instructions

Ten shifters and eight vampires meet in a baseball field...

It sounded like a bad joke.

Then again, it looked like a worse one.

According to Alice, when she'd showed up at Sam's house on the edge of La Push, the newborn vampires were going to be carrying the items that had been stolen from the cabin I'd been staying in.

Which meant Riley was involved in this whole mess, and therefore, so was Victoria – almost guaranteed.

It was why we were now all gathered in this baseball field, preparing. I'd tried to convince Jake not to get involved, that it wasn't his fight, but he'd refused to listen.

And now we were all here.

"They shouldn't be here," I muttered under my breath, looking at my friends – split fairly evenly between wolf and human form.

I looked at Collin and Brady sitting side by side in their wolf forms – sitting apart from the rest of the two packs, almost in the forest. Even though I was well aware that Collin and Brady despised me, I knew I didn't feel the same. They were thirteen-years-old, young children caught up in a life they should never have been forced into.

And meanwhile, much closer to me, were the rest; Sam, Jake, Embry, Jared, and Leah all either standing or sitting not too many feet away from where I stood with my family - Paul, Seth, and Quil in their wolf form.

"You were willing to help them when we didn't even know what it was that the newborns were being created for. Now we know. They're your friends. Of course, they're going to help."

"That's different," I grumbled.

He arched an eyebrow at me. "You're right. They are different. What you were doing served no real purpose other than to help them save a bunch people none of us know – which, I hate to say it, but I honestly would rather all of Seattle die than lose you – while this is to protect you."

"In other words, it has nothing to do with them. It's their job to protect humans."

"Do you honestly think this has nothing to do with him?" Edward nodded his head toward Jacob. "You know how he feels about you. He loves you, Beau. That alone gives him reason to be here, and where he goes, his pack follows. It's true; I suppose you could argue that Sam's pack doesn't belong. But more than one in Sam's pack thinks of you as a friend or feels indebted to you in some way.

"Besides, eight of us, no matter how good Jasper and I are, is not going to be enough to protect the town from the thrall of newborns that are going to descend on us. If we fight without the wolves help, more than one will get through to the town. That, in and of itself, makes it their business."

I could tell, from the way Jake was watching us that he was listening to Edward and I talk. His eyes sparked with fury, not toward Edward for what he was saying, but directed at me – for suggesting he should stay out of it, no doubt.

I was sure my next words weren't going to make him any happier with me. "It's me they're after. Riley was the one who took those items, so that means all of this is because of Victoria. She didn't seem to want to engage me in an actual fight when I found her in the rail-yard. Perhaps I should go back to Seattle and try to find her. End this before it even starts."

I heard Jake snarl, and in spite of the seriousness of what I was talking about, I had to force myself not to grin – I'd called it.

Edward narrowed his eyes at me and opened his mouth, but Alice beat him to it.

"You're assuming that will stop the attack, but I don't see it. They've already been told they're to come and attack us, that's why I can see them coming so clearly. They're newborns, and while it's possible one might have some form of latent tracking talent, trackers aren't exactly like Edward, you, or me. It takes time – and I'm talking decades upon decades – to hone a tracking skill. As newborns, even if one has that gift, they'll all just come here. Forks and La Push are where your scent is strongest."

"Besides," Edward said, crossing his arms over his chest. "That isn't an acceptable option."

I knew that, but it wasn't acceptable to put my entire family in danger either.

I started to look down, feeling... I wasn't even sure how to describe it. Guilty for surviving James attacking me, I supposed.

Edward's hand on my cheek stopped me. "Don't go there, Beau. Whether you were alive or dead, James would still be gone, and this could still be happening. Likely even would be. Except you wouldn't be here. And I wouldn't be here."

"I thought you couldn't read my mind."

He smiled slightly. "I can't."

Carlisle chose that moment to speak, looking at me briefly. "Alice sees at least twenty coming this way, maybe more. The exact number is hard to determine as newborns tend to fight amongst themselves, oftentimes too volatile for their own good." He focused on Sam and Jacob. "While we welcome your help. You do need to consider seriously if you want to involve yourselves in this. Though Beau wants to protect you from it mostly out of a sense of guilt, he is right in that this isn't your fight. We have family we can call upon that will help if need be."

