"You didn't hear her?" Bella's eyes were still fixed on the library door, where Esme Cullen had stood just moments before. Bella hadn't had a second to even acknowledge her. "How did you not hear her?"

There were mere moments of tense silence before Jasper finally turned and said, "Let me take you home."

"Don't you need to feed?"

"I will feed." He glanced once at the door. "But I think we've established that I'm incapable of doing that here."

Her hands found each other, tucking themselves behind her. "Incapable?"

"Unacceptable."

There was no mistaking that there was something off about his composure. His eyes, devoid of all the hunger she had just witnessed moments ago, were rounded and alert. There was an impatient quality about him as he paced to his desk. With a sweep, he gathered the documents, including their contract, and placed them in the drawers accordingly. The movements were practiced, precise, and methodical. Though his eyes—they were distant, and distracted.

He hadn't answered her question, and his expression only told her to defer it.

"Okay," she said. "Take me home."

Bella followed Jasper out of the room, down the stairs, and out the front door. He brought forth his arms in offering. It was clear that his mind had been elsewhere—thinking, rethinking, calculating. Though, at that moment, whatever had been swarming in his brain paused momentarily, as there was no mistaking the softening of those intense eyes when he hoisted her into his arms.

And then, they were running. Flying. There was only the sound of the rustling leaves and the gush of wind as she was cradled against the climate.

Once nature stopped whizzing past her, she anticipated the feel of the ground beneath her soles, but once she opened her eyes, Jasper still held her. He was looking at her house from where they stood beneath the trees. "Your father's home."

"That's fine," she said, slightly breathless from the unnatural speed. "He wouldn't just barge into my room; he respects my boundaries."

"I can't trust that."

"You would hear him."

His jaw immediately tightened. "Would I?"

"Jasper—"

"Esme's it is. She's more than willing to offer up her vacant residence."

"Esme doesn't know you drink from me," Bella pointed out. "She probably assumes…" God, how was she going to look at her anymore?

"I don't particularly care what she assumes, Bella. I want your blood, and I'd much prefer to have a quiet, secluded place where you can rest appropriately after."

Her bedroom would be fine, but it seemed Jasper was losing trust in his own freakish hearing capabilities. He added, "And I owe you information. About Alice." He held her gaze. "After you pay."

She stared at him for another second, and then relented with a nod.

Jasper whisked them in another direction, and in only just a few minutes, Bella finally felt the stability of the ground beneath her feet.

Esme's cabin greeted them from beneath tall, thick trees—a calm, serene picture in the late afternoon air. As they walked up the main path, Jasper was the one to reach forward and push open the door.

And what Bella walked into was a nightmare.

There was so much red. Flowers, banners, glitter. A celebration had exploded into the living room, the confetti and rose petals overflowing into the kitchen.

Congratulations, read a huge string of letters that hung over two large bookshelves, along with little figurines of rings and champagne glasses.

"Oh my god," she whispered, her feet barely making it inside before Jasper shut the door behind them. "This is for…"

Jasper's gaze swept once over the living area. "You." He stepped beside her. "It seems we've ruined the surprise."

Her engagement to Edward. Was he meant to propose here? Was this a warning? "Esme must have known."

"I doubt it," he murmured. "This is all Alice." The petals on the ground were fake, Bella realized, as Jasper's boots crunched on them. He paced all the way to the bedroom, the double frosted doors wide open. "All Alice."

Bella's heavy feet trudged to stand beside him at the threshold. She took in the bed—so drenched in red rose petals that they blanketed the white sheets entirely. The initials E and B were spelled out in a darker shade of crimson right in the middle.

Valentine's Day was in just a few days, wasn't it?

Hands clenching and unclenching, Bella gritted her teeth. "What? I say yes and Alice assumes Edward will magically attain some self-control as my fiancé and take me to bed?" She felt like throwing up just saying it.

Jasper turned to her, an eerie calm to his face. "Any alone time is forfeited given that you have your shield up."

"Thank God for that." She turned away, arms crossed tightly, head shaking in disbelief. She did one slow circle of the living area, her eyes examining the detail, the absurd planning, and the almost forceful romantic aura Alice had attempted to curate.

