Family Of Killers

Chapter 9 – The Dangerous Secrets

JASPER'S POV

I made my way out of the hearing range of anyone around and dialled the familiar number. It was answered on the second ring. The human secretary answered.

"This is the Volturi, who is calling?"

"Major Whitlock. I need to speak to Aro, immediately."

"Do you have an appointment...?"

"Listen here, child," I drawled, "Your master will punish you if he finds out you sent me away."

She seemed shocked. Obviously, she hasn't been told about me, I wished the Volturi would stop playing with their food and get a vampire as a bloody secretary; it would avoid a lot of embarrassment for them.

She soon put me through after enquiring about me and my status to the Volturi.

"Ah Major, I am so sorry about the mix up with Gianna. Simply can't get the staff these days."

I rolled my eyes, aware he was trying to placate me.

"Aro, there are two humans in Forks, Washington who are under my protection. They know our secret but one is my mate, the other is her father…."

"Woah, woah, woah, Jasper. Your mate? I thought Alice was your mate. You can only have one."

"She was never my mate; we were together and married, yes, but nothing to that extent. I was beginning to think I didn't have one. You never met Alice, so who told you I was mated to her?"

"Carlisle…Anyway get back to whatever you were saying…"

"Why would he…The Cullen's told her about us, I told her father. I will change them but only if they want to. They will not be harmed otherwise. I have also issued a kill order on Edward Cullen. However, we have bigger things to worry about. I think Maria has been telling humans about our existence and supplying them with weapons that actually work against us."

"Kill order? Human weapons working against us? How is that possible Whitlock?"

"The boy is no longer stable, his emotions are of an obsessive newborn – his emotions fluctuate like he's deranged. He has already almost killed my human mate twice. The Cullen Patriarch is letting him get away with sloppy kills as well; he killed an officer of the law and didn't appear to drink any of the blood. Apparently, the myth about silver is partly true. When we were with Maria, she was using us as test subjects; don't ask - I suppressed it. She obviously refined her theory because now they are using were-venom-coated-silver-bullets. The venom cuts through our skin like teeth and the silver dissolves into our bodies. It hurts like hell; it burns, worse than limbs being ripped off. We need to stop them before it's too late and our brothers and sisters start killing humans because of it. There was a small army of fifteen in Forks, who knows there may be similar groups up and down the country, even the world."

"I will send some of the guard over to assist. Is there anything else you need, Major?"

"Is there anything you can tell me about Victoria and the Cullens, Aro?"

I only asked to be thorough...I was not expecting his answer.

"Just before you met the Cullens, Victoria was a girl who went to school with Edward. He manipulated her so much that she thought she loved him. Edward Cullen would wait until she was asleep before drinking from her. One day he slipped and turned her, before leaving her alone in the forest changing. Victoria woke up feral and we went to intercede, but a member of my guard mated to her and he taught her the ways of a vampire. I don't think she ever remembered her human life. Every time we went after the Cullens, they would find a way out because of that seer."

I was stunned. The lies that they had covered up were worthy of death.

"Alice was with the Cullen's before she met me?"

"Years before Jasper, did you not know?"

I growled, my anger rising so fast that I almost crushed the phone.

"What about Rosalie and Emmett? Did they know?"

"I do not know."

"I need to go."

I ended the call and sprinted back to the house, intent on making sure Bella had no other bite marks.

As I approached the Swan's house I could hear the unmistakeable laugh of Emmett, I swallowed the venom that was pooling in my mouth and entered. I twisted my face into a blank façade as I stepped through the threshold, although, I could feel my anger vibrating around me like a shield.

"Bella, sweetheart, I need you to go upstairs with Charlotte. I need to make sure Edward never bit you."

She jumped up off her seat startled, "He never bit me, what's this about?"

"Please darlin', I need you to trust me. He could have bitten you without you knowing about it. I just need to be sure. Please?"

She nodded warily and made her way to her room.

"Where did that come from?" Peter asked confused, as I sank to the floor.

I looked up at him from my position and sighed.

"I will tell you all at the same time. I won't be able to tell it twice. Contain Hale and McCarty; I am not sure which side they are on as yet."

"What?" The couple yelped startled as Peter held them up against the wall by their throats before they even registered any movement.

"You will know when Bella knows, so keep quiet." I snarled.

I was getting tired of questioning loyalties, why couldn't we catch a break?

Bella slowly made her way down the stairs, she looked paler than usual.

"You okay sweetheart?"

She nodded slightly as she curled up in my lap. Charlotte went over to her husband and helped him restrain the couple.

"Aro had some information. Victoria was turned by Edward. He has a thing for playing with his food, he'd convince them that they were in love and then he'd feed on them during the night. The Cullens were aware of it and so was Alice. She was with the Cullens before she met me, the whole thing is a joke. One night Edward was interrupted and she started to change. He took her into the woods and left her. For three days she burnt there alone. When she returned to the land of the living she was feral. The Volturi came to kill her and the Cullens, but they were nowhere to be found. Alice got them out and Victoria mated with a member of the guard. Victoria doesn't remember what happened but James was never after Bella, he was after the Cullens to protect her."