Sam scowled, his eyes seeming to grow colder than normal – as he looked like he was getting ready to go off on a tirade.

It was Jake that spoke though. "It's our job more than it's yours. Our duty is to protect mankind, and if those vampires make it to Forks, I can only imagine the kind of damage they'll cause. I can't allow that to happen."

His words were solemn, sincere, and in that instant, it was more than a little clear just how much he'd grown in the months since he'd become a shifter. Though I was sure, it was hardly his only reason for wanting to be involved.

"Besides –" Jake grinned at me, suddenly "– I don't want to give Beau a reason to run off with the Denalis if you were to call them."

And just like that, any chiefly feel I was starting to think he had evaporated. Though I suspected he'd done it very much on purpose.

I rolled my eyes.

"You've mentioned them being volatile, but in what way?" Sam asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Jasper stepped forward. "They have no skill, only brute strength. Newborns usually are ruled almost entirely by the thirst that ravages them and their instinctual nature. While Beau has been able to acclimate to this life from almost the beginning, he is an exception to the normal. Most newborn vampires don't really start contemplating humanity, their memories, the past, etc... for months after their turned. Some never find their humanity again."

"Don't you mean most never do?" Sam's voice was cold. "You and your quote-unquote cousins are the exceptions, not the rule."

"I suppose, to you who revere human life above all else, it may seem that vampires who hunt humans are truly vile and have no humanity. But that's not true. We are, as a species, perpetually thirsty. If we truly had no humanity, our kind would hunt once or twice a day even, perhaps more. Most vampires, though, go two to three weeks on average between kills. Part of that is from a healthy fear of retribution from the Volturi, but one must ask why that rule even exists? Sure, in today's world, there are a few weapons of mass destruction that might be capable of killing our kind, but that's a new issue. For thousands of years, that was not the case. So why must we keep ourselves hidden from society? Why must we control our bloodlust? I'm sure there are multiple reasons why the rule was made and is enforced by the Volturi, but the simplest, most obvious reason is humanity. After all, the humans of Volterra haven't seen a vampire attack in hundreds of years."

"Your definition of humanity is disturbing," Leah muttered under her breath – not that it did any good, we could all hear it.

Jasper looked at her. "Is it? Humanity is not black and white; it's thousands of shades of grays and browns. You, of all in this field, should know that. After all, the man you love and were ready to marry – the man who at one point, loved you – walked away from you after one glance at your cousin. Just because Sam broke your heart, it makes him no less human."

"How do you even know about that?" Leah was starting to shake where she stood.

"Calm down, Leah." Jake's voice was firm. "I am sure Edward heard what happened from one or more of our thoughts. And ultimately there are no secrets amongst them."

"Humph."

"And how do we fight them if they are pure brute strength?" Jake focused on Jasper.

"By outwitting them. They have no practical knowledge of how to fight and will only go for obvious kills. It's also the only thing they'll be prepared to defend against. A word of warning, whatever you do, don't let them get their arms around you. They can crush your bones without even trying." He looked at the wolves, obviously trying to convey the seriousness of what he was saying. After a moment, he continued. "As long as you come at the newborns' from the side and keep moving, they'll be too confused to respond effectively. Emmett?"

Emmett stepped forward with a huge grin.

I barely resisted rolling my eyes at him. He should know better than to want to be Jasper's object lesson.

Jasper backed toward the north end of the field, nearing where Collin and Brandy were. He waved Emmett forward.

"Okay, Emmett first. He's the best example of a newborn attack."

Emmett's eyes narrowed. "I'll try not to break anything," he muttered.

Jasper grinned. "What I meant is that Emmett relies on his strength. He's very straightforward about the attack. The newborns won't be trying anything subtle, either. Just go for the easy kill, Emmett."

Jasper backed up a few more paces, his body tensing.

"Okay, Emmett – try to catch me."

Jasper darted away from there even as Emmett started to bear down on him. If I wasn't a vampire, I know it would be impossible to track the two as Emmett tried to play an elaborate game of tag with Jasper. I frowned slightly as Jasper managed to circle around behind him – perhaps it was more like capture the flag.

