Disclaimer. All publicly recognizable characters, settings etc., are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. I only do this for fun.

Attempting to Covet

A/N: If you have any questions or comments, post them in my reviews and I will answer them in my next Author's Note at the bottom of the chapter. – Bella'Xo

Previously…
(Jasper's POV)

Peter rolled his eyes, "The Major, here, used to live with a coven an' partake in their diet of drinking from animals. I may not care for havin' to use sun glasses or contacts, but I'd rather the inconvenience than have to taste that shit for all eternity." He shivered in disgust.

"Is it that bad?" Cole inquired.

"It's not exactly the best tasting sustenance, but it will clench your thirst for the most part so that you don't have to hunt humans. It's also good for when you need to hunt an' cannot partake in our natural food source." I answered impartially.

Cole nodded thoughtfully, "Interesting." He let out a sigh before looking towards Bella, "Shall we head inside and meet my sister?"

She nodded, reaching down to take my hand. "Alright, let's go."

Chapter 12
(Jasper's POV)

I could feel the familiar cocktail of the classic newborn emotions before we even made it to the front door. It slightly startled me, as I was now looking for them, hoping to interpret Naomi's mood. Now that my gift was enhanced and more controllable due to my mating with Bella, I was able to turn it on and off for the most part, which is why I didn't feel them before now. It was definitely going to take some getting used to as the proverbial sensations of fear, confusion and hunger took over my empathic abilities, causing me to hold back a cringe.

Bella, being in tune with me through our bond instantly peered up at me in concern. I forced a small smile on my lips as I gave her hand a gentle squeeze to put her worries to rest for the time being.

The thick, large front door seemed to have been reinforced by Cole in order to keep wanderers, explorers and prying eyes out. It creaked loudly on its hinges as we entered before Cole shut it securely behind us.

"I know it's not much, but it'll do for my purposes of use." He shrugged, giving us the chance to take in the entryway.

It was dark inside, except for the moonlight shining in through the small window on the far end of the large room and a single lamp that sat on a splintered wooden end table in the corner that was powered by a generator that we could hear running from somewhere else in the mill. There was also a worn khaki colored couch that sat near the end table facing a small television and a make-shift coffee table made out of four small barrels and a piece of plywood. Other than that, it was completely bare and filled with dust and dirt.

"This is where I stay for the most part. My sister's room is in the basement. We found it best that she stays down there for the most part where there aren't so many dangers until she can control herself better." Cole explained with a frown, momentarily pausing before letting loose a long sigh. "I think that for now, it would be best that only two of you accompany me downstairs. I don't want to startle her with too many new faces at once. Not to mention, most of you would seem quite threatening to her." He eyed Peter's visible scars as he said this. "No offense." His eyes shot over to me.

"None taken," I waved him off. "We are well aware of how we appear to others of our kind."

Relief shone through his expression as his features relaxed. "Alright, so I assume that I will be taking you, Major, since you obviously would not want to be separated from your mate in the face of what you would perceive a possible threat?"

I nodded, "You seem to be well educated on the ins and outs of vampirism and their mating instincts." I noted in question.

He grinned back from over his shoulder as he moved across the room towards a door on the far wall. "I have many mated friends and have seen firsthand what a male will do to protect what he deems 'his'."

"I'll say," Garrett grumbled, shooting a glare in my direction causing Peter to chuckle and Cole's brows to shoot up towards his dark hair.

"A story for another time, I'm guessing?" He inquired.

"Definitely," Peter smirked as Charlotte rolled her eyes.

"If you and Bella would follow me, Major," Cole nodded towards the door with his head as he placed his hand on the knob. "In the meantime, Peter, Garrett, Charlotte, make yourselves at home."

From the second Cole placed his hand on the door knob and turned, the growls from the newborn on the floor below could be heard as they vibrated within the time-worn mill. I felt my protective instincts screaming at me to take my mate and remove her from this potential threat as she clutched at my arm, but I knew that it would not help us in the long run when it came to my mate's self-confidence.

She needs this… or so I kept telling myself.

"Stay on the steps and let me go down first to talk to her. This way, she can take in your scents." Cole instructed from my left as he closed the door securely behind us. I knew that it would not keep Naomi from escaping if she so desired, but it did lessen the scents and sounds from our three companions, and most importantly, from the outside world.

Bella and I watched as Cole made his way down into the cellar, which – from what we could see – was illuminated by another light source or two. The sounds of the ten o'clock news echoed around us from under the threatening noises that Naomi was creating.

