Storm.
14 days after the wedding.
Friday, 5:21 pm.
Dema's house.
"We advise everyone to stay home," A female voice said, from the News channel on the tv. "A thunderstorm is about to hit. And let me tell ya, it's a big one..."
Dema shifted her gaze, from the book on her lap to the screen in her living room. She frowned in confusion. Not because of the storm though, she already knew it was coming, she sensed it a few days ago. But because Sam hadn't called the pack in. With a thunderstorm that big coming, Sam would always order them to watch out for hikers, in case the river overflowed.
Then, Dema remembered how Sam would always hold off on telling her or Seth about anything serious. He'd tell them the small stuff, or the absolutely necessary, but nothing more. Sam had explained that while they were still in training, then they'd have to skip on a few pack duties. That also meant any natural threat. Dema didn't mind it much though since she'd rather spend time with Jasper. Plus, the stuff she'd be skipping on, were the only few things that needed great strength, which she especially lacked of.
Just in case, she decided to check if Sam had tried to contact her. She grabbed her phone, which rested on the coffee table, and checked for any missed calls or messages. The only unread text she did have, was from Jasper, and it was only to tell her he'd arrive at her house any minute now. She smiled, mindlessly feeling butterflies in her stomach.
"Is that Jasper?" Eliza inquired with a mocking grin, looking up from her own book as she sat on the armchair in front of her.
"I don't need a man to make me happy," Dema replied and rolled her eyes. "I might have read a note or a joke I wrote to myself, you know?"
"That would be kinda sad, Dema." Eliza laughed. "Come on," She pressed. "It was him, wasn't it?"
Dema sighed in surrender before a smile crept onto her face.
"It was." She nodded. "He's picking me up any minute now."
"Oh! Where are you going?" Eliza asked excitedly.
"I don't really know..." Dema mumbled. "He wouldn't really tell me, but he said it was some sort of family tradition. He just told me what to wear and when he'd pick me up." She gestured towards her unusual choice of clothing, which happened to be black leggings, over-sized t-shirt, snickers, and a jacket.
"Maybe," Eliza started. "They're making your very own coffin!" She joked, and Dema bit her lower lip to prevent herself from laughing as well.
"Mom!" Dema said with a small gasp. Eliza snorted lightly, causing Dema to burst out laughing. After a minute, Dema regained her posture and waved Eliza off. "I'm serious though. He said it was somewhat of an initiation into his family."
"I don't think I'd like to hear that from a vampire," Eliza said quietly.
Dema frowned. "You do know they're harmless, right? They'd never do anything to hurt me-"
Eliza shook her head and sighed. "I know that. You're absolutely right."
However, Dema didn't believe her and gave her an incredulous look.
"Mom, don't worry," Dema said softly. "Bella went through it, and look at her. She's happy, on an amazing honeymoon, god knows where, with the supposed love of her life, probably gleaming like a diamond in the sun with a margarita in hand."
Eliza smiled. "I know. And I trust them... I trust him. He's a gentleman, and I think he might be good enough for you. But, it's my job as a mother to worry, alright?"
Dema nodded. "As long as my relationship doesn't turn into a Romeo and Juliet kind-of scenario, you can worry as much as you like."
For a second, Eliza gave her a look as if saying a quite pitiful, 'oh, honey'. But then, she smiled and nodded at her, before turning back to her book.
What was that about? Dema thought as she panicked silently. Does she honestly believe I'm in a forbidden love kind-of scenario?
And just before Dema could overthink it, even more, someone knocked on their door. She stood up, breathing in his scent of green tea and cinnamon. She turned to Eliza with a small wave.
"That's him," Dema announced. "I'll see you later-"
"Hold on," Eliza cut her off, as she stood up from the armchair and walked towards her.
"What are you doing?" Dema asked with a terrified look on her face.
"Don't give me that look. I just want to say hello-"
"Didn't you humiliate me enough the other day?" Dema's expression of horror turned into a frown. "I'll tell him you said hello-"
"Don't be a child, Dema." Eliza waved her off and headed to the door. "You should be grateful you have a caring mother, who'd go as far as to greet her daughter's vampire boyfriend-"
"Jeez, mom!" Dema's eyes widened in horror. "He can hear you!"
Eliza simply ignored her daughter and swung the door open with ease. Dema stood behind the opened door, cringing silently.
"Oh, Jasper! What a surprise!" Eliza greeted him with a tinge of humor.
