you're mine! I will never leave you.

"Now, an incubus vampire would do what to you?" I asked then answered her before she could. "Without drinking your blood, they'd kill you. I would've killed ya!" Fuck I wasn't supposed to admit that. I can't handle the thought of actually killing my mate. I growled. Some of the hostility that I had been holding onto builds up. A hand hesitating before fingers touched my face.

"You would've-"

Oh hell fuckin no!

"It wouldn't have been my right! Yes in some sick, twisted, backwards way it is justified, because you hid from me! You suppressed your submissive instincts and hid from meh, and I could've easily, even after receiving your memories, torn you apart, or I could tare ya apart right now and you would lay here and fuckin let me!"

Fuck I didn't mean to yell but how fuckin dare she! How dare she do this! It was my job to take care of her! Put her first, so how fuckin dare she do my job and do it so much better than me! Rage, rage at her, rage against Maria, my own self hatred all swirling together.

She shied away drawing her hand back only for me to grab it and place it back on my skin. I need her touch right now. I need to feel her against me. To break me free from my rage. To remind me why I didn't want to tare this beautiful, stupidly selfless woman apart.

I wouldn't, not now, but I need her to swear it. No more hiding, no more suppressing instincts, not with me. Never with me!

"You don't hide from me! You hide nothing from me ever again! You don't hold back anything from me! Nothing, especially not ya submissive instincts! NEVER AGAIN! Promise me!" I demanded harshly.

"Jasper, I won't. I won't hide anything from you, ever. I promise!" I can feel the truth in her statement.

Never again!