Sighing, she came around and plopped down onto the large couch—the only place that had evaded Alice's interior decorating. She really just wanted to leave. She had much rather Jasper just drink from her in the woods and leave her to sleep on the grass. Anything would be better than this.

"Will you please just feed?" She asked, staring at the coffee table that had a rounded heart-shaped box, and more petals sprinkled about.

When she turned her head, Jasper was beside her, and an odd sense of deja vu creeped up at her.

A memory flashed of Jasper's hands gently wrapping around the bruising on her forearms. And then another—of them on the bathroom floor, her fingers on his scars. How embarrassingly drunk she had been.

The words he had uttered once on this very couch came back to her. I'm not incentivized to give you anything.

Well, the very incentive he had wanted had simply been pumping freely in her veins. And now, she found he was watching her very closely, ready to cash in on that incentive. Her nails on her own wrist, she scratched at her veins.

"Lie down for me, Bella."

Perhaps she had only imagined the way his eyes grazed slowly over her body as she lowered herself down. Hunger, it must have been. Jasper moved forward, sitting right beside her torso as he took a hold of her right wrist, elbow turned outwards. He leaned over her, and offered his other hand for her to clutch. But before bringing her veins up to his lips, he teased lightly, "No protests this time?"

Balloons of three different shades of red taunted her from above his head. "Drink, please."

"Please," he considered, and then Bella felt his teeth.

Her eyes closed naturally—this time to avoid the ridiculous, foreboding decor in the background. Instead, she focused on Jasper's presence, how his fingers had laced with hers, and the way his mouth shifted against her skin as he took his fill. The sway was her favorite part—and she wished she were sitting or standing, so she could feel it rock her.

There was a faint smile on her lips as her mind blanked, her mind light. She found within that hazy warmth that she really liked the way his hand molded into hers, and she silently wished he just held on for however long she had left in this wretched universe.

"There is no escaping this," she murmured, just a little delirious as she stared up at the ceiling. She had just given God knows how much blood, and the red decor all around her began to blur together. The wrist Jasper took from rested beside her, wrapped cleanly.

"Do you just carry medical tape and bandages all the time now?" She questioned lazily.

Jasper himself was roaming around the area. In and out of the kitchen, his boots thudded lightly on the hardwood floors, with the occasional crunch of a fake rose petal. "I tend to have some nearby whenever I'm with you. They fit easily in a pocket."

"Always prepared." She massaged her forehead with her other hand. "So, about Esme, Jasper—"

"Esme's intentions don't worry me," he explained quietly. "But her ability to keep Edward out does."

"You said you didn't care if Edward knew."

There was a pause, and then he was at the back of the couch, peering down at her. "I said I didn't care if Edward knew about our contract."

Her face grew slightly hotter. "Well, biting my neck is still within the confines of our contract."

A challenging smile as his hands braced his weight on the couch. "I bite your neck, and I send you home. Is that the evening you imagined?"

"Well, no." She grinned mischievously, holding up the wrist he drank from. "You'd bandage me appropriately, get me water, and let me rest."

But in reality, she imagined she would get little to no rest. The look he had given her before Esme had interrupted—that was the look she wanted to see again. The one that told her she was about to be devoured in more ways than one. A dangerous game, he had said.

But how would this game even work with a vampire? Bella had skipped the sex education portion the moment Edward came into discussion, and she was kicking herself for doing so.

When her eyes refocused, Jasper was still staring down at her, and she felt both too drained and flustered to start that conversation. Instead she said, "Tell me about Alice. I've paid for it."

"Alice." He studied her for a moment. "Wicked. Smart. An integral part of our court, and most notably, Aro's favored."

"Aro's favored?"

"Probably still is. Only from a distance." Jasper came around slowly, and sat beside her legs. "I've told you that Alice wasn't always a Cullen. I knew her distantly when I was brought to Volterra decades ago."

"Alice was part of your court—in Italy?"

He bowed his head. "Alice was a Volturi."

