Another Fate
by Laura Spudzmom
Chapter 8
“Jasper, if you could join us in my study for a moment, please,” Carlisle called out into the hall. Jasper sighed, reaching out with his gift to read the Patriarch’s emotions. He was feeling cautious and curious—bordering on suspicious. This wasn’t good at all, especially since he could also sense Esme in the study with him and she was feeling guilt along with the ever present love she exuded.
Closing the book he was reading, he placed it on the table by his chair and rose, making his way out of his room and to the study. As he got to the door, he glanced to his right and locked gazes with Alice who didn’t utter a word. She didn’t have to. A raised brow and the threatening emotions rolling off her were enough. He got the message.
He raised a hand to knock on the door that’d been left ajar. “Come on in, son,” Carlisle called before he could manage it and with one last bracing breath, he entered.
He glanced between Carlisle and Esme as he closed the door at his back. “What’s this about?”
Carlisle gestured to the chair he’d turned to face the couch they’d taken seats on. “Have a seat, Jasper, then we’ll talk.”
With a curt nod, he crossed the room and took the offered chair, his form tense as he watched them. After an initial soft smile of welcome, Esme wasn’t meeting his gaze and that worried him. Carlisle wasn’t having that problem and held his gaze as he settled in his seat.
“Jasper, Esme shared something with me that has me concerned.”
“Oh? What was that?” he asked, though he was pretty sure he already knew. His gaze darted to her and her guilt increased, the smile she gave him apologetic. His heart sank.
“She told me you have a mate. I’m wondering why you didn’t share this with us when you first arrived, especially when you knew Alice was claiming you were her mate.”
“I…I’m not allowed… Please, can’t we just forget about this? Please?” he asked, his panic rising at the mention of Alice. The Cullen Patriarch didn’t sound pleased in the least, and his emotions were only worsening the situation. He was feeling deceived and angry and Jasper was praying this didn't blow up in his face.
If Maria came back…
‘No!’ he thought as his eyes clenched shut and his breathing picked up, his hands now gripping the arms of the chair tight enough to crack wood. ‘Can’t think about it!’ he coached himself as flashes of what happened in the basement assailed him. ‘Don’t think about it…’ The wood on the chair arms splintered but he didn’t notice. ‘Can’t risk Maria coming back…’
“Jasper…? Jasper! Sweetheart, come on, open your eyes. Look at me!” His eyes snapped open and Esme was there, her hands cupping his face as his breath wheezed out in rough pants. “That’s it, honey. It’s okay, you’re all right.”
His nostrils flared as he took in a big breath and sat back, betrayal radiating from him as he looked at her. She frowned and reached for him and he shook his head. “No, I…I’m fine. Please don’t.”
Her sorrow spiked and he blocked it as she nodded and resumed her seat on the couch. “Okay, honey. I understand.”
His gaze darted to Carlisle. “I didn’t mention it because I’m not allowed to. Please, don’t ask me more. If you’re not okay with that, and want me to leave, then take it up with Alice.”
Carlisle opened his mouth to speak but Esme shot up, looking stricken. “No! We don’t want you to leave! Please, never think that. We’re just concerned for you, that’s all.” She looked at her mate. “Right, honey?”
Carlisle sighed and relaxed in his seat. “That’s right, sweetheart,” he said as he rubbed his brow. “Jasper, we’re concerned, and wondering what’s going on, but Esme is correct, son. We don’t want you to leave. This is your home now. We won’t cast you out.”
Jasper gave him a tense nod, his eyes dark with the panic and fear he still felt.
Carlisle sat forward, his elbows resting on his knees as he studied the young empath a moment. Part of him dreaded what he was about to do, but the other part—the doctor in him—saw no way around it. Jasper needed this to even begin to heal, it was clear to him just by how he’d responded to the questioning so far, and he knew the reaction was tied to his Sire. “Son, tell me about what happened when your Sire visited. Can you do that?”
At the mere mention of it, pain and shame flooded the room and Esme’s breath caught as Jasper fought for control. “I…I can’t,” he said, his eyes wide and pitch black with panic. He shot from the chair and was across the room before they could register his movement, his hands gripping his hair as the memory flooded his mind. “No, no, no…” he whispered, a shudder running through his body as his perfect recall made him endure the humiliation again. “Please…no, make it stop…” he begged, his shoulders hunched and head hung.
Carlisle rose from his seat and approached slowly, both hands held out. “Jasper? Son, it’s all right. You’re safe here. No one’s going to hurt you.” When he got within three feet, Jasper spun and hissed, backing into the corner and crouching at the closeness of the other male. “Esme?” Carlisle murmured without taking his eyes off the distraught empath, “perhaps you should try?”
He backed away and glanced at his mate as she nodded and walked over, going to her knees just as she had before in the basement. “Jasper, honey, come on, you know I won’t hurt you. Let me help, sweetheart,” she coaxed while holding out a hand.
He didn’t launch himself this time but crawled to her, letting her enfold him in her arms as he stared into the distance, his face blank and body trembling. Carlisle settled himself on the floor a few paces away. “Jasper,” he said, keeping his tone soothing, “will you tell us what happened?”
