Part 132:
Jasper’s POV:
I hated being this close to him. I hated my family being this close to him. I hated Alice being this close to him. He said his name was Rodrigo, but I didn’t care. Whoever he was, he was a danger. We had fought before. If he became hostile, I should be in front of my family, protecting them. Not here, behind them. I kept my eyes fixed on whoever was talking to him. My muscles were locked tight; I was ready to throw myself at him at the slightest sign of aggression.
Carlisle and Esme passed un-harmed, and so did Edward, Bella and Renesmee. Now, Alice was closest to him. She was directly beside me, her hand gripped tight in mine. I could feel her eyes on my face, but I didn’t look down at her. She knew something was up, and I couldn’t’ risk taking my eyes off my potential opponent for a moment.
I watched Rodrigo, watched his dark gold eyes as they moved over Alice. He smiled at her, and then turned his gaze to me.
It only took a second.
His swept quickly over me, taking in my protective posture and my tense, wary eyes. I could feel it when his curiosity changed into aggression. I could see it in his eyes, in the way he fell forward into an attacking crouch. I fell forward, too, not even blinking as I watched him. I could feel his emotions; they were just cold, fixed on his objective: me. The armies had always been this way. We fought because that’s all we knew. We didn’t feel emotions in battle, because we weren’t human, and we didn’t care about anyone else.
I felt a stab of pain, because I thought this part of me was long gone. I thought the war in my life was over. It looked like the battle was never ending. Another stab of pain, paired with guilt, punctured my heart, as I felt arms wrapping around me, trying to hold me back. Alice.
Was fighting the best choice? Was it better to back off, or attack? Which would hurt her more?
I couldn’t do it, I knew I couldn’t. Because this part of me was gone; I was finished with the war. I felt emotions, I cared about others…I wasn’t a warrior anymore, not like I used to be.
If I attacked, would I survive? Could I attack? Should I attack? Which way was the best way to protect Alice, to protect my family?
I could see them, in my peripheral vision. Emmett, Edward, and Carlisle were ready to fight with me. They were doing their best to keep Esme and Rose and Bella protected, but Bella wanted to fight. So did Rose.
Did I want them to fight? It was down to me, and I knew it. I could back away, and keep peace, or attack… which would present the greatest risk to my family?
Then the choice was taken from me. Rodrigo leapt at me, I felt Alice’s arms release me, and I fell to the ground. All I could was Rodrigo’s face; all I could here was growling, snarling, and tearing. I struggled against his hold, but he was stronger. He had war in his blood: he was still a fighter. I wasn’t.
I could feel the pain, the stinging pain, as he ripped at my granite skin and bit into me, again and again. I was losing the strength to fight back. I wanted to just close my eyes and give into the pain; I had never had such a brutal mauling in all my existence, not even in the wars.
Then I heard Alice, her growls high-pitched and desperate. She was screaming with denial. She was fighting for me. They all were. But was there any point to their efforts?
I didn’t know anymore.
Jasper’s POV:
I hated being this close to him. I hated my family being this close to him. I hated Alice being this close to him. He said his name was Rodrigo, but I didn’t care. Whoever he was, he was a danger. We had fought before. If he became hostile, I should be in front of my family, protecting them. Not here, behind them. I kept my eyes fixed on whoever was talking to him. My muscles were locked tight; I was ready to throw myself at him at the slightest sign of aggression.
Carlisle and Esme passed un-harmed, and so did Edward, Bella and Renesmee. Now, Alice was closest to him. She was directly beside me, her hand gripped tight in mine. I could feel her eyes on my face, but I didn’t look down at her. She knew something was up, and I couldn’t’ risk taking my eyes off my potential opponent for a moment.
I watched Rodrigo, watched his dark gold eyes as they moved over Alice. He smiled at her, and then turned his gaze to me.
It only took a second.
His swept quickly over me, taking in my protective posture and my tense, wary eyes. I could feel it when his curiosity changed into aggression. I could see it in his eyes, in the way he fell forward into an attacking crouch. I fell forward, too, not even blinking as I watched him. I could feel his emotions; they were just cold, fixed on his objective: me. The armies had always been this way. We fought because that’s all we knew. We didn’t feel emotions in battle, because we weren’t human, and we didn’t care about anyone else.
I felt a stab of pain, because I thought this part of me was long gone. I thought the war in my life was over. It looked like the battle was never ending. Another stab of pain, paired with guilt, punctured my heart, as I felt arms wrapping around me, trying to hold me back. Alice.
Was fighting the best choice? Was it better to back off, or attack? Which would hurt her more?
I couldn’t do it, I knew I couldn’t. Because this part of me was gone; I was finished with the war. I felt emotions, I cared about others…I wasn’t a warrior anymore, not like I used to be.
If I attacked, would I survive? Could I attack? Should I attack? Which way was the best way to protect Alice, to protect my family?
I could see them, in my peripheral vision. Emmett, Edward, and Carlisle were ready to fight with me. They were doing their best to keep Esme and Rose and Bella protected, but Bella wanted to fight. So did Rose.
Did I want them to fight? It was down to me, and I knew it. I could back away, and keep peace, or attack… which would present the greatest risk to my family?
Then the choice was taken from me. Rodrigo leapt at me, I felt Alice’s arms release me, and I fell to the ground. All I could was Rodrigo’s face; all I could here was growling, snarling, and tearing. I struggled against his hold, but he was stronger. He had war in his blood: he was still a fighter. I wasn’t.
I could feel the pain, the stinging pain, as he ripped at my granite skin and bit into me, again and again. I was losing the strength to fight back. I wanted to just close my eyes and give into the pain; I had never had such a brutal mauling in all my existence, not even in the wars.
Then I heard Alice, her growls high-pitched and desperate. She was screaming with denial. She was fighting for me. They all were. But was there any point to their efforts?
I didn’t know anymore.