Emmett froze suddenly when Jasper was at his back, his teeth near Emmett's throat.

Emmett swore – the words colorful enough that I was more than a little grateful that I could no longer blush.

A couple of the Quileutes in their wolf forms made a growling rumble that sounded strangely appreciative, but it was Sam's eyes, carefully tracking Jasper's moves that caught my attention. I suspected he just realized how truly dangerous my brother was.

"Again," Emmett demanded, his smile completely gone. He hated to lose – even though he lost more than he won when it came to fighting.

I smirked.

"It's my turn," Edward stated, his eyes narrowing slightly.

I barely suppressed the urge to snarl, not even sure where it was coming from. I'd seen him and Jasper let off steam more than once since I'd been turned. Similarly, I'd seen him and Emmett mess around from time to time. But this wasn't messing around, and the need to protect Edward was strong. I didn't want to see Jasper and his training.

In fact, I didn't want him anywhere near the fight.

I swallowed slightly as the realization set in. I'd willingly put all my friends – my family too – at risk if only I could convince Edward to stay out of this... to stay away from the upcoming fighting.

Jasper was eyeing me, and I couldn't help but wonder what emotions I was throwing off. Guilt? Probably. Self-disgust? Definitely.

"I think Alice should go next," Jasper said. "She's the slightest figure here..." Jasper briefly glanced behind him at Collin and Brady. "Or, at least the slightest vampire here, and I know more than one wonders if she'll be any good in a fight, especially blind. Besides, I know you worry about her." His eyes were back steady on mine as he said the last bit.

Alice stepped forward lightly, practically dancing forward on the balls of her feet. I did worry about her, Jasper was correct, but he didn't understand precisely why I worried for her. Alice was capable, I knew she was, but she was also overconfident... And I supposed, if I was being honest, she had reason to be – after all, her gift allowed her to almost always know what to do.

But overconfidence would get her killed.

Alice closed her eyes as Jasper sunk into a crouch.

A part of me rationalized that it shouldn't be scary. Jasper was the male, and while he was quite a bit taller than Alice, he didn't look tougher than her. At least he wouldn't if it weren't for the hundreds of scars that littered his body. The problem was, those scars changed everything.

I was so focused on Jasper as he pounced, I didn't even realize Alice had moved until Jasper landed with nothing in his arms. Alice was almost in the same place she had been, but she was just slightly further to the left than she had been.

As Jasper whirled towards Alice, going at her again, she grinned and stepped back to the right. Jasper landed with Alice perfectly unharmed.

Each time Jasper tried to attack Alice, she moved, stepping ever so slightly one way or another at the last possible moment. If I didn't know better, I'd say they choreographed it. But that wasn't the case, Alice was simply that good at seeing the immediate future and using what she saw to her advantage.

As I'd said, she has good reason for her overconfidence.

After a couple minutes of the careful dance, Alice's eyes flashed open, and she jumped straight up in the air, landing on Jasper's back as he tried to pounce on where she had been. She pressed her lips to his throat.

Jasper chuckled, shaking his head. "Why do I even try?"

Alice jumped off.

"Can you do that with a wolf, I wonder?" Leah asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You'd like to believe I couldn't, wouldn't you?" Alice came back over to me as she spoke, not even looking at Leah.

"But you can't see us. You can't cheat."

"But I can see the options that will have my future ending in darkness. It is as effective as seeing someone's choice." She took my hand as she turned to look back at the pack. "Edward, you can take your turn against Jasper, I'll stay with Beau."

I noticed immediately how firmly her shoulders were set and the fact that she didn't instantly recommend some sort of bet.

Just how bad was this fight going to be?

Edward nodded and stepped up to Jasper.

There was no preamble between them as the fight started. It wasn't like when Emmett or Alice had fought with Jasper – it wasn't like the times Jasper and I had fought either. It was real. And it was deadly.

And as they moved through the field fighting, neck and neck in skill – Jasper's learned and Edward's stolen directly from Jasper's mind – I suddenly remembered a different scene in this same field.