Jasper chuckled lightly before nodding at her once.
"It's nice to see you, Eliza," Jasper said, before grinning. "How are you, today? I assume you've had a quite busy day, as always." He asked in the most strikingly dashing way possible.
"Oh, you know," Eliza smiled. "Humiliating my daughter is a full-time job."
Jasper laughed. "I see that."
Dema groaned, poking her head out with a frown on her face. "You're the worst. Both of you."
"Yeah, we know and we're proud," Eliza said.
Ever since their lovely chat after the wedding, Eliza has been purposefully embarrassing Dema whenever Jasper's around. Jasper follows along, happy to playfully mock his girlfriend and bond with Eliza in the process.
"Let's just leave," Dema said as she gripped onto his jacket and rushed out of her house, pulling him away.
"Hold on!" Eliza called after her, and Dema turned around with a scowl. "I might be somewhat of a hippie, but I'd still like to know what are your plans, young lady."
Dema was about to reply when Jasper placed a hand on her lower back and turned to Eliza.
"I won't keep Dema out late tonight." Jasper smiled reassuringly. "We're just going to play baseball with my family." Dema turned to him, surprised.
Eliza looked taken aback for a second. "Baseball? With Dema?"
"That's the plan." Jasper nodded.
Eliza's eyes widened, and she snorted softly before covering her mouth with her hands. Dema was too surprised to acknowledge her mother's reaction. Jasper turned towards her with a nonchalant grin.
"Let me know how that goes, then," Eliza said. "Have fun, you two!"
"I'll make sure of that," Jasper said as he waved at Eliza. "Have a nice day, M'am."
"You too!" Eliza smiled before closing the door.
Both of them heard a faint, "And good luck!" a few seconds after Eliza walked away.
"Baseball?" Dema managed to say.
"Yep." He nodded as he opened the Jeep's door for her to climb in.
"Since when do you like baseball?" She frowned as she climbed into the Jeep with ease, and Jasper closed the door after her.
Jasper suddenly became a blur as he climbed into the Jeep with impossible speed. He grabbed a cap, which rested on his seat, an placed it on his head. His golden curls somehow managed to look even wilder squeezed under the cap.
"It's the American pastime. Plus, there's a thunderstorm coming. It's the only time we can play."
"Why?" Dema wondered as she buckled her seatbelt.
"Oh, you'll see why." He smirked as he backed the Jeep out of her driveway.
_________________
Friday, 6:37 pm.
Clearing in the woods.
Dema climbed out of the Jeep and almost immediately recognized her surroundings. It was the same clearing where the battle had taken place. There were still scratch marks on the rocks by the corner, where Paul had cornered a newborn and bit his face off. She sighed, as her gaze shifted to the opposite corner, where she had kissed Jasper.
She smiled, as she replayed the memory in her head.
Jasper approached her silently and placed a loving kiss on her neck. Dema leaned back into him, melting into the soft peck.
"So, Bella honestly played baseball with a bunch of vampires?" Dema asked as Jasper wrapped his arms above her chest.
She felt his chest heaving as he chuckled.
"Not really, no." He replied. "Actually, that's where we first met Victoria, and her mate, James."
"Right!" Dema's eyes lit up with realization. "Blonde-Vampire-Bitch's boyfriend, Laurent."
"Her name is Irina." He corrected her, slowly letting go off her. "Anyway, I thought you'd be a great addition to my team since we're missing a member."
"Oh? So you just wanted some good ol' werewolf rage on your side, didn't you?" She said as she twirled around to meet his golden gaze.
"Well, you'll at least make it interesting." He said with a devilish grin.
"How so?" She narrowed her eyes at him.
"You'll put up somewhat of a fair fight." He said. "Plus, you're weirdly competitive, and I'd love to see Emmett's face when you beat his ass-" He added nonchalantly.
Dema's eyes widened as a large grin grew on her face.
"Oh my, Major Whitlock!" She gasped dramatically. "Do you woo the ladies with that dirty mouth? Scandalous!"
He stared at her blankly, while she waited a few seconds for a reaction.
"Are you done?" He asked.
"Yeah, probably." She shrugged. "I mean, you were practically asking for it-"
Before she could even finish the sentence, Jasper leaned down and connected his lips with her softly. She smiled mid-kiss, just before placing her arms around his neck. Once they pulled apart, Jasper gazed down at her with a smile.