“I…I can’t,” he murmured. “Please, just leave me alone.”
Esme glanced at her mate, and he shook his head. “I can’t do that, son. You need to get this out to even begin to heal. It will be painful, but you need to talk about it.”
Jasper tucked his face into Esme’s neck. “Mate…” he whispered brokenly, “Need my mate…”
“Who is your mate?” Carlisle tried and Jasper shook his head.
“Can’t…can’t say it…can’t tell you!” His breathing picked up again and Esme ran her hand through his hair as Carlisle held up a hand.
“All right, son, it’s okay, you don’t have to tell us. Just breathe and calm yourself. You’re safe here.”
“Shh, you’re safe,” Esme repeated her mate’s words while gently rocking. “Breathe and calm…shhh…”
“I won’t ask about your mate again, young one, but you need to talk about what happened in that basement. Maria was there and another male…”
Jasper’s breath hitched and he tensed, a keening cry clawing its way from his throat as he pressed his face to Esme’s neck. “She made me…she made me…strip.”
Esme gave a quiet cry and tightened her hold on him as he clutched fistfuls of her shirt, her resolve to see him through this strengthening.
“It’s okay, sweetheart, you’re safe,” she assured him past the lump in her throat. She didn’t want to hear this—didn’t want confirmation of what she already knew in her heart, but Carlisle was right, Jasper needed to get this out, and she was determined to be strong for him.
“What else, son? What happened after that?” Carlisle gently coaxed, hating what he was having to do, but knowing it was needed.
His voice was little more than a whisper when he continued, “She wanted to punish me for not obeying her orders, so she…she shoved me over the table…and…and…” He growled, choking on a sob as he cried out, “I can’t! I can’t do this!”
Esme rocked harder, pressing a kiss on his temple while holding him tightly.
“You can, son. You can do this,” Carlisle urged, knowing they were so very close to getting it out in the open—getting the young one to face this…to move past it.
“No, please! Please! I can’t!”
“You can, Jasper. We’re here and we’ll help you through it,” Carlisle assured.
Esme cupped the back of his head, whispering, “You’re not alone, sweetheart. We love you, just feel us, I know you can feel it. Use it to help you, honey. You're not alone.”
“She shoved you over the table. What then, Jasper? What happened then?”
“She…she talked about how she used to punish me a long time ago…how she used…sex…I hated it! I hated it!” he cried. “But…this time, she decided to have…to have the male…he…he put his fingers…put his fingers inside me…oh god…please forgive me…how can I face my mate?” he keened as Esme wept into his hair while rocking him. “I feel so fucking used…dirty…”
“Shh, you’re not used or dirty, honey. None of this was your fault.”
“She’s right, son. None of this is your fault. That lies with the sick beings who did this to you.”
“I let it happen!” Jasper yelled, causing Esme to flinch before placing a kiss to his cheek as she clutched him to her. “I just laid over that table and let it happen,” he finished, his tone so lost, so filled with sorrow and self loathing, the two in the room with him were barely holding it together.
“No, baby,” Esme choked, “there was nothing you could do. This is all on your Sire, you hear me? She’s a sick bitch and if I ever see her again, I’ll kill her myself, I swear it!”
“No!” He shot up, his eyes blown wide with fear as he looked at her. “You can’t try it, Esme, promise me!”
She cupped his face. “She’s hurt you so badly, sweetheart. I can’t let that go,” she said with a low growl.
He grabbed her hands, panic radiating from him as he pleaded, “You don't understand! She’s a being of war, Esme! She’d tear you apart in seconds! Please, promise me, if you ever see her again, you’ll leave her be! No matter what, promise me!”
She exchanged a look with Carlisle who gave a subtle nod. “All right, honey, I promise,” she said as she cupped his cheek. “But as soon as it’s feasible, we’re moving from here, and we’re going to cover our tracks because I don’t want that bitch to find you ever again.”
He blinked, then raised a brow as the corner of his lips tipped up in a tiny smirk. “Language, Esme,” he murmured with a touch to her cheek before looking down.
With a half sob, half laugh, she pulled him into a tight hug and whispered, “You have stolen my heart, you beautiful boy, you know that?”
He returned the hug and smiled against her shoulder. “You’re not so bad yourself.”
After a moment, he drew back and she tucked a curl behind his ear as he said, “I think I’ll go now. I’d like to be alone for a bit.”
“Of course, son,” Carlisle agreed, “but I’d like to set up weekly sessions with you to talk about all of this as well as anything else you’d like to discuss.” Jasper tensed and Carlisle raised a hand. “We won’t discuss anything you don’t want to, but I think we need to keep talking about what happened. In the long run, it will help you deal with it and move past it.”
Jasper blinked and looked down as he nodded. “All right. I’ll do it.” He climbed to his feet and helped Esme up. “If that’s all?”
“Yes,” Carlisle said as he got to his feet. “That’s it for today, and Jasper?” he said, causing him to pause at the door and look back. “I’m proud of you, son.”
Jasper blinked, letting that, along with the Patriarch’s genuine emotions, sink in for a moment before he gave a nod and quietly slipped out the door.
