PREY FOR HIM

All credits for characters to Stephenie Meyer, of course.

Darksper drabble. Probably should be posting at Halloween. Didn't want to wait that long. Don't know if there will be a happy ending.

Chapter 60 – Lion Pet

"She's human again, or rather, she no longer thinks she's a bird," said Jasper, reaching out his arms for me.

The big man grunted and rubbed at his arm before pulling it to his mouth to lick the wound.

I looked around with new eyes. Memories were starting to return, all the things I had pushed back. I decided to let them in, if only for a moment. I felt a new presence inside, though. In addition to the human girl Bella, there was this new being, a bird-girl, strengthened by years of running and isolation, one who was powerful and strong. I shifted my shoulders, letting these selves adjust to their surroundings.

I stared at the vampire in front of me. Dr. Cullen was tall, elegantly dressed. He was the doctor I met by the fountain in Italy and sat next to on the airplane to New York. Looking around the room, I saw it was elegantly furnished, so we were probably in his house. It was decorated with antiques, and I was currently making holes in a beautiful oriental rug. There were things hanging on the wall that weren't making sense to me. When I focused on their shapes, I recognized paintings. With my new eyesight, initially I could only see bits of paint placed on canvas, but they began to resolve into scenes. Street scenes of foreign places suspended from the walls in heavy, gilded frames.

The room's large windows were hung with heavy drapes made of deep blue, with braided gold cords to hold them in place. I wondered what was outside. If those drapes were open, what framed scenes would they display? A city street? An ocean?

This had been above me all those months? I had been in a stone basement room beneath such luxury? Looking at the shredded rug beneath me I realized they probably just wanted to keep these precious items upstairs safe.

Looking at one of the men, I began to remember. He had come to…the house in…Texas. Charlotte told me who he was. Emmett, that was his name. Charlotte?

A sudden pang went through me as the name Charlotte flitted across my mind.

I turned back to the man, Jasper. "Charlotte?" I asked.

"Over here, doll," a soft voice said.

I turned in its direction. I saw a slender woman with blond hair. She was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, sitting on a rocking chair by a window. It was Charlotte, and she was OK. I was glad.

In front of me was the blond-maned one. Jasper. Mr. Whitlock. I felt a growl coming out, which I tried to restrain. I crouched and out of the corner of my eye saw a few of the others tense, but they were stilled by a gesture from Marcus. He stood, imperious, watching me carefully, rubbing his chin with his hand.

Marcus had the power, I sensed. It felt good to know who had the power in this group. Who I had to kill, if necessary, to get what I needed. But I had the feeling I wouldn't have to kill Marcus. He had done what he came to do.

I cut my eyes from Marcus and focused my attention on Jasper. Pulling back slightly to get a better spring, I pounced.

Jasper let me leap on top of him. Instead of fighting, he merely put his hand in front of his face. Once I had him down, I looked at him more closely. I noticed that he was handsome, with a nice build. Lean and long-waisted, with muscles showing under his shirt. Right now he had one of his hands on my shoulder, to prevent my teeth from easily reaching his neck.

As he lay on the floor, I thought how pretty his hair looked fanned out around his head. I reached out to touch it and felt him relax.

He looked like a lion. I turned my head to get a different angle. Most definitely a lion.

I pulled back and kneaded his chest a little. He began to purr.

He would make a nice lion. I was going to keep him as my pet.

I smiled down at him, and his rumbling purr stopped as he instinctively stiffened and went on guard. I narrowed my eyes. He knew I was a threat. Good.

Behind me, I heard Marcus laugh. "You wanted her, and you got her."

I began kneading Jasper's chest again, beginning the long work of making this creature my lion pet.

THE END.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed this story. Without you, I don't know if I would have continued. Been quite the trip since April.

I hope you'll check out my new Jasper/Bella story, Animal Instinct, which I will start posting as soon as my beta gets a chance to review the chapters. This will be a full story, not a drabble.

Thanks again to everyone who read and reviewed. You are so greatly appreciated.