"You still manage to surprise me, every time." He whispered as he, once again, leaned down to kiss her.
Except, they were harshly disrupted this time. Emmett scratched his throat loudly, echoing through the clearing.
"Are we gonna play, or what?" Emmett grinned once the happy couple turned towards him.
Rosalie stood a few feet behind him, while Esme and Carlisle were holding each other by the waist, by her side. Alice stood behind them, throwing and swiftly catching a baseball in her hands. Everyone stood unhumanly straight, wearing fashionably appropriate attire.
"You bet we're playing," Dema grinned, letting go of Jasper. "Just, make sure you don't blind me with your paleness." She said playfully.
Everyone, except Rosalie, laughed.
"Game on, Poodle," Emmett replied with a challenging smile before everyone turned around and started walking towards the marked field.
Dema rushed past Emmett and reached Alice's side. The pixie-haired vampire acknowledged her presence with a smile, before giving her a quick hug.
"I'm so happy you joined us!" She said, as lively as ever. "Listen, even though we're on different teams, don't go easy on us-"
"Alice," Dema cut her off, meeting her gaze with seriousness. Alice knew what she meant, and shook her head.
"I haven't seen anything, D," Alice said softly, with an apologetic look. "It must've been just a nightmare."
Dema frowned but nodded understandingly.
"Yeah, I hope so." Dema smiled gratefully at Alice before Carlisle's voice echoed through the clearing.
"Alright, everyone in their places," He clapped his hands to get his family's attention. Dema frowned as the coven rushed past her and positioned themselves around the clearing.
Dema almost jumped when Esme placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Usually, Bella's our umpire and Edward's on that team." She leaned in and explained to her with a kind tone. "You'll be on Jazz's team-" She said, leading Dema towards the catcher's position.
"Woah, Woah!" Emmett approached them. "Did we ever agree on that?" He frowned. "She belongs to the winning team."
"That's us," Jasper rushed towards them, with a daring, yet amused grin on his face.
Emmett rolled his eyes before meeting Dema's gaze. "They think we cheat." He explained.
"I know you cheat," Esme replied.
"Wouldn't be surprised," Dema mumbled. Emmett turned towards her with a hurt look on his face. "Just kidding!" She added with a small smile.
"She's fierce. She's a werewolf. She might smell like wet dog, but she clearly belongs on our team." Emmett said to Jasper.
"She's my girlfriend-"
"So?" Rosalie said, approaching them. "Bella has always played on the opposite team."
"You just want her to stay away from you-" Alice intervened.
"As much as I love to listen to your bittersweet compliments," Dema glared at Emmett "And my clearly bad relationship with Rosalie," She gave Rosalie an apologetic smile, which she returned with a shrug. "I think I want to join Emmett's team."
Emmett hollered, while Jasper frowned.
"Are you sure?" Jasper asked.
She nodded. "As much as I'd enjoy kicking Emmett's ass, it wouldn't even compare to kicking yours."
Jasper's frown fell, turning into a challenging grin.
"I won't go easy on you." He said.
"Didn't ask you to."
"You can't phase into wolf form."
"Fine by me."
"I'm pretty fast."
"I've noticed."
"So, you're sure about this?"
Dema nodded. "Pretty sure, blondie."
"Alright." Jasper nodded, with his signature cold-expression. "Good luck, then."
Dema nodded, as he walked past her with a blank expression. Her stomach suddenly flipped, as she realized she's pretty much useless in her human form. She started panicking, regretting how just a few seconds ago she seemingly challenged Jasper with remarkable confidence.
Plus, his poker face didn't help. That just reminded her of when she first met Jasper, with his cold attitude and frightening expression. He was intimidating her, and he knew it. Dema clenched her fists in anger. He's purposefully freezing her out, to confuse her and win. Because the only way she'll be able to play properly, is if she's enraged. Uncontrollable, lethal, werewolf rage.
"It's almost time," Alice announced, as Rosalie grabbed the bat, throwing it in the air and flipping it.
Dema straightened her spine, turning towards Jasper as he walked back to his position.
"Wait!" Dema yelled and he stopped in his tracks. She jogged towards him, with a flirty smile on her face.
He might know how to intimidate her, frighten her even, but throughout this whole time, she has also learned a trick or two.
Jasper stared at her, slowly analyzing her every movement cautiously. That was until Dema smashed her lips against his, resulting in a passionate kiss. The kiss was filled with fire, filled with not only uncontrollable werewolf rage but desire. Purely personal desire to win.
