To Love and To Be Loved (A Jasper Hale/ Whitlock Love Story)

Understanding

All the boys joined me to hunt.

"Alright, what's your preference?" Emmett asked me with a wide grin, and I shrugged.

"Whatever's around."

"What did you eat out there in Egypt?" Edward asked, and I grinned.

"Benjamin used to try and get me to try crocodiles," I admitted, trying not to let my emotions for the boy show through, afraid Edward would get wind of them. But I couldn't stop the image of his face, ever so close to my own, a twinkle in his eye and that expression on his face as he tried to convince me they'd taste just fine. I shook the image from my mind as quickly as it came, and continued. "But they smelled disgusting. He thought it'd be funny. I mostly stuck to larger mammals like leopards if I could, but... most of the wildlife there is smaller in size."

"Ever try bear?" Jasper asked me, grinning equally as wide. "It's Emmett's favorite." I laughed.

"Of course it is."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It's means you're the brawn," I joked.

"Oh, and you're supposed to be the brains?"

"I'd say just about anyone could be the brains in comparison." Emmett lunged, and I laughed as we began to wrestle one another until I froze, catching a whiff of something, and Emmett pinned me down while I was distracted.

"Does this mean I win?"

"Not fair," I laughed, pushing him off, and he cackled.

"I don't know, Elle, if you ask me, I think you just don't wanna admit defeat."

"Well thank God nobody asked you then," I laughed, standing, and I looked to see both Edward and Jasper watching us, amused. "What?" I asked.

That was when Emmett tackled me from behind.

"Get off you big lug!" I laughed, pushing him off, and that was when I smelled it again.

"I smell it too," Edward agreed, and we were off. We stopped fifty feet from our prey.

I shocked them when, instead of lunging after the three deer, I drained their energy, and they suddenly collapsed into a deep sleep.

"Well where's the fun in that?" Emmett asked, confused.

"Killing isn't fun," I raised a brow, looking at him. "No matter the species. This way, it's like..." I looked back at the sleeping deer, and I made my way down to them, breathing in deep as I crouched and cradled the youngest's head sadly, stroking its ears. Knowing the poor animal's fate, guilt began creeping in yet again. "Drifting off to sleep..." What a miserable existence. To have to kill millions of beings in order to just stay sane. "Sometimes, ignorance is bliss."

And then we smelled them, and we all turned toward the shape shifters as they ran toward us. Eight of them - one was the gray one with the black spots from earlier.

"I am Eleanor Cullen," I greeted quietly. "Carlisle Cullen's daughter from his life as a human." There was a short silence.

"They came to tell you that if you are now a part of our coven, that you live under the same rules as we do," Edward translated as the big black wolf that led the others glared menacingly at me.

"I intend to do so," I admitted, and the black wolf looked down at the three sleeping deer and gave a huff. "I can manipulate energy," I answered the unspoken question. "I prefer to drain the energy of my prey, to let them fall asleep, to allow them ignorance if I am to kill them. So they don't feel fear or discomfort before they pass."