His Wolf Pup - a Jasper Hale Story

11- Imprinted

"Why didn't you tell him sooner?" Carlisle's words brought me out of my pity party.

"I didn't want to pressure him into anything. I just want him to be happy," I told him honestly.

"He is happy with you," Edward said from behind me. "He's just in shock."

"He'll come around." I looked over at Alice as she spoke. "I can see it."

"Yeah, and even if he doesn't, we'll still be your friends." Emmet's words caused Rosalie to slap his arm. "What? I'm just saying what I feel."

"Don't start your sentences with a worst-case scenario," Noah told him. "It just brings down the mood."

"I was just being honest and nice," Emmet told Noah and Rosalie. "Guess you people don't understand that."

"Thanks, Emmet," I told him with a slight smile on my face. "That means a lot."

"He's coming." Alice's words caused my smile to drop and my anxiety to return.

"Is he mad?" I asked her.

She didn't reply, but Edward told me something instead. "He's in the backyard and wants to talk to you."

"He told you that?" I asked Edward.

"Yeah, and he's not angry, I can tell."

I got up from the couch, saying a quick "Thank you" to Edward, before slowly making my way toward the back door. As I approached, I felt my anxiety worsen.

I opened the back door and saw Jasper standing not too far away. As my eyes locked onto his, I felt my anxiety melt away. I walked up to Jasper, keeping a small distance apart from him in case he was still mad at me.

I decided to talk first. "Jasper, I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry about?" His words were quiet and quick.

"Everything," I told him honestly. "Lying, imprinting, all of it."

"Why did you not tell me?" I could hear the pain in his voice, and it made me regret everything, but I couldn't take my actions back.

I looked down at the grass before answering. "I didn't want to force you into anything. I just wanted you to be my friend of your own accord, not because you felt like you had to be."

"You didn't do it because you hate me and wish you had imprinted on someone else?"

His words caused me to look up at him in astonishment. "Of course not. Can't you feel how much I love you?" I said it without thinking, but I wished I could take it back. Saying I loved him was a big thing to say, and I didn't want to scare him off.

I saw Jasper move quickly, and I assumed he was running away. Then, I felt his arms wrap around me ever so gently. "I love you too."

I gasped slightly at this before asking, "What?"

"I've loved you for a while, Emma, but I assumed you imprinted on someone else, so I didn't want to tell you. I didn't want to complicate your life anymore."

I wrapped my arms around Jasper, pulling him into a tighter hug. The two of us didn't speak for a moment, we just relished in the fact that we both loved each other, and we both admitted it on our own.

"Promise?" I asked Jasper, wanting to make sure he wasn't lying.

"Promise." He told me, smiling to himself. "I just realized something."

"What?"

"We're going to have a long time together since you're technically immortal."

"I guess that means you'll be stuck with me forever."

"And always." Jasper smiled as he spoke, letting me know he wasn't going to regret this any time soon.

Then I realized something about when he rescued me from my house. "Wait a minute," I said, pulling back from Jasper. "How did you not kill me when I was bleeding that much?"

I could tell Jasper knew exactly what I was talking about. He told me, "I wasn't even tempted. I just wanted you to be safe. I felt crazy the whole time you were out too. I don't think I've ever been so anxious in my entire life."

I smiled at Jasper's words. Knowing that my blood wouldn't ever tempt him meant that we truly were meant to be. I could live happily ever after with the vampire I imprinted on.

But first, we had to deal with the consequences of the vampire's actions toward my parents.