As soon as the door closed behind him, Esme fell into her mate’s arms, her eyes closed tightly as she clung to him, drawing on his strength as she allowed herself to fall to pieces. “Oh god, Carlisle…what they did…my heart is broken for him…” she sobbed against him.
His fingers carded her hair as he tucked his face against her temple. “I know,” he whispered, “I know, shh, it’s all right. We’re here for him and won’t allow anyone to hurt him again, shhh…”
“I want her destroyed,” she growled while pulling back to look in his eyes. “I would love nothing more than to feel her flesh yield under my hands, to watch as she burns, piece by cursed piece…”
His brows shot up and a slow smile curved his lips. “So, this is the Mama bear that’s been hiding under that gentle soul all these years…” he murmured.
She growled again and huffed as her lip curled. “I promised him, at your urging, but I swear if I hadn’t, I would hunt her down.” She turned and paced away before whirling. “I’m going to need to hunt soon. I have to get this out, or I’ll explode, I swear I will.”
“All right,” he agreed, stepping forward to take her hands. “Can you wait until after our chat with Alice?”
She bit her lip and looked away a moment before nodding. “I think so, but only because I really want to hear what she has to say about all this.”
He raised her hands and kissed them. “Then have a seat, love, while I call her in.”
He stepped to the door and opened it, poking his head out as he called, “Alice, join us in my study please.”
Leaving the door ajar, he resumed his seat on the couch, pulling Esme close to his side as they waited. She showed seconds later, pushing the door open and stepping in before closing it. “You needed to see me?”
“Yes, please,” he gestured to the undamaged chair, “have a seat and we’ll get started.
She perched herself there and smiled tightly. “Okay Dad, shoot.”
He held her gaze squarely. “Why did you tell us Jasper is your mate when he already has one?”
Her face fell, sadness filling her eyes as she murmured “Oh. Well, that’s easy. I thought he could be, not only because of my visions, but because…his mate is dead.”
Esme gasped. “Dead?!”
Alice nodded sadly. “Yes.”
Carlisle narrowed his eyes, a frown creasing his brow. “Jasper spoke as though his mate is alive and well, although he wouldn’t share any more than that with us—or rather, couldn’t.”
Alice nodded again. “That’s because he doesn’t know, and we can’t tell him,” she pleaded when she saw the two exchange doubtful looks. “You see, Maria thinks if he did find out for sure, he would kill himself or go crazy and have to be put down, and she didn’t want that, so when I finally got that vision—the one that showed me he was free of his mate—and contacted her, she was happy to bring him to us.
“That’s why it seems he’s here against his will and why she had to be forceful with him in the rules he’s to follow. It would kill him to escape and find out for sure. We can’t let that happen, please!”
Carlisle and Esme exchanged concerned looks and Alice continued, “She said with enough time, he might release his side of the bond and move on. And I had hoped it would be with me. I’ve had so many visions of us together and happy, especially now that he’s here! I just have to be patient.”
She glanced between them, the look in her eyes ardent as she wrung her hands in her lap. “It’s hard, and I know I’ve messed up, but I’ll try harder from now on, because he’s worth it. In the end, it’ll all be worth it.”
Esme sat forward, one hand resting over her crossed knees as she pinned Alice with a steely gaze. “Did you see what they did to him?”
Alice looked down and nodded. “Yes, but only after they’d taken him down there and it was too late to stop it. My heart hurts for him, but…” She looked up, her eyes brimming. “He was going to run, Mom. And he had to be stopped. I saw what would happen if he learned his mate is dead and…he…he walks into a pyre.”
Esme’s breath caught and she sat back, clutching Carlisle’s hand.
“I know what Maria had done to him was harsh…” Carlisle scoffed and Esme growled, but she hurried on,“But after that was done, the visions of him running stopped completely. He won’t try to leave again, and now the visions of us as a happy family for years to come are back on track. I’m sorry Mom and Dad, but I’d rather him go through some trauma than to have him kill himself.”
Carlisle squeezed Esme’s hand and she blew out a breath as they looked at each other. “Well Alice,” Carlisle said, “you’ve given us much to think about and while I’m not sure he’ll ever mate again, we now consider him our son, and don’t want to see more harm come to him. He’s been through enough.
“So, as difficult as it may be for you, you’re just going to have to put your desires on hold and let him heal and adjust at his own pace. This means no more forcing your attentions on him. You may approach as a friend or sibling, but no more than that unless or until he decides he wants more, is that clear?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Why weren’t you honest with us to begin with?” Esme demanded.
“Because it would have been put to a family vote and would have been rejected. Believe me, I looked at all the options. If I had been honest about him not yet being my mate, none of you would’ve approved it. He’s a human drinker and a challenge and the only one who would’ve voted yes was me.”
She leaned forward, her eyes pleading. “I knew you would love him, Mom. It was one of my strongest visions after I decided to tell you guys he was my mate.” She looked at Carlisle. “I knew you would come to love him too, Dad, and the best part?” She smiled. “The best part is he loves you guys too.”