And, yes, maybe a tini-tiny tinge of love.
Dema pulled away, panting lightly and gazing proudly into his dazed expression for a second. He narrowed his eyes at her, with a lopsided grin.
"Okay," Dema patted his shoulder in the friendliest manner. "Let's do this." She turned away, jogging towards her position in the outfield. Jasper watched her walk away, just before chuckling lightly and rushing back to his position.
Emmett whistled amusedly, nodding with a large smirk. "That was something." He admitted.
"Yeah, what even was that?" Alice gave Dema a questioning smile.
"You'll see," Dema said nonchalantly.
Alice rolled her eyes playfully at her before swiftly jogging towards her own position as the pitcher.
"It's time," She announced.
Dema gazed up into the threatening clouds, as deep rumble of thunder shakes the forest. A shiver went up her spine as nature physically connected her to the storm. For a second, she felt that same rush of adrenaline she's used to feel whenever she phases.
Suddenly, a loud crack, similar to thunder, echoes incredibly loudly through the clearing, followed by real thunder. This snaps Dema back to reality, and she's paralyzed by the extraordinary scene in front of her. Alice had pitched with lighting-fast speed, and Rosalie smashed the ball with the aluminum bat, creating the loudest sound she had ever witnessed. The ball shoots like a meteor, flying deep into the forest.
"So, that's why you need thunder..." Dema whispers as she stares in awe at the vampires.
Rosalie dropped the bat to the ground, before dashing with impossible speed through the field, towards the first base. Emmett dashed into the forest, chasing after the ball. While Dema, stood in the middle of the field, awestruck by it all.
She's also suddenly faced with the fact that she couldn't possibly try to catch the ball without her arm being ripped off her body.
Then, in a matter of seconds, Rosalie's darting through the bases, almost a blur. Rosalie's pretty close to home plate when Dema hears Emmett throwing the ball from the distance. She ducked down just in time, as the ball quietly shoots towards Esme. Rosalie's just about to reach home plate, but Esme catches the ball a millisecond before she slides in.
"Out!" Emmett announced excitedly. Rosalie glared at him, scowling as she stood up. "Come on! Babe, it's just a game-"
"Save it." Rosalie snapped at him before walking back to her team.
"Tough love?" Dema asked Emmett, with a playful smirk.
"Unfortunately." He mumbled. "Hey, it would've helped a lot if you phased or something-"
"Can't." Dema shook her head. "I agreed no to. Plus, how would I even catch the ball?"
Emmett nodded in thought. "Can't you like... I don't know, just stay in between forms?"
"I don't think so, but I might be able to stay in the phasing process while playing. I've never tried it, but it might keep my body unphased, but with the adrenaline rush and strength." She replied, as she paced around slightly. "If each turn lasts less than a minute like Rosalie's, then I might pull it off." She whispered that part to herself, before turning to Emmett. "It might actually work. I never thought I'd say this, but you're a genius!"
"Can't say I'm surprised," Emmett replied playfully.
Dema took a quick glance towards the opposite team. Jasper's gazing back into her eyes, all the while, twirling the bat between his hands, and swiftly resting it behind his head. Dema's suddenly mesmerized by his immortal beauty, and Jasper's aware.
"Alright," Alice nods at them, and everyone jogs back to their positions. "Ready, Carlisle?"
Carlisle nods, gripping the bat tighter as Alice pitches lightning-fast.
Dema clenches her fists, breathing in the adrenaline rush, and letting her body be taken over by the transformation. Right before her body's about to burst into her wolf form, she opens her eyes, freezing her state for as long as she's physically able.
Meanwhile, Carlisle has just hit the ball, followed by loud thunder. The ball flies through the clearing. Emmett rushes forward, jumping up to catch the ball, but misses by an inch. Dema suddenly went numb, as her animal instincts took over. She jumped, not as high nor fast as Emmett, but just enough so she could attempt to catch the ball.
Her hand lightly graced the ball, but that was enough for her to realize, catching the ball on full speed would probably break her arm, even during phasing process. She landed back on the ground and glanced down at her fingers. Her fingers were burning from the friction, even if she barely even touched the ball.
She winced softly, and she immediately heard the sound of a bat dropping on the ground. Dema immediately turned towards Jasper, as he gazed her way in worry. Before he could even move a muscle, Dema waved him off.
