Bella buried the bear carcass with a grim sense of satisfaction. She usually didn't crave bears, but she wanted the challenge in addition to a satisfying meal. Bear had always had a refreshing taste to her. They reminded her of the grass shakes with a hint of cucumber that she used to drink back home in Phoenix.

The solitude was gratifying. It was the chance to think without everyone else overwhelming her. So many things were on her mind at once; she wasn't sure what to address first. There was Edward (who she was done with end of story) and now Jasper. She couldn't deny the bond she felt towards him, but she was cautious because of his past. A part of her said that since more than a century had passed and his behavior when she was human never set off any warning bells, that she could let it go, but then the more dominant part of her had to be sure.

Hours passed before she decided it was time to go back. It didn't take long for her to return to the house where she saw Jasper, Peter, and Charlotte at the entrance chatting, when they noticed her approach from a distance. She didn't see Edward, but she knew he was somewhere close by as she saw that the Cullen's vehicles were still there, and she barely refrained from rolling her eyes. He was such a fucking pest, and she didn't want to deal with him chasing after her and begging for another chance.

"You enjoy your hunt?" Jasper asked, quietly studying her.

"It was good to get some space," she said, her eyes darting around for any sign of Edward.

"He's not here, suga," Jasper offered, noticing her slight uneasiness. "Though I can take care of him if you like."

Despite everything, Bella laughed a bit. "No, that's fine. He can brood and pout, but he doesn't have any other option."

"He's a thick-headed fool, that's for sure." Peter shook his head.

"He's always been like that," Bella admitted. "It was frustrating then, and it is now."

"I'll bet." Charlotte snorted, but her face softened. "We'll be out here if there is any trouble."

Bella looked at Jasper, who shook his head. "The Major won't make another appearance, the others aren't idiots like Edward, and even then, I don't need the Major to deal with Edward." Interesting. So that whole incident had been for sport? She opened the door. Well, Edward was the one who created the entire mess; she wouldn't feel sorry that he had bitten off more than he could chew.

She walked through the foyer and into the living room. The Cullens were there, and they had clearly been talking, but they were quiet now, regarding her with various expressions that she couldn't be bothered with.

Carlisle stepped forward. "Bella, I-"

There was no need to rehash it. "You already apologized. I haven't forgiven, nor have I forgotten, but you don't need to repeat yourself."

"But it is necessary for me to apologize." Esme stepped forward; sadness etched on her face. "I am so sorry for leaving you."

Bella stared at her for several seconds before she nodded curtly. Alice and Emmett both looked like they wanted to say something, but they didn't. And of course, Rosalie glared at her.

"Are you up for some training now?" She directed at Kate, who stared at her in disbelief.

"Are you sure? You seem..."

She cut her off. "I'm fine right now; I want to work on my mental shield."

Kate exchanged a look with her sisters. "Okay, meet me outside in five."

Bella patiently waited for the five minutes that Kate requested before meeting her outside in a small field. Kate stood across from her observing her along with Garrett.

And they had an audience as well. Jasper stood off to the side with Peter and Charlotte, watching with interest and what appeared to be some concern, but she ignored him and turned her focus back to Kate.

"Okay, let's start with Garrett, and let's see if you can expand your shield all the way over here." Kate backed up several more feet, pulling Garrett with her. It was farther than Bella had ever attempted to shield, but she was willing and ready to try.

She focused on her shield, picturing the elastic of it and, with great effort, pushed at it. After a few moments, it began to move, and it kept going until it snapped back when she was only halfway there. Damn it!

With a sigh of frustration, she tried again, concentrating even harder as she pushed the shield out. She wrapped it around Garrett and nodded towards Kate. "Okay."

Kate grinned and touched Garrett, who was bracing himself. Nothing happened, and his face lit up with relief, and Kate had a look of pride on her face. "Good!"

Bella smiled tightly, and Kate gave her a sly smile. "Keep it there. Half an hour."

"Half an hour?!" She felt herself panic, and she forced herself to calm down.

"I think you can do it," Kate called out cheerfully. She turned to their audience. "What does everyone else think!"

"You can do it, Bella!" Peter cheered, and Bella blinked, and then suddenly, her shield snapped back to her.