Esme squeezed Carlisle’s hand as they shared faint smiles.
“Well then,” Esme murmured, “I can’t really argue with that, because I can’t imagine not having him here.”
Carlisle lifted Esme’s hand to his lips for a kiss. “Neither can I, sweetheart. I’m glad he’s here.
She smiled. “Me too.”
Alice rose and slipped out of the room, allowing herself a smirk of supreme satisfaction as the door closed. “It’s an art,” she breathed with a private giggle as she walked to her room. “And I am a master.”
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
***January, 2005, Forks, WA
“Jasper, come on man, or we’re gonna be late, and you know how pissy Edward gets when we’re late!” Emmett called up the stairs.
With a low growl, he snapped his book shut and rose from his chair, placing the book on the side table as he grabbed his bag.
The bag was a mere prop to make Esme happy. Something that kept her from questioning why he never brought work home from school. She saw the bag, equated it with homework, and they all lived to be happy—he smirked—until report cards came in.
With a put upon sigh, he jogged down the stairs. Yeah, they’d sort of strong armed him into finally doing the whole high school thing. It had been tough to refuse after they’d moved here to the thriving metropolis of Forks, WA, since it was a new start for them all. And Esme…well, it seems Esme has a way of getting her way. And as he’d discovered, that applied even with him, much to his continued dismay.
“About time,” Emmett grumbled when he reached the bottom of the stairs.
He arched a brow. “Going for the honor roll this semester, Emmett?”
The muscle bound vampire snorted. “Hell no, I just don’t wanna hear Edward and Alice bitch,” he said as they filed into the garage where Edward and Alice waited in the running Volvo.
He eyed the car as Emmett and Rose slid in. ‘A Volvo,’ he thought with derision. ‘Who picks a fucking Volvo when they could have any car they wanted?’ Edward shot him a glare in the rearview mirror and he smirked. ‘Edward Cullen, that’s who.’
“Nothing wrong with my choice of vehicles, Jasper,” said mind-reader grumbled.
“Yeah, if you’re sixty with bad knees, erectile dysfunction, and a love of golf,” Emmett snickered. Rose slapped his arm.
“Could you guys just lay off for once?” Alice whined. “Today is gonna be hard enough,” she muttered under her breath, though everyone heard her.
“Don’t start,” Rose snapped.
Emmett sighed and Jasper chuckled. It was so easy to rile this bunch up and he didn’t even need his gift to do it.
“Are you going to cause trouble at school today?” Edward asked while eyeing him in the mirror.
His eyes widened and he blinked, one hand placed on his leather-clad chest. “Me? I would never… I’m as pure as the driven snow.”
Rose snorted as Emmett snickered. Edward simply glared.
“Edward, leave him alone,” Alice muttered while rubbing her temples. “We have bigger issues to deal with today, believe me.”
“What is all that you’re seeing Alice?” he questioned while turning into the parking lot and pulling into a space. “The visions are moving too fast for me to read.”
She shook her head. “That’s because everything keeps changing, nothing is solid, not yet.” She locked gazes with the mind-reader. “Just, be ready, whatever happens.”
“Yeah, like that’s not vague at all,” Rose scoffed while grabbing her bag. “How about this?” she growled lowly while looking at them all. “Nobody fucking eats anybody, got it? The rest I couldn’t give a shit about.”
Jasper smirked while tossing his bag back in the car. “Define ‘eat,’” he said with a toothy, dimpled grin before strutting off to the main doors, thumbs hooked in the pockets of his snug, worn jeans.
“Oh, my god,” Rose growled, watching after him as he entered the building. He flashed a grin at a group of giggling girls just before the door closed. “He’s gonna be the death of us all.” She looked at her siblings. “You realize this, yes?”
Alice rolled her eyes. “He will not. I’ll keep him in line.”
“You barely manage it. Look at all his little slips over the years,” Rose grumbled.
Alice sighed. “He hasn’t even thought about it since we moved to Forks, Rose. I haven’t had one vision of him draining anyone.”
“Your gift isn’t perfect, you know,” Rose said with an arched brow.
Edward cringed and they all noticed. “He thinks about it all the time, Alice.”
She bristled. “Not seriously, or I would see it, and I haven’t, so…”
“Whatever,” Rose said with a sigh as Emmett wrapped an arm around her. “Just…try to keep him contained.” They both headed into the school, leaving Edward and Alice to themselves by the car.
Edward ran a hand through his hair before pinning his ‘sister’ with a look—that narrow-eyed, don’t mess with me look. “I need more than just a vague ‘be ready for whatever’ Alice. What’s going on?”
Just then, they heard the rumble of a tired engine pulling into the parking lot. It was unfamiliar and belonged to a rusted red truck that pulled into a slot and back-fired as the engine cut. Alice looked at Edward with a tight smile. “That’s the new girl everyone’s been talking about.”
He raised his brows. “Yes…and…?”
She looked sheepish. “And I’m pretty sure…” she trailed, biting her lip as she glanced toward the girl.
“Yes…?” he prodded, rapidly losing patience as her silence stretched.
With a sigh, she looked back at him and continued, “I’m pretty sure she’s your mate.”