I could see Jasper and Edward fighting still, but I stared at the spot where a pyre made by my own hands had been – where the pieces of a vampire made too young had been. I tried hard not to recall the child's name.

Alice's hand squeezed mine causing me to flinch.

"Whatever you're thinking, stop it." Alice's words were so quiet that I knew no one else could possibly hear – it made a whisper sound loud.

I looked at her.

"If you get yourself killed in this coming fight, it'll destroy him, Beau. Get your head in the game."

"I am focused," I muttered.

Alice arched an eyebrow at me briefly, but looked back at Jasper and Edward without commenting.

I looked back just in time to see Jasper throw Edward. He hit the ground hard but was on his feet almost instantaneously. He was on Jasper a moment later.

"That's enough," Carlisle stated firmly, taking one step forward.

They immediately stepped away from each other.

"Back to work," Jasper said. "We'll call it a draw."

We all took turns; Carlisle, Rosalie, Esme, and me. And as humiliating as my turn was, Esme's was the most painful to watch. And I noticed when Jake, who'd watched each of our sessions with Jasper, flinched as Jasper put Esme in a headlock.

I couldn't really blame him.

When my turn came, I ended up on my back in seconds – breath that I didn't technically need forced out of me when I hit the ground.

I jumped back to my feet and tried to feint an attack and force him to open a weak spot in the process, but he didn't fall for it, and I ended up on my back again, this time his teeth at my throat.

I barely stopped myself from swearing out loud.

Once I was allowed up, Jasper turned to the wolves. "Any of you want to try your hands against me, or your paws?"

Jake shrugged. "As long as you don't mind getting bit, I'll give it a shot. I won't hold back. But don't worry, the marks don't scar."

"You think you can beat me?"

"I know I can." Jake was completely calm.

"Very well, let's see what you got."

"Give me a minute, I got to shift to wolf, and I'm not destroying these clothes to do it." He turned and headed towards the woods.

…

At the end of the evening of practice, Jake had tried and failed to beat Jasper twice. The only other of the wolves willing to try his luck had been Embry. And I thoroughly got my ass handed to me two more times.

"We'll be practicing more tomorrow night, please feel free to come back and observe or even practice again tomorrow night," Jasper said, turning to them.

Jake, back in his human form, said, "At least some of us will be here." He turned to Leah. "Get the rest of my pack home. I want to stay and talk for a while."

Leah nodded her head without saying anything before turning and walking into the forest.

Jake turned to Sam, and they stared at each other for a moment, having some sort of silent conversation. Finally, Jake turned and headed over to me as Sam headed toward the trees, the rest of his group following.

"I'll let Jake and you talk," Edward murmured and went over to talk with Carlisle.

"How does Jasper know as much about fighting as he does?" Jake asked when he reached me.

"I told you a while ago to ask him for his story."

"Well, I know you better than I know him. Besides, you obviously know the story already, or you wouldn't tell me to ask him."

"It's not my story to tell."

Jasper came over as we talked – we weren't exactly trying to be quiet in our conversation, so I was sure he heard.

"So you're curious about my past?" Jasper asked, looking at Jake.

"Only as it correlates to your knowledge of what's going on now. As well as your knowledge of how to fight."

"Well, in order for me to answer that, you have to understand that my upbringing was far different than that of the rest of my family."

Jake nodded. "I figured that out."

"You see, there are places in this world where the lifespan of the never-aging is measured in weeks, and not decades."

Even though I'd heard his story when I was in transition, and bits and pieces of his life from time to time since, I listened carefully. His was still the story I had heard the least.

"To really understand why, you have to look at the world from a different perspective. You have to imagine the way it looks to the powerful, the greedy... the perpetually thirsty.

"Because there are places in this world that are more desirable to us than others. Places where we can be less restrained, and still avoid detection.

"Picture, for instance, a map of the western hemisphere. Picture on it every human life as a small red dot. The thicker the red, the more easily we – well, those who exist this way – can feed without attracting notice."

Jake's upper lip lifted in a slight snarl at the depiction of what Jasper was talking about. I arched an eyebrow at him without speaking aloud. He'd been the one that had wanted to know, after all.