"Fuck!"

A loud crack echoed across the field.

"Ow! Major, that hurt!" Peter was clutching his side, though Bella was almost sure that it didn't hurt as much as Peter was claiming.

"It should, you idiot, look what you did!" Jasper suddenly appeared at her side, and a wave of calm washed over her, and she gave him an accusing look.

"Jasper!"

"It will help you concentrate," he explained. "Try again. I won't do anything else."

Bella nodded and concentrated before she pushed her shield back out and let it envelop Garrett. "Okay, Kate, go ahead!"

This time, Kate smiled deviously and wrapped her arms around Garrett's waist, who flinched but remained calm as her electric current didn't affect him.

"Keep track of the time, will you?" Bella directed at Jasper. "I'm not even sure I can hold it for thirty minutes."

"You can, suga," he said simply. "It's just a matter of now or later."

Bella gave him a small smile and turned her focus back to Garrett and Kate. "Kate, have you ever tried expanding your electrical current?"

Kate grinned. "I did. Now it covers my entire body."

Bella shook her head. "No, I meant like I'm doing with my shield."

Kate laughed. "Oh, I tried over the centuries. But no, I'm afraid my gift doesn't work like that."

"Five minutes," Jasper called out after some time had passed, and Bella felt her face drop. "So short?"

"You'll get there sooner than you think," he assured her. She wasn't so sure. That had felt much longer than five minutes.

She took a deep breath and forced herself to remain calm. It was her shield, and it was going to do what she wanted it to do.

"Ten minutes," Jasper called out, giving her an appreciative nod.

Bella groaned, but her shield kept up and over Garret. "Was it hard to control your gift when you became a vampire?"

"I was lucky in that I had some military training because it helped me to gain control of myself much quicker. My problem at first was projecting my own emotions unconsciously, but I quickly learned how to prevent that from happening unless I wanted it to," Jasper explained. "My gift is three parts: I can feel the emotions of those around me, I can project my own, and I can manipulate emotions."

"Parts?" Bella mused. "I would never have thought of a gift in that way."

"It's something that helped me, though I'd imagine not every vampire sees it the same way." Jasper grinned. "So, with your gift..."

"I can shield myself, and I can shield others!" She felt a rush of excitement.

"Is that all?" Jasper asked, a knowing look in his eye. "Fifteen minutes."

Bella frowned. "I'm sure I can't do anything else..." She looked back up at her mate. "I can take my shield off of Garrett."

Jasper looked back at a somewhat uneasy Garrett. "You can, though right now, I'm sure he would be in a lot of pain."

"I can lift the shield off my mind," Bella said, feeling nothing but shock and awe before reality hit. "But...why would I do that?"

Jasper laughed. "That's a good point, but I'm sure there are some gifts that it wouldn't harm you to let down your shield." His face darkened. "Like Edward's."

Now it was her turn to laugh. "I would never let that piece of shit read my mind," she bit out, and Jasper's expression lightened somewhat. Was he jealous of Edward? She scowled. He didn't have a reason to be!

Surprisingly, her shield had held, even during her distracting conversation with Jasper. But she was a vampire, and she could multitask.

"Twenty minutes," Jasper called out.

"Good!" Kate yelled before she said to Garrett. "Ten more minutes, baby."

"So, um," she looked at Jasper somewhat shyly. "Tell me some more about yourself."

"Well, I was born in Houston in 1840, and I was changed in 1863 at the age of 23." He observed her, waiting for her reaction.

"Okay." It was kind of obvious that he was born sometime in the Antebellum era. "I think you know when I was born?"

"September 13, 1987, in Forks, Washington," he said easily.

She nodded. "I was changed at 22 in 2010."

His eyes darkened somewhat. "Laurent," he said shortly, no doubt recalling the story she had told him.

"Yeah, I was a double major in English Literature and Business with a minor in Culinary Arts. I would have graduated, but Laurent caught me while I was on spring break."

"History, Philosophy, Sociology, and Political Science, are my main majors, and I do have minors in business, logic, and religious studies."

"Oh, wow, those are some serious subjects." But then again, she could understand it knowing the little she knew of his background.