“Jasper, if you could join us in my study for a moment, please,” Carlisle called out into the hall. Jasper sighed, reaching out with his gift to read the Patriarch’s emotions. He was feeling cautious and curious—bordering on suspicious. This wasn’t good at all, especially since he could also sense Esme in the study with him and she was feeling guilt along with the ever present love she exuded.
Closing the book he was reading, he placed it on the table by his chair and rose, making his way out of his room and to the study. As he got to the door, he glanced to his right and locked gazes with Alice who didn’t utter a word. She didn’t have to. A raised brow and the threatening emotions rolling off her were enough. He got the message.
He raised a hand to knock on the door that’d been left ajar. “Come on in, son,” Carlisle called before he could manage it and with one last bracing breath, he entered.
He glanced between Carlisle and Esme as he closed the door at his back. “What’s this about?”
Carlisle gestured to the chair he’d turned to face the couch they’d taken seats on. “Have a seat, Jasper, then we’ll talk.”
With a curt nod, he crossed the room and took the offered chair, his form tense as he watched them. After an initial soft smile of welcome, Esme wasn’t meeting his gaze and that worried him. Carlisle wasn’t having that problem and held his gaze as he settled in his seat.
“Jasper, Esme shared something with me that has me concerned.”
“Oh? What was that?” he asked, though he was pretty sure he already knew. His gaze darted to her and her guilt increased, the smile she gave him apologetic. His heart sank.
“She told me you have a mate. I’m wondering why you didn’t share this with us when you first arrived, especially when you knew Alice was claiming you were her mate.”
“I…I’m not allowed… Please, can’t we just forget about this? Please?” he asked, his panic rising at the mention of Alice. The Cullen Patriarch didn’t sound pleased in the least, and his emotions were only worsening the situation. He was feeling deceived and angry and Jasper was praying this didn't blow up in his face.
If Maria came back…
‘No!’ he thought as his eyes clenched shut and his breathing picked up, his hands now gripping the arms of the chair tight enough to crack wood. ‘Can’t think about it!’ he coached himself as flashes of what happened in the basement assailed him. ‘Don’t think about it…’ The wood on the chair arms splintered but he didn’t notice. ‘Can’t risk Maria coming back…’
“Jasper…? Jasper! Sweetheart, come on, open your eyes. Look at me!” His eyes snapped open and Esme was there, her hands cupping his face as his breath wheezed out in rough pants. “That’s it, honey. It’s okay, you’re all right.”
His nostrils flared as he took in a big breath and sat back, betrayal radiating from him as he looked at her. She frowned and reached for him and he shook his head. “No, I…I’m fine. Please don’t.”
Her sorrow spiked and he blocked it as she nodded and resumed her seat on the couch. “Okay, honey. I understand.”
His gaze darted to Carlisle. “I didn’t mention it because I’m not allowed to. Please, don’t ask me more. If you’re not okay with that, and want me to leave, then take it up with Alice.”
Carlisle opened his mouth to speak but Esme shot up, looking stricken. “No! We don’t want you to leave! Please, never think that. We’re just concerned for you, that’s all.” She looked at her mate. “Right, honey?”
Carlisle sighed and relaxed in his seat. “That’s right, sweetheart,” he said as he rubbed his brow. “Jasper, we’re concerned, and wondering what’s going on, but Esme is correct, son. We don’t want you to leave. This is your home now. We won’t cast you out.”
Jasper gave him a tense nod, his eyes dark with the panic and fear he still felt.
Carlisle sat forward, his elbows resting on his knees as he studied the young empath a moment. Part of him dreaded what he was about to do, but the other part—the doctor in him—saw no way around it. Jasper needed this to even begin to heal, it was clear to him just by how he’d responded to the questioning so far, and he knew the reaction was tied to his Sire. “Son, tell me about what happened when your Sire visited. Can you do that?”
At the mere mention of it, pain and shame flooded the room and Esme’s breath caught as Jasper fought for control. “I…I can’t,” he said, his eyes wide and pitch black with panic. He shot from the chair and was across the room before they could register his movement, his hands gripping his hair as the memory flooded his mind. “No, no, no…” he whispered, a shudder running through his body as his perfect recall made him endure the humiliation again. “Please…no, make it stop…” he begged, his shoulders hunched and head hung.
Carlisle rose from his seat and approached slowly, both hands held out. “Jasper? Son, it’s all right. You’re safe here. No one’s going to hurt you.” When he got within three feet, Jasper spun and hissed, backing into the corner and crouching at the closeness of the other male. “Esme?” Carlisle murmured without taking his eyes off the distraught empath, “perhaps you should try?”
He backed away and glanced at his mate as she nodded and walked over, going to her knees just as she had before in the basement. “Jasper, honey, come on, you know I won’t hurt you. Let me help, sweetheart,” she coaxed while holding out a hand.
He didn’t launch himself this time but crawled to her, letting her enfold him in her arms as he stared into the distance, his face blank and body trembling. Carlisle settled himself on the floor a few paces away. “Jasper,” he said, keeping his tone soothing, “will you tell us what happened?”