"Not that the covens in the South care much for what the humans notice or do not. It's the Volturi that keep them in check. They are the only ones the southern covens fear. If not for the Volturi, the rest of us would be quickly exposed."

It wasn't the first time that I'd heard Jasper speak of the Volturi in such a respectful deference, but I still wasn't sure I agreed with his assessment.

"The North is, by comparison, very civilized. Mostly we are nomads here who enjoy the day as well as the night, who allow humans to interact with us unsuspectingly – anonymity is important to us all.

"It's a different world in the South. The immortals there come out only at night. They spend the day plotting their next move, or anticipating their enemy's. Because it has been war in the South, constant war for centuries, with never one moment of truce. The covens there barely note the existence of humans, except as soldiers notice a herd of cows by the wayside – food for the taking. They only hide from the notice of the herd because of the Volturi."

"They fight for blood, don't they?" Jake asked carefully, his voice containing a barely restrained fury.

"Yes. They fight for control of the thickest red dot on the map I mentioned earlier.

"You see, it occurred to someone once that, if she were the only vampire in, let's say Mexico City, well then, she could feed every night, twice, three times, and no one would ever notice. She plotted ways to get rid of the competition.

"Others had the same idea. Some came up with more effective tactics than others.

"But the most effective tactic was invented by a fairly young vampire named Maria. The first anyone ever heard of her, she came down from somewhere north of Dallas and massacred the two small covens that shared the area near Houston. Two nights later, she took on the much stronger clan of allies that claimed Monterrey in northern Mexico. Again, she won."

Jake frowned slightly, not saying anything but looking to me for confirmation.

"She created an army of newborns," I answered his silent question.

Jasper arched an eyebrow, but continued after a moment. "Yes. She was the first one to think of it, and, in the beginning, she was unstoppable. Very young vampires are volatile, wild, and almost impossible to control. One newborn can be reasoned with, taught to restrain him or herself, but ten, fifteen together are a nightmare. They'll turn on each other as easily as on the enemy you point them at. Maria had to keep making more as they fought amongst themselves, and as the covens she decimated took more than half her force down before they lost.

"Because, while newborns are dangerous, they are still possible to defeat as long as you know what you're doing. They're incredibly powerful physically, for the first year or so, and if they're allowed to bring strength to bear they can crush almost anything with ease; including a vampire, a solid piece of granite, a diamond, or just about anything else. But they are slaves to their instincts, and thus predictable. Usually, they have no skill in fighting, only muscle, and ferocity. And in this case, overwhelming numbers.

"The vampires in southern Mexico realized what was coming for them, and they did the only thing they could think of to counteract Maria. They made armies of their own...

"All hell broke loose – and I mean that more literally than you can possibly imagine. We immortals have our histories, too, and this particular war will never be forgotten. Of course, it was not a good time to be human in Mexico, either."

I managed to hold back the shudder that his words inspired, Jake, on the other hand, practically shook himself.

"When the body count reached epidemic proportions – in fact, your histories blame a disease for the population slump – the Volturi finally stepped in. The entire guard came together and sought out every newborn in the bottom half of North America. Maria was entrenched in Puebla, building her army as quickly as she could in order to take on the prize – Mexico City. The Volturi started with her army, and then moved on to the rest. Though what happened to her personally is up for some debate."Tho she did get away. they've been looking for her ever since.

Jasper glanced briefly toward Alice, who was practicing with Emmett – more like rubbing Emmett's losing streak in.

"Anyone who was found with newborns was executed immediately, and, since everyone was trying to protect themselves from Maria, Mexico was emptied of vampires for a time.

"The Volturi were cleaning house for almost a year. This was another chapter of our history that will always be remembered, though there were very few witnesses left to speak of what it was like. I spoke to someone once who had, from a distance, watched what happened when they visited Culiacán."

Jasper shuddered. Seeing him horrified was an uncomfortable sight, and one I wasn't sure how to react to.

"It was enough that the fever for conquest did not spread from the South to the North. Most of this country and much of the rest of the world stayed sane. We owe the Volturi for our present way of life.

"But when the Volturi went back to Italy, the survivors were quick to stake their claims in the South.