He nodded. "You can always go back and finish Bella," he said gently.

"I was in Florida, Jasper, I can't go back there-"

"Twenty-five minutes," he called out before focusing directly on her. "You can, there's night school and distance learning."

"And what about money?" She crossed her arms. "You know I've never had much of it, and I'm a nomad so, it's still not an option."

"Money?" Jasper said in disbelief, his golden eyebrows rising slightly. "That's not an issue, suga, I have plenty of it."

Not this shit again. "No," she said firmly. "I'm not taking your money, that wouldn't be appropriate, and you know it. I had that conversation too many times with Edward."

Jasper's eyes narrowed, and a slight growl reverberated from his chest. "Edward?" He hissed. "I'm not him. And our relationship is not the same as the one you had with that dumbass."

She glared at him, and he met her gaze defiantly. "I'm not going to force you to buy expensive clothes or things that aren't to your taste Bella. But as my mate, it is okay for you to use the money I have and yes on things like college."

Okay, he did have a point there. "Alright," she conceded, and they fell into silence. She began to feel her shield strain, but she wouldn't let it snap back. Stay out there. She chanted inwardly, hoping that it would reach thirty minutes soon.

"Thirty minutes," Jasper called out, and Bella's eyed widened, and she let out a happy yell and leaped into the air. At least, until her shield snapped back and she felt a mental overload that sent her stumbling back.

Jasper caught her, his eyes filled with concern. "Easy there, suga."

"I'm fine," Bella assured him. "Really, I am! And you know what? It wasn't even that much of a strain until the very end."

Kate and Garrett came over, the latter with a sullen expression on his face. "I'm sorry," Bella said, feeling pangs of guilt.

"Don't worry about it." He grimaced. "At least I was fine for the majority of the time."

"You were," Kate agreed. "Bella, this is amazing. You've improved quite a bit."

Bella gave her a slight smile before Peter and Charlotte joined them. "You're a natural, Bella," Peter complimented with a wide grin.

"I wouldn't say that," she grumbled. "I didn't even know I had a gift until Eleazar told me." It was something that made her feel quite stupid.

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Jasper said, giving her a pointed look. "You can't know what you don't know, and you didn't have all the necessary information about our world for which I am sorry, and I am sorry for leaving you."

His apology threw her off guard, which must have shown on her face because he gave her a somewhat exasperated look. "You didn't think I owed you one?"

She hesitated. "We weren't close back then."

"True, but we can change that now." He gently took her hand. "And I am sorry for my past, my human one in particular."

Okay, now that one made more sense, and she appreciated it. "Okay," she said softly, for it was all she could give him at the moment.

"Well, I think that's enough training for now," Kate said after a moment of silence. "Give yourself a mental break, and we can continue training tomorrow."

That was perfectly fine with Bella, and still holding Jasper's hand, pulled him along after her, headed towards the mountains.

Jasper quickly matched her stride though she noted, he didn't let go of her hand. And it was also perfectly fine with her even if she didn't say anything. She was all over the place with this man.

"We going somewhere, darlin?" Jasper asked, and she could hear the faint trace of amusement in his voice.

She gave him a challenging look. "Well, I thought you maybe wanted to go mountain climbing with me, but if you can't do it..."

Jasper's golden eyes lit up, and he grinned. "Which ones?"

"The ones right here; at the Denali State Park." With that, she took off, headed southeast towards the mountains that she sometimes explored on her own.

Jasper caught up with her in a matter of seconds, and the two ran through a mess of trees until they reached the open fields and rolling hills and small valleys.

The view was breathtaking, and her eyes saw everything, even if everything was a blur as she moved. They soon reached the base of the mountain, and she began to climb it until she reached a precipice on the mountain. Jasper kept up with her easily, and when she stopped, he gave her a curious glance.

She faced him. "Are you feeling my emotions right now?"

He nodded. "I can feel them all, and I think I understand most of them, except the nervousness."

She held her hands out shyly, and he took them, though she could tell it increased his curiosity.

"I need you to be honest with me."

"Always," he said softly. "But what in particular?"

"You feel mine," she pointed out. "I'm wondering if you will return the favor?"