“I…I can’t,” he murmured. “Please, just leave me alone.”
Esme glanced at her mate, and he shook his head. “I can’t do that, son. You need to get this out to even begin to heal. It will be painful, but you need to talk about it.”
Jasper tucked his face into Esme’s neck. “Mate…” he whispered brokenly, “Need my mate…”
“Who is your mate?” Carlisle tried and Jasper shook his head.
“Can’t…can’t say it…can’t tell you!” His breathing picked up again and Esme ran her hand through his hair as Carlisle held up a hand.
“All right, son, it’s okay, you don’t have to tell us. Just breathe and calm yourself. You’re safe here.”
“Shh, you’re safe,” Esme repeated her mate’s words while gently rocking. “Breathe and calm…shhh…”
“I won’t ask about your mate again, young one, but you need to talk about what happened in that basement. Maria was there and another male…”
Jasper’s breath hitched and he tensed, a keening cry clawing its way from his throat as he pressed his face to Esme’s neck. “She made me…she made me…strip.”
Esme gave a quiet cry and tightened her hold on him as he clutched fistfuls of her shirt, her resolve to see him through this strengthening.
“It’s okay, sweetheart, you’re safe,” she assured him past the lump in her throat. She didn’t want to hear this—didn’t want confirmation of what she already knew in her heart, but Carlisle was right, Jasper needed to get this out, and she was determined to be strong for him.
“What else, son? What happened after that?” Carlisle gently coaxed, hating what he was having to do, but knowing it was needed.
His voice was little more than a whisper when he continued, “She wanted to punish me for not obeying her orders, so she…she shoved me over the table…and…and…” He growled, choking on a sob as he cried out, “I can’t! I can’t do this!”
Esme rocked harder, pressing a kiss on his temple while holding him tightly.
“You can, son. You can do this,” Carlisle urged, knowing they were so very close to getting it out in the open—getting the young one to face this…to move past it.
“No, please! Please! I can’t!”
“You can, Jasper. We’re here and we’ll help you through it,” Carlisle assured.
Esme cupped the back of his head, whispering, “You’re not alone, sweetheart. We love you, just feel us, I know you can feel it. Use it to help you, honey. You're not alone.”
“She shoved you over the table. What then, Jasper? What happened then?”
“She…she talked about how she used to punish me a long time ago…how she used…sex…I hated it! I hated it!” he cried. “But…this time, she decided to have…to have the male…he…he put his fingers…put his fingers inside me…oh god…please forgive me…how can I face my mate?” he keened as Esme wept into his hair while rocking him. “I feel so fucking used…dirty…”
“Shh, you’re not used or dirty, honey. None of this was your fault.”
“She’s right, son. None of this is your fault. That lies with the sick beings who did this to you.”
“I let it happen!” Jasper yelled, causing Esme to flinch before placing a kiss to his cheek as she clutched him to her. “I just laid over that table and let it happen,” he finished, his tone so lost, so filled with sorrow and self loathing, the two in the room with him were barely holding it together.
“No, baby,” Esme choked, “there was nothing you could do. This is all on your Sire, you hear me? She’s a sick bitch and if I ever see her again, I’ll kill her myself, I swear it!”
“No!” He shot up, his eyes blown wide with fear as he looked at her. “You can’t try it, Esme, promise me!”
She cupped his face. “She’s hurt you so badly, sweetheart. I can’t let that go,” she said with a low growl.
He grabbed her hands, panic radiating from him as he pleaded, “You don't understand! She’s a being of war, Esme! She’d tear you apart in seconds! Please, promise me, if you ever see her again, you’ll leave her be! No matter what, promise me!”
She exchanged a look with Carlisle who gave a subtle nod. “All right, honey, I promise,” she said as she cupped his cheek. “But as soon as it’s feasible, we’re moving from here, and we’re going to cover our tracks because I don’t want that bitch to find you ever again.”
He blinked, then raised a brow as the corner of his lips tipped up in a tiny smirk. “Language, Esme,” he murmured with a touch to her cheek before looking down.
With a half sob, half laugh, she pulled him into a tight hug and whispered, “You have stolen my heart, you beautiful boy, you know that?”
He returned the hug and smiled against her shoulder. “You’re not so bad yourself.”
After a moment, he drew back and she tucked a curl behind his ear as he said, “I think I’ll go now. I’d like to be alone for a bit.”
“Of course, son,” Carlisle agreed, “but I’d like to set up weekly sessions with you to talk about all of this as well as anything else you’d like to discuss.” Jasper tensed and Carlisle raised a hand. “We won’t discuss anything you don’t want to, but I think we need to keep talking about what happened. In the long run, it will help you deal with it and move past it.”
Jasper blinked and looked down as he nodded. “All right. I’ll do it.” He climbed to his feet and helped Esme up. “If that’s all?”
“Yes,” Carlisle said as he got to his feet. “That’s it for today, and Jasper?” he said, causing him to pause at the door and look back. “I’m proud of you, son.”
Jasper blinked, letting that, along with the Patriarch’s genuine emotions, sink in for a moment before he gave a nod and quietly slipped out the door.