Slowly, Bella scooted up to sit. She took a moment for her head to stop spinning before asking, "Why did she join the Cullens?"

"She was exiled from court, and the Cullens are merely her punishment."

Exiled? "Wouldn't you serve the Volturi if you broke any laws?"

"You would. But as a Volturi, court was her home, and the kings were her sanctuary. Sentencing her to serve wouldn't change anything if she remained in Italy. So, the kings sent her away and handed her off to Carlisle."

Volturi. "Are last names based on your current coven?"

"They denote coven loyalty, yes. In fact, revoking Alice's Volturi title and instilling Cullen was an insult in itself."

Alice Cullen. Was it a taunt every time Jasper had uttered it? "The kings must love Carlisle if they're willing to grant him such favors by adding gifted support to his coven. First her, and then you?"

"Well," Jasper said, "it might seem that they were granting Carlisle a favor, but it was more their intention to punish Alice. The Cullen diet is horrendous, and Alice was forced to assimilate as much as she could, added to the fact that she was distanced from court."

Alice used to drink from humans, that was plainly clear. Her examinations were always reminiscent of that of Jasper's. The Cullen diet after years of human blood sounded horrendous, indeed.

"What law did she break?" Bella asked.

He cocked his head to the side. "Rumors are that she violated one of our Matehood clauses."

"What are those?"

Pointedly, he said, "There's a reminder that you should continue your readings."

She had, admittedly, been slacking on those.

Jasper continued, "We have regulations that protect mates, as a mate is one of the very few things an immortal will value. Your bond is protected by law, and any direct attempt by an outsider to break that bond goes against the values the kings have laid out."

That seemed a little… oddly romantic, did it not? "Whose bond did Alice try to break?"

"There are many reasons why Alice is Aro's favored," he explained carefully, his eyes sliding to hers. "And Aro is a mated man."

Bella stilled. "Alice tried to kill Aro's mate?"

"Allegedly." Jasper absently rested a hand on her calf. "Her obsession with Aro is well known. And they've always had a peculiarly close relationship."

"I don't understand. If Aro is mated, doesn't that imply that he feels loyalty to his mate?"

"Loyalty in terms of protection. Aro's mate, Sulpicia, is locked in a tower for that purpose."

"Locking your mate up seems very… un-mate-like."

"Un-mate-like," he repeated, amused. "Aro is a very powerful man, Bella. Power draws enemies and grudges. He'll protect what is his to the best of his ability. A harmed mate or a dead mate is very hard on us."

"But Aro still maintained a relationship with Alice?"

"Not a romantic relationship," he refuted. "His bond with Sulpicia would make it very hard for him to disrespect her in that way. A reason why I'd assume Alice would want her gone. But how she planned to get rid of her—I can't say."

Attempting to kill the mate of a king sounded borderline treasonous. "Jasper, that's crazy."

"Power has always been her drive, and Alice is bold." He glanced around the room. "But you already knew that."

"Bold or crazy?"

"A fine line."

Insane. "She feels no loyalty towards Carlisle. She doesn't see any of the actual Cullens as siblings. Why is she pushing me into Edward?"

"Why indeed," Jasper murmured, his fingers pressing into her leg in a light, mindless massage. "She's gaining something from you, Bella."

Of course, she was. "What are the conditions of her exile?"

"Exiles aren't documented and tracked like sentencing and contracts. It isn't often that one of their own breaks the law, hence exiles aren't common. But I imagine her situation is indefinite—however long the kings would deem appropriate, or perhaps until she gets back into their good graces."

"Self-serving things," she muttered in thought. "It would be incredibly self-serving for her to trade me in for her return to court, wouldn't it?"

"Absolutely. But you're not hers to trade. Under Carlisle's jurisdiction, she can't touch you."

"What about my shield? Who does she need protection from?"

He seemed very pleased by her questioning. "I imagine she has many enemies. You make quite a few of those at court."

The lack of answers frustrated her. Eventually, she knew, Jasper's knowledge would run out, and they'd both be stuck questioning these motives.