"It didn't take long before covens began to dispute again. There was a lot of bad blood, if you'll forgive the expression. Vendettas abounded. The idea of newborns was already there, and some were not able to resist. However, the Volturi had not been forgotten, and the southern covens were more careful this time. The newborns were selected from the human pool with more care, and given more training. They were used circumspectly, and the humans remained, for the most part, oblivious. Their creators gave the Volturi no reason to return.

"The wars resumed, but on a smaller scale. Every now and then, someone would go too far, speculation would begin in the human newspapers, and the Volturi would return and clean out the city. But they let the others, the careful ones, continue..."

"And that's how you were created." It wasn't a question. Jake was staring at him steadily.

"Yes," he agreed. "When I was human, I grew up in Galveston, Texas. I had barely turned nineteen when the battle of Galveston Harbor swept the city. An evacuation was ordered, and most women and children were forced to leave.

"If I'd already been married, I would have not joined in the war, but in the midst of the Civil War for soilders, there were no time to marry. They were all serving, including my father. My elderly grandparents were living in the same home as my mom, me, and my two younger sisters. When the army came to force us men to enroll , my mother adamantly refused and for the evacuation – my grandparents would have never survived the evacuation if they'd been forced to leave.

"We were one of the only inhabited houses in the wake of the evacuation. And I assume it was because of that, that I was found.

After I was In it for a while I slept in a third-story bedroom, and my window was open more than it was closed. After all, who could possibly get in it? Then again, I didn't know vampires were real. She slipped into my room through my window one night. Maria. She was clearly Spanish in origin, though her skin was like porcelain. She wasn't very old, definitely younger than me, but she was beautiful.

"It's almost funny now, how well I remember that. She claimed she was drawn to me. I remember screaming when she grabbed me from the bed and jumped out of the window. Of course, I screamed a lot more later, and a lot louder.

"She took me to an abandoned building, a horse barn, I think it was. And what she did to me, which was more than just bite me, was far from pleasant. I'm grateful that the first part of my first night is hard to remember. The transition from human to vampire, three days of burning pain the likes of which you can't begin to imagine, was enough to make me wish for death many times over – to scream for it even.

"Eventually, it did end, and when it ended, I met her two traveling companions; Lucas and Navarro. Lucas had light blond hair and was tall, especially for that day and age – well over six feet. Navarro had brown hair, though his skin had the same toffee-like undertone that Maria did.

"They hadn't been together long – Maria had rounded up the other two – all three were survivors of recently lost battles. Theirs was a partnership of convenience. Maria wanted revenge, and she wanted her territories back. The others were eager to increase theirs. They were putting together an army, and going about it more carefully than was usual. It was Maria's idea. She wanted a superior army, so she sought out specific humans who had potential. Then she gave us much more attention, more training than anyone else had bothered with. She taught us to fight, and she taught us to be invisible to the humans. When we did well, we were rewarded... I suspect you can guess with what."

Jake, who was grimacing, nodded. It didn't take a genius to figure out he was talking about meals.

"She was in a hurry, though. Maria knew that the massive strength of the newborn began to wane around the year mark, and she wanted to act while we were strong.

"There were six of us when I joined Maria's band. She added four more within a fortnight. Most were male – Maria liked soldiers like with me, though she took me because she found me compelling for some unknown reason... at the time my empathic gift was an unknown talent – and that made it slightly more difficult to keep from fighting amongst ourselves. I fought my first battles against my new comrades in arms. I was quicker than the others, better at combat. Maria was pleased with me, though put out that she had to keep replacing the ones I destroyed. I was rewarded often, and that made me stronger.

"Maria was a good judge of character. She decided to put me in charge of the others – as if I were being promoted. It suited my nature exactly. The casualties went down dramatically, and our numbers swelled to hover around twenty.

"This was considerable for the cautious times we lived in. My ability, while undefined, was vitally effective. We soon began to work together in a way that newborn vampires had never cooperated before. Even Maria, Navarro, and Lucas were able to work together more easily.

"Maria grew quite fond of me – she began to depend upon me. And, in some ways, I worshiped the ground she walked on. I had no idea that any other life was possible. Maria told us this was the way things were, and we believed.

