Chapter Text
Jasper hurled the tree through the air, where it crashed and snapped another tree in half. The black rage that flowed through him was nothing but destructive. None of his adopted siblings dared to approach him in that state, fearful that the Major had made an appearance.
For decades, he had been regarded as a weak link that didn't have the iron control of the others. A dark laugh escaped him. What the fuck would they think if they saw him hold himself back from lunging across the room and decapitating Josh Waters like he wanted to? In fact, why hadn't he? He should have killed everyone in that room and grabbed his mate and left. Not...whatever this was that he was doing at the moment.
Amelia Swan.
His mate.
His true mate.
She had a boyfriend.
A boyfriend that wanted to fuck her.
He turned back towards the school, his intentions very clear when Alice appeared, hopping down from a tree. He glared down at her, but she remained in place, her neck exposed in a gesture of submission.
The Major had made an appearance after all.
He said nothing, watching as Alice carefully thought her words and actions through. "Please don't go into the school," she finally said, looking up at him.
The black rage flared up again at her words. "Why?" He snarled. He took a deliberate step forward. "Are you trying to separate me from my mate?"
Alice took a step backward. He could feel the undercurrent of fear in her emotions. Good. She needed to realize who the fuck she was dealing with. "No," she breathed out. "No! I know you want to kill him..." Her eyes met his again. "Think of how it would hurt Amelia."
A growl resounded in his chest and he took another step forward. Alice took a step back, the fear rolling off her in waves. "She doesn't know you, and she doesn't know you are her mate."
He regarded the tiny vampire before him disdainfully. "That doesn't explain why I should remain here and let my mate be with another man." His eyes narrowed dangerously. "Have you lost your damn mind?"
"Do you want her or not?" Alice lifted her chin. The question galled him. He was not to be questioned or challenged. Alice was bolder than most. It was why Jasper had been her companion for more than half a century.
And it was why the pixie thought she could get away with this stunt. Fool.
He shot forward. Alice was a blur as she moved to the side, but in a flash of a second, he had her by the throat and up in the air, a cruel smile dancing across his face. "You forget that I don't have to decide, suga," he reminded her. "I act on instinct." His hand squeezed her neck and Alice tried to pry his arms off but he wouldn't budge.
"She's the Chief of Police's daughter," she gasped out. "Amelia's had a rough life full of traumatic events. Killing her boyfriend is only going to add to her pain." He could feel the fear rolling off her in waves. One wrong word and he would remove her head, their long history be damned.
Amelia belonged with him. Not that scrawny two-bit trash. However, her words had an effect. He could feel Jasper warring within him, concerned about traumatizing Amelia further.
"And what if I kill this boy when Amelia isn't around?" He asked, shaking Alice slightly. "What then?"
"Whether in front of her or when she's somewhere else, you will only cause her pain," the tiny vampire choked out. "Don't go back into the school," she begged. "She will come to you, just be patient. And that relationship of hers has run its course. Amelia is just not sure how to get out of it, especially when Josh has been there for her."
"All the more reason I should kill him," he snarled. "She wouldn't have to think about how to leave that fool." He squeezed her throat tighter, the sounds of cracking skin echoing in the forest. Still, there was Jasper and he found Alice's words compelling enough.
It went against his very nature. "The boy will live," he said coldly, dropping Alice to the ground. "For now."
Alice coughed and clenched her throat as it began to heal. The Major gave her one last cold look before there was a shift and he retreated, allowing Jasper to regain dominance. He would better handle a situation that called for "restraint".
Jasper let out a deep sigh as he felt some of the black rage retreat. "You're asking a lot, Alice," he said, not bothering to hide the edge in his voice. He looked down at Alice and helped her to her feet. "Sorry about that."
"I know, but it'll work out in the end," The pixie said, rubbing her throat. There was still a hint of fear in her but the most prominent emotion she felt was relief. "And this is all for Amelia's sake, which by the way, you know you scared her right?"
Yes, he knew that, and it wasn't his intention. "I wasn't angry with her," he said flatly. "I was angry at him." Even now he felt close to summoning the Major once more. The thought of his mate with someone else enraged him.
"He has a family you know," Alice said. "His father owns an inn, and his mother invited Esme to a garden party..."
"I don't care." His tone was curt. "He means nothing to me. The fact that he's even breathing right now is a mercy."
Alice let out a soft sigh. He could feel her exasperation and disappointment. "Jazz..."
There was nothing else to say. All that remained was how to best approach his mate and how to get her away from that so-called boyfriend of hers.
"Why don't you go home and take some time to cool off?" Alice suggested. "I think it would be in everyone's best interest..."
Nothing would cool him off at the moment. However, knowing he was close to snapping, he decided to take Alice's advice and turned on his heel and disappeared into the forest, the trees and branches whirring past him as he raced back to the house.