As soon as the door closed behind him, Esme fell into her mate’s arms, her eyes closed tightly as she clung to him, drawing on his strength as she allowed herself to fall to pieces. “Oh god, Carlisle…what they did…my heart is broken for him…” she sobbed against him.
His fingers carded her hair as he tucked his face against her temple. “I know,” he whispered, “I know, shh, it’s all right. We’re here for him and won’t allow anyone to hurt him again, shhh…”
“I want her destroyed,” she growled while pulling back to look in his eyes. “I would love nothing more than to feel her flesh yield under my hands, to watch as she burns, piece by cursed piece…”
His brows shot up and a slow smile curved his lips. “So, this is the Mama bear that’s been hiding under that gentle soul all these years…” he murmured.
She growled again and huffed as her lip curled. “I promised him, at your urging, but I swear if I hadn’t, I would hunt her down.” She turned and paced away before whirling. “I’m going to need to hunt soon. I have to get this out, or I’ll explode, I swear I will.”
“All right,” he agreed, stepping forward to take her hands. “Can you wait until after our chat with Alice?”
She bit her lip and looked away a moment before nodding. “I think so, but only because I really want to hear what she has to say about all this.”
He raised her hands and kissed them. “Then have a seat, love, while I call her in.”
He stepped to the door and opened it, poking his head out as he called, “Alice, join us in my study please.”
Leaving the door ajar, he resumed his seat on the couch, pulling Esme close to his side as they waited. She showed seconds later, pushing the door open and stepping in before closing it. “You needed to see me?”
“Yes, please,” he gestured to the undamaged chair, “have a seat and we’ll get started.
She perched herself there and smiled tightly. “Okay Dad, shoot.”
He held her gaze squarely. “Why did you tell us Jasper is your mate when he already has one?”
Her face fell, sadness filling her eyes as she murmured “Oh. Well, that’s easy. I thought he could be, not only because of my visions, but because…his mate is dead.”
Esme gasped. “Dead?!”
Alice nodded sadly. “Yes.”
Carlisle narrowed his eyes, a frown creasing his brow. “Jasper spoke as though his mate is alive and well, although he wouldn’t share any more than that with us—or rather, couldn’t.”
Alice nodded again. “That’s because he doesn’t know, and we can’t tell him,” she pleaded when she saw the two exchange doubtful looks. “You see, Maria thinks if he did find out for sure, he would kill himself or go crazy and have to be put down, and she didn’t want that, so when I finally got that vision—the one that showed me he was free of his mate—and contacted her, she was happy to bring him to us.
“That’s why it seems he’s here against his will and why she had to be forceful with him in the rules he’s to follow. It would kill him to escape and find out for sure. We can’t let that happen, please!”
Carlisle and Esme exchanged concerned looks and Alice continued, “She said with enough time, he might release his side of the bond and move on. And I had hoped it would be with me. I’ve had so many visions of us together and happy, especially now that he’s here! I just have to be patient.”
She glanced between them, the look in her eyes ardent as she wrung her hands in her lap. “It’s hard, and I know I’ve messed up, but I’ll try harder from now on, because he’s worth it. In the end, it’ll all be worth it.”
Esme sat forward, one hand resting over her crossed knees as she pinned Alice with a steely gaze. “Did you see what they did to him?”
Alice looked down and nodded. “Yes, but only after they’d taken him down there and it was too late to stop it. My heart hurts for him, but…” She looked up, her eyes brimming. “He was going to run, Mom. And he had to be stopped. I saw what would happen if he learned his mate is dead and…he…he walks into a pyre.”
Esme’s breath caught and she sat back, clutching Carlisle’s hand.
“I know what Maria had done to him was harsh…” Carlisle scoffed and Esme growled, but she hurried on,“But after that was done, the visions of him running stopped completely. He won’t try to leave again, and now the visions of us as a happy family for years to come are back on track. I’m sorry Mom and Dad, but I’d rather him go through some trauma than to have him kill himself.”
Carlisle squeezed Esme’s hand and she blew out a breath as they looked at each other. “Well Alice,” Carlisle said, “you’ve given us much to think about and while I’m not sure he’ll ever mate again, we now consider him our son, and don’t want to see more harm come to him. He’s been through enough.
“So, as difficult as it may be for you, you’re just going to have to put your desires on hold and let him heal and adjust at his own pace. This means no more forcing your attentions on him. You may approach as a friend or sibling, but no more than that unless or until he decides he wants more, is that clear?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Why weren’t you honest with us to begin with?” Esme demanded.
“Because it would have been put to a family vote and would have been rejected. Believe me, I looked at all the options. If I had been honest about him not yet being my mate, none of you would’ve approved it. He’s a human drinker and a challenge and the only one who would’ve voted yes was me.”
She leaned forward, her eyes pleading. “I knew you would love him, Mom. It was one of my strongest visions after I decided to tell you guys he was my mate.” She looked at Carlisle. “I knew you would come to love him too, Dad, and the best part?” She smiled. “The best part is he loves you guys too.”
Esme squeezed Carlisle’s hand as they shared faint smiles.
