“You missed, asshole.”

Emmett’s triumphant taunt as Edward aims for the last bottle sets Ed’s teeth on edge. He shoots and misses – again – to howls of delight from Emmett.

Grudgingly, Edward hands the rifle back to me, rolling his eyes.

Loading the gun, I take careful aim, ignoring everything around me – especially the comments coming from Emmett and Edward alike as they intend to distract me.

I take my time squeezing the trigger and am rewarded by the satisfying sound of my bullet hitting its mark.

Emmett hollers, “Ohhhh! Winner and still reigning champion of the campsite shoot-out: Jasper Whitlock!”

Acquiesce

“It’s time,” she says.

I sigh. This “life’s” growing weary. Sometimes I wonder if there’ll ever be an end to it all.

The fighting.

The changing.

The killing.

The feeling.

None of it’s mine, and yet I bear it all, thanks to my…gift.

I glance around, then look at her again. So many, this time.

“All of them?” I ask, though I know the answer.

She nods curtly. “They’ve served their purpose, Major.”

Her tone is mocking and a reminder that this is my duty. Still, I try to persuade her.

“Have Peter help,” she says with finality.

I nod.

Bliss

She’s taken to this life with such tremendous grace that I still cannot comprehend it. I’ve never, in all my years, seen a newborn with her control.

Not just over her blood-lust – though the fact that she has it is amazing – but over her emotions, too.

Not to mention her strength!

At first, I stayed close because I feared for her, knowing how much she would hate herself if she lost control.

Now I stay because the sheer happiness she exudes is intoxicating in its own way.

She’s always been one of a kind, but never more so than now.

Collapse

“Jazz! Snap out of it, man…”

“Jasper, stop!”

Their words wash over me as Emmett carries me outside, his arms locked tight around my chest. They do nothing but incite my anger.

That blood is mine! Mine!

It isn’t until we’re far enough away for the fresh air to take the smell of her blood with it that sense starts to crawl back to me.

Blood… so much blood…

My body slackens. Emmett lets go once he figures out I’ve stopped fighting. I fall to the ground.

Oh God… Bella! What have I done?

I dry-heave, needing to expel…

Purge.

Damp

“Oh Jazzie, it’s all gone… what’re we going to do?”

Alice’s voice trembles as she digs through what’s left of our bookshelves, picking up our wedding album. It, like everything else we own, is sodden after the flood.

We had only barely managed to get out ourselves before things got too bad, but we had to leave everything behind – including our pets.

I sigh as I kneel next to Jake’s body, running my fingers through his damp fur. “I’m sorry, buddy… we’re gonna miss you.”

A whimper.

Looking up, I see Leah crawling out from her hiding place behind Jake.

Defile

“Oh, God…”

My hand flies to my throat at the sight before me as I try in vain to suppress a sob.

The headstone’s overturned, the flowers I’d left the week before shredded and thrown everywhere. There’s graffiti marring the letters and his picture, but my eyes are too blurred with tears to be able to read what it says.

I’d been warned and had come prepared, or so I thought. Silently, I set about cleaning his final resting place, not stopping until the headstone is clean and upright again.

Here Lies Major Jasper Whitlock. Beloved Son, Husband, And Father.

“Ready?” I whisper.

She nods. I remove my hands from her eyes. She blinks, taking in the scene before her, gasping softly. “Jasper! What’s all this?”

She turns to me with wide eyes. I grin, resting my hands on her extended belly.

“Well, B, since you’re not really allowed out of bed… I wanted to do something to make our anniversary special. Especially since it’ll be the last one we’ll spend alone.”

She turns in my arms, kissing me deeply. “That’s the sweetest thing…”

Carefully, I help her down onto the cushions before settling next to her.

“Happy anniversary, darlin’.”

Demure

I step out of the shower, glancing at the clock.

Perfect timing.

By now, Edward’ll be in position, waiting for my arrival – ready for me.

I don’t hurry to get ready. He’ll wait for as long as I wish him to, and he’ll take whatever I deign to give him.

Funny, really, how my usually take-charge husband so willingly gives himself to me.

When I open the door to our playroom, I smile at his waiting form, kneeling in the middle of the room, knees spread wide, eyes downcast, hands locked behind his head, and his cock hard and needy.

Elixir

But when I kissed a cop down on Thirty-Fourth and Vine

He broke my little bottle of Love Potion Number Nine

I watch in amusement as Bella and Alice dance together, singing along at the top of their lungs to one of the silliest songs I’ve ever heard. But it’s a favorite of theirs.

Bella grins, pulling me up from my seat, Alice soon joining in the effort. I roll my eyes, but oblige. It’s her birthday, after all, and this “sock-hop” was her idea.

Love Potion Number Nine…

As the last notes drift away, I pull her to me.