He stormed into the empty house and up the stairs into his bedroom, trying to calm his raging emotions. It was several hours later, when his siblings came home, shocked and confused over what happened.
"Jazzman, you have a mate?" Emmett questioned, his eyebrows raised, brimming with curiosity. They had gathered around the table in the unused dining room.
"She's human," Rosalie said grimly. "I saw her in Spanish."
Jasper glared at his twin. "And what did you do?" He knew how Rose behaved towards humans. And he wasn't going to tolerate it when it came to his mate.
"I didn't do anything." His twin gave him an exasperated look. "You better not expose us, Jasper."
Better? Who was she trying to dictate to? "She's my mate," he growled. "Surely you ain't such a fool as to think I would abandon my mate?"
"No," Alice interrupted trying to smooth over the brimming fight. "We wouldn't expect that at all."
"Who is the girl?" Emmett asked impatiently.
"Amelia Swan," Edward supplied. "She's one of Charlie Swan's daughters. He adopted her when she was six."
Now Jasper found himself curious. "What happened to her birth parents?"
"They died in a house fire," Edward answered. "They weren't the best of parents, and Amelia herself was quite the difficult one apparently."
A low warning growl had his adopted brother holding his hands up in surrender. "I'm only repeating the rumors. It seems she sorted herself out. She was in alternative, which is why we probably haven't seen her."
Jasper's frown deepened. Alternative School? Then today must have been her first day in the regular part of the school. And he knew he frightened her. He needed to deal with her and that boy.
Edward's eyes snapped towards him and he scowled. Stay. Out. Of. My. Head. He was not in the mood for Edward's prying. And besides, he did say that the boy would live. It didn't mean that he would allow him and Amelia to remain together for long.
"I'll handle it," he snapped out. "First thing tomorrow."
"By telling her our secret?" Rose hissed.
He met her glare evenly. "No, but that will come eventually. And in case you've forgotten the law, Rose, it's only a problem if I don't intend to change her." And he would change her.
Later that evening, after explaining the situation to Carlisle and Esme, he retired to his room, thinking about how he would approach Amelia tomorrow. That boy, Josh, had called her Lia. Was it a personal nickname? Or was that the name she preferred? Even now, he recalled a perfect picture of her features: warm topaz skin, honey brown eyes beneath those glasses of hers, and black hair with brown highlights that fell to the middle of her back. And he had felt the hint of lust from her emotions that let him know she was attracted to him.
The next morning, he had a quick hunt, before taking a quick shower and getting ready for school. He borrowed Emmett's Jeep instead of getting into Edward's Volvo with the others. He made it to school at least twenty minutes before the first bell and waited in the parking lot. As he waited, he pulled out a biography that was just released on Thaddeus Stevens. He didn't bother looking up at any of the cars that pulled into the parking lot, he didn't need to, all he needed was the familiar scent of apricot and marigold to hit his nose.
About ten minutes passed when it did. His head snapped in the direction of a dark red sedan, where Amelia was happening to get out. Today she wasn't in a skirt, she wore a pair of denim jeans that revealed her long and shapely legs. And on top, she was wearing a brown sweater with gray-brown sleeves. Her hair was in a low ponytail and she on her cellphone as she slung her backpack over her shoulders.
Well, time for him to make his move. He strode across the parking lot, cutting Amelia off just as she reached the front entrance.
"Wait, hold on, I'll talk to you later," Amelia said into her phone before she slid it into her bag. "You." It was simple yet it carried the weight of accusation with it..
Jasper gave her a nod. "Yes, me." He could keep it simple too.
"What was that yesterday?" She asked bluntly, simmering with anger. "Especially second period?"
"That," he emphasized clearly. "Was not directed at you."
"So you're going to deny staring at me?"
He couldn't help the smirk that came over his lips then. "Oh I don't deny that part," he said. "But my anger was not directed at you. You have my apologies all the same. I didn't mean to scare you."
Her emotions were a whirl of distrust, suspicion, annoyance, and anger. "Who were you angry at then?"
That thing you call a boyfriend, he wanted to say, but he held his tongue in that quick fraction of a moment. "That doesn't matter. All you need to know is that you weren't the target of it."
"You sure about that?" Her tone was full of acid. "What did you tell your sister? Why was she glaring at me in Spanish?"
"Nothing." And it was the truth. "Rose acts like that with pretty much everyone."
Amelia took a deep breath. "Alright, look," she began. "I'm trying to be on my best behavior and you..."
Jasper cut her off. "I'm not here to get you in any trouble, suga." He would get right to it. "We got off on the wrong foot and I thought I should fix that." He gave her a smile. "I'm Jasper Hale."
There was still a hint of lingering confusion and distrust, however, there was some hint of resignation and weariness, so she nodded. "Fine. I'm Amelia Swan, but everyone calls me Lia."