As Cole finally made it to the bottom of the stairs, the growls minimized significantly, turning into scared whimpers, which I recognized as the sounds a newborn would make to show someone who they were bonded to, whether it be by venom as a mate or a sire, or by blood, as Cole was with Naomi, that they were frightened; the fear reverberated in her emotions which I could sense, via my gift.

"Don't worry Naomi, you don't have to be afraid. They are friends. They just want to meet you." We listened as Cole attempted to reassure his younger sister.

Another few seconds of silence passed on before he spoke again.

"They are waiting at the top of the stairs for you to say that it's okay for them to come down. See? They don't want to hurt or scare you." He spoke to her as he would a frightened child, a common tactic when dealing with newborns who were on their guard.

The thud of shifting bodies was heard before we perceived the distinct sound of who we assumed to be Naomi tasting the air as she took in our scents. Curiosity added into her fear as the anger reduced within her emotional climate, which I continued to monitor as I clutched Bella in my arms while waiting for what may or may not happen next.

"Is it okay if they come down to meet you now?" Cole asked his sister when she showed no signs of aggression to our scents.

Seconds passed before Naomi must have given him some sort of indication that it was alright for us to proceed as planned and he called us down.

"Major, Bella, we're ready for you whenever you are." He spoke in a normal tone, not finding it necessary or smart to raise his voice in the presence of a skittish newborn when we could hear him regardless.

I turned to look down at my mate, finding that her stunning blue eyes seemed to glow brilliantly in the dark stairwell. My silent question lingered within my being as I gave her one final chance to back out of seeing what she should have been, would have been if fate had not interceded on her part to make her into what she is today; an anomaly.

Determination shined through as she turned to face the steep, uneven stairs, pausing to look intuitively back over her shoulder, waiting for me to move in front of her as both of our mating instincts demanded of us.

The groaning of the floorboards resounded louder and louder with every step, each creak with a different tone the further we got to the bottom before we rounded the crumbling concrete bend to the entryway of the cellar. It was then that we finally caught our first partial glimpse of Cole's younger sibling.

Naomi remained hidden behind her older brother, as her newborn female instincts drove her to protect herself; her bonded sire being her shield. She was quiet for now as she peered over Cole's shoulder inquisitively at first myself, then my mate before settling back on me, who she determined as the larger threat, and instinctively growled, halting Bella and I in our tracks.

We stayed put where we were for a minute and twenty-three seconds, during which time I began to observe her features that I could make out from her hidden position. Her straight, dark brown hair matched that of her brother's, as well as the shape of her face and her eyes. Her nose was more acute and her lips had a poutier shape to them, allowing them to have a more feminine touch to them. She stood about a full head shorter than Cole, and was far thinner. I figured that it had to do with the fact that she was sick before her transformation, causing her to be a bit smaller than the average, healthy fledgling. Her bright crimson eyes signaled that she had just fed recently, allowing her to have more control over herself and her emotions. However, that ever-present newborn hunger was always near the surface.

Finally, as we neared one minute and twenty-seven seconds, Naomi's growls waned, though she continued to keep her tense posture behind her older brother. I took this as my cue to introduce myself and Bella, hoping to appear as more of a friendly figure than the strange potentially dangerous beings that she no-doubt was envisaging us to be.

"Naomi, my name is Major Jasper Whitlock, but you may call me Jasper." I spoke slowly and concise, showing my natural dominant nature in a non-threatening gesture. "This is my mate, Isabella, or Bella Swan." Her eyes watched my hand sharply as I reached back around me and placed my arm around my mate, bringing her forward slightly in a way that said I wasn't here to fight, but also in a position that made it easy for me to defend her, if need be.

"It's very nice to meet you, Naomi." Bella smiled with a polite nod.

I felt her awe and wonder break through to the surface, adding to her ever-cycling cocktail as she finally got her first full look at Bella, who was pedaling through several different emotions as she took in the scene.

"Are they like us?" Naomi whispered in Cole's right ear, obviously thinking that we couldn't hear her. It was clear to me that she was not yet used to the fact that we all had enhanced senses that could pick up on a conversation from several blocks away. She unmistakably still had much to learn.

Cole reached to pat one of his sister's hands comfortingly, which were both resting on his shoulders. "Yes, Naya, they are both vampires. They don't make you thirsty, do they?" She shook her head. "Then that means that they are not human."

Surprise flashed in her eyes, echoing within her emotions as she took in this bit of knowledge as Cole turned his attention back onto us.

"I have yet to teach her the distinctions between the known supernatural beings. Obviously, that is not my focus for the moment." He explained with a shrug.

"That's understandable," I nodded.

Cole turned to look back at his sister. "Bella is a new vampire, just like you. Jasper turned her just last week."