"She asked me to tell her when my brothers and I were ready to fight, and I was eager to prove myself. I pulled together an army of twenty-three in the end – twenty-three unbelievably strong new vampires, organized and skilled as no others before. Maria was ecstatic.

"We crept down toward Monterrey, her former home, and she unleashed us on her enemies. They had only nine newborns at the time, and a pair of older vampires controlling them. We took them down more easily than Maria could believe, losing only four in the process. It was an unheard-of margin of victory.

"And we were well trained. We did it without attracting notice. The city changed hands without any human being aware.

"Success made Maria greedy. It wasn't long before she began to eye other cities. That first year, she extended her control to cover most of Texas and northern Mexico. Then the others came from the South to dislodge her."

He brushed two fingers along the faint pattern of scars on his arm.

"The fighting was intense. Many began to worry that the Volturi would return. Of the original twenty-three, I was the only one to survive the first eighteen months. We both won and lost. Navarro and Lucas turned on Maria eventually – but that one we won, mostly because their emotional state gave away their intentions to me and I was able to prepare Maria.

"Maria and I were able to hold on to Monterrey. It quieted a little, though the wars continued. The idea of conquest was dying out; it was mostly vengeance and feuding now. So many had lost their partners, and that is something our kind does not forgive... As Victoria and her plans now are evidence of.

"Maria and I always kept a dozen or so newborns ready. They meant little to us – they were pawns, they were disposable. When they outgrew their usefulness, we did dispose of them."

He paused, looking directly at Jake, whose face had an almost sallow appearance. "And yes, I know exactly how disgusting that sounds.

"My life continued in the same violent pattern, and the years passed. I was sick of it all for a very long time before anything changed...

"Decades later, I developed a friendship with a newborn who'd remained useful and survived his first three years, against the odds. His name was Peter. I liked Peter; he was... civilized – I suppose that's the right word. He didn't enjoy the fight, though he was quite good at it.

"He was assigned to deal with the newborns – babysit them, you could say. It was a full-time job.

"And then it was time to purge again. The newborns were outgrowing their strength; they were due to be replaced. Peter was supposed to help me dispose of them. We took them aside individually, you see, one by one... It was always a very long night. This time, he tried to convince me that a few had potential, but Maria had instructed that we get rid of them all. I told him no.

"We were about halfway through, and I could feel that it was taking a great toll on Peter. I was trying to decide whether or not I should send him away and finish up myself as I called out the next victim. To my surprise, he was suddenly angry, furious. I braced for whatever his mood might foreshadow – he was a good fighter, but he was never a match for me.

"The newborn I'd summoned was a young woman who'd been turned when she'd still been with her family, just past her year mark. Her name was Charlotte. His feelings changed when she came into view; they gave him away. He yelled for her to run, and he bolted after her. I could have pursued them, but I didn't. I felt... averse to destroying him.

"Maria was irritated with me for that...

"Five years later, Peter snuck back for me. He picked a good day to arrive.

"Maria was mystified by my ever-deteriorating frame of mind. She'd never felt a moment's depression, and I wondered why I was different. I began to notice a change in her emotions when she was near me – sometimes there was fear... and malice – the same feelings that had given me advance warning when Navarro and Lucas struck. I was preparing myself to destroy my only ally, the core of my existence, when Peter returned.

"Peter told me about his new life with Charlotte, told me about options I'd never dreamed I had. In five years, they'd never had a fight, though they'd met many others in the North. Others who could co-exist without the constant mayhem.

"In one conversation, he had me convinced. I was ready to go, and somewhat relieved I wouldn't have to kill Maria. I'd been her companion for as many years as Carlisle and Edward have been together, yet the bond between us was nowhere near as strong. When you live for the fight, for the blood, the relationships you form are tenuous and easily broken. I walked away without a backward glance...

Jasper trailed off, looking at nothing. I couldn't help but wonder if he was seeing bits of the past in the same way I'd been seeing the pyre earlier.

"Well? What happened next?" Jake demanded after a couple of minutes with Jasper not saying anything.

Jasper focused on him. "I thought you only wanted to know my history as far as it pertained to how I know so much about newborns?"