Both Emmett and Rose's eyes had turned a deep black; the rage within them would be enough for a human to tear through a building.

"Did you know anything about any of this? I'd answer pretty quickly if I were you, because we've had enough shit today and would really like to go back to panicking about the other crap we were doing previously. If your answer isn't satisfactory, Peter and Charlotte will kill you."

Rose was the first to answer, "Major, you know that I can't stand men abusing women. We had no idea this was going on, I promise you. I would have killed them had I known."

I nodded as I felt her emotions: rage being the most prominent, understanding and sincerity fighting against the anger.

Charlotte relaxed her hold on the blonde as she saw my reaction. I turned towards Emmett as I waited for his statement.

"Jasper, I am so sorry. I didn't know. They lied to us all."

My anger deflated as I realised they were telling the truth, they had been lied to just as much as the rest of us had.

"Let them go, they are innocent. Sorry I needed to be sure."

Emmett was the first to speak, Rose was still looking a little shaky so I sent her a relaxing blend of emotions and watched her return to her normal self.

"We understand that you need to do that. We know that you could have done worse."

I turned to my twin, "I am sorry I had to have you restrained. I know how much you hate it and why."

She nodded her acknowledgement but stayed slightly shielded behind her mate.

"It would have been worse if Charlotte hadn't taken over. I was close to trying to rip Peter's head off."

"They lied to us." A small voice broke from my lap.

Bella had frozen at the mention of Victoria's suffering.

"They all lied to us. Alice is supposed to be my best friend and Edward was supposed to be my boyfriend, yet he used me just like Victoria..."

The growl that left me silenced the room.

"He was using you as a blood slave?" I asked slowly, barely containing my rage and swallowing back venom as my need to kill increased.

Bella nodded softly.

A red tinge seemed to pass over my sight. There was no way in hell he was going to get off easy the next time I saw him.

"Where's Charlie?" Peter gasped suddenly.

"He went to the reservation."

He frowned, "Jasper, I have a bad feeling. Charlie's going to die."

"We need to find him now. Emmett, Rose, go to the reservation, catch his scent. Char, circle the house, in case he returns. Peter, you're with me. If any of you find him, call the rest and tell us a location. Move now!"

They disappeared with no questions asked.

"What about me?" A fragile voice whispered.

"Bella, I am not leaving you alone. Get on."

I crouched down for her and when she was on my back, I straightened up and made my way outside. Charlie's cruiser had a distinct running smell which I soon found and started to follow. Bella was silent as we tracked her father. Peter's emotions were frantic as he attempted to force his gift to work, even though he knew it wouldn't help.

We soon spotted the white and blue of his car. It was crunched up as if it had hit something hard. Charlie was nowhere in sight, but his and Edward's scents were blended together as they lead off into the woods. Peter pulled out his phone, ready to call the others.

The trail led to a clearing, a small meadow. And there was Charlie, all battered, bruised and bleeding but still breathing.

I set Bella down and turned to face Edward.

"As part of the Volturi Guard, I sentence you to death, Edward Cullen; for using human's as blood slaves, telling a human about the existence of vampires, not killing the second mate and for leaving your kill in a manner that could expose us. Peter Whitlock and Isabella Swan stand as witness."

"You have no power here."

"Wrong. I have all the power here."

I could feel him trying to figure out when I would strike first, keeping my guard up, careful not to think of my actions. I stood straight, not moving, waiting for his impatience to kick in. It did. Bella ran to her father now that Edward attention was on me. I slipped into a split-second crouch after he charged, ducking under his arms. I pressed straight, propelling Edward upwards. He landed hard and rolled, looking for the first time, a little scared. I grinned, aware that I was enjoying this too much, and saw him flinch away from me.

"Come on Eddie, you're not even trying." I taunted.

He charged again, this time faking left. I followed him right, batting his weak punch away and caught the second, tearing at the elbow. One limb down.

Fear flowed from him as he realised I wasn't going to let him leave.

He became frantic, trying with all his heart to strike me, too bad he never paid attention to any of my teachings.

Another limb was lost, dropping to the floor as Edward started screaming.

"Stop playing Major. We are losing him."

That shocked me out of my fun; I caught hold of the bastard's neck and twisted.

I dropped the head beside Peter and knelt by Charlie, listening for his heartbeat. It was slowing, barely audible, even with my super hearing.

"Jasper, you have to change him. I can't lose him. Jasper please!"

What if I don't stop? What if I drain him? What if it doesn't work?

Peter nodded, knowing what I was thinking, settling my fears.

"Don't kill Edward. We need him to talk. I don't understand why Carlisle let him do this."

My second grabbed hold of Bella and picked her up from Charlie's side, giving me enough space to slip my teeth into his throat. His blood pooled in my mouth, flowing over my tongue. It tasted better than I remembered; so absence does make the heart grow fonder. I wanted more of the crimson nectar and I wanted it now...

...but I knew I couldn't.

I savoured what I could before pushing my venom into his new wound; only when his blood no longer pulled at my bloodlust, I sat up straight, removing my mouth from the source. I licked the bite and watched it heal.

Bella sighed as she watched my venom take hold.

"Thank you Jasper."