"Lia," he tried the nickname. It was nice enough, though he didn't think it exactly suited her. "Well Lia, I'm sorry about yesterday, and I hope this doesn't make things between us awkward."
Her eyes softened a bit and she was going to say something when they were interrupted. "Lia!" Josh Waters called over, though Jasper caught his scent before he thought to approach. He willed himself to calm down as Josh raced up to Amelia and kissed her cheek.
The Major began to rattle at the cage he was held in. As he felt the restraints slowly loosening, Amelia turned back to him. "Well, I appreciate the apology," she said. "I'll see you in class, Jasper." With that, she walked off, hand in hand with Josh, to physics.
Or at least that would have happened if Jasper hadn't sent a painful emotional cocktail towards Josh.
In his long years on earth, Jasper had felt a variety of emotions. He learned each individual emotion and how to replicate it. He also learned how emotions could combine with one another due to certain situations, even the tiny variations that could be specific to a person or moment. In that instant, he sent Josh the feelings of an old man having a heart attack. The fear, the agony, the desperation for it to all end were now coursing through the 18 year old motherfucker who dared to claim his mate. The fact that the boy didn't know what was happening or where the pain was coming from only added to the negative experience.
This was a fact that pleased both Jasper and the Major.
Josh collapsed to the ground writhing in agony from the turmoil he felt, a loud scream erupting from his lips. Amelia let out a startled scream, dropping to her knee next to him, holding his head as he twisted every which way, trying to escape the pain.
As if Jasper would allow him to.
He strode over to Amelia and knelt next to her as several students rushed over. He signaled the nearest teacher, the gym teacher, Mr. Brooks, who came running to the scene.
"Get back," Jasper ordered the small crowd that was beginning to form. "Give him some room."
Mr. Brooks knelt on the other side of Josh and touched his forehead. "What happened?" He asked, looking around.
"I don't know," Amelia answered, clearly shaken. "He was fine, and then he was on the ground!" Her honey brown eyes were wide with worry. Her emotions were a whirlpool of fear, worry, sadness, and a hint of affection.
Josh's wails became louder and people began to pull out their phones.
"Should we call an ambulance?" a student asked, finger ready to dial 911.
"Let's get him to the school nurse, first," Mr. Brooks said, turning his head towards Jasper. "Help me get him to the nurse's office."
Jasper nodded and slid Josh's arm around his shoulder, pretending to exert effort, as he helped Mr. Brooks lift Josh to his feet. He eased the emotional cocktail, causing the boy to let out a soft groan, but he was able to walk.
Once they reached the nurse's office, Jasper abruptly ended the attack, though Josh was still shaken and reacting with his own emotions. It would be enough to keep him in the nurse's office, and they might even send him home for the day.
Good. The Major's voice rang in his head. He's lucky that he's not dead.
He headed back to class and took a seat at the back of the room. He didn't miss Amelia's fretful looks, though it pissed him off that it was because of what happened to Waters.
In second period, she caught up to him and took a seat next to him. "Is Josh okay?" She asked quietly, though her emotions told a different story.
He turned to fully face her, drinking in her features before he finally answered. "He'll be fine." He didn't need the nurse to tell him the results of his own actions. "Might be shaken up for a while."
Her relief was instantaneous and she let out an involuntary breath and her shoulders dropped slightly. "Oh, thank god," she murmured, taking off her glasses. She wiped at her eyes and took a deep shuddering breath.
Jasper was many things. He knew he was capable of great ruthlessness and cruelty. After all, it was no accident that he had earned the title of the Major, or the God of War. He did not regret what he did to Waters. It was necessary and there was not a vampire in the world that would tolerate their true mate being with someone else. He acted as his nature demanded.
All the same, he reached over to touch her hand. "Don't cry," he said, adding a certain gentleness to his tone. "He'll be okay."
Amelia sucked in a deep breath and nodded. "Okay," she said quietly. "Thank you for letting me know."
"You're welcome," he said as the bell rang, signaling the start of class.
The disarray of her emotions, let him know that she was still distracted. He glanced over (not that he wasn't paying attention) and noticed that she was working on a drawing. And from the looks of it, she was very talented.
"You like to draw?" He asked quietly.
She glanced at him and gave him a tired smile. "Very much," she said in a low voice. "It's one of my gifts."
Gifts? Meaning there were others. "Are you as talented with your other gifts?" He asked, gently teasing, yet curious too.
"Hmm. hm." She hummed. Her eyes met his. "I take very good pictures too."
Drawing and photography. Seemed like she was the artsy type. He felt a flare of curiosity from her as she looked up from her work and gave him a side glance. "What about you?"
"What about me?" He asked, a teasing smirk on his face.
"What are your gifts?"
