Gently // jasper hale [Completed]

10.

"i only want to live forever in memories,
in poems, and in you."

It felt like fire coursing through her veins, scorching her insides and setting her alight. This isn't how she imagined dying. It was nothing peaceful, nor serene. It was raw and lonely, only an unimaginable, unrelenting pain to keep her company. Hours, days, weeks; she wasn't sure how long she burned. She wanted to scream, she wanted to claw her way through her own skin to seek relief.

Finally, the flames were extinguished slowly, the pain seeping from her limps and her chest, replaced with an encompassing feeling of dread.

Her eyes fluttered open, the ominous rays of moonlight filtering through the canopy above to illuminating the forest around her. She could see in frightening detail; every drifting speck of dust in the air, every insect crawling on the trees. Her sense of smell was assaulted with the scent of earth and pine, sharp and overwhelming. On the breeze, she caught the smell of something sweet and rich, and an intense burning sensation flared in her throat, begging her to find the source and satisfy the yearning.

She flashed to her feet, an instinctual urge surging throw her, silencing all rational thought.

"Easy, little one," a gentle, male voice soothed from behind her, their southern twang oddly comforting.

She twirled around to face the stranger, her speed surprising her. He was tall, with frighteningly pale skin, dark, cropped hair and piercing red eyes. He wore a simple grey shirt with jeans that were sitting over a pair of muddy boots.

"What's going on?" She asked, her voice sounding foreign to her own ears.

"I bit you," he told her, taking a measured step forward. "I came to visit an old friend, but I found you instead."

She stared at him quizzically. Everything was foggy, none of her memories were very clear. She could barely remember her own name.

"You're a vampire, little one."

She almost laughed, but then the image of a golden-haired angel appeared in her mind, his unnatural amber eyes staring deep into her soul, calling out to her.

"Jasper," she gasped, memories flooding through her head. "Where is he?"

How could she forget him? She could remember staying at his home before everything went blank. She had heard his muffled voice while she floated in a dark stasis, completely helpless to reach out to him. 

"Sorry, little one. I can't tell you that. He's in no state to see you."

Truthfully, the mysterious vampire was worried Jasper would slaughter her on sight, believing her to be some cruel trick or a vivid delusion. He knew how effected he was by emotions, especially rage, and knew the couple seeing each other now wouldn't end well. 

Jasper's scent had clung to her skin and bedsheets, signaling that he had spent a lot of time with her, so she must have meant a great deal to him.

"What? Why not?" She sounded so heartbroken. Has something happened to him?

"He's mourning you, sweetheart," he said gently. "You died."

She stood motionless, wide eyed and in shock, as he took another careful step forward.

"I... died?" She stuttered out.

"To him, you did. I followed his scent to the hospital and found you, unconscious in bed," she looked down, noticing the hospital gown she was dressed in. "I waited around a while for him, but then you started having a fit... The doctors called it after a while, but I guess you're a little bit stubborn. I could hear your heartbeat, just barely, pick up again. So, I did the only thing I could think of. I wasn't even sure it would work; you were so weak and frail. 

"I had to hide and wait for four days before I could steal you away from the morgue. Some incorrect paperwork and a few phone calls later, your mother was burying an empty casket."

His dry delivery was forgotten in her panic. How did she forget about her own mother? And who was this man to make this decision for her. She didn't want to be a vampire, she just wanted to go peacefully. She took a step forward, her posture stiffening in anger. 

"Why did you do this to me?" She growled at him, her voice rumbling in her chest. "What do you want from me?"

He raised his hands in defense. "I don't want anything from you, I promise. But I couldn't let you die, Jasper needs you."

"Then let me see him!" She was becoming increasingly irate with every vague answer she got from this stranger. 

"Not yet," he said with a shake of his head. "You're too volatile, and he will be too upset to be thinking straight. You both need time apart, and I changed you, so you're my responsibility."

She remembered the tales Jasper told her about the newborns in the vampire wars. How they'd slaughter whole towns in a night, so driving on bloodlust that they had lost all sense of humanity. She didn't want to become that, and she didn't want the Cullens to be forced to keep her isolated. 

She frowned slightly, thinking about the burden she'd be and the threat she would pose to their way of life. Maybe it was best if she stayed away for a while. For some inexplicable reason, her instincts were telling her to trust this man and his judgement.

"Okay," she said under her breath. "I'll stay with you. But I'm never forgiving you."

He took a last step towards her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "That's good, better than nothing. My wife if going to be so excited to meet you. But first, let's get you something to drink."

He took her hand and began guiding her further into the forest. At the mention of sustenance, the aching burn returned to her throat, so she followed him eagerly. 

"My name is Peter, by the way."

a/n: oop

+ i just started a new full-time job, so all my uploads are gonna be out of whack, again. life comes at ya fast. hopefully WotH will be updated tomorrow.