Bella cradled the bandaged wrist in her lap, absently running her fingers over the fabric. She glanced up at the decor, and felt a bout of nausea. The dizziness from the feeding was there, spinning her head occasionally. "I want none of this. The proposal, the man, the venom. The family."

"You want freedom."

Her eyes grew wetter at that simple sentence. "We're very similar, aren't we?"

"In the worst of ways," he agreed, and then scooted closer. A strong hand came up to her face, cradling around the side, demanding her attention firmly. "Use your human months, Bella. Don't give them the satisfaction that they've drained the life out of you already."

The reminder of her imminent death only made it worse. Her voice was hoarse when she said, "I wanted kids." Jasper's eyes darted away, downward. "I don't even know if I can have them—but I wanted my father to have a chance at a grandkid." Tears eventually streamed freely. "I'm the only child. What will they tell him when they murder me?"

"They'll cover it up," he said quietly. "Their names won't be associated with your death. It'll be an unfortunate accident. Hiking in the woods, swimming in the ocean, a hit-and-run."

Jasper knew too much about this. She wasn't accusing him when she said, "And you're going to help cover it up."

She felt his grip tighten on her face. "Yes."

Her hand came up and rested on his wrist, her head bowing low. "Thank you."

Incredulous, he asked, "Why?"

Because he was everything she had at that moment. "For being so dreadfully honest."

Jasper took her home after a few hours of rest at Esme's cabin. She was still dizzy when he had laid her down on her bed, and she fell back asleep almost instantly.

And now, it was the next day, and she was seated on the Cullen sectional, alone, and not quite sure who was present at the house. Alice had texted her to come by in the morning, because Edward wanted to see her now that her bruises were gone. And of course, they could only meet in close supervision, since Bella profusely refused to bring down her shield for any reason.

The one unusual thing that morning was that Esme was absent. Bella had anticipated a full brunch menu when she stepped into the house, but the kitchen was strangely empty.

Had Jasper spoken to her? Truthfully, she had wanted to speak to Esme herself, but even then, what would she have told her? Her and Jasper…

Her and Jasper.

Jasper and Bella.

"Hey, Bella."

She looked up to find Emmett at the top of the stairs. Rosalie was just a step behind as they descended at a human pace.

"Hello," she replied, despondent. "I'm just waiting for Alice—and Edward."

"Three's a crowd," Rosalie quipped, and she didn't seem like she meant it when she said, "Congratulations, by the way."

Emmett pursed his lips together, giving his wife a look.

"What?" She defended. "Bella knows."

The looming engagement. Bella tried to smile. "I know."

"And I know I'm responsible for the champagne, and photography," she grumbled, eying her. "Have you picked out a dress?"

"Rosalie," Emmett said in part warning, as Bella's eyes were glued to the carpet below.

No, she hadn't even wanted to think about a dress.

"It's not a funeral, Bella." Scoffing at her husband, Rosalie turned away. "I have an appointment with a sommelier."

And then, she paced to the front door, and disappeared.

"A sommelier?" Bella questioned, her voice small. "I'm the only one drinking the damn wine, and eating the damn food."

Emmett lingered before her, his hands digging deep into his pockets. "We can't taste the wine, or the food. We need a sommelier to tell us the appropriate pairings."

"You don't need any of it."

He smiled. "I know."

"Will you sit?" Bella sighed. "My appointment is late."

"Appointment to see Edward?"

"Alice is the chaperone."

Emmett sat at the other end of the sectional, his movements natural, and quite humanly. He seemed comfortable, resting an elbow on the arm. "Your future engagement is buzzing."

Bella fought hard to roll her eyes. "You saw the ring?"

"We all did. There's an unusual wave of excitement within our family, and our social circle. Not many things entertain vampires these days." He paused, watching her. "Though I'd expect a little more joy from the bride-to-be."

"I haven't even said yes, Emmett."

"You don't want to get married," he noted.

"Is it that obvious?"

He shifted, bringing his foot to rest on his knee. Casual. "Is it the commitment, or the man?"

"The man."

He winced, but recovered it quickly. "I see."

Just how much did he see? "Was it similar to your situation with Rosalie?"