"I'm fine!" She yelled from the outfield. "I just... didn't expect it to be that fast." She lied. He knew she was lying, and her hand was burning with pain at the moment. He felt her pain. But he also knew she wouldn't like for him to worry, or treat her with special care.
After all, she wanted to feel like one of them. If not, she wouldn't have come.
So, Jasper simply nodded at her, pushing his worry to the back of his mind.
"Alright," Alice took everyone's attention. "Carlisle is safe. Your turn is up, Jazz." Alice told Jasper as he nodded with a cocky grin on his face.
Dema stared at the opposite team, slowly realizing that once she missed the ball, Carlisle made it to the home plate safely. Jasper's glance rested on her, as she analyzed his every movement. He twirled the bat in his hand, before throwing it in the air, and swiftly catching it behind his back.
"Show off," Dema muttered with a daring smirk.
Jasper grinned as he adjusted his baseball cap, tucking a few golden curls into it. Dema breathes in, preparing herself to enter into the phasing process once more. Jasper grasps the bat tightly, twirling it around a few times, before slamming it lightly against the ground.
"Are you gonna keep parading around for your girlfriend to see, or are we gonna play?" Emmett spat bitterly, yet a playful grin danced on his lips.
Jasper narrowed his eyes at him, before nodding at Alice. She nods back at him and in the blink of an eye, Jasper's smashing the bat against the ball with great strength. Dema almost flinches at the loud crack, but she somehow manages to keep her posture.
The ball flashes past her, flying deep into the forest, as Emmett follows behind. As he rushes past her, they share a knowing look. Dema, with a noticeable slower pace, rushes towards the home plate with clenched fists. This time, it's taking a little more effort to hold onto her human form. She's able to hold it off but not as smoothly as the time before.
Dema almost runs into Jasper, as he's making his way towards third base. His curls are bouncing against his porcelain skin, a broad smile is displayed on his chiseled face, his gaze on her as he rushes past her. For a millisecond, she's fully mesmerized by him, slowly melting into the idea of tackling him to the ground, but then Emmett's voice brings her back to reality.
"Dema!" His voice echoes from within the forest. "Catch!"
She snaps back to reality, just in time to notice the ball approaching towards her with impossible speed. She takes a few steps back, noticing the home plate is just a few feet behind her. The ball is getting closer, as she leaps into the air, ready to catch the ball.
Just before the ball crashes against her hand, she lets the wolf form take over her body for the tiniest moment. Once the ball rests safely between her fingers and palm, she takes full control over her body, stopping the process altogether. She tumbled lightly once her feet touch the ground, feeling lightheaded all of a sudden. She quickly shrugged the feeling off, once she noticed Jasper was making his way towards the base.
Dema closed her eyes, expecting to hit the base at any moment as she slid against the ground in order to reach it.
She never made it, though, as a sharp pain arose on her stomach. She groaned considerably loudly, as she collapsed to the ground, grasping onto her stomach and letting go of the baseball.
"Stop!" Alice's voice echoes through the field.
Dema's eyes flutter open, and even though her vision is blurry, she's able to make out Jasper's form as he approaches her with lightning-fast speed. His cold skin brushes against her, as his arms, wrap around her body and he effortlessly pulls her into a tight embrace, before standing up and carrying her away from the field.
All the while, Dema's fully entranced in a well-known, Wraith-induced, vision.
Her eyes travel around the cluttered room. She frowned, unsure of where she stood at.
She walked around the king-sized bed, with white sheets draping on the floor and the white duvet curled at the foot of the bed. The wooden base displayed a much noticeable crack in the middle, making the mattress curve ever so slightly. There were four posts, each on a corner of the bed, or at least there used to be, as two of them were missing a large portion. There were feathers, belonging to the ripped-apart pillows, littered on the floor, alongside wooden pieces from the base.
A soft breeze, coming from the opened glass doors in front of the bed, pushed a few feathers into the air. They danced around Dema for a few seconds, as she stared in awe at the gorgeous view of the vast ocean, and the full moon above it.
Then, as she's about to reach the doors, a loud baby's cry echoes from behind her. A shiver rushes up her spine, as she turns around towards the sound. She peeks at the bed, unsure of where to look exactly. There's something moving under the sheets, so she makes her way towards it and slowly reaches to snatch the sheet away and reveal whatever stood beneath it.