“Well then,” Esme murmured, “I can’t really argue with that, because I can’t imagine not having him here.”
Carlisle lifted Esme’s hand to his lips for a kiss. “Neither can I, sweetheart. I’m glad he’s here.
She smiled. “Me too.”
Alice rose and slipped out of the room, allowing herself a smirk of supreme satisfaction as the door closed. “It’s an art,” she breathed with a private giggle as she walked to her room. “And I am a master.”
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
***January, 2005, Forks, WA
“Jasper, come on man, or we’re gonna be late, and you know how pissy Edward gets when we’re late!” Emmett called up the stairs.
With a low growl, he snapped his book shut and rose from his chair, placing the book on the side table as he grabbed his bag.
The bag was a mere prop to make Esme happy. Something that kept her from questioning why he never brought work home from school. She saw the bag, equated it with homework, and they all lived to be happy—he smirked—until report cards came in.
With a put upon sigh, he jogged down the stairs. Yeah, they’d sort of strong armed him into finally doing the whole high school thing. It had been tough to refuse after they’d moved here to the thriving metropolis of Forks, WA, since it was a new start for them all. And Esme…well, it seems Esme has a way of getting her way. And as he’d discovered, that applied even with him, much to his continued dismay.
“About time,” Emmett grumbled when he reached the bottom of the stairs.
He arched a brow. “Going for the honor roll this semester, Emmett?”
The muscle bound vampire snorted. “Hell no, I just don’t wanna hear Edward and Alice bitch,” he said as they filed into the garage where Edward and Alice waited in the running Volvo.
He eyed the car as Emmett and Rose slid in. ‘A Volvo,’ he thought with derision. ‘Who picks a fucking Volvo when they could have any car they wanted?’ Edward shot him a glare in the rearview mirror and he smirked. ‘Edward Cullen, that’s who.’
“Nothing wrong with my choice of vehicles, Jasper,” said mind-reader grumbled.
“Yeah, if you’re sixty with bad knees, erectile dysfunction, and a love of golf,” Emmett snickered. Rose slapped his arm.
“Could you guys just lay off for once?” Alice whined. “Today is gonna be hard enough,” she muttered under her breath, though everyone heard her.
“Don’t start,” Rose snapped.
Emmett sighed and Jasper chuckled. It was so easy to rile this bunch up and he didn’t even need his gift to do it.
“Are you going to cause trouble at school today?” Edward asked while eyeing him in the mirror.
His eyes widened and he blinked, one hand placed on his leather-clad chest. “Me? I would never… I’m as pure as the driven snow.”
Rose snorted as Emmett snickered. Edward simply glared.
“Edward, leave him alone,” Alice muttered while rubbing her temples. “We have bigger issues to deal with today, believe me.”
“What is all that you’re seeing Alice?” he questioned while turning into the parking lot and pulling into a space. “The visions are moving too fast for me to read.”
She shook her head. “That’s because everything keeps changing, nothing is solid, not yet.” She locked gazes with the mind-reader. “Just, be ready, whatever happens.”
“Yeah, like that’s not vague at all,” Rose scoffed while grabbing her bag. “How about this?” she growled lowly while looking at them all. “Nobody fucking eats anybody, got it? The rest I couldn’t give a shit about.”
Jasper smirked while tossing his bag back in the car. “Define ‘eat,’” he said with a toothy, dimpled grin before strutting off to the main doors, thumbs hooked in the pockets of his snug, worn jeans.
“Oh, my god,” Rose growled, watching after him as he entered the building. He flashed a grin at a group of giggling girls just before the door closed. “He’s gonna be the death of us all.” She looked at her siblings. “You realize this, yes?”
Alice rolled her eyes. “He will not. I’ll keep him in line.”
“You barely manage it. Look at all his little slips over the years,” Rose grumbled.
Alice sighed. “He hasn’t even thought about it since we moved to Forks, Rose. I haven’t had one vision of him draining anyone.”
“Your gift isn’t perfect, you know,” Rose said with an arched brow.
Edward cringed and they all noticed. “He thinks about it all the time, Alice.”
She bristled. “Not seriously, or I would see it, and I haven’t, so…”
“Whatever,” Rose said with a sigh as Emmett wrapped an arm around her. “Just…try to keep him contained.” They both headed into the school, leaving Edward and Alice to themselves by the car.
Edward ran a hand through his hair before pinning his ‘sister’ with a look—that narrow-eyed, don’t mess with me look. “I need more than just a vague ‘be ready for whatever’ Alice. What’s going on?”
Just then, they heard the rumble of a tired engine pulling into the parking lot. It was unfamiliar and belonged to a rusted red truck that pulled into a slot and back-fired as the engine cut. Alice looked at Edward with a tight smile. “That’s the new girl everyone’s been talking about.”
He raised his brows. “Yes…and…?”
She looked sheepish. “And I’m pretty sure…” she trailed, biting her lip as she glanced toward the girl.
“Yes…?” he prodded, rapidly losing patience as her silence stretched.
With a sigh, she looked back at him and continued, “I’m pretty sure she’s your mate.”
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