His eyebrows rose slightly, but he said nothing, and Bella took that as her opportunity to push. "I want to know how you feel about me."

"You still don't know?"

"I know what you say," she pointed out. "It'll be easier for me if I can see how you feel."

"Right now? Or perhaps when I first saw you and realized you were my mate at Tanya's house?"

That would do. "Yes," she said, and he nodded and gently squeezed her hands before an overwhelming wave of emotions washed over her.

Her knees almost gave out from the force of them, but Jasper held her in place as she took in the depth of his feelings towards her. Desire, attraction, interest, happiness, and excitement. She looked up at him, stunned, and yet somewhat delighted that he had felt that way when he saw her.

"And they'll get stronger the more time flies and the better we get to know each other," Jasper said, tucking a stray kinky curl behind her ear. "You're my mate, and I will never let you go."

Bella believed him. And she didn't want him to let her go. "Okay," she said, giving him a soft smile.

A couple of days after, tensions were still high between the Cullens and the Whitlocks, but at least Edward didn't bother her anymore.

"I think, give it another week or two of practice, and then you'll be all set," Kate informed her, early that morning.

"Good, and then we can leave," Bella said, but noticing Kate's face drop slightly, she added: "And of course, you'll have my number, and y'all can come and visit us." And she did mean that. Bella had no problems with the Denali, and she was grateful that Kate was helping her with her gift.

Kate's face lit up. "I'd like that," she said before she dropped her voice and speeded it up. "What about the Cullens?"

Bella stiffened slightly at the mention of them. "What about them?" She asked quietly at vampire speed. "There is nothing to say to them. They made their choice."

Kate looked at her for a few moments before she nodded. "Okay," she said. "I'll see you this afternoon for practice."

"That's good because I'm going on a run with Jasper right now," Bella explained. While they were taking things slowly, she could spend time with him, and she liked to go running.

Kate grinned. "Well, have fun then."

Bella smiled. "I hope so." With that, she returned to her room, where she changed into a pair of dark blue wash skinny jeans and a purple knitted sweater with a couple of black ankle boots. She went downstairs, where Jasper awaited her.

"Mornin, darlin," he drawled out, looking every inch the god he was. He was wearing a comfortable grey long-sleeved shirt and a pair of dark blue jeans with the cowboy boots she was beginning to understand that he liked.

"I'm glad you enjoy the view, Bella," Jasper said, his lips curling into a sexy smirk. If she were human, she would have blushed. "You ready?"

"Yeah, let's go," Bella said before she darted out the door.

Running as a vampire never got tiring. She was born to be a vampire, no matter what Edward might have thought. Jasper kept up with her as they raced through the Denali National Park till they came upon a large clear lake.

"Chetlana Lake," Jasper said as they stopped at the edges of the water. "I've been here a couple of times while hunting."

"It's beautiful," Bella breathed as she took in the view. The sapphire blue of the lake was gorgeous.

"It is," Jasper agreed before a mischievous look came into his eyes. "Care for a swim?"

"Swimming? Right now?" He couldn't be serious! They weren't even in proper swimwear!

Jasper pulled his boots off with a dangerous smile. "Yes, right now. It's been a while."

Okay then. Bella placed her boots next to his before she touched the water with her bare toe. Refreshingly cool, not that it meant much to her skin.

Jasper dove straight into the water without hesitation before he resurfaced a few feet away, clearly waiting for her. Bella waded into the water before she forced herself to relax and enjoy the lake. "Not bad," she called out. She hadn't done much swimming when she was human, but her basket case of a mother had made sure she had gotten lessons in Phoenix. As a vampire, there were a few occasions that had required her to swim, but she mainly stuck to land.

She swam several feet from Jasper before she resurfaced. She was about to tell him to come underwater with her when she felt arms wrap around her legs and pull her down.

Bella barely got out of scream before she was underwater. Her enhanced eyes allowed her to see through the murky depths, and she caught sight of flaming orange hair wisping around her. Victoria! She fought, but the other woman had the upper hand, and she couldn't break free. Hadn't Jasper heard her scream? He had to have known something was wrong! She struggled, but Victoria kept her grip, and fighting underwater was awkward and unfamiliar to her. She felt a searing pain, and she realized with horror that her arm been ripped off. Her struggles increased, trying to fight against the pain and the inevitably of death if she didn't break free.