"Situation. That's an interesting way to word it." He thought for a moment. "Rosalie and I are mated, and married."

"The two big Ms."

He chuckled, but the light was vacant from his eyes. "I always had a feeling that Rosalie wanted nothing to do with me. But I was done for the moment she found me in the woods. Bleeding, delirious. I looked up and her beauty was devastating. I thought I had died and reached some sort of heaven."

"She found you in the woods?"

"I was a stupid human camping in stupid Tennessee. I was attacked by an animal—a bear, I'm told, though I don't remember much of it."

"And Rosalie just came upon you?"

He smiled. "Yeah, I'm lucky she didn't just kill me. The blood must have been hard to resist. Thankfully, Carlisle was just a few miles out."

"Thankfully," Bella muttered. "Did you have a say at all? When Carlisle turned you?"

"No." He considered, as if he hadn't really thought about it before. "I was dying, Bella. I can't imagine I was very coherent."

"So that's it—you were thankful to be saved?"

He peered over at her. "I understand the hostility."

She hadn't realized that she was being hostile. "I'm sorry."

He stared straight ahead, and Bella asked, "Do you love Rosalie?"

"I was in love with her from the very beginning," he told her fondly. "It was her who was reluctant."

"You're mated. Don't you think she loves you?"

Emmett shrugged, and it was almost heartbreaking when he said, "Maybe."

"Maybe," she echoed sadly. "Did you consent to becoming her mate?"

"I did. Though, if I'm being honest, I wasn't exactly clear on its meaning at the time." He shrugged. "I don't regret it, but some days, I get the notion that she might."

"But the loyalty, and respect—"

"—are all there," he interjected. "But you can still resent, and hate, and fight. It's a relationship, Bella. Yes, a mate is meant to be your other half, but that doesn't imply that they'll fit perfectly. You're challenged, and you become angry, and you find growth. You gain the responsibility of another life—another consciousness that has their own opinions and beliefs that you have to meld and morph into your own to find equilibrium. It's work."

Her gut twisted. "A relationship is fine, but forever? That's… unimaginable."

"I love Rosalie. I will be by her side until one of us dies—and I'll do my hardest to prevent that from happening." He sounded so sure, and so determined. "And she will do the same. The only difference is that I'll do it all happily, while she probably still fights the bond internally. It causes her pain, and it worsens her mood. I've talked to Jasper about this."

The way Bella perked up instantly at his name wasn't lost on her. "Really? What did he say?"

"It's a very unique pain, he told me. A vampire's nature welcomes a mate—it's meant to bring a sense of belonging and peace. It's a bond so sacred that we have laws that protect it. But… not all bonds are created equally. Some are forced, and some don't come from the heart. But once that venom is exchanged, and the words are said, you're locked in. No matter what you feel."

Bella's eyes closed, because she needed to calm down. Her throat was tightening, and her hands were fidgeting. "It sounds like a curse."

"If you fight it, it very well could be." He sighed. "And Rosalie… I've disappointed her, Bella. She wanted a gifted equal. And when I didn't meet expectations, she grew cold."

That sounded petty and ridiculous. "It's not your fault."

"I know," he said earnestly, but a troubled look came upon his face. "But I never want to see her in pain. No matter how distant, and cruel she can be, I know that she's doing it out of a lack of satisfaction. But—enough of the negativity. We're generally pretty good. It's not the purest mating bond, but after decades, we've made it work."

Bella took a deep breath. "It doesn't sit right with me that she only did this… for Carlisle."

"I did it for Carlisle, too. I just didn't realize it."

Jesus. "The sire bond."

"It's long been dissolved, but yes."

She shook her head. "It's hard for me to accept any of this. It's nonconsensual. It's a betrayal of the mind."

"The mating bond?"

"Yes," she insisted. "You don't agree?"

"You are human," he said gently. "I wouldn't have understood it either until I had the venom to give, and the person to say the words to."