He was the God of War. Order, brutality, strategy, war, and cunning were his gifts. Of course, his physical gift...well eventually he would tell her about that.
Jasper shrugged. "My gifts...I do not have gifts like yours."
Her brow furrowed slightly. "That's not true," she argued. "Everyone has a gift. What do you like to do?" Her emotions were beginning to settle into an easy calm, now that her focus was on him.
As it should be. The Major rumbled. We are her mate after all, and not that wretch in the nurse's office.
"I don't have to, but I do like running things," he answered. "And I am kind of a scholar."
"What do you-" She was cut off when the teacher slammed a pencil down. "Ms. Swan!"
"Sorry," Amelia mumbled.
"Don't let it happen again," the teacher warned. "You can't afford to not pay attention." His irritation began to rise. He didn't have much tolerance for people interrupting his time with his mate.
Shame and embarrassment flooded Amelia and she looked down at her drawing, before sliding it underneath her notebook, which was blank. Her pen idly tapped the desk as she tried to focus on the teacher. Her emotions suggested this was easier said than done.
"I have the notes," Jasper said, making sure the teacher wouldn't be able to hear him, but Amelia would. "We can meet during flex, and you can copy them."
Another wave of relief and gratitude rolled off of her and she gave him a small smile and nodded, before turning to face the teacher once more.
After class, he caught her as she exited the room, as that was the last class they had together for the day. "Why don't you come with me to the computer lab and you can copy my notes there?"
He could feel her hesitation warring with her desire to go. What was she thinking of? "Something wrong?" He asked, keeping his tone casual.
"It's not you," Amelia said, clearly flustered. "I'd be a terrible girlfriend though if I didn't check on Josh first..."
"I'll take you to the nurse's office, and then we can head to the computer lab," he said calmly, willing himself not to focus too much on the phrase 'I'd be a terrible girlfriend'. "Sound fair?"
There was a perk in her emotions at this and she nodded. "Okay," she agreed.
He turned on his heel and led her through the long hall and back in the direction of the nurse's office. As he suspected, Josh wasn't there, though the nurse eased Amelia's worries with a simple. "He'll be fine, dear. We just sent him home for a day's rest."
After that, they headed back to the computer lab where Jasper dutifully handed her his British Lit notes (not that he needed to take them, it just gave him the added appearance of being a student), which a relieved Amelia sat down to copy.
"Isn't it funny?" Amelia let out a slight chuckle. "We got off to a rough start and now you've been such a life savior." She let out a soft sigh. "It's a good thing we met after all."
He bit back a smug smile. "I guess some things are just meant to happen."
Amelia went back to copying his notes when she gave him another look, her curiosity flaring up once more. "I never got to finish my question. You're a scholar..what do you like to learn about?"
His eyebrows shot up. "I suppose if I had to pick, it would be history, philosophy, and business." His private study was stacked with hundreds of books on all three subjects.
"Wow, none of those three subjects are my strong points," Amelia said as she continued copying his notes.
"I take it art is your favorite subject?" He questioned.
This time, she gave him a smirk, which sent a hot fire that warmed his dead heart. "It is," she confirmed. "But it's not the only subject I do well in, and contrary to the stereotype, I do happen to like a bit of math."
"You taking any math this year?"
"Pre-Cal," Amelia said, setting her pen down and closing her notebook, before handing him his notes. "Thank you."
"You're welcome, suga," he said warmly, just as the bell rang.
Amelia began to put her things into her bag and rose to her feet. "See you around, Jasper," she said before leaving the computer lab.
He watched her go before he finally got up and went to his next class.
At lunch, he joined his siblings, who gave him various looks of curiosity and reproach. Word of what happened had spread around the school. Of course, it wouldn't take his siblings long to figure out what really happened.
"That was cruel," Alice stated with a shake of her head. "Understandable but cruel."
"You got a vision?" Jasper picked up an apple and began to peel it with his fingers. It had been a split decision on his part.
"No." Alice frowned. "Edward picked it up in the minds of several students. It wasn't hard to figure out."
He shrugged. "Better me than the Major." Though a part of him did wonder if a bit of the Major had slipped through when he attacked Waters.
"What are you going to do now?" Emmett questioned.
Jasper set the peeled apple down. "Right now, I'm getting to know my mate."
"And?" Emmett continued. "You might as well spill it, man."
"And I'm getting to know her," he repeated slowly. "There's not much to tell outside of basic exchanges." Not that it didn't mean the world to him, but still he knew what basic courtesies were.
"And what are you going to do if she remains with her boyfriend?" Rose asked, raising a golden eyebrow.
A growl erupted from his chest, causing his adopted siblings to shoot him various glares. "He's heading for the wagon yard." Let them make of that what they will. Come hell or high water, Waters was as good as gone. Either Waters would leave Amelia, or Jasper would send him into the willing arms of death.