Jasper! Jasper! She thought wildly. Or maybe Alice would see what was happening. She had to make a decision, but what? She couldn't stop fighting!

Suddenly she was free, and she kicked herself away and around from the redhead who glared at her before for a moment before she swam away. Bella looked around for her missing arm and grabbed it before she kicked to the surface with a scream. "Jasper!"

In a matter of seconds, he surfaced and swam towards her, his eyes pitch black with rage before he gathered her in his arm and used the other to propel them to the shore. And just in time to see Peter and Charlotte bursting through the trees, with matching expressions of concern as Jasper pulled her onto the shore and sat her down.

Bella found herself trembling and breathing heavily as the weight of what just happened occurred to her. She felt a wave of calm wash over as Jasper kneeled in front of her and took her arm as Peter and Charlotte neared.

"Major," Peter said, and Bella could hear the caution in his voice. Bella could have laughed at the fact she didn't notice the change, but the other part of wondered why the Major was out again. What had taken him so long?

"Hold her," the Major commanded, and Peter gently but firmly took Bella by one shoulder, and Charlotte took her by the other.

Bella began to panic, but a wave of calm mixed with drowsiness kept her from struggling.

She saw a blur of movement as Jasper's hand shot forward, and a tremendous force slammed into her shoulder. Bella would have fallen over, but Peter and Charlotte kept ahold of her.

A loud wail escaped her lips as the agony of her arm, attaching to her shoulder, coursed through her.

"Captain, report," the Major said brusquely.

"My gift told us to come here," Peter said formally. "What do you want us to do?"

"There are four bodies in the lake in pieces," the Major responded, and Bella's eyes widened in surprise. "Bring them to me."

Peter and Charlotte took off into the lake while Bella looked up at Jasper. "Four bodies?" She panted through the pain.

Those black eyes hardened, and she felt a shiver of fear at the thought of what he had done to the others. "They tried to catch me off guard and drag me under."

"Victoria,...she grabbed me...and tore my arm off. But she ran."

"It'll be the last time she escapes," he growled before he picked her up and ran into the forest. He sat her down on a boulder and disappeared for a few moments before returning with a small red fox that had its head snapped.

He held it out to her. "Drink," he ordered.

Bella took the fox and sank her teeth into its neck, allowing the blood to flow into her mouth and down her throat. She drained it, before she flung it away, taking a deep breath when she realized her shoulder didn't hurt as much.

She stood up, feeling odd and out of sorts as she was soaking wet, and her arm had just been ripped off and reattached. But underneath it all, she was angry, she wanted Victoria's head.

The Major looked her over before he gave her a look that said "follow" and took off back towards the lake.

They reached it to see Peter and Charlotte with a pile of limbs, heads, and torsos, along with a panicked looking Emmett and Alice.

"Bella!" Alice shouted as they approached.

"I'm assuming you saw a decision and knew what was going on?"

"Yes," Alice said, her golden eyes filled with worry and anxiety. "Emmett and I went on a quick hunt, so when I got the vision, we came straight here."

"To do what?" The Major asked, impatiently, staring down Alice, who flinched and looked away from him. He clearly didn't like Alice. Bella would have to ask Jasper what exactly happened between him and the Cullens after her disastrous birthday party. She knew they weren't together, but why?

"We'll help in any way we can," Emmett promised before turning to Bella. "I let you down, Bella, and I am sorry. I don't expect things to go back to normal, but I want to help you."

"I'm sorry too," Alice chimed in quietly. "But I still care about you. You were the best friend I ever had."

Bella nodded before she pointed to the pile Charlotte and Peter had gathered. "I guess we'll have to take them back to the house?"

The Major glanced at the pile of bodies, his eyes glinting with contained rage and intended cruelty. He picked up a head, that of an 18 or 19-year-old with black hair and slightly tanned skin. Peter and Charlotte quickly found the matching parts, and the vampire was put together once again.