She was certain it wouldn't make a difference, dead or alive. Not to her. "I won't be human for long. And when I'm not, Edward won't want me either." She swallowed thickly. "And if I seem hostile regarding the idea, it's because none of the mating bonds in this family are a healthy depiction of them. If it's such a valued bond, Emmett… Esme wouldn't be scared of Carlisle. Rosalie wouldn't act the way she does with you. And I wouldn't feel forced into eternity with a man who has a disgusting human obsession." She faced him desperately. "Tell me this isn't normal."

Emptily, he looked back at her. "There are good and bad relationships; there are good and bad bonds."

She gritted her teeth. "Carlisle has ruined this family."

"Careful, Bella," Emmett warned quietly, his demeanor instantly changing. Tightening. "Carlisle is the head of this coven, and you're expected to swear fealty to the Cullen name."

Bella stood, the sudden rage and helplessness driving her to her feet. Her breathing was haggard with fear, and loathing, and—

"Yes, Bella. Careful," came a distinct female purr that brought her to attention. "The Cullen name is oh-so sacred." Alice closed the front door as she entered. "Are you ready to see Edward?"

"No."

"Feisty," she noted, her eyes trained on her. "Emmett, go find your mate."

Emmett didn't say another word as he got up and left from the same door Alice had just come through.

Bella's heart beat wildly as Alice took another step closer, her grin wide, and her eyes narrowed in amused scrutiny.

She came closer, circling her like the predator she was always meant to be. Her speed nearly knocked the breath out of her when she materialized directly in front of her, and Bella felt her fingers in her hair.

"Do you know how an animal behaves when they're overwhelmed with terror, Bella?"

Bella hated the way she caressed her, measuring a curl, tugging on it as a lover would do to tease. Entice.

"The animal may start pacing, panting, trembling. Salivating." Alice stared into her eyes. "Pupils will dilate." In one swift motion she grabbed her wrist—the same one Jasper had his teeth in the day before. Her index and middle finger rested on those veins. "Heart rate and blood pressure will rise."

Bella watched as she took that wrist and brought it up to her face.

She inhaled deeply. "Tell me, Jasper, have you missed the hunt?"

Bella blinked, and her head immediately snapped to the stairs. There Jasper stood, his red eyes far, but Bella knew how fresh they must look given the recent feeding.

"I've certainly missed it," Alice said, dropping her wrist, but stepping closer, driving Bella back until her calves hit the couch. Alice grabbed at her forearm, holding her in place. The pain didn't come, but she almost yelped at Alice's proximity as she brought her face closer to her neck. "Delicious."

Alice's other hand came up to her face, admiring her cheekbones. Bella could only breathe as she felt her thumb glide down her lips.

"Always so lovely, isn't she?" She gripped her chin, tilting her head up. "You're exquisite when you're scared." Bella's throat bobbed as she realized Alice was inching closer to her neck. She could have sworn her teeth were bared, merely inches from that primary vein before—

"Alice," came Jasper's warning.

And Alice's head paused, and then lifted. The smile on her face told her she had expected to be stopped. She laughed, her golden eyes both innocent and mischievous, somehow.

"Let's go see your future fiancé," she said delightfully. "I've determined that outdoors would always be safer. Indoors, your scent is just simply… intoxicating." She gave Jasper a long look before tugging at Bella's wrist.

When Bella glanced back at the stairs, Jasper's eyes were trailing her all the way to the door. He cocked his head to the side, his lips downturned.

No matter how much her eyes pleaded, he didn't budge.

And Bella refused to blame him for it.

A/N: This chapter: Proposal preparations, Alice's ties to the Volturi, and mating in the Cullen family.

I'm being teased because of the slowness of this slow burn. I am not sorry for it. This is what I love.

Also, a huge round of applause for my beta, glowingivy, who's going to take some time away to deal with actual life things! Without her, this story and plot wouldn't exist the way it does today.

A little taste for what's coming up:

"If this isn't the family you see yourself with," she said, her voice strained. "If this isn't the lifestyle you want—"

"You speak like I have a choice," Bella spat.

Momentarily she closed her eyes, and then blinked them open. "We can only have one bond. One." Wide eyed, Esme's eyes bore into hers. "One."

See you next week.