Naomi was clearly dumbfounded as this bit of knowledge as her eyes immediately met Bella's. I am not sure what had her so stupefied, but it had obviously rattled her cage as her emotions played out on her face.

"I don't understand!" She finally spoke out, shaking her head frantically; her emotional climate rising consistently, causing me to push Bella back behind me once again.

Cole turned worriedly to his sister, taking both of her hands in his as he tried to focus her attention off of Bella and back on to him.

"What don't you understand, Naya? What's wrong?" He searched her face, rubbing her hands soothingly, trying to coax her out of her oncoming newborn episode before it hit the point of no return.

She ripped one hand from his and pointed with shaking fingers towards Bella, who stood there stunned. "Why is she like that? You lied to me! I thought you said that there was nothing wrong with me!? Why are her eyes blue? How come she is able to go outside?!" Naomi ranted, her bright red eyes flaring behind her voice as she growled. She twisted around and kicked an empty wooden crate that was being used as a table with various items scattered on it, sending them and the crate flying towards the concrete wall on the far end of the room causing bits of splinters and nails to split off in all directions as it exploded.

Cole shot us both an apologetic glance before turning back to his sister, who was currently growling and ranting under her breath. He grabbed both of her hands once again as he began to attempt to reason with her. "Bella is different, Naya. She's not the same as a normal newborn vampire, like you are."

"Why?" She snarled, once again wrenching her hands from Cole's and balling them into fists at her sides.

"I don't know why, Naya!" He replied in a stress-filled tone, reaching up to run an exasperated hand through his dark hair. "But I'm sure if you calm down and ask them, they will tell you." He pressed.

Naomi rounded on him with a hiss. "I am calm!" She exclaimed, stomping her foot on the ground for emphasis like an overindulged child.

Deciding that Bella had seen enough of a demonstration for now and not wanting this to turn violent, which it no doubt will with Cole's ineffective tactics on dealing with Naomi, I elected to give him a hand and began to flood the room with calm, awareness and composure while removing the anger and some of the fear and uncertainty, along with some of her thirst.

The changes were almost instantaneous as Naomi relaxed her agitated stance and gradually slowed her breathing. She took in a deep breath, putting her head in her hands.

"Whoa," she shook her head, dropping her hands and immediately seeking out her big brother for reassurance. "What was that?"

Clearing my throat, I caught their attention. "That would be me. I apologize, ma'am, but I felt that I needed to level out your emotional climate." I pulled Bella into my side as I spoke. "For now, with your permission, I'd like to keep a handle on your emotions."

"You mean, you're doing this? Are you controlling everything that I'm feeling right now?" Naomi's eyes widened, disliking the idea.

"Not necessarily," I shook my head. "You're feelings are your own and I would never completely take over someone's emotions if the occasion didn't call for it or without their permission. I simply calmed you down and put your newborn emotions on the back burner for the time being so that you can think and react as you normally would have."

Relief appeared, followed by appreciation as she took a moment to allow this to sink in. Confusion was obviously still in the mix as this was no doubt the first time in a month that she was able to think calmly and rationally.

"The Major is one of the few vampires who had developed an extra ability during his change. He can feel and manipulate the emotions of those around him. I believe they call it having an 'empathic' ability, am I right?" Cole inquired, looking slightly startled, yet pleased at my abilities.

I nodded before turning my attention back to Naomi. "However, I've gotta warn ya that what you're feelin' now is only temporary. When I leave, or when I stop my hold on your emotional climate, you will be back to your old self and have to learn how to control your emotions on your own, just like you're learning how to manage your other enhanced abilities."

Disappointment surged through her as she nodded before shifting her focus back down towards Bella. "I'm sorry for what happened before. As you've noticed, I can't seem to control myself anymore. Everything is so out of control and it sometimes flusters me."

Cole snorted at this, "Sometimes?"

Smirking, she relented, "Alright, it always flusters me."

"It's alright," Bella let out a giggle. "I have my own troubles when it comes to being a new vampire."

Naomi pursed her lips and looked up hesitantly at Bella. "Will you tell me about them?"

Grinning, Bella's eyes flickered towards me before returning back to Naomi. "Sure."

A/N: And there you have it I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Are there any guesses as to what Bella and Naomi will discuss? Will Jasper be able to keep a steady hold on Naomi's feelings or will she have another episode? What are Bella's thoughts on what she witnessed? Will Jasper be able to help Cole with managing his sister on his own? What problems will Jasper's gift cause in the future when it comes to Naomi and Cole? What will Garrett, Char and Peter think of Naomi and vice versa? Review….

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- Bellx'Xo -
Xo Bella Italiana oX