Bella was alarmed, thinking he might attack them, but he remained on the ground, groaning and moaning.

"Your name?" The Major prompted, kicking him squarely underneath his neck, causing the unknowing vampire to gag and cough for several moments.

"Raoul," the vampire gasped out, his voice edged with a Spanish accent.

"That was some attempt back there," her mate drawled, kneeling beside the vampire. "One of the most cowardly attacks I've seen in my years, but the four of you attacking me underwater?" His smile was terrible. "That was new, at least."

"You're the God of War," Raoul moaned out.

Peter and Charlotte took their places on either side of Raoul, holding him in his place.

"I am." He flexed his fingers before shoving two of them straight into Raoul's eyes. His screams echoed across the lake and through the forest.

Alice looked away, while Emmett watched grimly. Peter and Charlotte remained stoic, their expressions like trained soldiers. Bella found the action brutal, but she couldn't say it was undeserved. It angered and disgusted her that they had attempted to attack Jasper like that. Let him suffer for what he had tried to do to her mate!

"Victoria is your coven leader," the Major stated as he kept his fingers in place. Raoul writhed, but he couldn't go anywhere. His feet kicked, but Bella put a stop to it, by holding them in place.

"Yes!" Raoul screamed out. "She sent us to kill you while she would take care of Bella!" His screams grew as the Major dug them deeper into his eye sockets.

"Only four of you?"

"There's more," Raoul gasped. "About thirty of us, down in Seattle. Riley is leading them!" Thirty newborns?

The Major pulled back, his eyes calculating as Raoul yelled and shouted. Suddenly his body went limp, and he looked up at Alice.

"I do not see anything yet," the pixie said with a frown of frustration. "It's coming in flickers."

"I'll be damned." Peter scowled. "The bitch created a newborn army."

"There's no way in hell, she has the control or skill to contain them," Charlotte said, a look of horror on her face.

"She doesn't," the Major said. "Seattle is probably in chaos from a rise in murders. We'll have to take care of it, or the Volturi will step in."

"I don't understand," Bella said, frowning deeply. "Why did she create an army?" It was ridiculous, reckless, and sounded like overkill.

"Probably to attack either the Cullens or the Denali or both." He rose to his feet. "She's been keeping tabs, and she still wants revenge."

Suddenly Raoul seized up, and he began screaming when the Major tore his arms and legs off. "Lieutenant," he said, "start a fire."

Charlotte quickly gathered several tree branches and took out a lighter before setting the wood on fire. It took a few moments before it began to build into a formidable fire ready to consume vampire parts.

Raoul couldn't see, but he could hear the sounds of the fire crackling. He begged and pleaded, and the Major looked down at him again. "You got something else you want to say?" He snarled.

"Victoria! She has a gift!" Raoul shouted. "She can sense danger and escape!"

The Major gave him a sadistic grin, not that the pathetic vampire would see it. "Very useful." He decapitated Raoul and hurled him into the fire before he did the same with the other pieces.

"What about the others?" Emmett asked, clearly surprised as the rest of the vampires were hurled into the fire without interrogation.

"I have the information I want to know," the Major said harshly before he turned to Peter and Charlotte. "We need to get down to Seattle."

"Wait, only the three of you?!" Bella protested. "No!" Even if Jasper's reputation was legendary, thirty newborns between him, Peter, and Charlotte were too much! Something could go wrong!

The Major faced her, his eyes hard and unmoving. "You don't have experience fighting and killing newborns. We do."

"Then teach me," she challenged. "And we can ask Kate and the others to help too."

"I'll be glad to help," Emmett offered with Alice nodding in agreement.

He was about to say something when Peter interrupted. "Major," he said quietly. "It'll be better for us."

The Major gave him a hard look before turning his gaze to Emmett and Alice. "Fine," he growled. "We'll train for the week, and then we are going down to Seattle."

AN: And that wraps up chapter 3! I do apologize for the long wait, but I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Right now, the plan is that there will be two or three more chapters, and the story will be finished. Thank you to everyone who left a review, followed, or favorited this story!

Also, RIP (not) to Raoul, Kristie, Jen, and Dean. Attempting to jump the God of War was a fool's errand. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.