Her fingers brush against the sheet for a second, before she snatches the sheet away. She frowns once she realizes there's no one under it, except for a small red stain. She narrows her eyes at it, as the stain starts to spread towards the rest of the mattress.
She quickly realizes that's no usual stain. Its blood.
Human blood.
She takes a few steps back, confused. She looks down at the sheet she held between her hands, but quickly let's go of it once she realizes there's blood on it too.
Actually, there's blood everywhere.
Dripping from the ceiling, smeared against the glass doors, windows and walls. The feathers were soaking up the blood, becoming a crimson red.
It was as if Dema had just walked into a crime scene.
A horrifyingly gruesome crime scene.
Disgusted and afraid, Dema stepped back until her back hit the wall. Once again, a sharp pain flashed across her lower stomach. She bent over in pain, as another baby cry echoed through the room. Her vision became blurry and slowly turned black.
"Esme." A voice echoed through her mind. "Isle Esme."
That was the last thing she heard before her eyes shot open, sitting up and gasping for air desperately. Her heart is beating as fast as lightning, as she tries to process what she just saw. Her gaze fell on Jasper almost immediately, as he's kneeling by her side, reaching over her and placing his hands on the sides of her face, desperately trying to calm her down.
"It's okay, Dema." He reassures her, taking her panic and pain away. "I'm right here. You're safe. You're alright." He mumbles before kissing her forehead and sighing in relief. At this, Dema realizes he was mostly just reassuring himself.
"How are you feeling, Dema?" Carlisle asked as he kneeled by her side, analyzing her body.
"I'm..." Dema started, before lifting her shirt up to her abdomen, exposing her lower stomach. "I'm fine." She smiled with slight relief.
"What happened?" Alice asked, reaching her side.
Dema's gaze fell on Jasper for a moment. He was on the verge of figuring it all out, and Dema knew he wouldn't be happy about it. She considered lying, but then she wondered if the vision might actually be a warning of some kind, then it would be selfish of her to keep it a secret.
Dema sighed in surrender, deciding she'd just rip the band-aid off.
"I had a vision. Like the ones I used to have six months ago." Dema said as she witnessed everyone's faces fall into uneasiness.
"Is it even possible?" Emmett asked quietly. "Can it be back?"
Carlisle and Jasper shared a look. A knowing look.
"It can if it never really left in the first place," Carlisle replied, and Jasper noticeable tensed up.
Dema turned to Jasper with a small confused frown. "You knew, already?"
Jasper clenched his jaw, before nodding slowly. "I had my suspicions."
"Why didn't you say anything?" Dema said with slight anger on her tone.
"Because you're hiding something from me." He replied, icy calm. "There's something you've been hiding ever since you turned, and I can't seem to figure it out."
Her eyes widened ever so slightly, as she tried to remain as calm as he seemed to be.
"N-no, I-" She tumbled over her words lightly, panicking over what to say or do. Suddenly, her eyes lit up, remembering what she had seen and heard on her vision. "That doesn't matter right now. I think there's something wrong, and whether the Wraith is back or not, doesn't matter. I still think this is a warning."
"What did you see?" Esme asked, and Dema's eyes narrowed in thought.
"Your name, actually." She replied, and Carlisle's eyes widened slightly. "Isle Esme, to be exact. Does that ring a bell to you, guys?"
"What else did you see?" Carlisle asked with an urgency to his tone.
"Blood," Dema said. "And, a lot of it. A baby, too."
"A baby?" Rosalie frowned.
"I didn't see it, but I heard it cry a few times," Dema explained, and Carlisle nodded in thought before turning towards Alice.
"Can you see them, Alice?" He asked his adoptive daughter, but she frowned with fear in her eyes. "Call him. Now." He said, and as if on cue, everyone headed to their respective vehicles.
Jasper wrapped his arms around her, and lifted her up, carrying her bridal-style towards his Jeep. He ignored her protests and effortlessly opened the car door, placing her on the passenger's seat and even buckled her seatbelt.
"Jasp, what's going on?" She asked as he closed her door and jumped into the driver's side in the blink of an eye. "What is Isle Esme? Who is Alice going to call?"
Jasper buckled his seatbelt and wasted no time to get out of there. He pressed the gas pedal and the car rushed into the pathway that leads to his home, right through the woods.
"Isle Esme was a gift from Carlisle to Esme. It's on the coast of Rio de Janeiro." Jasper explained. "Edward and Bella happen to be there, right now."
