The Safe Wizards

14: Loss of Control

The snow was falling softly on the Denali Mountains. Jasper looked at it without seeing it. He had to go hunting, his siblings, but also Tanya were getting on his nerves: Emmett and Rosalie because of their endless cooing and the lust that escaped from every port of their bodies; Alice and Edward because of their perfect love and Tanya because of her misplaced desire for him. She wanted him because he was resisting her, the only bachelor in the family. Sure, he could have had fun with the blonde, but he had been raised in Texas and his values held him back. He wanted to wait for his soul mate to discover the pleasures of the flesh. Unfortunately, this choice only made his loneliness and melancholy even heavier. An eternal life without anyone to share it with was long. It seemed even longer since he had joined the Cullen and adopted their diet. Hunger nagged at him almost perpetually, the temptation of human blood was present every day he had to go to school with his siblings to allow their family to have a pseudo human life and reside in one place for several years. In addition to his omnipresent thirst, he had to add the management of the emotions of the people around him: the students of the high school, his family, the women of the Denali clan... The mixture of emotions and their vegetarian diet made him more prone than others to lose control. That day he felt his control was very thin, if he didn't feed before he crossed paths with a human again, his vampire might take over.

Finally Carlisle, Edward, Emmett and Alice were ready to leave. They ran out of the house in short strides, letting their senses expand to spot prey. It was then that Jasper spotted the most tantalizing and delicious smell he had ever smelled. The vampire took over and Jasper didn't even try to regain control, his whole being was hypnotized by the smell. He had to find out who owned it. He was vaguely aware of Alice stopping and Edward exclaiming to hold him back, but it was too late, he was already speeding towards the source of the smell. As he ran, he felt he was being chased, he sped up, not being able to afford to risk losing the source of the scent.

Suddenly a weight fell on him, grabbing his legs and sending him tumbling to the ground with a loud thud. Jasper turned towards Edward, sending him immediately a kick which made him move back several meters. The blond wanted to go back to his goal, but his brother came back at him. Jasper pushed him away easily, but he had lost precious seconds and the rest of his family had had time to join them. One on four, even though he was by far the best fighter in the group, it was no match. Emmett and Edward belted him as Carlisle and Alice moved in front and behind him, holding him by the shoulders. He hesitated for a moment to use his power, but a baby's cry followed by a woman's voice and a man's voice came out. The man's voice was like music to his ears. All his attention turned to the man. He was scared, yet determined and confident, like someone who was about to fight, Jasper realized. Over his father's shoulder, he saw the woman, about fifty years old, and the exceptionally handsome young dark-haired man. He had emerald green eyes, black hair in a shaggy mess, a tanned skin, a slim, athletic figure. His gaze soothed Jasper instantly as he gazed into it. The woman gave the young man a baby and he turned to enter the house. And suddenly everything disappeared: the sight, the smell, the man's voice, his emotions were still there, but so attenuated that they were almost inaccessible to him. Only the woman remained. Jasper cried out in frustration, he struggled for a moment, but the fog that had taken possession of his mind when he had felt the young man finally dissipated. It took him several seconds of deep breathing to finally regain control of his body and realize the tension in his family.

"It's okay," he said in a calm voice to be released.

He felt the intense gazes of Carlisle and Edward fixed on him.

"I've come to my senses," he thought to Edward.

"I see that," Edward replied in a calm voice.