Jake scowled. "And now I want to know the rest."

Jasper grinned briefly, but it died quickly as he went back to his tale. "I traveled with Peter and Charlotte for a few years, getting the feel of this new, more peaceful world. But the depression didn't fade. I didn't understand what was wrong with me, until Peter noticed that it was always worse after I'd hunted.

"I contemplated that. In so many years of slaughter and carnage, I'd lost nearly all of my humanity. I was undeniably a nightmare, a monster of the grisliest kind. Yet each time I found another human victim, I would feel a faint prick of remembrance for that other life. Watching their eyes widen in wonder at my beauty, I could see Maria in my head, what she had looked like to me the last night that I was Jasper Whitlock. It was stronger for me – this borrowed memory – than it was for anyone else, because I could feel everything my prey was feeling. And I lived their emotions as I killed them.

"You've experienced the way I can manipulate the emotions around myself, but I wonder if you realize how the feelings in a room affect me. I live every day in a climate of emotion. For the first century of my life, I lived in a world of bloodthirsty vengeance. Hate was my constant companion. It eased some when I left Maria, but I still had to feel the horror and fear of my prey.

"It began to be too much.

"The depression got worse, and I wandered away from Peter and Charlotte. Civilized as they were, they didn't feel the same aversion I was beginning to feel. They only wanted peace from the fight. I was so wearied by killing – killing anyone, even mere humans.

"Yet I had to keep killing. What choice did I have? I tried to kill less often, but I would get too thirsty, and I would give in. After a century of instant gratification, I found self-discipline... challenging. I still haven't perfected that."

He smiled again, this time a genuine and peaceful one instead of the slightly sarcastic one he'd had when Jake had demanded to hear the rest of the story.

"I was in Philadelphia. There was a storm, and I was out during the day – something I was not completely comfortable with yet. I knew standing in the rain would attract attention, especially without an umbrella, so I ducked into a little half-empty diner. My eyes were dark enough that no one would notice them, though this meant I was thirsty, and that worried me a little.

"She was there – expecting me, naturally." He chuckled once. "She hopped down from the high stool at the counter as soon as I walked in and came directly toward me.

"It shocked me. I was not sure if she meant to attack. That's the only interpretation of her behavior my past had to offer. But she was smiling. And the emotions that were emanating from her were like nothing I'd ever felt before.

"'You've kept me waiting a long time,' she said."

Alice, who'd slowly edged her way closer as Jasper had told his tale, stood just a little ways off.

"And you ducked your head, like a good Southern gentleman, and said, 'I'm sorry, mam.'" Alice laughed at the memory.

Jasper smiled towards her. "You held out your hand, and I took it without stopping to make sense of what I was doing. For the first time in almost a century, I felt hope."

Alice grinned. "I was just relieved. I thought you were never going to show up."

They smiled at each other for a long moment, and then Jasper looked back to Jake, the soft expression lingering.

"Alice told me what she'd seen of Carlisle and his family. I could hardly believe that such an existence was possible. But Alice made me optimistic. So we went to find them."

"Scared the hell out of them too," Edward muttered from where he was.

Jake swung to look at him obviously asking some sort of a question in his head, because Edward continued more loudly after a moment.

"Emmett and I were away hunting. Jasper shows up, covered in battle scars, towing Alice, the little freak, who greets them all by name, knows everything about them, and wants to know which room they can move into."

Alice and Jasper laughed in harmony.

"When I got home, all my things were in the garage," Edward continued, his voice disgruntled.

Alice shrugged, her voice completely unapologetic as she said, "Your room had the best view."

I grinned. "I still like the ending."

Jake shook his head and turned back to Jasper. "Is Victoria from the South? Is that how she figured out to do this?"

"No," I answered. "She's from Europe. But when they left me here by myself, Edward tracked her to the South. Where was the last place you caught her trail?" I looked at my mate.

"Texas... it's possible she met someone down there that told her about it. Of course, it's also possible she heard about it a long time ago. Like Jasper said, it's not a history our kind is soon to forget."

Jake frowned slightly, finally stating after a moment, "I'll be back tomorrow. I'll practice with Beau then."

Edward snarled.