"They're on their honeymoon," Dema mumbled to herself, as the realization hit her. "I had a nightmare last night."
"What?" Jasper frowned, his grip tightening around the steering wheel.
"I saw Bella. She was in pain. She was bleeding from her stomach..." Dema looked down at her own stomach, brushing her fingers against her cloth-covered body. "And today, I heard a baby." A soft gasp escaped her lips. "It can't be. It's not possible..." She mumbled quietly, before turning to Jasper. He stared blankly into the path in front of them. "Is it? Is it possible for Bella to get pregnant?"
Jasper shook his head before a soft forced chuckle escaped his lips. Dema frowned, staring at him in confusion, and slight disbelief.
"I don't know." He spat. "All I know is that you've had several encounters with the curse already, and you didn't even consider mentioning it."
"For all we know, it might just be a false alarm."
"Either way, I'm not risking it. I'm not risking you." He gave her a quick glance, one filled with genuine worry. "Is this what you've been hiding?"
"Yes," Dema replied, almost too quickly. "But, back in the field, you said you were already suspicious the Wraith had come back. How?"
"There's no way you'd be able to hide us from the pack. They would've known from the start."
"So all this time... it never left."
"No, but it will. I won't let anything happen to you." He said, with desperation to his tone. "I'll jump to the end of the earth if it's necessary, but I won't lose you. I can't."
"And you won't." Dema reached over, taking his right hand and kissing it.
Jasper glanced at her with a loving expression, but Dema quickly noticed how his mind got clouded with thought.
"What?" Dema asked softly.
"You won't like what I'm about to say." He warned her.
"Then don't say it." Dema gave him an innocent shrug.
"I have to." Jasper reached over and rested his hand over hers. "You need to spend less time with us, and more time with the wolves."
"What?"
"There's a chance your close relationship with us, with me, might be the reason-"
"No, it's not, Jasper."
"You don't know."
"Neither do you."
"I can't lose you, Dema." He met her gaze. His golden eyes held a seriousness she had only witnessed in the battlefield, six months ago. "Even if that means we can't be together-"
"No. Stop it." Dema frowned. "You're not going to lose me, okay? We're not breaking up, because you're not the reason the Wraith is back. And I'll prove it. Just, stop talking like that. I'll spend more time around the pack, and less time around you. You'll see that nothing will change. Just, shut up! Please."
"Alright, I'm sorry," Jasper said quietly as he drove up to the Cullen's driveway. He sighed as he parked the car behind Emmett's. "It's just... You can't let the Wraith win."
"I need you by my side, then." She replied as she leaned on his seat, reaching over and placing a hand on his cheek.
"Good." He smiled before inching closer and kissing her lips softly.
Dema pressed her body against his, melting into his touch. She felt as if kissing him had the ability to fix everything around them. Her world seemed almost flawless for the shortest moment.
That was until a soft knock on Jasper's window brought them back to reality. They pulled away and turned towards the knock. Esme stood outside the car, with a furrowed expression filled with concern. Dema and Jasper rushed out of the car, reaching Esme with questioning glances.
"They're on their way here." Esme started.
"How is she? Is she-" Dema asked, as her heart ached with fear.
"Yes, Dema," Esme replied. "We're not completely sure, but it seems you were right."
"Bella... She's-"
"Pregnant."
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A/N:
Long-time no write, huh? Yeah, sorry about that. I've recently gone through a breakup, and, well, every time I wrote something, it just turned out pretty bad tbh. I'm still kinda disappointed how this chapter turned out, but I tried my best and I desperately needed to get this chapter out ASAP!
This was supposed to be my favorite chapter to write, seeing as I took one of my fave scenes from the Twilight movie and kinda recreated it. I'm just super bummed I didn't enjoy writing it as much as I should've. I still hope you enjoy part of it, though. I wrote the first half before the whole mental breakdown, and god, I think it shows.
I apologize for this crappy, kinda unnecessary lengthy chapter. I know it's kinda all over the place, but I'm not in a great mental state right now, so I'm afraid it has affected my writing and creativity A LOT.
I swear I've been trying to write for the past month, almost every day, but every time I finished it, it just ended up worse than the time before. I gave up for a while, but I missed writing a lot. Plus, I missed you, lovely people :')
I'm glad to be back, and I promise the next chapter will be hella lot better.
Love yourselves.
-Q. Edna